For those curious, outlined below is my current shooting system. Just as long-distance bicycle travelers are interested in other riders’ setups, photographers want to know what kit other photographers are using to get their shots.
Here is mine. Feel free to take a gander. If you see something you like, use it. If not, pass it on by. Camera gear and shooting styles are highly personal affairs. These are some of mine, which is not to say they are better or best, but to give you some ideas to consider. This is the kit works for me. I recommend you go with what works for you.
Style
For me, photography comes secondary to experience. I travel and explore to experience and understand first hand. I bring a camera to capture those moments and memories.
Generally, I shoot most anything that interests me, which may be people, places, landscapes, things, etc. I make images while traveling abroad or exploring my own backyard. There is almost always something to shoot if the light is good. In most shooting situations, I can capture the image with a 35mm, a 55mm, or a 24mm lens. I usually shoot in available or natural light and don’t carry a flash.
A Bit on My Strategy
My strategy is simple but nuanced: Use compact, lightweight gear capable of producing outstanding images. Concentrate on getting sharp, well composed an properly exposed images in camera in RAW format, which yields files with plenty of data for post processing.
To achieve this aim, I’ve adopted a guerrilla approach of traveling light and carrying the minimum amount of gear to get the image, which consists of compact full frame mirrorless cameras and small prime lenses.
I factored in the empirical performance data from DXO Mark as a point of reference in selecting my camera bodies and lenses. Sony sensors and prime lenses rank right at the top.
According to DXO Mark, prime lenses tend to be sharper than zooms, and their wider apertures allow lower ISO settings in low light situations. Combining a full frame camera sensor with sharp prime lenses and shooting RAW format yields image files with maximum data for post processing. I have plenty of latitude to pull out shadow detail and crop in necessary.
Weight is a major factor, whether pedaling a laden bicycle travel or humping a backpack. Weight kills creativity, limits movement. In the early years, I began shooting with a heavy bag packed with multiple bodies and lots of glass, often tipping the scales at 30+ pounds. It was ugly. But that was in a different life and I’ve evolved since then. Now, I’m focused on keeping image quality as high as possible while reducing weight and bulk.
The type of gear selected is situation dependent. Detailed research prior to going determines subjects and anticipated shooting situations drive equipment choices.
Cameras
- Sony a7R IV
- Sony a7R III
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
Full frame image quality and high resolution is key, and the Sony a7R IV nails it. The R IV is my workhorse for most shooting situations and is with me virtually everywhere I go. The compact size of the Sony body and prime lenses keep the setup lightweight and unobtrusive. The a7R IV produces beautiful, highly detailed images with it 61 megapixel sensor. The camera’s broad dynamic range creates greater image tonality and makes it an excellent tool for low-light situations. The Sony mirrorless bodies are is smaller, lighter than most traditional DSLRs — a real plus for traveling light. The live histogram in the viewfinder is key in nailing exposure on the fly.
The Sony a7R III, once my go-to camera, now serves as my second camera and back up. It’s 42 megapixel sensor also packs plenty of resolution and produces incredible images.
In a pinch, I almost always have my iPhone 11 Pro Max on me to capture a moment. The image quality is very good and the phone handy. As commonly said, “The best camera is the one you have in your hand.” I’m made some nice images with my iPhone. Pulse, it also has the Lightroom Mobile app for easy field editing, cloud storage, and distribution.
If I’m rolling super light, I may opt to carrying one of my premium Sony compacts. Each is capable of making excellent images. An RX100 III was my first Sony. I was so impressed with the images that came out of this little power house, I moved on to an RX1R and into an a7R II before the Mark III and now the Mark IV.
- Sony RX1R II
- Sony RX100 IV
A few years ago transitioning the Hexi Corridor on the Silk Road in Western China, I ended up making most of my images with the Sony RX100 III. The Nikon D4, a professional DSLR, I was carrying stayed in the bag the entire two month journey save for two or three occasions. Upon returning to Shanghai, I sold my Nikon gear, picked up a Sony a7R II with a 55mm and an 85mm prime lens, and never looked back. I devoted Nikon shooter I was no more. The compact size of the mirrorless a7R and the tack sharp primes had won me over.
Lenses
- Sony 35mm f/1.8. Lives on my a7R IV. Produces tack sharp images. Great for landscapes and street work. Nice for environmental portraits in a pinch, if I have whip out my camera with only time enough to make one or two images before the moment passes.
- Sony 55mm f/1.8 Zeiss. A super sharp lens. Great for environmental portraits. The lens won’t blow the background completely out of focus so compositions will still have a bit of local color. Great for walking streets and local bazaars.
- Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM. My go-to lens for astrophotography.
- Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8. Great for landscapes, creative perspectives, and close in work.
- Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS. Sony’s sharpest lens. Great for portraits, but be advised, it produces a lot of detail that may require softening in post. Gradually replacing my 85mm f/1.8 for tight portraits.
- Sony 85mm f/1.8. My standard portrait lens. Nice bokeh. I haven’t taken it on the last couple of long journeys. Most of my stuff is shot with the 35mm and 55mm lenses.
- Zeiss Batis 40mm f/2. Purchased this lens in Singapore before the Sony FE 35 f/1.8 came out. It’s an excellent lens. But the 35mm seems to find more time on my a7R IV though.
My lens arsenal consists of exclusively of prime lenses. They are sharper, lighter, more compact, and faster glass than zooms. Lightening my load and shifting my style, I dropped zooms a long time ago and have never looked back. Prime lenses’ outstanding low light performance and ability to produce tack-sharp images keeps me shooting in most shooting situations without the need for added light.
My go-to lenses are the 35mm, the 55mm, and the 24mm, which match my style and cover most shooting situations. Each lens produce incredibly sharp contrasty images. Along with the a7R IV, the three all fit in my Peak Design 5 Liter Every Day Sling, and accompany me on all my trips, whether kicking around town or across the globe.
Short focal length lenses get you close to the action. You have to get close to people. And with my shooting style, I rarely find myself in want for a longer lens.
Additional lenses in my line up include the 90mm, the 85mm, a 40mm and an 18mm. It’s depends on the weight carried as to whether they are brought on longer journeys or not.
Weight and bulk are critical planning factors for bicycle travel. When traveling out of a dedicated vehicle, I might carry a additional gear.
Filters
Dealing with the light is key. After all, photography is virtually all about the light. As a minimum, I carry polarizers and step-up rings for each of the lenses, plus a set of plate neutral density and graduated filters, all to help me control the light.
Polarizing Filters. Polarizing filters are key to managing reflections and suppressing glare, which cannot be accomplished in post. Used to saturate colors, darken skies, they help me get the image right as possible in camera. I keep a circular polarizer as part of my essential kit.
Neutral Density Filters. In my backpack, I carry a set of glass plate filters, which I employ in more deliberate shooting situations. I have several neutral density filters that will “slow things down” to reduce the light enabling slower shutter speeds or wider apertures to blur motion or remove moving object from the scene. Occasionally, I use graduated neutral density filters to narrow the dynamic range in high contrast shooting situations so as not to blow out the highlights or blacken the shadows.
Ultra Violet Filters. For protection, a UV lens sits on each of my lenses. Two camps exist regarding UV lenses: those who use them for protection and those who don’t. I’m in the former. UV filters have protected my lenses against minor bumps and dings, and more importantly of continual cleanings. The less stuff that comes into contact with a lens’ front objective element, the better. After years of use, I haven’t noticed a degradation in image quality, but if in doubt during a critical shooting situation, I will remove the filter.
Support
I shoot mostly shoot handheld. Back in the day, when I was shooting ASA 50 speed FujiFilm Velvia, a steady tripod was necessary for most shots. Now, with the high speed ISOs and the broad dynamic range of cutting edge digital cameras, those days are gone. I only pull out a tripod for the lowest of light.
When cycling, many of my shots are done over the handlebars of my bicycle. Fast prime lenses and the broad dynamic range and high ISO capability of the Sony a7R cameras keep me shooting in low-light situations. Most of the time, if I attach my camera to a tripod, I’m dead in the water. Virtually all spontaneity and mobility has vanished.
When the light starts getting low, I generally compensate with wider apertures, higher ISOs, and steady shooting technique, while keeping the shutter speed fast enough to eliminate motion blur. Beyond that, I start employing more solid solutions.
However, there are shooting situation that require steady support, such as low-light landscape or astrophotography situations. For these, I use a smaller light carbon fiber tripod and small ball head I picked up in Shanghai. When added weight isn’t an issue, I use an older aluminum tripod and 55mm ball head.
Miscellaneous*
- Memory cards. Plenty of memory, a dozen or so assorted SD, SD Micro cards in a variety of capacities stuffed into a Think Tank Rocket Pocket. When possible, I upload my best images to the cloud via the Sony Imaging app and my iPhone.
- Batteries, Charging Gear. A minimum of one spare battery per camera body, enough to go several days, perhaps a week before recharging. Charge whenever possible. Keep batteries topped-off. Mark batteries for proper rotation.
- Cleaning, Maintenance. Lens. Sensor.
Bags
My bags set up as a scaleable system. If traveling light, I can just grab the base kit in a shoulder bag and go. If I need a second body or other lenses, then I can bring the backpack. If a tripod is required, I can strap on a light carbon one, or carry a larger aluminum one and larger ball head.
- On the Shoulder: Peak Design 5L Everyday Sling. Picked it up in Thailand. Base kit. Carries my essential gear: Sony a7R IV, 35mm (mtd), 55mm, 24mm. Polarizing filters. Extra battery.
- On the Back. Boundary Errant backpack. Carries second body (Sony a7R III), additional lenses, remote shutter, spare batteries, etc.
- On the Bike: A modified Lowepro 45 mounted on the handlebars. Allows for immediate access to my camera. The backpack and tripod are mounted on the top deck of the rear rack.
On my last two long distance cycling journeys, in the Xinjiang Provence in Western China, and the other down the U.S. Pacific Coast from Seattle to San Diego, and then north across the Sierra Nevadas to Nevada, I only carried one camera body (a7R III), and three lenses (35mm, 55mm, 24mm) to keep the weight down. Along with the other gear, I also left the tripod behind as well. Only a couple of times did I find myself wanting for longer glass or more support.
Wrap Up
There you have it. This is my kit and what I roll with. Now it’s time to get over the gear and get into shooting. Define your style and shooting subjects, get the appropriate get to suit your style, and get out there. It’s time behind the lens that improves your images. You don’t need the “best,” most expensive gear to make excellent, rewarding pictures. Most camera manufacturers make photography gear capable of producing excellent images when in the right hands. Most importantly, get the gear that works for you.
