What’s In My Camera Bag?

What’s in your camera bag?

It’s a question that a lot of people new to photography ask those who have been doing it for a while so they can get an idea of where to start.

Now admittedly, I have a hard time calling myself a professional photographer at this moment (though hopefully that will change over time), I have been doing it for a while, and I know what works and doesn’t work for me.

So let’s take a look at what I have in my camera bag (including the bag itself) to give you an idea of what you might need (or want) to get started with photography.

Camera

I started off with a Canon Rebel T3i as my first “professional” camera. It was a great fit as we would check out T4i cameras in college to learn how to take photos in one of my journalism courses.

It quickly became the camera I always wanted to use, even over phone cameras as they got better with each new model. I really loved having the ability to not only have the camera set the aperture and shutter speed for me, but also being able to control both of them to get unique photos that I couldn’t get with a phone or any of the point-and-shoot cameras I had used growing up.

And to be honest, while the Rebel series has gotten better, if you’re looking for a more affordable entry into the world of DSLR cameras, a T3i or even a T4i isn’t a bad option at all.

I did, however, upgrade to the T8i a couple of years ago, primarily because of the better features for video. The autofocus for video mode and touch screen were big selling points over the T3i, and I thought at the time I would be doing more videos.

Still, it’s a great camera for photography. The touch screen makes it really easy to edit the aperture size and shutter speed in manual mode. And being able to use Bluetooth to use my phone as a remote shutter release comes in clutch for landscape and night photography.

I highly recommend checking it out if you’re in the market for a new (or first) camera.

Lenses

So right now I have four lenses that I use for different situations.

The first is the generic 18-55mm lens that came with the camera. This is good for basic shots where I don’t want to get a super wide angle photo but also don’t need to zoom in too much.

The next is a 75-300mm zoom lens. This is perfect for getting those close in zoom photos from a long distance away. One of my favorite photos I took at the Texas Rangers’ World Series parade in 2023 was with this lens. I was able to focus in on a flag that was over 600 feet away. And the depth of field blurred out the trees to frame the flag perfectly.

After that I have a static 50mm lens with a big aperture. It’s perfect for portrait photos as I can easily create a depth of field that blurs out the background and leaves the subject in perfect focus.

And finally, the newest addition to my lens lineup is a 10-18mm wide angle lens. This is perfect for the landscape and scenic photography I love to do. Seriously, I would not have been able to full capture the beauty of the Grand Canyon without this lens.

Tripod

So to be honest, I don’t really know exactly what tripod I have. It was given to me as a gift by a friend, and I don’t have the box for it anymore. I know it’s a Merkury Innovations Targus tripod with a trigger head mount. But I’m not sure of the exact model.

Either way, it’s a good functional tripod. The trigger is useful in some situations and not so useful in other situations, like trying to take a panoramic photo.

It’s also a bit on the lighter side, which can make it tricky to use on a windy day.

I will be looking to get a better tripod for landscape and panoramic photography (as well as being a bit heavier so it doesn’t move as easily). But this is a fine option if you’re looking for an affordable option to get started with.

Camera Backpack

I started out with the simple camera bag that you sling over one shoulder. It’s the one that basically everyone starts out with when they begin photography. And it’s something that served me really well for many years.

But as I got more lenses, I needed something that was bigger and also easier to carry. While the old bag worked for what I needed, it was also kind of a pain to carry around.

So I upgraded to a Lowepro Tahoe camera backpack, and it was a great choice. For starters, it’s much easier to carry since it’s an actual backpack, and it frees up my hands to carry other things like a tripod or a suitcase.

But what I really love the most is the extra space I have for my camera, lenses, extra batteries, charger, cleaning equipment and other accessories. And I can divide up the main part of my backpack however I see fit to organize things to my liking.

It’s a great backpack at a relatively affordable price, and I highly recommend it if you’re going into the photography hobby.

Filters

Filters are the one thing that I’m still lacking in my camera bag.

I have a UV filter and a couple of filters that increase the zoom, but that’s about it. And those only fit the 18-55mm and 75-300mm lenses.

My next round of upgrades will be to get a neutral density filter for each of the lenses and maybe a UV one for them too.

Photo Editing

Finally, for editing photos I have a 2021 24 inch iMac with the M1 chip that’s my main photo editing machine. The M1 chip makes it run super quick, and the larger screen comes in handy when trying to edit my photos to give them the perfect look.

On the road I use a 2019 16 inch MacBook Pro. It’s great for making quick edits to photos and uploading them to my personal gallery and posting on social media while I’m away from home.

And for photo editing software, I use Adobe Lightroom which I just love. It’s really easy to import the raw photos and edit them either with presets I’ve created or purchased or adjust things like exposure, contrast, shadows, etc., to give them the perfect look. It’s a really great tool to use if you want your photos to look stunning.

Future Wishlist

I’ve also started to create a list of things I would like to add to my camera bag for the future.

The first is another lens with a wider aperture so that I can get better at taking star photography. My current lenses do an okay job at the moment (plus living in a city makes it hard to do a lot of star photography in the first place), but getting a lens that’s perfect for the job would be great.

Next, as I mentioned before, I would like to get more lens filters, particularly neutral density filters for each of the lenses.

And finally, at some point I’m probably going to be replacing my MacBook with a newer model. The current one is getting a bit long in the tooth, and getting one of the more powerful MacBooks would make photo editing on the road quicker and easier.

So that’s what I’ve got in my bag. But I am curious about what might be in your bag. Be sure to leave your list below!