My Complete Photography Kit

To get incredible shots, it helps to have top notch gear. I'm often asked about the lenses, cameras, and accessories I bring with me on my photo expeditions and have decided to create an article around it.

For starters, you can quickly browse my full set of camera gear on this list, which also shows prices and, of course, an easy way to purchase. You may also like my Nature Photography Tutorial Podcast, The Wild Photographer for detailed tips and tricks on all things nature, wildlife, landscape and travel photography.

My gear all revolves around Canon's mirrorless, full-frame system and an R5 camera body. Full frame has incredible advantages like higher resolution and amazing low light sensitivity, which allows me to crop significantly and also take photos in really difficult lighting conditions.

Next up, my two favorite, most used lenses are Canon's (I typically do not use 3rd party lenses, as Canon's integrate perfectly and consistently provide the best image quality) 24-105mm and 100-500mm lenses. They aren't cheap, but the optical quality is other worldly. And because I'm traveling with this gear, I tend to prefer zoom lenses instead of primes (wedding and portrait photographers do tend to prefer the latter, and I agree with their decision).

Like I said, I can crop significantly, which means I can take the photo in the moment and worry about composition, adjustments and artistic elements later. This is essential when photographing wildlife when split seconds count in capturing extraordinary behaviors.

I also tend to bring my Canon 70-200mm with me simply because it's the sharpest lens I have and giving me the f/2.8 aperture is a game changer for certain scenarios. The only drawback is that the 70-200mm range isn't especially good for wildlife, nor is wide enough for some landscapes. However, when I can use it, I prioritize it.

Lastly, I have Canon's 15-35mm ultra-wide angle lens for things like night skies and northern lights. It's bigger and heavier than I'd like for most trips, but when I need it there is simply no substitution. It's sharp as heck and super fast at f/2.8.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Canon's super affordable and high quality 50mm f/1.8 lens. It's small but mighty. The incredible aperture allows for incredibly shallow depths of field that make it great for people photography, as well as low light (although 50mm isn't what I use for night skies, as it's not that wide).

While the camera and lenses provide for the lion's share of the quality and versatility I need in my nature photography, accessories like memory cards, batteries, tripods, etc., are equally essential.

I typically bring my Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod on all my trips, even if I don't plan on using it frequently, as it's crazy light weight and ultra stable.

And when it comes to memory cards, I don't diddle around. I aim to get the best, pay the most, and they deliver each and every time. Considering they are the cornerstone of saving your images, it's just not worth saving $40 and getting a off brand or lower quality. They still aren't that much money when it comes down to it and peace of mind can be priceless.

For a complete list of other accessories, as well as the full list of the above gear, I invite you to take a look here and scroll through my top camera gear and accessories.

And as always, don't hesitate to email me if I can be of further help in honing your own camera kit!

All the best,

Court