As a travel blogger, I often receive a lot of questions about what camera gear I use for my photography. So below I have put together all the photography essentials I use and take with me during my travels.
This guide below lists all my exact travel photography gear – from the best camera for travel blogging to the bag I keep it all in. By no means do you need all of these products to create high-quality photos – even using your phone is a great place to start with content creation!
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Below I’m sharing all my favorite photography gear and everything in my camera bag as a travel blogger.
What is the best camera for a travel blogger?
The biggest travel photography essential you will want to use is a full-frame camera. Full-frame sensors allow you to capture more of the landscape around you and allows wide-angle lenses to work their full magic.
Types of Cameras for Travel Blogging
DSLR Cameras
DSLR cameras are some of the best cameras for travel bloggers because of their durability, versatility, and ability to produce a dynamic range of high-quality images.
Mirrorless Cameras
Mirrorless cameras are a great option for travel bloggers due to their compact size and lightweight design. These cameras typically have larger sensors, which means you will end up with better quality images in low-light conditions.
Point-and-Shoot Cameras
Point-and-shoot cameras are great for beginner bloggers because they are smaller and a lot more budget-friendly. They are much more compact cameras, which makes them easier to pack and carry with you on your adventures. And there are tons out there that that will still give you stunning photos!
With point-and-shoot cameras, you will also just have less creative control with your images as with these you won’t be able to change out the lens. However, since they are so much more compact this might be a good option for you for video blogging.
Travel Blogger Camera Essentials
The biggest travel photography essential you will want to use is a full-frame camera. Full-frame DSLRs allow you to capture more of the landscape around you and allows wide-angle lenses to work their full magic.
– CANON EOS 6D Mark II DSLR CAMERA:
I currently shoot with a Canon EOS 6D Mark II which has been my favorite camera body to-date. I have never owned another camera that produces such incredible image quality as this one does.
Other great full-frame options are the Canon 6D Mark I and Canon 5D. (I may be biased but I think that Canon provides some of the best cameras for bloggers.)
Camera Lenses for Travel Blogging
There are a wide range of lenses that would work well for travel blogging, especially if your content creation goals include landscape shots. But these interchangeable lenses below are a few of my favorites and provide the most creative control in post – production.
– SIGMA 24MM ART LENS (FOR CANON):
This is my newest lens and is one of the best out there for travel blogging. It now basically lives on my camera and I use this one for the majority of my photography. This wide-angle lens captures the perfect shots for both landscape and portraits. Not to mention, the way this lens captures beautiful colors makes for the most incredible image quality.
I use this lens for the majority of my photos you see on Instagram (@wanderfullyrylie) and this website. It’s the perfect wide-angle lens and is amazing for both landscape and portrait photography. It’s a prime lens so it does not zoom, but it’s so versatile on it’s own it doesn’t need to.
– ROKINON 14MM F/2.8 LENS (FOR CANON):
This is a manual wide-angle prime lens that’s great for low-light and nighttime shots. I don’t use this one as often, but when I go out to the desert to stargaze it’s amazing for astrophotography.
– GOPRO HERO8 BLACK 4K WATERPROOF ACTION CAMERA:
I don’t use my GoPro very often but I’ll bring it out when I’m doing any kind of water activities (like when I swam with the sharks in Belize) or any time I want to keep my phone and DSLR out of the splash-zone.
Travel Blogger Camera Bag
– BREVITĒ “THE RUNNER” CAMERA BACKPACK IN BOULDER TAN:
This is hands down the best camera bag I’ve used to-date. I have been looking for the perfect day bag since I first started traveling and have gone through so many of them over the years. This one holds all the items on this page with plenty of room to spare, and has adjustable compartments on the inside to keep all my camera gear cushioned and safe while I’m out exploring. It has a side zipper pocket so I can easily access my camera while wearing it and stays comfortable on my back. I took this bag with me on my solo road trip through the Southwestern USA and have explored 6 National Parks with it already, and have zero complaints!
Camera Tripods for Solo Traveling
– AMAZONBASICS 60-INCH LIGHTWEIGHT TRIPOD:
I have gone through a few different tripods during my solo travels over the years, and this one has been my favorite by far. It’s tall enough to act as a second person but is lightweight and collapses into itself so it’s easy to carry around. I just attach this to the outside of my camera backpack when I’m out exploring. For being so compact it’s super durable too – the rubber feet keep it sturdy and I’ll hang my backpack from the hook underneath to weigh it down for extra stability.
This tripod is awesome for when I want to get more creative with my camera angles. The bendable legs allow for me to hang my camera from different places like fences or trees. It also doubles as a stabilizer for shooting video.
Photography Accessories
– WD EASYSTORE 1TB EXTERNAL USB 3.0 PORTABLE HARD DRIVE:
I have about 3 of these – I keep all my photos and Lightroom Catalogs backed up on these and in several other different places for safekeeping.
– SANDISK 64GB EXTREME PRO MEMORY CARDS:
The 64GB will hold an entire day’s worth of photos on it for me.
– JJC WATER-RESISTANT ANTI-SHOCK MEMORY CARD WALLET:
I keep multiple memory cards with me when I’m out shooting and this case holds 12 SD cards and 24 micro SD cards.
– PACSAFE CARRYSAFE 100 GII ANTI-THEFT CAMERA STRAP:
I keep this camera strap on my DSLR during my travels for peace of mind, and so it doesn’t look as flashy with the Canon logo strap it came with.
Photography Editing Essentials
– 2023 MACBOOK PRO M3 WITH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY:
My laptop pretty much travels with me everywhere. And I use the desktop version of Lightroom Classic to edit my photos. As a travel blogger I think MacBooks are top tier for photography – the Retina display is ideal for editing.
This adapter connects my external hard drives and SD cards to my laptop. I use this when I’m uploading and editing photos.
I hope this guide helped narrow down the best camera for blogging based on your needs. Do you have any favorite photography essentials to add to the list? Share with me in the comments below!
Happy Shooting!
————— More on the Blog —————
The Best Southwest USA National Parks Road Trip Itinerary
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Pin this for later –
MY FAVORITE TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
The Gal Behind the Blog
Hi I’m Rylie – Welcome to my corner of the internet!
I’m a solo traveler & photographer turned full-time corporate travel agent – born and raised in Southern California but now based in Colorado.
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