As a travel photographer and blogger, the number one question I get about is what camera gear I use. And that’s exactly what we’re going to cover in this post!
As I grew more experienced with photography and became an Instagram influencer, I saw more of a need for better equipment.
The right gear can bring our imaginations to life and has the ability to help us tell a more complete story.
In the sections below, we’ll discuss what I consider the best gear for travel bloggers and influencers and why these are my fave suggestions for other creators.
Let’s begin!
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What to Look For in the Best Travel Blogger & Influencer Camera Gear
When you’re looking for the best camera gear for travel bloggers and influencers, there’s a few things you have to consider:
- Weight of the gear—You don’t want your gear to weigh you down!
- Waterproof—You’ll probably be traveling to different environments and you don’t want your gear to get waterlogged.
- Battery life—You’ll be running around! You need gear that’ll last.
- Ease of use—You never want to miss a moment with complicated gear.
These are the four main considerations I took into account when choosing my gear. Don’t worry, we’ll dive more into these below.
The Best Travel Camera Bodies
Let’s start with camera bodies for travel bloggers!
Before you keep reading, I’d like to note that I’ve switched up camera gear a lot over the years, so I’m not necessarily loyal to one brand. Hence why you’ll find multiple options for each section.
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Cameras for Beginner Travel Bloggers
Sony a6400 Mirrorless Camera
The Sony a6400 is the mirrorless camera I started my travel blogger journey with!
If you’re an entry level travel blogger and influencer, I recommend you grab this guy.
It’s super lightweight, and at 26 megapixels, it’ll get you the high quality images you want for web and social.
I also love that it’s a perfect camera for shooting videos if you want to try out vlogging.
Canon EOS Rebel T7i / EOS 800D
The EOS Rebel T7i is one of Canon’s best entry-level DSLRs.
The camera sports a 24.2-megapixel sensor that also performs better in situations where one may need a higher ISO.
This camera body also has a great touchscreen feature, which adds ease to a workflow!
The Rebel is an excellent choice for beginners looking for a beginner body with high image quality.
Cameras for Experienced Travel Bloggers
Sony a7RIII Mirrorless Camera
Having a mirrorless camera can be a game changer.
They’re typically lighter than your traditional DSLR, making them easier to pack.
The Sony a7RIII is fast, lightweight, easy to use, and quite frankly hits all the boxes you could want in a travel camera.
Since it’s full frame, using it will improve your photo quality!
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR
Say hello to the Canon 5D Mark IV! This camera is a beast. Its body is lightweight compared to most DSLR bodies, and is practically waterproof. I also love that the 5D Mark IV has a user-friendly menu.
The cherry on top? It has a touch screen which you can use to select your focus point, and even set to “touch to shoot.”
But as DSLR, in general, it can be cumbersome because the bodies are typically more massive than those of a mirrorless camera.
Drones
DJI Air S2
I don’t use a drone all the time, but when I do I use a DJI drone. The Air, specifically, is lightweight and has the ability to capture crisp images and videos.
And if you use a drone, make sure you’re only using it in permitted areas!
Travel Blogger & Influencer Must-Have
Apple iPhone
I don’t think I need to explain why an Apple iPhone is some of the best camera gear for travel bloggers and influencers!
With Stories, TikToks, Reels, and any other social media app, having an iPhone handy is a must.
Camera Lenses
I would argue that camera lenses are more important than the bodies themselves. Lenses are what can change the overlook of a photo and really bring an image to life.
24-70mm f/2.8
F/2.8 refers to the aperture. Without getting too technical, the “lower” the aperture number, the more background blur you can get with an image. This is great for portraits.
Example: f/2.8 has more blur than f/7. Anywho, these lenses are typically more expensive.
If you still want a 24-70 but aren’t ready to invest that much, I suggest trying a 24-70mm f/4 lens. Still a great lens for your photo needs!
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Sony 24-70mm f/2.8
This 24-70 lens is my all time favorite. From my experience, it gives you the most flexibility with your images.
You can capture portraits and landscapes without having to change lenses.
It’s great if you want a “no -brainer” lens and don’t feel want to always carry a ton of gear with you. AND, it’s sharp AF.
P.S. Going the DSLR route? Try the Canon 24-70 f/2.8.
16-35mm f/4
If you think you’ll be capturing much wider scenes (think mountains or tall buildings), you need to snag a 16-35 f/4!
My 16-35 has helped me capture some of my favorite landscape images to date. You can also get a 16-35mm f/2.8.
Sony 16-35mm f/4
The Sony 16-35mm f/4 has been my go-to wide angle lens for a while.
Like I mentioned above, I love to use it for wider scenes.
When I’m writing up itineraries and travel guides about outdoor locations, I usually use a lot of horizontal images I captured with a wide-angle lens.
If you’ll be shooting a DSLR, I recommend the Canon 16-35 f/4.
70-200mm f/2.8
I didn’t realize just how much I love getting realllyyyyy zoomed into scenes until I bought a 70-200mm f/2.8.
Lenses at this focal range compress a scene, meaning objects in the distance appear larger.
These kinds of lenses can be great for portraits too because they bring a lot of attention to the subject.
Sony 70-200mm f/2.8
The Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 is a big boy, but completely worth it!
I love capturing more artsy travel photos with this lens.
Some of my most interesting and favorite nature photos were taken with it.
If you’re going withe a DSLR, grab a Canon 70-200 f/2.8.
35mm f/1.8 Prime
A fixed lens means it stays the same focal length allll the time.
So you can’t zoom in or out, you’d have to physically move yourself or the subject. BUT lenses like these are FANTASTIC for travel bloggers because they’re lightweight and produce sharp images.
35mm is a great go-to focal length.
Sony 35mm f/1.8
The Sony 35mm f/1.8 is a great travel lens that won’t do you wrong. You can get just about every kind of image you need from this lens.
For an option that’s a bit more zoomed in, you can grab a 50mm f/1.8 — another popular choice.
Essential Camera Gear for Travel Bloggers
Below is my list of essential camera gear for travel bloggers and influencers. I don’t know what I’d do without these!
For Editing
Adobe Creative Cloud
Editing in Adobe Lightroom had a significant effect on my photography. I previously was editing jpeg files on free iPhone apps but decided it was time to give RAWS a try and switch over to Adobe Creative Cloud. I’m happy I did!
To edit all of my photos, I use a combination of Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop. You can get both programs with Adobe’s Photography Suite.
Apple MacBook Pro 13″
I LOVE my Apple MacBook Pro. It has become a staple part of my photography gear. I was previously a PC user but switched over because MacBooks are faster and have more capabilities when it comes to what we creative folks need.
The 13″ retina display also assures that I am viewing my images to the highest quality, allowing me to make the best edits possible.
Storage
SanDisk 64GB Extreme Pro SD Cards
SD cards are essential to photography. You can’t take photos without one!
I have used these 64G SanDisk cards for the past couple of years now.
We find that they write very fast (write = images are captured and processed).
1TB G-DRIVE Mobile SSD
If you take a ton of pictures and do not want to clog up your computer, I recommend grabbing an SSD.
SSD stands for “solid state drive,” meaning it does not have a fragile disk inside that will crash the drive if it gets banged around.
I always load images onto my SSD and edit them directly on the drive, then back them up to an external hard drive later
4TB G-DRIVE Mobile External Hard Drive
Backing up your photos is CRUCIAL. It would suck to lose all your travel photos!
I have had several hard drives fail on me. It stinks! But a 4TB hard drive has never let me down.
Hard drives are probably the one piece of travel blogger gear you need to buy. You can back up your blog files on them too!
Camera Accessories for Travel Bloggers
Peak Design Capture Camera Clip
Carrying your camera around your next, in your hands, or digging it out of your pack gets annoying. A Peak Design Capture Camera Clip removes all that from the equation by safely securing your camera onto a bag strap.
Now you’ll never miss a moment because your camera is at the bottom of your bag!
Not to mention, you can travel freely without worry about dropping your camera.
MeFOTO Classic Aluminum Roadtrip Travel Tripod
I don’t use tripods very often.
They can be bulky, and our style of photography doesn’t usually require that we use one.
However, MeFOTO tripods are great for taking travel selfies and couple’s photos.
So if you want to take your own pictures, grab this tripod!
JOBY Gorillapod
If you’re shopping for an ultra-light tripod for travel, I can’t recommend the JOBY Gorillapod enough.
Its legs flex and bend so you can take it anywhere. I use mine for a variety of things like vlogging.
You can also purchase a phone tripod to only use with your Apple iPhone.
Giottos Rocket Air Blaster
When your camera gets dusty, this little guy is the best cleaner, especially if you don’t have a clean cloth around.
And nobody like a dusty camera!
Camera Bags for Travel Bloggers
WANDRD PRVKE
I LOVE this camera bag.
The WANDRD PRVKE holds my laptop, camera body, lenses, hard drives and more.
It has been a recent addition to my travel blogger camera gear, and I can tell you right now that it is ten times better than any other camera bag I have owned.
Ape Cases
Think of Ape Cases as packing cubes you can adjust to your needs. Each case has a Velcro wall inside that you can move around.
They’re great for keeping your gear protected as you travel. Plus they’re SUPER light, so they won’t weigh your bags down!
While Ape Cases have a use for a variety of travel blogger camera gear, I use them to hold my camera body, lenses, SD cards, and more.
My Final Thoughts on Travel Blogger & Influencer Camera Gear
Generally speaking, there are TONS of cameras for travel bloggers and camera gear for travel bloggers. It can get overwhelming.
If you’re just looking to start your gear collection, here’s what I recommend you grab:
Sony 24-70mm f/2.8
WANDRD PRVRKE
Abobe Creative Cloud
Boom, keep it simple. The most important thing to remember with your journey is that STARTING is crucial. And you don’t need a whole ton of gear to start.
So there you have it, that’s the gear I use and happily recommend! I suggest you check out my other influencer tips next!
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Last week my Video Camera was stolen from me and I don’t have money ( due to covid impact ) to buy another one. My camera is the most important tool…
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