Equipment Breakdown
Big Cameras
Sony A7 III
The new addition to the team. Just got it but there is so much great thing about it already. I use it with 3 lenses.
16-35 F4, great for all my landscape shot and most of the filming when using the Zhiyun crane and doing hyperlapse
70-200 G F4, portrait or long range shooting, this lens as been used way more than primary expected.
28mm Tamron with a reverse ring for some macro shot.
If in the U.S you can rely on AVC Photo Store & School in Miami. They have been great with everything and trust me there was plenty of various thing to deal with (none related to them).
Nikon D610
This is now my spare camera. I used to have Canon’s compact as a small everyday camera – the equivalent of the Powershot G7 now. I switched it to a Nikon D610 two years ago and have been using it since then. Everybody will tell you the lenses are the most important. The D610‘s body shows its limit when filming. The D610 doesn’t allow me to do any slow motion and an internal stabilization would be a plus.
Lenses
Sony – Zeiss 16-35mm f/4 ZA
I haven’t got the SONY A7III yet but this is my first lens to go with it. The f/2.8 is, of course, better but the price difference is huge and I love how “small” the 16-35 f/4 is – just a tiny bit bigger than the Irix 15mm.
Nikon AFS 35mm f/1,8 G
My everyday lens. It is just a little extra wider than the 50 but I end up too many times with my back on a wall without the possibility to frame the shot as I wanted.
Nikon AFD 50mm f/1.4
The first lens I bought with my D610 body. It is perfect for portrait and about anything else. The f/1.4 maximum aperture is super fast and is able to achieve great background blur (bokeh). I also bought a reverse ring to add to my 50mm. Until I get a new lens, it is an affordable solution for macro photography.
Irix Blackstone 15mm f/2.4
My landscape lens. Well sealed metal body for hard outdoor use in all conditions and a fast aperture making it usable for low light and Astro work. For that price, it is pretty hard to find a sharp 15 mm lens with so little distortion on the edges.
You can find a complete review there: IRIX 15 MM
Flash & Light
Godox V350s
My first cobra flash. TTL and HSS enabled speedlight for Sony cameras. Its lithium battery can last 500 full power shots per charge. I use the X1s wireless flash trigger with it. The built-in 2.4G wireless transmission can reach up to 100 meters operation distance. Support GR group flash, 5 groups, and 32 channels.
Godox Ring 48
Ring light with 48 LED, great for medical, macro, portrait purpose. But remember there is no 72mm within the 6 lens adapter rings included so it won’t go on every lens (49/52/55/58/62/67mm). It can be used with 2 AA batteries or connected to the mains power source.
Other Cameras
GoPro 6
2010 was the first year I bought a GoPro and I change it almost yearly to the newest one if the updates are worth it. This is over 20 cameras in the last 8 years. Everything evolves so quickly but GoPro is still the biggest name in the action camera game.
A lot of accessories can be added, from a red filter (cf. Polarpro section below) to dog harness.
DXO ONE
An iPhone onboard camera – 32-mm equivalent, f/1.8 lens. The DxO One is a great compact alternative to the GoPro when you want to keep the mobile size and add some quality without the wide angle. Also really good for food photography. You just need to put the DxO One in its Outdoor Shell and you are good to go for any challenging environments (up to 45m deep).
Since the latest update, it is now possible to do Time-lapse and Multi-Camera Live on Facebook. I only wish the device could rotate more smoothly for videos.
Drone
DJI – Mavic + Spark
I have nothing but good thing to say about my Mavic. Make sure to order a combo pack as you don’t want to be short on batteries when you find yourself in that perfect spot to shot aerials. A lot of small equipment can be added to even get better results (cf. next Polarpro chapter).
The Spark, on the other hand, is the perfect drone to take on a journey where I need to pack ultralight. It cannot film 4K but fits in my tank bag when I go on a Motorcycle Road Trip.
Polarpro
Using ND filters on your drone will allow you to reduce the camera’s shutter speed – giving a more cinematic look to it. You can also add some useful accessories to make your life simpler and keep your drone safer. For example :
- Lens cover
- Landing gear (perfect for the sand)
- Remote lock
You can find much more details here: 5 Essential Tips for Beginner Drone Photographers and Videography
I also use a PolarPro Dome 50/50 as soon there is a body of water I can jump in. It allows the GoPro to take above/bellow image and offers a totally new perspective. It is 50 USD and the best way for me to wait to be able to afford the 3000 USD underwater housing for the A7III.
Other Gears
Stabilizer – Zhiyun
I start to work with Zhiyun as soon as I needed a better stabilization, with both the Nikon D610 and the GoPro. I use the Crane V2 that can support camera+lens up to 1.8kg for the big camera. And the Rider M with the GoPro.
The Crane V2 is a 3-axis handheld gimbal stabilizer offering 360° rotation along all three axes. It will take several minutes to get balanced every time you change lens.
The Rider M is so tiny you add your GoPro to it an keep everything on a regular pole. It has a 1/4 screw thread at the bottom to use it with a variety of tripod, suction cup etc…
Storage Device – Silicon Power
All my files are backed up and saved with one of the Silicon Power options. Micro SD and SD cards for every camera, drone, phone.
We are used to water and dust resistant SSD but they are usually not the best-looking one with their case. Look how tiny is the Bolt B80 SSD 240GB (75 × 75 × 11.9 mm) – 500 MB/s read and 450 MB/s write.
My main storage units are the military grade IP68 Shockproof / Waterproof Armor A85 and SSD Armor A75 (only 169g).
Tripod – Manfrotto BeFree
This tripod is so light, Manfrotto offers a large variety of gears for everyone uses. The BeFree is the perfect tripod if you want your bag to be as light as possible. It only weighs 1.1kg (2.4Lbs), can reach 142 cm when the column is extended and a 4kg safety payload weight.
I also have a Joby Gorillapod when it isn’t easy to use the Tripod. The Gorilla is great to mount an external light, create a jib or make a more steady shot while holding 2 legs and putting the third one against your shoulder.
Crumpler – One bag to fit them all
You’ll be really surprised to see how much stuff I can fit into my Trooper bag. Actually, I am going to make a list. When traveling all my electronic gears stay with me and inside the bag, you can find:
- My full frame camera + usually 2 lenses
- The Mavic + 2 batteries + remote
- One tripod BeFree
- A 15.6″ laptop
- A GoPro + Rider M in the bottom pouch + other small things
