The most common question I have always been asked is what camera gear I use for my photos and videos.
Well, photography isn’t all about gear and you can use any camera or even a good phone to take great photos with decent knowledge of composition & lighting. But I do agree that having atleast a basic set of camera equipments might help take your photography to the next level.
This can also be considered a good camera gear guide for beginners since some of the equipments mentioned below are budget friendly and will more than serve your purpose if you are just starting out.
Cameras
Main Camera Body – Canon EOS 77D
I am a Canon fangirl through and through. I started with Canon 1100D more than 6 years ago. Then I upgraded to Canon 77D almost 3 years back and have been using it ever since. Both me & my husband own the same model and we use it for both photos & videos. Although this is a semi professional model, it serves our purpose to the fullest. We use it for professional wedding & kids photography work as well & don’t plan to replace it anytime soon.
It is also very user-friendly (infact Canon in general is very user-friendly). You can easily get your friends and family to take great shots for you on trips.
Cons: The only con I faced is the battery backup. Battery wears out fast mostly while shooting videos. But with a spare battery, you are good to go.
Alternative: Canon 80D
Underwater Camera – SJCAM SJ4000
SJCAM SJ4000 is the best alternative action cam to Gopro if you are on a tight budget. I use it mainly to take underwater shots for my travel videos and sometimes scenary shots from a car/bus when the road is too bumpy for stable DSLR video. It serves my purpose well enough.
Cons : The photo quality is quite low & shows pixelation wherever there are black coloured elements. Doesn’t record sound underwater.
Note: The video is somewhat shaky when the road is super bumpy. But I don’t use a mount or stand yet and shoot hand-held. A mount might give a better result. So I am putting this point as a note instead of a con.
Check this video to see some underwater footage taken with SJ4000.
If want to use your action cam for serious vlogging and travel photography, and if budget is not a constraint for you, you should definitely go for a GoPro.
Lenses
Standard Zoom Lens – Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8
The Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 is probably the best budget multi-purpose zoom lens that’s available in the market. This is my go-to lens when I’m travelling and also during event shoots. You can get stunning wide-angle shots at a high f-stop and beautiful closeup shots at f/2.8 without the hassle of changing your lens.
With f-stop going as low as f/2.8, it is good for low light photography as well. A beautiful photo of the night sky on your next trip to the mountains won’t be a distant dream anymore!
Cons: The lens isn’t always very sharp at f2.8 especially at 17mm, but with a little practice and knowledge on focusing you’ll get the crisp shots you’ve always wanted. And at this price range what more can you expect?
Click here for the Nikon version.
Portrait Prime Lens – Canon 50mm f/1.8
Introducing you to the best budget prime lens in the market – Canon 50mm f/1.8! I think every photographer/photography enthusiast with slightest interest in shooting portraits has started with this lens & many (like me) are still using it. I have been using this lens for over 4 years and I’ll probably run blind at a shoot without it. This lens is also great for food photography and product shoots.
Although I usually carry it with me when I travel, I barely use it because focusing at f1.8 is tricky for those with no practice. My friends and family seem to do quite a decent job with the tamron lens and I don’t want to confuse them with this! Maybe I’ll use it more when I travel with my husband. [Well, this was actually his birthday gift from me 4-5 years back, but somehow I end up using it all the time!]
Cons: I honestly can’t think of a con for this lens. I have suggested it to everyone who has taken camera gear advice from me!
Telephoto Zoom Lens – Tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3
The Tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3 is the costliest lens that I own & my absolute favourite. Well this might not sound costly when you hear how much professional telephoto lenses cost but it sure felt like a lot to me! But I can’t think of going on wildlife safaris and birding trips without this beast.
A habitat shot of a Royal Bengal tiger or a close-up shot of a crocodile, you can take different perspective shots with this, without having to change your lens.
Interested in wildlife? Read about my adventures in Tadoba, Sundarbans, Dooars, Bhitarkanika and Purbasthali.
Note: All wildlife and bird photos in the above blogs are clicked with the Tamron 150-600mm lens.
Cons: Since f-stop can’t get lower than f/6.3 at 428-600mm, shooting at low light becomes a challenge.
Old Telephoto Zoom Lens – Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6
Most wildlife enthusiasts start with the Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 lens. Although I don’t use this anymore, it’s still in my possession and deserves a mention. I have been a wildlife enthusiast since I was a kid & I learnt whatever little wildlife photography I know with this.
I would even go out with my Dad every Sunday to practice bird photography with this lens.
Also, I covered a few sports events for my MBA college with the lens and it did a decent job. It’s lightweight and compact compared to other telephoto lenses and works well if you have to shoot hand-held and be quick on your feet.
Cons : This lens isn’t that sharp, especially at 300mm and the photo quality becomes poor after a few years of use. But it’s super cheap as compared to telephoto lenses so you can’t really complain!
Click here for the Nikon version.
Backup Standard Zoom Lens – Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
The Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 is a kit lens that usually comes with budget camera bodies. I have this from the time I had the Canon 1100D. Although I don’t use it much after the tamron made its appearance, this lens is quite handy and is good enough for travel, nature, landscape and street photography.
Cons: You can’t go lower than f3.5mm at 18mm and f5.6 at 55mm so it’s not suitable for portrait shots with a creamy bokeh and not so great for low light photography.
Tripod
Sony VCT-R640
A tripod is an extremely important part of a photographer’s camera bag. I use a tripod for long exposure photography – dreamy waterfalls, the night sky, light trails, and also for self portraits, group photos, self video shots and so much more. I use the Sony VCT-R640 but I have used it long enough and I think it’s time for an upgrade.
External Flash
Digitek Speedlite DFL-200T PRO
It is a common misconception that a flash is needed only to click photos at dark. A flash can be used to fill light in the subject’s face during harsh sunlight or at dawn & dusk. We use Digitek Speedlite DFL-200T PRO along with a Digitek trigger set.
Storage & Backup
Memory Cards
I carry lots of SanDisk SDHC cards with me whenever I am travelling or shooting and also a few SanDisk Micro SD cards for my action camera. I definitely wouldn’t want to miss out on a great photo opportunity because I have run out of storage space!
External Hard Drive
I own a few 1TB hard drives from Sony, HP & Lenovo and I backup all my photos and videos as early as I can.
Laptop
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 series
I use a Dell Inspiron 15 3000 series laptop. I try to carry my laptop while I am travelling and most definitely when I am on shoot to backup all the footage in the external hard drive. Also, I backup a selection of my favourite photos in the laptop itself. It is a budget laptop but I use it for photo editing, album designing and video editing and it works fine for me.
Camera Bag
Jealiot
I use a Jealiot camera bag when I have to carry most of my camera gear, mainly while travelling or shooting. And I use the small Canon bag that comes with the kit if I don’t need more than two lenses.
Batteries & Chargers
I always make sure to have chargers and spare batteries in my camera bag for all my camera equipments.
Camera Battery
Camera Battery Charger
AA Rechargeable Batteries For Flash
AA Battery Charger
Special Mentions
Dry Cabinet Storage – Andbon
Moisture can be very damaging to cameras and lenses and I had to learn it the hard way when I noticed fungus growing in my favourite lens! If you want your camera and lenses to stay in good condition for many years, you should definitely invest in a dry cabinet, more so if you own costly camera gear. I own the Andbon 50L Dry Cabinet Storage and it is spacious enough for all our cameras and lenses.
Softbox Kit For Speedlite – Godox
We use the Godox 60*60cm Softbox Kit For Speedlite mostly for professional shoots. It works great when the sun is too harsh and also during sunrise and sunset. This way the light on the subject looks soft and natural as if no artificial lighting is used.
Well that’s almost all the gear we own. I’ll update the article if I have missed anything. Remember that camera gear is not everything. You can click great photos by practicing as much as you can and continuously learning and updating your skills.
So what are you waiting for? Grab your camera and let’s get clicking!
I hope you’ll find this article helpful in deciding what camera gear you want to own. You can also Pin It for later use!
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