What Camera Gear Should I Use?

One factor I’ve learnt over the years is the amount of camera gear you have can actually have an impact on your overall photography, in more ways than one. Simply put, the higher volume of gear you have in your collection, the harder it becomes to choose what gear to take with you and use.

In this blog I will be explaining how to simplify your camera gear depending on the context and environment.

As mentioned, a way to slimline and reduce your gear-load for a trip can be through the use of forward planning and assessing your future predicament. Given the time and overall context of your journey, it is possible to break down the elements of your camera gear into where they are most needed and suited best.

Below I will be exploring various situations in which your camera gear may vary.

Everyday Use

First and foremost, especially for the casual photographer, your selection may be geared towards everyday use. In this context, it is something I would take with me everywhere in order to capture my day. Therefore because of this, you should aim for your camera gear of choice here to be lightweight, enabling it to be a breeze to carry around.

Keep it simple and easy, limit it to the camera body and one compact lens such as a 28 or 35mm or any other kind of pancake lens, allowing you to shoot with a sense of it feeling natural.

Landscape Photography

If you happen to find yourself out in nature, then landscape photography becomes your best friend. Landscapes can change and be vast and desolate in places, therefore it’s important to bring gear which is versatile and variable in focal length. From wide-angle shots to telephoto territory, it makes sense to have all bases covered.

In this instance, I suggest carrying a combination of zoom lenses such as a 24-70mm, and then if possible something with even more range such as a 70-200mm. By doing so, this allows for complete flexibility. At the lower end of the scale, wide-angles such as 24mm allow you to showcase the whole environment, whereas moving into the 70 and then 100mm+ range allows you to capture stunning details in the distance and beyond.

Street Photography

Moving onto street photography, this requires a hint of planning and research within your camera gear decisions. The location will have the greatest impact on your choice, depending on the respectful environment you’ll be shooting in. Regardless, when it comes to street photography, I would once again try to keep your gear light.

For example, a simple zoom lens of 18-50mm or 24-70mm would allow you to be flexible and adjustable in your approach to the situation. In addition to this, if shooting in close quarters, prime lenses such as a 35 or 85mm are ideal for capturing scenes in a fast moving nature in a way which feels detailed but also complimenting to the environment.

In short, the wide-angle zoom allows for versatility and the capture of details and subjects, and a fast prime enables you to document a scene while capturing the element of storytelling in tight situations. In reality, this combination compliments each other incredibly well, and therefore works best.

Travel Photography

The aspect of travel photography embraces the elements of those genres mentioned all rolled into one. In this regard, because of this it’s essential to be versatile in order to be able to act accordingly to any given situation.

Chances are you will come across opportunities to capture a variety of photographic scenes when traveling, which of course will naturally differ depending on the location.

Shooting in the city will have you capturing moments in closer environments, therefore a general zoom and a wide-angle prime would suffice. However, the next day you may take a trip out into nature and into the open landscapes, therefore requiring a practical zoom and/or a telephoto lens.

Overall, with travel photography in theory you never 100% know what you are going to encounter until you reach your destination, therefore it’s wise to cover all bases possible, even if it means carrying the extra weight.

With all being said, at the end of the day the best choice of kit you have available to you is the one you feel most comfortable with.

If in doubt, next time you go out shooting for example, go with just the one lens and you’ll be suprised how productive your photography will become. Try and test each lens, and learn from the results regarding how they can be a positive tool in capturing a photo.