What to Pack in Your Camera Bag

It’s true, taking and editing photos are skills fundamental to producing good photography. But there’s another essential task—choosing  the right equipment for you and your specialty. For those photographers who travel for shoots or just plain travel and shoot as they go, there’s yet another skill to master—packing  your camera bag. Take lenses, for example. Which should you bring and which should you leave at home to ensure that all your bases are covered? In fact, this topic requires enough contemplation to warrant a four-hour lecture at the beginning of our annual Summer Intensive program—choosing the right lens for your camera includes weighing the pros and cons of more than 30 different features. And then, once you’ve done that, you still need to decide which ones to lug around with you to any one particular shoot.

This month I will cover the basics of packing your camera bag for a shoot. And while I offer the brands and models that I use, I am always open to and aware of different preferences—as with anything, different strokes (with cameras, makes and models) fit different folks. Me Canon, you Nikon–-great! Pentax, Olympus and Sony cameras also take great photos, though their systems (lenses, flashes, other accessories) are substantially smaller.

Brand disclaimer aside, here are some packing tips and preferences to consider before heading out on your next photo shoot. If you need some ideas, refer to last month’s newsletter.

Camera Body. A good single lens reflex body is important. For many photographers who are traveling away from home, it’s a good idea to pack a second body—and perhaps one that is older, more basic and less expensive than your primary one. Today, though, with prices so low, you can buy a new basic SLR for under $500.) Many professionals choose a high-quality point and shoot for backup, which allows them to be out and about with a very portable camera while the rest of their system sits safely in their hotel room or vehicle. I carry a point and shoot with me all the time, traveling or not.

Spare Battery. Always carry spare batteries and your battery charger. And since you bothered to bring it, be sure to use the charger each night. 

Memory Cards. Carrying spare memory cards is a must. Since they are so inexpensive, you might as well carry a few. For protection, I recommend carrying these in water-tight cases (which will also, because they are bigger, prevent you from leaving them behind in hotel rooms or on a shoot).

Lenses. For many new photographers the hardest pre-trip decision to make is choosing which lenses to bring—and for good reason. Lens quality is very important, unless you are only making small prints. A complete lens system could contain the following:

1. A Wide Angle Zoom. Mine is Canon, 16-35mm F2.8.
2. A Normal Zoom. I have two of these. The first is a Tamron 28-75mm F2.8. (It is light, fast, sharp and relatively inexpensive.) The second is a Canon 24-105mm F4. (I like this one because of the zoom range and image stabilization.) NOTE: I would only carry one of these on any given shoot.
3. A Long Zoom. I have two long zooms. The first is a 70-200mm F4. I love this lens for its sharpness, relatively small size, and image stabilization. The second is a 100-400mm F4.5-5.6. When I need the reach of a long lens, the latter is a great choice despite the fact that it is fairly heavy and slower.
4. 1.4 X Teleconverter. This fits both of my long zooms and makes them optimally 40 percent longer. For example, my 70–200mm becomes a 98–280mm lens with almost no loss in quality. I feel that a 2X Teleconverter makes my lens too slow and reduces image quality more than a 1.4X.
5. Close Up. Most of us want some way to shoot macro (close-up) photography. (For more information on this subject, revisit the May 2008 newsletter.) These are my three favorite methods for shooting close up: (1) using a true macro lens; (2) using extension tubes; and, (3) using a close-up filter that screws on the end of a long zoom.

In addition to the above, there are two other lenses that photographers might want to carry:

1. A Full-range Zoom. For a full-frame sensor, use a 28-300mm; on a smaller sensor, use 18-200mm. If you are traveling light, this could be your only lens; however, because of the wide-zoom range of the lens, your quality will be lower. I sometimes use my long zoom if the shoot involves lots of walking or standing around and I don’t want to carry my whole camera system.
2. A Fixed 50mm Normal Lens. These are fairly inexpensive, small and sharp and let you shoot in low light without a flash or tripod. I use the Canon 50mm F1.4.

Lens Hood. You ALWAYS need one hood for every lens that you own, and I recommend buying the one made for your particular lens. If your lens doesn’t come with a hood (as is the case with some less expensive models from bigger brands like Canon and Nikon), be sure to buy one; all Sigma, Tamron, Tokina (no matter the price or quality of the lens) lenses come with a lens hood.

Flash. If you do much flash photography, you may want a flash that fits into the hot shoe of your camera. Many cameras have built-in flashes, but the one that mounts on top of your body has the ability to produce higher quality photos. I rarely, however, carry a flash with me, as I would rather use a faster lens and a high ISO in low light.

Filters. Like lenses, this is another complex topic (and therefore involves some difficult decision making). So I’ll make it easy—in digital photography, we needn’t worry much about filters. I carry a circular polarizer and a split neutral density filter (the latter for landscapes), both of which are made by Singh-ray. 
NOTE: Split density filters require filter holders.

Strap. A good camera strap is important. The one that comes with your camera usually doesn’t attach and detach easily and doesn’t help lighten the load. The best are made by OP/TECH; these straps come on and off easily and make the camera feel considerably lighter. Plus, a locally-inspired fashion perk: RMSP sells OP/TECH straps with the school logo. (Call the school if you are interested.)

Bag or Backpack. For comfort and versatility, I prefer a backpack to a shoulder bag most of the time when I’m carrying equipment. Although there are many good brands to choose from, I use the Kata R103, which is small enough to fit overhead or under the seat in front of you on an airplane and still plenty large enough to carry all that I have listed. It also has a padded pocket to store a laptop with a 15” screen.
Sensor Cleaner. Even if you have a self-cleaning sensor, I highly recommend carrying one of the red and black rocket blowers to clean your sensor.

Image Storage. You want at least two backup options while traveling, as you never know when one will crash or be misplaced. I use my computer (a MacBook Air laptop) and a small external hard drive.

Tripod System. Last, but certainly one of the most important photographic accessories to take with you while traveling, is a good tripod and head. With all professional tripod systems, the heads and legs can be purchased separately, as all heads fit all legs. What legs you purchase or bring (though weight is certainly a consideration while on the move) is less important because they are easy to replace if they get lost or broken. Manfrotto and Gitzo’s legs are the most common brands that professionals use. Any tripods that these two brands make are great, but those made from carbon fiber are lighter. I also like tripod legs that collapse into four sections so that I can fold them into my suitcase when traveling. The tripod head is of utmost importance because if you, like me, use the quick release plates mounted on your camera and long lenses, you cannot use just any old head—they must fit your system. Therefore, if you lose the head, you cannot shoot with a tripod. For this reason, it is good it be in the habit of carrying the head with you in your camera bag (rather than on the legs) when you travel. The model I use is Kirk BH-3. For the camera bodies I use the Kirk L-plate, which is magnificent and makes shooting much easier.

Above are just some of the suggestions and information I often give my students. Any photographer, though, may take less or more depending on their preferences and the nature of their shoot. Either way, I hope this article helps you think through your own packing process next time you head out the door to a shoot—whether it is in your backyard or half way around the world.