So I didn’t want to make one of these what’s in my bag article but, this is a question I get asked again and again on Instagram, YouTube, and email. What camera do you use, what lenses… oh I forgot what Tripod is, is maybe the number item that gets everybody excited apparently. So this is it, at least in the video I will tell you and show you the gear I used for 75% of my work the past 2 years (almost) plus a few bonus accessories I always carry with me and that I really found useful.
I used to be a Canon shooter and I still do use Canon gear, but if you’ve been following me lately you probably have noticed that I’ve been using Fujifilm recently. At first the Fujifilm GFX50s and now The Fujifilm GFX100. I won’t tell you how and why I ended up using this system because I’ve shared my thoughts on these cameras already.
Fuji GFX50s my thoughts as a Dance/ Circus photographer Fujifilm GFX100, Medium format for the mass?
This article and video are not sponsored, so I might say bad things on some of the items I have, so if you are one of the brands concerned by this and you are not happy about what I am about to say, then send me a check and I will make another video, just for you!
So let’s start with the bag it’s the LOWEPRO PRO TREKKER RLX 450 AW II and I hate it. Yeah, I am honest I don’t like it. I’ve had multiple bags from this brand and this one is the worst. I chose it for the convenience of having wheels because of my back problems, and to be able to use it as a regular backpack. To be fair this feature is nice and not bad at all. What is less cool is the lack of compartments and the handle that eats way too much space inside. I thought I would be able to fit any mounted DSLR and mirrorless camera, but I was wrong. You cannot leave any tripod plate screwed underneath it because you will have to force a little to close the bag. So imagine a grip or putting a GFX100 or a 1DX inside. I said it earlier, I am working with Fujifilm gear now. The GFX100 is my go-to camera with the following lenses: GF 120mm F4 LM OIS WR Macro, GF 110mm F2 R WR, GF 63mm f/2.8 R WR , GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR , GF 32-64mm f/4 R LM WR and GF 23mm f/4 R LM WR!
I also carry with me the Insta360 oneX! That good old 360° camera that helps me capture 360 degrees videos of my photoshoot sessions makes some of you guys sick. I mount it on my camera on the hot shoe mount and hit the record button, and voilà, I can now worry less about my behind-the-scenes video and more about my shoot, because I can do it later in post. Plus I save a bit of money because I don’t have to hire someone to film for me (just kidding).
I carry all this in a pouch provided with the bag, which is the only good thing about it. I also have a set of Hex keys, that I often use to tighten my tripods or screw some other useful parts, like accessories on My Ronin S. I always bring a few spare batteries ( Rechargeable LR6 ) of course and a quick charger for my Broncolor remote. A waterproof and shockproof SD, Compact flash carrying case with a few spare cards (LXH/LYNCA Memory Card Case Holder)
An SD, Compact flash, and CF express card readers (Lexar 3.0 SD and CF card reader and Angelbird CF express card readers)
I might get rid of this soon because now CF express cards are dominating the market.
And now my tripod! The Manfrotto 190 go, I love it and hate it at the same time because it’s light, I can shoot down low with it and I have been throwing it around for years now and it still works. But the thing is for portrait shots, if your camera is a bit too heavy, it simply won’t handle it. I am currently looking for a lighter, sturdier tripod that can handle heavier cameras. Any suggestions?
I also use these light Manfrotto Stands but I recently discovered that they are a tiny bit fragile. So if you can carry with you the good old C stands, do so! In my lovely Bag, I also can carry a MacBook Pro and in the very few pockets, I have 2 card readers. Another important item, or let me correct myself, 2 important items I always bring with me when I travel: 2 LACIE Porsche Design USB-C Mobile Drive (2TB) for redundancy. You don't want to lose your precious footage.
And last but not least, it has nothing to do with photography but thought it would be nice to share this with you, I carry this everywhere I go now. This EKSTER "Parliament wallet" is a very useful and stylish item I've been using for months now. I needed a small device that could carry my credit cards and my business cards. The most important thing for me was that it had to be really compact. They even do a steel-slimmer version of this if you don’t like the leather look. In the back you can slide in a tracker... but why you may ask? Everywhere I go I lose stuff and my wallet makes no exception. I just empty my pockets and go shoot and then I spend several minutes looking for it. With this tracker, I can easily find it, because I can "ring" the tracker with a push of a button from my phone. It even tells me when I am too far from it and thanks to the dedicated app. But I am getting off-topic here, just check them out, it's a really cool device. I think I did it, that’s what is actually in my bag and pocket when I travel for a job in 2020. I mentioned the broncolor remote earlier, I don’t always carry it with me, of course, only when I need to use strobes. I have a separate bag for the 2 x 800ws Siros L Broncolor flashes I use for my on-location photoshoots. Now I can send this link to anyone who asks me what I use for the next 12 months… unless I change a big chunk of my gear before… who knows. What about you? What camera do you use for your work?