As a semi-professional photographer, I’m often asked what type of camera gear I own (or have owned) and what I recommend. I’ve had a long love affair with cameras, starting with the old school Pentax and Canon film cameras I used in high school, moving on to the Mamyiya RZ67 I owned and used in college, and then my very first digital camera – a Canon EOS Rebel G.
Throughout the years, I’ve purchased and sold many camera bodies, lenses, and accessories based on my needs (upgrades or usage). I’m now sporting a very streamlined set of camera gear.
My Primary Camera – Canon EOS 7D
I’ve been a loyal Canon user since about 1998 when I purchased my first film camera. I’m on my third Canon camera and expect that I will continue to use my Canon EOS 7D until it gives up the ghost. Though the Canon EOS 7D Mark II (pictured) is the only one available now, I’d still highly recommend it! I purchased mine sometime around 2009 and it has worked like a charm ever since! Keep in mind – this camera is heavy (especially when combined with the main lens I use) – I have to be sure that I carry a quality camera bag to distribute the weight when I’m not shooting.
Canon EOS 7D Accessories
Canon EOS 7D AccessoriesWithin the past 4 years, I decided it was time to upgrade my lenses. Due to the price point of the lenses I currently desire (I’ll talk about that later), I’m working with two lenses right now. I have the Canon EF 24-105mm IS USM lens and a Canon 50mm prime lens. That’s it! And, to be completely honest, I only occasionally wish I had more options in my camera bag.
Other than lenses, I have 2 batteries and 2 flash cards that I always carry with me. I have a ton of other accessories, but I only bring them out to play if I know I’ll be using them (external flash, light meter, filters, etc). I have a bad back, so the lighter I can make my kit, the better!
My Secondary Camera – GoPro Hero4 Silver
I purchased this lil’ guy about 18mos ago and it hasn’t gotten as much use as I would like. BUT – I always carry it with me when I’m traveling, as it takes care of my wide-angle needs and is a less-obtrusive way to capture video on busy busy streets. I haven’t quite got the hang of getting the high-quality pictures out of it that I’d like, but I’m absolutely determined to move past this learning curve. I’ll be meeting up with Kallsy from Pages of Travel this summer and I’m hoping she’ll do a mini-workshop with me!
GoPro Hero4 Silver Accessories
GoPro Hero4 Silver AccessoriesI also have a wide variety of GoPro accessories, but again, I only bring with me what I’ll need. That list is pretty short and sweet – extra batteries, extra flash cards, and a grip of some sort. I research the places I go and think if I’ll want a chest strap, monopod, or selfie-stick.
I’m really happy with the camera gear I currently have and definitely recommend the cameras and accessories to anyone who is looking for a step up (or two) from the entry-level DSLRs. If I could add anything to my kit right now it would be the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens. My walkaround lens doesn’t get quite wide enough for me. BUT – looking at the hefty price tag, I remind myself over and over that the equipment I have is great and I can either take a vacation (or two) or buy a new lens. Vacation always takes the cake.
I’ve purchased all my camera gear from B&H Photo Video since 1997 and have found them to be well-priced and reliable. If you’d prefer to use Amazon, I’ve provided direct links to the products!
Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll review my handy-dandy new camera bag!
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*This post contains affiliate links. If you click these links and make a purchase, I may receive a commission. As always, all opinions expressed are my own. I love my camera gear!
I have a 7D too and have been using it for five years. I love it more than I could ever love a man. It’s a great camera.
It’s just an absolutely fantastic camera, isn’t it!? 🙂
Looks like sensational gear Lindsay. How did you set up those Amazon widgets? Through an aStore? I am an affiliate and also wrote 124 eBooks for Kindle. Figuring ways to set up stores for both an author sales and affiliate earnings boost 😉 I also wish to make it easier for folks to buy a collection of my eBooks.
Ryan
Hi Ryan! Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment! I am an affiliate as well and use their site to build links (image and text). I copy the text and I then use a shortcode box that is provided by my theme provider. It’s been trial and error, but always improving! There may be a shortcode plugin that you could use if you don’t use Divi/Elegant Themes!
I always love posts like these. I currently just use my iPhone 6S and GoPro as well.
I really need to upgrade my iPhone 5, but I’ve been holding out til mine breaks haha!
I was a Canon nut for years, but the weight and bulk of a decent DSLR got to me in the end. I thought Canon’s mirrorless Eos M might be the answer, but that one barked like a dog. Standing for a couple of seconds while the autofocus struggled, the moment would pass.
I followed the Olympus path and my EM-1 has 5-axis in-body-image-stabilisation, the 12-40mm ƒ2.8 lens is a dream, and I get results as good or better than I ever got with my APS-C gear. At half the size and weight. Never looked back.
Having said that, I think that you should shoot with whatever feels good for you, and delivers the quality. I see far too many bloggers relying on some dinky little point and shoot or their phones. Convenient, for sure, but a plastic lens about the size of a a grain of rice ain’t going to deliver.
Hi Pete, thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I am struggling with the weight of the Canon – especially with a bad back. I’ve been daydreaming of going mirrorless for a while, but definitely need to give it a good trial run before investing in a new system. Interesting to hear your feedback about the Canon mirrorless, though I’m not too surprised – I hear lots of good things about mirrorless cameras, but the name Canon never comes up in those conversations! I just need to find myself a local buddy with one who would let me try it out for a day or two!
I definitely agree that quality photos really do make a big difference! I remember when I first upgraded my lenses and I was blown away by the difference that a good piece of glass makes!
Thanks again for sharing your experiences with me – I’m now gonna google the Olympus haha – let the daydreaming begin!
Just came across your post and thought wow that is exactly what we have in our travel bag, actually even the same bag. We love the Lowepro. Have been traveling with one for years. We have used as a camera bag and a day-pack through many countries. We are also Canon loayls, had Xi for a long time and recently upgraded to the 7D. Also have used their point-and-shoots. Though for waterproof cam we have been using Olympus until we got the GoPro
Oh wow, how cool! Always great to ‘meet’ others that have similar (or in our case) the same gear! I am really digging the camera bag – will actually be releasing a write-up about the bag this week. I’m glad to see that you’ve had great success using it as a day bag and camera bag on your travels – exactly what I was looking for! Canon is just brilliant – I was instantly hooked 🙂 How did you like the Olympus?
I’ll be saving this article in my future “camera purchase” folder. #goals 🙂
I do love the camera so much! 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
Although I am a Nikon user, but I know for a fact that the E0S 7D is an excellent camera. What I really like is that you have a GoPro and I recently got the Hero 5 and am enjoying using it a lot. I still haven’t had the opportunity to use it in a action situation but taking photos and getting used to it has been great and I definitely recommend it to everyone. And then there is the trusty iPhone for when you can’t carry any professional camera.
Thank you so much for commenting! I have great respect for the Nikon cameras as well! Do you find that you get better photos from the GoPro when it is outside of the housing? I’ve been meaning to try that, but am afraid to drop it haha! Yep, I have my trusty old iPhone 5! I’ll upgrade that someday 🙂