With World Photography Day celebrated on 19 August, we’re shining a light on all things photography. What’s more, with people more excited than ever before to travel both locally and abroad, travel photography is a growing hobby for many who love to capture their travel memories in all their glory.
While most of us would want to carry plenty of options to capture that one perfect shot during our travels, realistically, you don’t want to walk around like a pack mule just to capture those perfect travel moments. So, weight and size play an important part while packing your travel photography equipment bag. While a lot more items go into a keen travel photographer’s bag, here are our top picks for the essential photography equipment any avid travel photographer simply can’t do without.
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Lenses:
Whether you own a DSLR or mirrorless digital camera with interchangeable camera lenses, any good photographer knows that while the body of the camera provides the basis for stunning photography, the entire experience hinges on the lens. No wonder, the options for different kinds of camera lenses are so many that it can easily confuse even the best professional travel photographer out there.
While your heart might implore you to carry different lenses on your travels, you can get away with packing just two lenses that are able to cover most of the photographs you want to take while you’re away. Carrying a walkaround and a fast prime lens is a good compromise when you’re wanting to pack light. When choosing a walkaround lens, opt for one with a wide aperture. A wide aperture lets in more light, making the lens suitable for a range of photography situations.
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On-camera storage
On-camera storage or an SD card is as important as a camera or lens. Choosing the right storage for your digital camera can be tricky. Invest in a high-capacity SD card that is purpose-built for photographers.
For example, SanDisk says its SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I card is built for, and tested, in harsh conditions. The SD card is temperature, water, shock, and x-ray proof. It comes in up to 1TB capacities and boasts SanDisk QuickFlow Technology, this card optimises performance for time-saving media offloads with quick transfer speeds up to 200MB/s.
If your camera is UHS-II compatible, go for something like the SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II card. This card promises to deliver extremely fast transfer speeds of up to 300MB/s and can seamlessly capture uninterrupted cinema-quality 8K, 4K, and Full HD video.
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Extra batteries:
It’s important to be able to power your digital camera at all times, which is why any keen travel photographer should travel with additional camera batteries. This will ensure you are covered in case of any technical difficulties as well as tackling the hassle of charging, especially if you’re travelling to a remote location.
If you are travelling by aeroplane, then you should be aware of any restrictions by specific countries or airlines. Generally, the rule allows you to travel with lithium-ion battery cells; one can carry multiple batteries of less than 100Wh, in a protected case. For international flights, it is safer to carry 95Wh batteries, as the lithium-ion batteries come in 95Wh, 130Wh, 160Wh, and 190Wh variations.
Fast portable storage:
Another important piece of equipment for any travel photographer is external storage. Invest in a good SSD external storage drive to ensure your images and files are safe. The important point to keep in mind while selecting a portable storage option is that it should be lightweight, fast, and rugged. For example, SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD V offers fast read/write speeds of up to 2000MB/s and comes in up to 4TB capacity. You can take this drive anywhere with you, as it has up to two-meter drop protection and IP55 water and dust resistance. It also has a handy carabiner loop, so it can be easily secured to your belt or backpack. With this lightweight drive on you, you won’t have to worry about deleting any shots or capacity issues.
Lightweight tripod:
For travel, you must have a strong, compact yet lightweight camera tripod. It should fit easily into a compact travel bag. Opt for a carbon fibre camera tripod if you’re in the market for an option with a stronger and lighter body. While these can be more costly, they’re also more robust and great for travel. If you love to capture both still images and video while you travel, then opt for a tripod that is suitable for both photography and videography.
