My Picks for Travel Photography Camera Gear

Photography while traveling is one of the best aspects for me as a journalist and just as someone who wants to bring back pieces of my travels that wowed me while keeping my carbon footprint at a minimum. That said, deciding which camera to bring while traveling differs depending on the activities you plan to do as well as what you’re willing to carry.

Here are my recommendations for camera gear for optimal travel photography and are equipment that I personally use.

 

Canon EOS 60D 18 MP

My Canon 60D  DSLR is the body of choice for a reliable camera with great durability. I’ve been using the Canon 60D for 2 years and before that I was using the Canon Rebel TI. I absolutely love the quality of the photos and video quality for filming is professional grade in 1080p HD and shoots impeccable footage. The screen is also articulated which makes it easier to see what your shooting if your shooting overhead. For shooting documentary style footage and taking amateur to professional, you cannot go wrong with the  Canon 60D.

 

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4

For dramatic photos that feel cinematic, the Canon 50 mm 1.4 lens is the way to go. While it does not have zoom capabilities, you have to walk to or away from the subject in order to get the composition you want. I especially love using my 55 mm lens for portraits, but it’s also to use for scenes within your proximity. I also love the effect of the 1.4 aperture range which blurs out object behind the subject.

 

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Standard Zoom Lens

I generally use Canon 18 -135 mm lens as my primary lens especially when I don’t want to change lenses and I’m going to be out exploring. For most shots, this is a great lens to use because it has a wide open aperture and longer focal length. I also appreciate the image stabilizer option on the lens, as I don’t carry a tripod when I travel this feature is great to prevent blurry shots.

 

Canon EF 75-300 f/4-5.6 IS USM

The Canon 70-300mm is a great telephoto zoom lens to have if you are going to a big event, like a festival and you want to get close up shots of subjects in a farther distance. It’s not ideal for landscape photography as it has a narrow field of range, but for animal photography it would be great if you are going to be on a nature trail.  I would only take  if I’m certain that I will use it because it’s not super versatile like the Canon 18-135 mm.

 

Apple iPhone 5

I don’t know much about camera phones, but the iPhone 5s has a great camera that shoots in 1080 HD and has . So if you want a camera device that’s going to fit discretely into your pocket, the iPhone 5/5s is the camera phone to go with. The iPhone 6, I’m sure is great and probably even better, but with 8 megapixels and large sensor the photo quality you get with the iPhone 5 is perfect for a pocket-sized device. You can also buy an attachable lens for zoom and fish eye effects, but I have never used them on my phone.

 

GoPro HERO3: Black Edition

For the adventure traveler, the GoPro is a must. I have a GoPro Hero 3 and I love the camera quality it offers for such a tiny little device. I’ve taken it snorkeling in Bali, mounted to my motorbike in the mountains of Vietnam and on all of my runs. While the GoPro itself is not water proof, it comes with a water proof housing so you can take videos and photos underwater.

 

Silicon Power Rugged Armor A80 1 TB External Hard Drive

After taking lots of cherished photos, the best place to save them after editing, backing up or to work on later is an external hard drive. Prices on them have come down tremendously since I first purchased one which was only a 500 GB. Now, you can purchase a terabyte for less than a $100. I now use the SP Silicon Power 1TB external and I save all of my photos, video and projects whether they’re a work in progress or for backup. It connects through a USB rather than Firewire, but it still transfers files at a fast speed.

 

You can check out my Instragram for a peak at some of my travel photography! Happy Snapping!

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