CAMERA GEAR & ACCESSORIES
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. When you click on links to various merchants on this webpage and make a purchase, this can result in this webpage earning a commissions. If you appreciate the advice and use the affiliate links below I would greatly appreciate it . Thanks!
|
PANASONIC GH6While I have considered using a lot of other cameras over the years, I have been a Panasonic Camera user for some years now going back to when I has the ZS-100. Ultimately I chose the Panasonic GH6 because it has extensive video features / capabilities and with its Micro 4/3 Sensor size it has also has fantastic stabilization features to keep handheld photos and videos blur free.
As a frequent traveler I love the portability of this camera as well because it tends to have smaller lenses which don't take up so much room in my bag. While the autofocus and low light performance of the camera could certainly be better, these are less important to me than price, video functionality and familiarity with the camera system. AMAZON LINK
|
|
PANASONIC LENS
|
|
PANASONIC LENS
|
WEATHER LENS CAP
|
NEUTRAL DENSITY (ND) FILTER
|
- WEATHER LENS CAP - Given that I travel to Iceland every year, I have learned how important it is to have a lens cap to protect your camera lens from the elements. This lens cap helps prevent droplets of water and snow from getting on the lens, which would distort your image. In addition to protecting from the weather, the lens caps can also help prevent sun glare and can help you expose your photos a bit better. Make sure to get a wide angle lens cap to ensure you do not actually see the cap in your photos!
- ND (NEUTRAL DENSITY FILTER) - A neutral density filter is a really great tool that I use to take photos of waterfalls , clouds and bodies of water. Essentially the ND filter acts like sunglasses that block light from getting in to the camera. This allows you to increase the exposure time which will make water falls, water and clouds look more "smooth". The website below provides some good examples of how you can use this effect. https://www.theschoolofphotography.com/tutorials/nd-filters-in-depth-guide-for-beginners
DMW-BLK 22 EXTRA BATTERY
|
512 GB CF Express card
|
256 GB UHS II SD CARD
|
- DMW-BLK 22 BATTERY - It is always key to have an extra battery on hand when shooting videos. Personally, I prefer to order the manufacturers battery pack because in the past I have noticed considerably lower performance with third party manufacturers batteries.
- SANDISK 512 GB CF EXPRESS CARD TYPE B - Shooting videos and burst photos requires a memory card with a lot of storage and fact readout! Personally I have always been a fan of SanDisk memory card products because I know it is a reputable brand and they have always delivered excellent performance for me. Notably I have never had any issues with data loss either!
- SANDISK 256 GB UHS-II MEMORY CARD - The Panasonic GH6, like many professional level cameras, allows for two memory card slots. For reasons similar to the above, and price, I have chosen to go with a 256 GB UHS II Memory Card from SanDisk because it offers faster read and write speeds for higher quality stills and videos that demand high data transfer rates.
- USB C HUB - BELKIN - When using portable drives
SANDISK SSD 2 TB
|
USB C Hub
|
- SANDISK EXTREME PRO PORTABLE SSD - When you are travelling I always suggest that you bring a small, rugged SSD to backup all your photos! This drive does the trick and has held up for me for several years. It is very small, very rugged against water and dust (IP65 Rated) and has very high transfer speeds. All in all this is a great drive to store your files and to edit off of on the go.
- USB C HUB BELKIN - USB C ports are hard to come by on most computers, so I use one of these to allow me to more easily connect an external USB c monitor, as well as several hard drives AND a USB C power charger. This is a handy little device that helps ease productivity.
|
GOPRO HERO 10 BLACKI have been a huge fan of GoPro cameras for years! They are small, tough, rugged little cameras that you can take with you anywhere to grab videos and stills. I currently have the GoPro Hero 10 Black Action Camera which I personally feel has delivered some incredible photos and videos.
I carry this little guy with me every day in addition to my GH6 because I feel it offers a couple of nice advantages. The camera is waterproof and portable which means I can take it anywhere and not worry about it, and it has a wide-angle-lens which is really great for capturing photos of me and my surroundings. The GoPro can also shoot in 5.7K 30 FPS which is very high quality and has the ability to shoot RAW photos which allow for some really flexible editing later on. Probably the thing I am most impressed with in this camera is the video stabilization; with HyperSmooth videos you could be riding a bike or sitting on a boat and the video will come out buttery smooth as though you were standing still, no shake at all! I take my GoPro on every trip and every day and have it atop a extendable tripod / selfie stick to be able to quickly take some selfies or photos of me standing in / taking in my surroundings. AMAZON LINK
|
GOPRO ENDURO BATTERIES AND CHARGER
|
SANDISK 256 GB MICRO SD
|
GoPro flip mounting screw
|
- GOPRO ENDURO BATTERIES AND CHARGER - As for all cameras, I always recommend getting additional batteries and a dedicated charger. The Enduro batteries have great performance and the include charger allows you to charge two batteries at one time, which is definitely very convenient while travelling as you can cut back on time.
- SANDISK 256 GB MICRO SD CARD - For reasons similar to above, I have always been a big fan of SanDisk products. They are tough and reliable. I prefer to have higher capacity memory cards in my cameras just in case I don't have time while travelling to transfer the files to an external SSD Hard Drive. Additionally, I feel it is always good to have several backups of your files (External Hard Drive & Camera) so just in case one gets damaged or lost while you are travelling you won't lose all of your photos and videos!
- GOPRO FLIP MOUNTING SCREW - When you've got the floaty case, or media mod on your GoPro it can sometimes be quite tricky to fully tighten the GoPro with the mounting screw because it is sometimes blocked or hard to get a good grip on. Fortunately, this handy-dandy mounting screw comes with a rotating end that allows you to get extra leverage and really tighten the GoPro in place. This has definitely made working with the GoPro significantly easier!
TRIPODS & QUICK CLIPS
PEAK DESIGN TRAVEL TRIPOD
|
JOBY GorillaPOD
|
ULANZI CLAW QUICK RELEASE
|
- PEAK DESIGN TRAVEL TRIPOD - The Peak Design Travel Tripod is an all around excellent tripod. In particular what I like about it most is how compact and easy it is to setup. Unlike many tripods, the ball head can retract and sit flush against the tripod legs which make the tripod shorter than average. Additionally, the tripod legs also sit flush with each other when collapsed so there is on empty space. The leg clamps are also very easy to open and close in quick succession, so setting up this tripod is pretty easy!
- JOBY GORILLAPOD - I often carry this tripod with me while travelling, but do not always use it. The Joby Gorillapod is small and compact, and is strong enough to support my larger camera. More often than not I use this tripod on a tabletop, or out in the real world to hook to a tree or railing; essentially this small / flexible tripod is best for some of those unique situations where your regular tripod is too big / bulky to be set up.
- ULANZI CLAW QUICK RELEASE - This thing is a life saver! If you have multiple cameras / accessories that you cycle through (GH6, GoPro, lighting, microphone, etc.) than something like this makes your life much easier. I have one of these attached to my GoPro and one to my GH6; it allows me to quickly put the camera onto the tripod, lock it, and then take it off when you are done; it allows you to easily switch tripod setups as well without having to constantly change the adaptor at the bottom.
ULANZI EXTENDABLE TRIPOD
|
GOPRO BACKPACK STRAP
|
GOPRO FLOAT CAGE
|
- ULANZI EXTENDABLE TRIPOD - Originally I had the NuBear extendable floating tripod for my GoPro and it was awesome! It floated, could be extended reasonably far (great for catching photos of fish), and also served as a nice selfie stick. I recently upgraded to this tripod from Ulanzi because I love other things from their brand (always very sturdy) and because it extends further, almost to eye level; I thought this might be more useful in taking a wider array of photos and videos from different angles. In addition to its greater extension it also has more stable tripod legs that can be secured which gives you some piece of mind that your gear won't topple over. While the tripod is quite sturdy, the extending segments do not lock, so heavy items will cause it to retract. The tripod also does not float which is somewhat of a downside. All in all, I have found it hard to find the "perfect" all in one tripod selfie-stick for GoPro but I think ones ticks a lot of boxes!
- GOPRO BACKPACK STRAP / CLIP MOUNT - Tripods are great, BUT they don't work everywhere... That is where something like this product comes in handy! The clip allows you to attach the GoPro to a hat or your backpack for some first person POV shooting and I have attached this to a snowmobile and a camel's saddle. It definitely helps to provide some flexibility and help you hang on to your GoPro when you are out adventuring.
- GOPRO FLOAT CAGE - GET A FLOATY FOR YOUR GOPRO! Unfortunately I did not purchase my first float for my GoPro until I lost my GoPro Hero 8 into the Atlantic Ocean...Whooops! This floaty is great as it helps your GoPro float, it is bright orange to help you find it if you drop it, and the foam also adds a layer of protection to the GoPro. Unfortunately, this accessory blocks your access to the battery and the SD card etc. so it is sometimes annoying to have to take this on and off, but that definitely beats losing your GoPro altogether :)
PEAK DESIGN LEASH CAMERA STRAP
|
SEA TO SUMMIT EVAC DRY BAG
|
FABRIC CAMERA WRAP
|
PADDED LENS CASE
|
- PEAK DESIGN LEASH CAMERA STRAP - When you are out and about you are going to want a camera strap so that you can easily grab photos and videos. This strap from Peak Design is excellent because it is designed to go over the shoulder, rather than most straps which go around the neck; this makes the strap extremely comfortable and because the strap is longer it also provides great mobility with the camera to get different angles. I have had this strap for years and it has helped up extremely well!
- SEA TO SUMMIT EVAC DRY BAG - When you don't want your camera slung over your shoulder, you'll need a way to protect and store it. This bag from Sea to Summit is fully waterproof and has a special membrane at the bottom which allows you to squeeze out all of the air to make it really compact. This bag has protected my camera for years and I combine it with the product below.
- FABRIC CAMERA WRAP - Rather than purchasing a large camera bag with bulky padding, I prefer to wrap my camera in this slightly padded fabric and then place into the dry bag. This provides some padding, along with waterproof protection in a small and compact formfactor.
- PADDED LENS CASE - It probably goes without saying, but it will be way more space efficient to transport your camera with the lens off. To do this, I would recommend you have a padded lens case to store and protect your lens when you take it off your camera. I don't have this exact model, but I have something like it and it has protected my lens for many years!
AUDIO, LIGHTING & STABILIZATION EQUIPMENT
RODE SHOTGUN MIC
|
RODE DESKTOP MIC
|
WIRELESS LAVALIER MIC
|
GOPRO MEDIA MOD
|
- RODE VIDEOMIC PRO + SHOTGUN MICROPHONE - If you are trying to shoot more professional videos, you cannot rely on the camera's internal microphone; that'd be like wearing a business suit with shorts and flip flops. The Rode shotgun mic is my go to audio device as it is a directional microphone that gets high quality audio from in front of the camera. The microphone also comes with a mount / foam / fur cover to help you dissipate wind noise which is very useful outside. The mic is also powered with rechargeable batteries and has the option to internally reject background noise from things like a fan or air conditioner. All in all this is a solid mic!
- RODE X XCM-50 PROFESSIONAL USB CONDENSER MICROPHONE - Unfortunately, I was not able to figure out a way to use the above mic with my computer, so I purchased this desktop mic from Rode. This microphone was a game changer for me, as it captured high quality audio with almost zero interference or background noise. This is great for doing voice over work without needing the video.
- SARAMONIC WIRELESS LAVALIER MICROPHONE SYSTEM - When you are shooting multiple subjects or the person is moving a lot around their environment, it is preferable to use a lavalier microphone system. This will help you capture a persons voice at a consistent volume and without much background interference. I have had this system for quite a while (2016) and it has always been very reliable, but I am sure many newer options also exist.
- GOPRO MEDIA MOD - While the GoPro is a great tool for video, it does not have great audio, so that is where the GoPro Media Mod comes in! It has a few cold shoe mounts and a dedicated microphone to enhance the audio of your GoPro videos. Additionally, it also has a 3.5 mm input so you could actually pair any microphone with your GoPro. Overall it is very convenient if you plan to use your GoPro for blogging, and it allows you to do so without bringing all of your camera gear on the road.
DJI MIC 2 - Wireless LAVALIER microphone
|
RØDE Lavalier II Premium
|
DJI RS3 MINI GIMBAL
|
- DJI MIC2 WIRELESS LAVALIER MICROPHONE - I decided to upgrade my older lavalier microphone kit that I was using above for something that had a smaller form factor and was a little bit easier to use. The DJI Mic2 seemed to check all the boxes for me, as it has an all-in-one case that makes storage and charging a breeze. In addition to great audio quality, these mics also have a very reliable wireless connection.
- RØDE Lavalier II Premium - While the DJI Mic2 can be used as a standalone lavalier microphone, it is a little large and can be a bit unsightly / stand out in the video. This little lav mic allows you to wear the microphone a bit more discreetly and get great audio quality.
- DJI RS3 MINI GIMBAL - One of the most important thinks as a videographer is to have smooth, steady and shake free footage. This gimbal allows you the ability to smooth pans, enhanced slow motion scenes with action, and steadies walking footage a great deal. This gimbal is lightweight, small, packable and strong enough to hold my GH6 with my largest lens and lavalier mic set up.
PANASONIC
|
NEEWER FLASH DIFFUSER
|
EXTERNAL LIGHT
|
COLD SHOE MOUNT
|
- EXTERNAL FLASH - Most mirrorless and DSLR cameras do not come with a built in flash, so you'll need to buy your own. The model that I went with seems to be discontinued, but I have linked to another flash that is fairly similar (and is a reputable name brand). A couple of features that I liked about my flash were that it could be rotated up or down to create flash bounces and that it had a built in LED light for videos. You may be wondering, what is "bounce"? Essentially, when you are in a dark indoor environment (like an Icelandic Lava Cave) you do not necessarily want to point the flash directly at your subject, as they will become far too bright and over exposed; instead you point the flash at the ceiling and "bounce" the light all around the room so that everything becomes more illuminated. This is exactly what I do when I am taking photos in caves when I travel because it is the best way to get photos in this type of environment. The LED light also helps with video production while on the go as well and the controls on the back allow you to manually adjust flash intensity, which I find is key.
- FLASH DIFFUSER - Another tool you should look into to pair with your flash is a flash diffuser cover like the one shown above. This is a great little tool to have to help soften the flash light on a subject and diffuse the light throughout the environment. This is great for portraits when the lighting is already pretty sufficient, but you want to highlight your subject just a little bit more with some "softer" light.
- EXTERNAL LIGHT - Whether I am on a video chat or filming in a more stationary environment like my office, I use an external light like the one above to provide some extra lighting to brighten me or my subject. I am sure there are more powerful / capable lights out there, but I have a light like the one shown because my wonderful roommate Rachel bought me one for Christmas! The light is portable and quite powerful. The color of the light can also be adjusted which is nice as you can make the light warmer or cooler.
- COLD SHOE MOUNT - With loads of microphones, lights and possibly other accessories it will be useful to have a camera cage or cold shoe mount like the one that I have. Essentially, when you want to have the receiver of the wireless lav mic or a shotgun microphone on the camera along with the camera light, you will need a mount to attach both at the same time. The cold shoe mount above is nice because it offers you a bit of flexibility and lets you balance the components along the sliding rack, rather than having a fixed slot.
*Clicking on any of the Amazon Links will take you to Amazon through an Affiliate Link. If you appreciated the advice and purchase the item using these links I will get a small commission. Thanks!