What’s in My Camera Bag?
Below you’ll see a quick rundown of the photography gear that I always travel with.
Camera Bag
I picked this camera bag up before my 2017 trip to Florence and it is the only camera bag I’ll be using for the foreseeable future.
The great thing about this bag is the removable foam insert for your camera body and lenses. I take the insert out and pack my camera body and lenses in it and place it in my checked luggage and use the camera bag as my personal item on flights.
For about $40, this camera bag really can’t be beat for an amateur photographer like me. With the insert out, it’s light enough to carry over the shoulder for an entire day and, with the insert in, it provides enough structure to keep your camera and lenses safe. It’s not the solution for a serious travel photographer but it’s great for me.
Camera
Continuing with the amateur theme with my camera gear, my travel DSLR is a Nikon D5300 with the 18-55mm kit lens.
Years ago, I had this camera’s predecessor, the D5000. It was my first ‘big boy’ camera and I loved that, even with the automatic setting, an amateur like me can take some pretty good photos.
The D5300 is a 24 megapixel camera with onboard GPS, WiFi for use with the Nikon app, and all the features you would expect on a camera at this price point.
The 18-55mm kit lens is nothing special but its versatility is why it always travels with me. It can get wide enough for indoor shots in galleries or museums and the 55mm zoom is nice when you want to get a little closer to a subject without actually getting closer.
Lenses
My primary lens when I’m traveling is the 35mm Nikon DX lens. It’s a sub-$200 lens that’s great for everyday use when traveling and the low cost means it won’t break the bank.
I also use the 18-55mm kit lens that came with my D5300 but the 35mm prime lens is almost always the first out of my bag when it’s time to start taking photographs.
Video Gear
The DJI Osmo Mobile 2 is a fun piece of gear that I picked up before my recent trip to France.
Paired with my iPhone 8+, the Osmo Mobile 2 produces some pretty impressive stable video clips.
An added feature of the DJI app is that it will automatically put together a clip from several clips. For someone like me that isn’t a whiz with video editing software, it’s really nice to be able to have the app automatically put together a short video for my to upload every night when I’m traveling.
