We're often asked about the gear we use, so we've compiled a list of our must-have items.
Our Favorite Bags
Think Tank Photo Airport TakeOff V2.0
When Toby needs to travel and carry all his photo AND video gear the ThinkTank Photo Airport TakeOff provides plenty of room and the convenience of a backpack or rolling bag. Like all of the ThinkTank bags, it is built to last.
Think Tank Photo StreetWalker HardDrive V2.0
The Think Tank StreetWalker HD offers you a strong, functional and convenient way to carry around your gear and 15″ laptop. The pack holds all my lenses seen below along with extras a 15″ laptop fits neatly in its own separate padded compartment.
The MindShift Gear Backlight 26L bag has a neat trick that has blown my mind- it travels friendly with loads of useful features.
Watch my full review – Shop B&H Photo
What's in Toby's Bag?
For what I need to run Photorec.tv and travel the Sony a7R III is the camera for me. The focus is improved a ton from the previous generation and with eye AF it's great for quick shots or an awesome landscape.
Get the a7R III at B&H and watch my review
Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens
A great leans for travel and walk around. It's a perfect zoom for capturing what I need in a compact package.
I love this lens for travel portraits and street shooting. It's a great lens for getting creamy bokeh with tack sharp details without breaking the bank.
The Panasonic GH5 is our go to camera for video & vlogging work. Nicely portable with stunning 4k quality and packed with features. Battery life is excellent.
Last year I did an extensive review of Macro photography options and was really surprised with how well these affordable Macro Extension Tubes from Vello did in the review. We now bring these with us to all shoots.
When you want to travel light and still create backups of your photos/video - the WD My Passport Wireless HD is awesome! With an integrated SD card reader and USB port - you canback upp your photos without a computer. And you can load up the drive with your favorite content and stream to your phone! A versatile system. Watch my full review.
5K iMac
Photo and video editing champ with a beautfiul screen I have never needed to calibrate. The 5K, 27" Retina iMac is a excellent for editing photos and video. Highly recommended. Grab the model with at least 16GB of RAM for best results.
Editing on the Go - 12" Macbook Pro
The 12" Macbook pro is a solid and reliable machine that is well suited to photo and video editing on the go.
What's in Roy's Bag?
The Canon T4i might seem like an odd choice that’s older for a main camera but it’s what I use every day. With Lens Pro To Go I can rent larger bodies when needed at any time with quick delivery so this is all I need for my personal day to day use.
Get the new T7i at B&H and find out more here
Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM
The Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens was the first STM lens available and has great sharpness for an entry level lens. It's not the best considering Canon’s L range of lenses. But it does do a great job at getting the photos I need.
Check out Toby’s Review of this lens and find it at B&H.
Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II
After getting their first lens the question many people ask is what’s next? For me, that’s the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II lens. It cover’s the other half of the primary focal range, making it good for sports, macro (1:2), or wildlife starting out.
Watch Toby’s Review of the newer STM version and find it at B&H.
If you want a lighter setup when you need it the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM lens can be a nice, lightweight, and discrete option. I call it the lens that cut’s my camera in half as it makes a nice walk around lens when I want to cut down on gear.
Watch Toby’s review and find it at B&H.
When dreamy bokeh (background blur) is key or I’m shooting in lower light my go-to lens is the Canon 50mm STM. It’s a nice small lens with a fast aperture that is great for portraits, indoors, or great bokeh.
Find it at B&H and get Toby’s thoughts on this lens.
I hate camera neck straps and I'd bet you do as well. That’s why I either go without a strap or use a BlackRapid Sport. I do quite a bit of hiking and it’s the perfect go-to strap when I need to have my camera ready to shoot.
What's in Rose's Bag?
Having used the T4i for four years like Roy I've upgraded to the 80D (more about that here). While the T4i is nice the 80D is a serious step up in quality from its focus system, to the sensor, and dual card slots so I don't miss a shot.
When I went on my Mediterranean cruise this is the one lens that went with me. A walk around zoom is a perfect lens for a trip, just wide, and just long enough to get all the shots you need without multiple lenses. Due to it being F/4 I have to push the ISO on occasion but overall it's a great lens.
Inside shooting portraits or out and about the Canon 40mm STM is a great lens to hide away. With its small size, low cost, and longer aperture it can work great for portraits and general photos.
When you're out the rain doesn’t always give you a choice in what you're going to shoot in that day. Op/Tech rain covers protect my gear from harsh rain even when I’m out shooting.
If you are outside, a polarizer will make a giant improvement in your photos. It's like sunglasses for your camera in extensive mid-day sun shooting. Remove reflections when needed and get an overall boost in saturation to some of my photos.
Find out more about circular polarizers here.
SanDisk 32GB Extreme PRO SD Card
Like any good shooter, you need enough memory plus a little extra for when you go shooting. I can always have too much but if I run out, well that’s it for the day unless you I like formatting a card.
