What kind of camera do you use?
One of the most common questions I get on Instagram and Facebook is what kind of camera do you use?? This is a tricky one for me to answer because my posts and videos are hardly ever created with just one camera.
As a wedding photographer, I accumulated a lot of gear. As a travel blogger, I invested in a bunch of fun equipment. In any given video, I could’ve used three or four different cameras, sometimes more. So yeah, typically I can’t give a clear cut answer.
So I decided to dedicate an entire post to answering it. In this post I am going to explain each piece of equipment I own and what I use it for. I hope it provides a little bit of insight into how my photos and videos are made!
One important thing to note before we dive into this post is that this is the equipment that I use, not necessarily the equipment that I recommend. I love all of my equipment, but that doesn’t mean each piece would work for everyone. I have a whole post dedicated to camera gear recommendations that you can find here. I talk about budget, experience, and who each camera is perfect for. If you are looking for gear recs, head over there instead!
Now onto the equipment. First up, the camera bodies.
Canon 5D Mark IV
My main camera body is the Canon 5D Mark IV. It’s the camera I bring with me on every trip and the camera I have with me for every wedding, Nearly all of my photos are taken with this guy and all of my b-roll clips in my travel vlogs.
I could go on and on about how much I love this camera, but I’ll spare you. The important things to note are that it is incredible in low light, it has face tracking for video, and it is unbelievably sharp.
Canon 80d
I have one other Canon camera body and it’s this guy: the 80d. I use my 80d to record Youtube videos and occasionally, to vlog.
This camera feels like it was made for people who are creating video content, which is why I love it. My favorite features are the flip out screen and the face tracking for video. Those 2 things make this guy perfect for a vlog setup.
This camera is a really great option if I want video footage, vlog style footage, and photos all from the same day. I can pack one camera and get all 3.
Sony RX 100 Mark VI
I always joke that this is my favorite camera, but like… for sure not a joke. I love my sony.
I use this camera almost exclusively for vlog style travel content. Those clips where I am just talking to the camera in my travel videos? Yep. That’s this guy. I also occasionally use it for b-roll.
The main thing I love about this camera is it’s size. The fact that I can fit it in my pocket AND record good footage on it is a game changer. I also love that the microphone is great and it has a versatile lens: 24-200.
GoPro Hero 7 Black
This camera was just a fun addition to the gear collection! I do not use it all that often… pretty much only when I am wanting underwater footage. As a travel blogger, it just felt wrong not to have one, so I got it. When I do use it, the footage is very sharp and stable. What more could you want from a GoPro?!
iPhone 8+
I can’t go without mentioning my phone. A lot of the photos on my blog and instagram are just taken with my regular old iPhone. This is just out of convenience’s sake because I always have my phone on me. Sometimes it’s the only thing I can hit record on fast enough to get what I want. Not to mention that Apple puts pretty great cameras on their phones these days, so a lot of times it’s not sacrificing all the much quality for how easy it is!
Edited to add: Since writing this post, I have upgraded my phone to the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Its camera is everything it’s cracked up to be.
DJI Mavic 2 Zoom Drone
Oh, drone footage. Videos just don’t feel complete without it these days! I can’t compare this to other drones because it’s the only one I’ve ever used, but I can tell how much I love it and why! The zoom feature makes it really versatile, it folds up so you can keep it in your backpack, and it’s easy to fly. It can shoot in 4k and the footage is sharp and smooth.
Now onto the lenses…
Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L II
Between weddings and travel, I use this lens a ton. I am mainly using it for ceremonies, cocktail hours, and receptions at weddings. While I am traveling, I use this lens for tight b-roll shots. You’ll never catch me taking a posed portrait with this guy; strictly lifestyle photos or tight video footage. I love it for its versatility and how sharp it is.
Canon 100mm f/2.8L Macro
This is a lens I don’t use often, but am so glad I have. On wedding days, I use it strictly for ring shots. Travel wise: I bring this lens if I am going on a shorter trip and need tight b-roll clips, but I don’t feel like dragging along the 70-200. (aka the heaviest lens EVER)
Canon 35mm f/1.4L II or Sigma Art 35mm f/1.4
My 35mm hardly ever leaves my camera body! It is my lens of choice for nearly every trip and most of the wedding day. If I am going to take a portrait, this is the lens I want.
Currently, I am deciding between the Canon 35 and the Sigma 35, which is why there are two listed. I won’t keep both, but can’t quite decide which one I like better. If I ever make a decision, I’ll let y’all know!
Canon 50mm f/1.2L
I use this lens as a backup portrait lens to my 35mm. This lens rarely comes on trips with me, but comes to every session and wedding day with me. It’s a great portrait lens if you want a little more compression than the 35mm, but still want a very natural look.
Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II
This is by far my most versatile lens. If I am traveling and I want a one lens setup, this is the lens I am going to bring. I am able to get the super wide shots that I need and also get tight enough shots for good b-roll. On the wedding day, this lens is really handy for open dancing!
Canon 10-22mm
I rarely use this lens, but couldn’t go without mentioning it. This one only goes on my 80d and I only use it for really wide vlog footage. Think mountain trips; places where I want wide shots and durable gear.
Aside from cameras and lenses, I have a few other little essentials that I use and love.
Sandisk Memory Cards
I use extreme pros for my SD cards and extremes for my CF cards. I haven’t used any other kind and have always had good luck with these! Normally I shoot on 128gb cards.
MeFoto Roadtripper Tripod
I really only use my tripod for recording Youtube videos. The Roadtripper does the trick for right now! It’s not super fancy, but totally works to record videos with. It also folds up really small, so it’s easy to bring along if you need to.
Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Lightroom
I edit all of my photos in Lightroom and all of my videos in Final Cut Pro X. Lightroom makes photos super easy to batch edit, which is the only way to go for sessions and weddings. I chose Final Cut Pro X because it is a little cheaper and it has a magnetic timeline. It’s perfect for what I use it for!
If you made it this far on this incredibly long post, thanks for reading! 😉 Like I said, I hope it provides some insight into how my content is created. If you are a fellow photographer or filmmaker, drop a comment and let me know what gear you are loving right now! I’d love to hear.
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