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Camera Gear
Canon R5- I have used Canon cameras for a long time. I have switched to other brands over the years but I keep coming back and I think that is a testament to their build quality and ergonomics. The Canon EOS R5 is the perfect combination of image quality, weather sealing, and ergonomics for me. I have used it in snow storms, sand storms, heavy rain, and humidity and it has never failed me. It really is my favorite camera I have ever used.
Canon RF 24-105L Lens- The RF 24-105L lens is technically a “kit lens” but I don’t really know or care what that means. It usually has a negative connotation to it but this is one of my favorite lenses I have used. I have used other brands 24-105 lenses and this one surpasses them in both image quality, design, and durability. It is technically my “wide” lens since I don’t really shoot wide angle much but it checks all the marks as a great all around lens if I just needed to take one with me for a day somewhere. It never leaves my bag.
Canon RF 100-500L Lens- I don’t know if a “perfect” lens actually exists but I’d surmise to say this is as close as it gets. I have been shooting mainly telephoto landscapes for a few years now and have used a few different telephoto lenses. This lens is my favorite lens that I have ever used. Again, the Canon RF glass is in a class all its own and this checks all the marks for sharpness, ergonomics, weight, and build quality. This lens is almost always on my camera and I have taken a lot of my favorite images with it. It is on the pricier side because of the “L” designation but in this case, you absolutely get what you pay for.
Canon RF 14-35L Lens- This lens is technically my wide angle lens because it is…wide angle. However, I rarely shoot at those focal lengths and usually opt for my 24-105 for stills. This is primarily my video lens for vlogging. I love the size and weight of it on my Canon R6 mk II, it compliments it perfectly. The f/4 aperture does well enough to blur the background for my talking head shots and the image quality is excellent, just like all of Canon’s L series glass.
Canon RS80-N3 Shutter Release- When I need the camera to be perfectly still, I prefer a shutter release. There are a lot of routes to go but I prefer the canon OEM wired one because it always works and I don’t have to think about batteries. I use this when I set up my compositions slowly, it allows me to be more mindful as I create compositions and allows for no camera movement during my exposures.
Canon OEM LP-E6NH- Batteries- we all need them. I prefer the OEM ones for peace of mind and canon’s build quality. Not much else to say besides these are well made and hold a charge well.
Backpack and Tripod
Osprey Atmos AG 50 Backpacking Backpack- I have used an obscene amount of camera bags trying to find the perfect, or almost perfect one. And to that end I have found…that doesn’t exist. In all of those situations I have found that you have to compromise on one thing or another. I thought that having a streamlined workflow was the most important so I put up with bags that don’t fit my body well or distribute weight well because I have watched 700 youtubers say the same thing about how they carry the weight well. I decided to switch to a dedicated backpacking backpack because they are engineered to hold lots of weight comfortably and for long hikes spanning the course of days. The Osprey Atmos AG 50 is about as close to a perfect bag for weight distribution as you can get. Osprey has a legendary harness and is, in my opinion, the most comforable and that matters when you are out all day on the trail. It has enough storage and organization to get me by with my other outdoor gear and the 50L compartment fits my camera insert easily with room to spare. The waterbottle pouch and lashing points are perfect for carrying my tripod and the hip belt makes any other camera bag hip belt embarassed to be in the same conversation. The trade off is I have to use a camera insert so my workflow suffers slightly but I shoot slowly most of the time so that doesn’t make much difference, but the comfort and lack of shoulder and back pain have made it a joy to use. I’m sorry I didn’t switch to this system sooner. Do yourself a favor and try it out.
Acratech GXP Lever Release Ball Head- I have used Acratech ball heads for the last 5 years or so and I can tell you first hand, they are bomb proof. They are made of the highest quality and have un paralleled durability in my experience. I have used them in the snow, rain, sand, wind, dust, you name it and they have performed flawlessly. I recently moved to a lever release for convenience in the field and this ball head is no exception in terms of quality, engineering, and ease of use. It is my favorite ball head that I have ever used!
FLM CP 30 S4 II- This is my main photography tripod now. I switched to this brand from a much more expensive brand earlier in the year due to their quality and different sizing options. This is a very lightweight tripod made out of carbon fiber while offering extreme durability and quality. I have used it in the snow, sand, and rain and it has held up exceptionally. I bought a second for my video/vlogging setup.
FLM CP 30 L4 II- This is a larger version of my tripod that I listed above. I wanted something a little larger but not too big if I needed more reach. It is still light enough to carry on a day outing but is taller than my other tripod. It is a great addition to my gear setup!
Kase Wolvering Magnetic Filter System- I’m not one to do a ton of long exposures or things like that but filters are a regular part of my workflow. I use a CPL the most and quality filters are important. The Kase magnetic filter system is great because of the quality, no color cast, and ease of use with the magnetic adapter rings. They are so easy to use in the field, they are always in my camera bag!
Boundary Supply MK1 Camera Insert- As I mentioned above, I switched to a backpacking backpack to carry my photo gear and in order to do that I needed a solid camera cube/insert. The choices are almost overwhelming but the Boundary MK1 fits a sweet spot for me. It is slightly sloped against my back so it fits easily in the main compartment of my backpack and holds my R5, 100-500, and 24-105 plus my accessories with no problem at all. It is padded, has accessory pouches on the sides, and is easily accessible. It’s the perfect companion to my Osprey Atmost 50 AG.
Video Gear
Canon R6 Mark II- I am back on Canon completely and the R6 Mark II is a dream film making camera. It has amazing video quality and the updated 24mp sensor is excellent to have as a backup stills camera body while I am on location filming. I love the ergonomics and the peace of mind I have with Canon’s weather sealing when shooting in harsh conditions. The combination of the R5 for stills and the R6 mk II for video is the perfect 1-2 punch.
DJI Wireless Mic- This has been the main mic I have been using for my YouTube videos since early 2023. I wanted to get a wireless mic to be able to get wider shots and stand further away from the camera and still explain what I was doing and have the camera have great audio. I have really enjoyed DJI products over the years, I think they are built well and thoughtfully designed so this was a natural choice for me. This is one of my favorite pieces of video equipment!
Rode VideoMic NTG USB Shotgun Mic- One of the first things I learned when I started recording video was that good sound is paramount for telling a good story. There are a ton of options for video creators out there and I have tried a few. I landed on the Rode VideoMic NTG USB mic for my sound needs and I have been extremely pleased with it! I love the quality it produces and I also like the safety channel recording, plus the external volume controls and high pass filter for cutting out background noise. It has been a great addition to my media creation tool kit.
DJI Mini 3 Pro Drone- I don’t do a lot of drone work but I did want one for establishing shots for my videos from time to time. It is something I don’t utilize all the time but once in a while it can help give a good sense of place when appropriate. I opted for the DJI Mini 3 Pro because of its size and image quality. It is easily packable in my bag and has great image and video quality for how portable it is. I have that plus the Fly More combo for some extra batteries and propellers if something happens to it. All in all it is a great part of my video creation kit!
Computer and post processing
Mac Studio- I recently made the transition from PC to Mac. I have built my own computers since I was very small and used mac laptops on and off over the years but up until recently I was able to build powerful gaming/media based PCs at lower prices until the new Apple Silicon was released. It was something I was watching closely and when the Mac Studio was released, I knew that this was something that would help my post processing and video production evolve into the next decade. I have a Mac Studio with the Apple 1 Max processor, 64gb of memory, 1tb SSD, 10 Core CPU, 24 core GPU, and a 16 core neural engine. It has been a night and day difference from my old work flow and I do not see myself switching back!
Asus ProArt PA279CV 4k Monitor- The search for a good monitor that isn’t going to break the bank is tough. I needed quality and this is one of those situations where it can be a “get what you pay for” situation but I also didn’t want to OVERpay for what I was going to use it for. I needed accurate colors, 4k resolution, reliability and at least 27 inches. I looked at many brands before settling with the ASUS PA279CV 4k monitor. It shows 100% of sRGB/ Rec .709 color spaces which are my primary colors that I work in and it comes factory calibrated with calman verification. It has been excellent for getting accurate colors in post processing and beautiful to watch my 4k videos come to life on screen. I definitely recommend looking into this if you’re in the market for a new monitor!
Logitech MX Keys Keyboard and MX 3 Pro Mouse- I upgraded my mouse and keyboard to the wireless MX system from Logitech and I couldn’t be happier with them. They offer a large degree of customization and flexibility in my video editing and post processing workflow, Between scrubbing 4k time lines, clean aesthetics, and comfortable ergonomics, I would definitely recommend these peripherals.
G-Drive 12tb External HDD- The downside of being on the apple ecosystem is you are going to pay a premium for native storage so that is why I invested in a fast and reliable external hard drive. At the recommendation of one of the photographers I look up to, I bought the G Drive pro with 12tb of storage. This is where all my photos and videos live, I edit directly off of it and it is lightning fast…or should I say thunderbolt fast. It is a thunderbolt drive which works seamlessly with apple for the fastest connection for me to edit my 4k videos right off of it without any issue. It is reliable, quiet, and full of storage. A must have for any photographer or videographer.
Rode Podmic- One thing I learned early on in my YouTube career is that good audio quality is as important, if not more important than good video quality. I have tried a few microphones but when I landed on the Podmic from Rode, I was very impressed with the overall audio quality for vocals. When I record YouTube videos and do voice over work, the quality is incredible. The mics native volume is a bit on the low side so when you turn up the gain you can introduce a little hiss so I also added a Cloudlifter to help with that. It runs into a Focusrite Scarlett audio interface since it is an XLR mic, which is the standard when it comes to audio quality. Extremely pleased with this microphone!
Camping/Overlanding Gear
Garmin InReach Mini
Rhino Recovery Boards-
Rhino Recovery Boards
Jackery Explorer 1000 Power Station
Coleman Big and Tall Cold Weather Sleeping Bag
Jetboil MiniMo