In this blog post, I want to share what camera gear I use and why I chose a particular piece of equipment.
But, please keep in mind that we all have different needs and budgets. Just because I use a particular gear, it doesn't mean that you need to buy it, too. This is what works for me, but your needs may be completely different.
Also, I bought this gear over several months & years, and some of it was even gifted to me. Please do not get into financial troubles because of camera gear, and only upgrade/purchase if you can afford it and/or it is necessary for the type of work you do.
My rule of thumb for buying new gear: If I have enough money to buy something three times, then I can afford it.
Camera & Lenses
I started out with my photography on the Sony ZV-1, which I originally bought for my YouTube videos but later discovered that it also takes decent pictures. Although I've since upgraded to the Sony a6600, I still use the ZV-1 as a backup camera. I also take it with me when I travel for vacation (i.e. without the intention to photograph) - that way, when the opportunity arises, I have a decent camera on hand without having to bring all my gear.
Since the Sony a6600 is a camera body with interchangeable lenses, let's look at my collection. The first lens I bought was the Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS (well, actually it was the lens that came in the kit with the a6600 camera body). This lens is a very good allrounder - it delivers good quality over a large focal range, and I use it for landscapes, street/architecture, and portraits. However, because it is decent for so many things, it's not excellent at any of them.
For example, I also invested in the Sony E 11mm f/1.8 for my landscape and astrophotography - the wide focal length paired with the wide aperture work perfect for these scenarios.
On the other end of the spectrum, I recently bought the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 OSS for my bird + wildlife photography. There's just no way of taking nice wildlife pictures with a wide lens in my opinion. The crop sensor of my a6600 is actually a very nice bonus in this scenario, since it allows me to get even closer to my subjects.
Lastly, I also invested in the Sony FE 50mm f/2.8 Macro lens for my macro photography. While I get the same focal length with my kit lens as well, this lens offers a wider aperture (hello nice bokeh!) and a much shorter minimal focus distance, allowing me to go closer to my subject and still get it in focus.
Just keep in mind that I primarily shoot birds/wildlife, landscapes, astro and macro. That's why I chose the specific lenses I mentioned above. But if I were to shoot mainly portraits or street photography, my lens selection would look very different. So just keep that in mind :)
Tripod, Bags, Filters
Coming soon.
Electronics
Electronics is quite simple. I have a MacBook Pro that I need for my work, and I use it also for saving + editing my photos. Why buy something else if it works?
Besides my laptop, I additionally back up my photos on an external hard drive (you never know what might happen!). For that, I use the LaCie 5TB HDD because it's more or less indestructible, so perfect for storing all my precious work.
Software
In terms of software, I'm an avid Adobe user. I don't always edit my photos (but most of them tbh), and when I do, I use Lightroom. Videos almost always need to be edited, which I do in Premiere Pro. I've heard many good things about other editing software, though, such as Davinci Resolve. I've personally never tried any of those, and the only reason is really that I'm already used to the Adobe products (kind of a lame excuse, I know).
Finally, for actually planning my photo trips out (especially when it comes to landscapes or astrophotography), I use the PhotoPills App.
Other Accessories
Coming soon.