Building a camera system can be difficult for the traveling landscape photographer. On one hand you want the absolute best camera gear you can afford, but on the other hand you have to have a system that is both streamlined and lightweight. Over the last few years I have been traveling with both a Nikon DSLR and FujiFilm mirrorless camera system. As explained in the tutorial, each have their own advantages and disadvantages. As a general rule, I have found that the DSLR system is best when you need massive file sizes over 24 megapixels, useable extreme high ISO sensitivities, and wide apertures of f/2.8 or faster. The mirrorless system is great because it is significantly less expensive, weighs a fraction of the DSLR equivalent, and is less conspicuous to security and potential thieves. The gap between both systems is narrowing each and every year, and soon I could easily see myself completely abandoning the DSLR system for an even more streamlined mirrorless system altogether.
Below I have outlined every piece of gear I currently travel with on a regular basis (my camera bag does sometime change). Keep in mind that it is easy to fall into the false belief that great images can only be created with the latest professional camera gear, but that is simply not true. Finding great locations to photograph, waiting on the perfect lighting event, and pushing yourself to take photos when it is easier to stay in bed or in the comfort of your hotel will always yield better results than having the most expensive camera gear. I hope this gear guide can be a reference you can use to find that missing tool in your own camera bag.
My Favorite Cameras For Landscape Photography Today's cameras are all so good that for the most part, you can create stunning landscape photos with pretty much any off the shelf DSLR or mirrorless camera that allows you to shoot RAW files with manual control. The two systems I have been traveling with for the last few years are made by Fujifilm and Nikon. Both systems have their advantages and disadvantages as outlined in the tutorial but in the right hands they can both produce really amazing images.
My Recommended Lenses For Landscape Photography When most photographers think about lenses for landscape photography they immediately think of ultra wide angle lenses. While it is true that 80% of my work is captured around the 14-20mm focal range, it is important for me to have a wide variety of lenses and focal lengths for whatever situation I find myself photographing. Obviously I cannot cover every lens by every manufacturer so this list outlines only the lenses I do personally carry with me.
Tripods And Accessories For Landscape Photography Unlike other genres of photography, landscape photography absolutely requires having a well made tripod. If you want super sharp images or need to merge multiple images later in post production, a super sturdy tripod is paramount. Picking out a reliable tripod and mounting head can be a laborious process, so in this section I share my favorite pieces of gear for steadying my camera.
Camera Bags and Rollers It could be argued that I use no piece of camera gear more than I use my camera backpack and roller cases. These things hold all my precious gear, and because of that they have to be sturdy and secure. Since you never want to ever check any of your gear below the plane, every bag I carry with me needs to fit below my seat or in the overhead compartment.
Software For Landscape Photography So many photographers I have met simply use Photoshop or Lightroom to process their images. I think this is a mistake because there are so many amazing piece of software out there that can help you push your RAW files to their limits. In the tutorial I use a variety of photo editing suites, plugins, and stand alone processors because each one gives me more control over my images than any single piece of software ever could.
Random Accessories Here are a few of the final random things that I take with me everywhere I go. Not everything in this list is completely photography related but they are things that I have found either make my life a lot easier traveling or make the photo taking experience easier and streamlined.