My Favorite Travel Photography Gear

A complete list of photography gear I have used to shoot content for this travel blog. I also mention below some products that I can fully recommend to you guys. I use here affiliation links: If you decide to buy anything through these links, I’ll receive a small commission. Don’t worry it won’t affect the price you pay for any of these items. However, it will help me to continue creating travel content and helpful posts.

Thank you kindly!

Cameras

Nikon Z6

Main Camera

Nikon Z6 is a great choice for travel & landscape photography. Robust waterproof body, high dynamic range, and outstanding color depth. It is also one of the best night sky cameras because its performance at higher ISO is almost unique.

Do you make videos? This mirrorless bull is capable of 10bit, 4K, full-frame video recording (uncropped!).

However, 95 % of photos you will see on this travel blog have been shot with the Nikon D5600.

Nikon D5600

The best camera for a beginner

Until Christmas 2019, when I bought Nikon Z6, I used Nikon D5600 to shoot absolutely everything. The price-performance ratio is virtually unbeatable in terms of landscape photography. You can get it only for $500!

Nikon D5600 has almost the same dynamic range as high-end cameras. It offers a tilting touch screen, and the DSLR is relatively small, so it is suitable for traveling.

Sony A7 III / Sony A7R III

Other recommended Mid-Range Camera

Without any doubt, Sony cameras are currently the market leader. Aside from the fact that Sony was the first manufacturer to come to the market with proper mirrorless cameras, the reason is currently simple – amazing autofocus. No other camera brand can currently compete with Sony. In conclusion, if you are shooting portraits or wildlife, Sony cameras are a must-have. If you need more megapixels and a higher dynamic range – the Sony Alpha 7R III is the better choice.

However, I prefer Nikon – I only shoot landscapes. Nikon also offers a better grip, robustness and has a perfect viewfinder.

Nikon Z6 Specifications:

24.5MP BSI CMOS full-frame FX sensor
Hybrid AF with 273 on-chip phase-detection points
In-body 5-axis image stabilization
5.5fps Burst Shooting with updated LV (up to 12fps, 12-bit only)
UHD 4K @ 30 fps & 1080p @ 120 fps video
Single XQD card slot

Nikon D5600 Specifications:

24.2MP APS-C CMOS
39-point AF
ISO 100-25600
3.2-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 1,037,000 dots.
Burst shooting: 5fps
Full HD 1080p 60fps
Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth

Sony A7III Specifications:

Full-Frame 24.2 MP Back-Illuminated Exmor R CMOS Image Sensor
In-body 5-axis image stabilization
Evolved Image Processing
4D FOCUS system with 693 phase-detection AF points covering 93% of image area
Continuous Shooting at up to 10 fps with either Silent Shooting or Mechanical Shutter

Lenses

Nikon AF-S 24mm
f / 1.8G ED

Best Affordable Nikon Lenses:

It may soud strange, but I am currently using only this wide-angle lens. It does not cost a fortune and offers amazing sharpness, luminosity and chromatic aberration is minimal.

Nikkor Z 24mm
f/1.8 S

My favorite lens for Nikon Z6

Of course, there is a way better alternative for my new Nikon Z6 – the NIKON Z 24mm f / 1.8S. It is a bit more expensive but surpasses my older lens.

Nikon AF-P 70-300 mm
f/4.5-5.6E ED

Next Lens I'm going to buy

In the next few months, I intend to buy a telephoto lens for greater creativity when shooting. But because the top telephoto lenses cost too much, I have to choose between those with a lower aperture – the best options are the following two lenses: NIKON 70-300mm f / 4.5-5.6 E ED VR AF-P or TAMRON 18-400mm f / 3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD.

Other Photography Gear

DJI Mavic Air Drone

Drone Photography

To admit, I use the drone very sporadically. Shooting / filming with a drone is a bit stressful for me, but when things go well, the perspective from the air is invaluable (see pictures from the Maldives).

Mavic Air is still a great choice among drones as it has everything a modern drone can have. In addition to sensors, modes and gesture controls, the following are especially important: RAW format, exposure bracketing and 4K video.

But if you want to focus on drone photography and you can afford it, I would definitely choose DJI Mavic Air Pro 2, which has a larger sensor; one-inch instead of 1 / 2.3-inch. That means more light –> camera can capture more visual information –> better & cleaner photos / video.

GoPro HERO (2018)

Action Camera

This is actually the basic version of the GoPro camera in the new edition. I use this camera very rarely (once a year), especially for underwater videos. However, it can be bought very cheaply, it is waterproof and has great voice control, so the price / performance ratio is not bad (but can not shoot to RAW!). But if I use it more often, I’m sure to get the latest GoPro HERO 8 Black Edition.

How to take underwater photos or dome port pictures (half-in and half-out of the water)?

Xiaomi Mi 9

Camera Phone

For little money a lot of music. It cannot be summed up better. Stabilization when shooting 4K videos is fantastic. But it’s been a year since I bought this phone, so there’s a lot of phones on the market to choose from. It only depends on your budget. As far as the camera is concerned, I recommend using the DxO chart.

Accessories

Rollei C5I

Stabilization

A tripod is simply a must if you want to use exposure bracketing.

Rollei Lensball

Accessories

Lensball is actually just a toy. In addition, it is often not easy to take a good and interesting photo, focusing correctly on the center of Lensball. But if it works, it’s worth it.

Polarization Filter HOYA

Camera Filter

The polarizing filter is almost a necessity when taking pictures of landscapes. If you take pictures at the right angle to the sun (the biggest effect is when you are standing perpendicular to the sun), the filter reduces flare and enhances saturation.

ND Filter HOYA

Camera Filter

If a long exposure is required to capture the movement of clouds or water, it is necessary to add an ND filter that extends the exposure time (I recommend a filter with a density of at least 64 (= -6 EV)).