A picture tells a thousand words, as they say. Taking the best photos of the destinations we visit help us telling you the story of those places. If you are wondering which lenses and camera we use, here you will find all the information together with some ideas for your own camera bag.
We’re (self-taught and amateur) photographers, but first of all, we are travellers which means that our kit is within the reach of anyone with a growing curiosity in photography. The lenses that we bought will allow you to take excellent photos in almost any situation or to help you choose which one fits your needs.
Check out our budget accessories too and lastly, the three handy tips to improve your photography skills!
I have to admit it, choosing the right camera was a tough decision. For months we were umming over the choice between a professional Reflex camera and a super compact Mirrorless. And then we discovered the Sony Alpha 6000 . It was an easy decision and we couldn’t be happier about our choice. The Sony Alpha 6000 is not only pocket-sized (120x67x45mm) and lightweight (350g), but it also has many of the features of the more expensive Reflex cameras.
Few details: 24.3MP sensor, a sensitivity ranging from 100 to 25600 ISO, 11 frames per second and the Hybrid AF focus system, one of the fastest in its category. Integrated Wi-fi to send the photos to smartphones and PC and Full HD 1080i /p videos. Battery life is guaranteed for at least 360 shots!
We are obsessed with our GoPro HERO4 Silver Edition : high resolution wide-angle photos, underwater shots, time-lapse and 4K video. But there is more. GoPro’s are also super light and take up almost no space. A must have!
The newest member of the crew, the drone DJI Mavic Air. Exactly, we said goodbye to our DJI Drone Phantom 3 Professional choosing a pocket model! The new Mavic Air concentrates power and technology in only 430 grams. The camera shoot 4K video at 30fps and the Sphere Panoramas feature allow us to shoot amazing spherical photos.
The Sony 16-50mm is the lens we carry with us everywhere. Slim, compact and versatile, it’s the perfect compromise for backpackers and travellers! Great for landscapes, it has great ability to capture details and it also has a great image stabilizer.
We love this lens! The Sony 50 mm has a fixed focal length, is bright, crisp and perfect to create powerful portraits and natural bokeh effects. A reasonably priced option for taking professional quality, jaw-droppingly images.
The Sony 55-210 mm was part of to the kit of lenses supplied with the camera, and is actually pretty good. Due to its size, it is often relegated to the bottom of the bag but is our go-to lens for landscapes and wildlife.
The Tamron 10-24mm is a wide-angle lens perfect for landscapes. It was the first real lens Tanja bought for her entry-level Nikon camera and the first significant (for a backpacker) investment in photography gear she ever made. Even after upgrading to the Sony Alpha and it’s ultra-light lenses, the Tamron remains in her heart.
I have to say it! Backpacking the world carrying a tripod and full camera gear is not that doable! Well, after several years of hopeless selfies and blurry shots, we’ve finally invested in a decent tripod!
What we didn’t realise is how expensive (at least 60 €) and heavy a tripod could be. For those of you, like us, looking for the best combination of functionality and price, we’ve discovered the compact ZOMEI – Q555. Perfect for travellers, it weights only 1.32kg and extends up to 160 cm. The ZOMEI tripod comes with a body cross bag.
More handy is the little and flexible Joby GorillaPod . This strong, portable, lightweight, tripod weights 500gr. The wrappable legs allow you to secure the camera to any surface, enabling you to capture shots you couldn’t before!
For those times when we expect to take A LOT of photos or we don’t have our laptop with us to download them often, this is the memory card we rely on. Perhaps a little pricey, but definitely worth it! The Lexar 64GB Professional 1000x allow us to shoot a huge amount of photos in RAW format! Although when travelling, we have at least four SD cards.
Our lifesaver! The hard drive Toshiba 2TB is always in our pocket. Resistant, compact and ultralight, this hard drive is the witness of all our adventures!
Shoot, edit, share – shoot, edit, share. Since we discovered Travelers WiFi, we can’t live without it! This pocket-sized device allows you to have high speed internet wherever you are. We tested it in Europe and Indonesia and it worked everywhere, except for the Borneo jungle – perhaps we were asking too much 🙃! The battery lasts 13 hours and the device is very easy to use, you just need to press a button to be instantly connected. At the minute you can only rent it and delivery and shipping are free and easy. We loved having high-speed connection everywhere as it helped us not only sharing our photos and videos with you, but also having maps, information and apps to book flights, hotels and taxis.
Handy tips to improve your travel photography skills!
Choose the right lens for the type of photo you are looking for and choose what aperture to use on that lens. Each lens has a “sweet spot” at which it performs best, usually in the middle of its aperture range, around f/8 or f/11.
Use a tripod in low light and for night shots. To get more light into the lens, you have slower the shutter speed. A good tripod will prevent the risk of camera shake and unwanted blurring.
Play with the light. Shoot during the golden hour, the period shortly after sunrise or before sunset during which daylight is warmer and softer. Use the Golden Hour Calculator to find out the right time to shoot, wherever you are in the world!