Inside My Travel Camera Bag…

Is this what every Travel Photographer should have in their bag?

This is my list of essential photographic accessories inside my travel camera bag. I have come up with this definitive list after years of travelling with all sorts of equipment and cameras. This list has not changed in a couple of years, the reason being is, it works!

The Good News?

It doesn’t have to break the bank!

I have a few simple essentials in my travel camera bag. The contents of my travel camera bag will allow me to cover most situations I’m likely to come across on my photographic travels. I think of it as my basic photography equipment. Below, in detail, is a list of what’s in my travel photography bag.

Inside My Travel Camera Bag – A Definitive Guide to the Basic Essentials that every photographer should have when they travel the world

My DSLR is a Nikon but there are many on the market. This one, for me, is the best all-rounder. My selection of lenses cover every focal length from 10mm to 300mm, ensuring that I have the range for 97.5% of scenes I might encounter.

But that’s not all:

Of course, the list is not just my Nikon and lenses. It must be remembered that the camera accessories list is just as important. The point being, if your lens is dirty, you won’t take a good photo, so cleaning cloths and lens pen are essentials in any Travel Photography camera bag! In my view, these are definitely the best DSLR accessories to use.

• DSLR
• Travel Tripod
• Telephoto Lens
• Wide Angle Lens
• Filters
• SD Cards
• Mini Travel Tripod
• Action Camera
• Camera Bag and Inserts
• Load Carrying Camera strap
• Lens Pen
• Spare lens Caps
• Spare camera batteries
• SD Card Holder

 

The one thing not pictured here is, surprisingly, black electrical tape. I find it so useful, not just during long exposures for covering the eyepiece, tying back dangling straps, but for many other things when travelling.

Let’s break it down:

Below the photos of my photographic gear, I have written a few words on each item about why I love it and why it works for me. Clicking on any of the photos will take you to the Amazon page where you can read more about the item and see if it’s right for you and find a good deal on it! At the bottom of the page, I have bundled the list together with the Amazon links. There is also an Amazon search box at the side of the page.

Let’s dive in!

Nikon D7200

My trusty Nikon D7200 is my main camera to take photos with. In my view, its the best DSLR Camera in it’s price range. It feels solid in the hand, is very well made and does all the things I need. 

Key Info

• Battery life of 1100 shots
• Video Capture 60fps @ 1080p
• Wifi and NFC connectivity
• Weather Proofed 
• Live view on rear screen
• 6 FPS Burst shooting

Brilliantly, it even has an app that allows you to control the camera and take photos from your phone. Thus it eliminates without the need for a separate remote. Using a remote for long exposures, like star trails and blurring water, makes sure you don’t accidentally jog the camera when pressing the shutter and ruining the shot!

Another great feature is that it takes 2 memory cards.  The camera can be configured to back up your photos to both memory cards, like a RAID configuration on a computer. In the event that one fails, your photos are still safe on the other card! Think of it as an automatic back up! 

If one memory card fails, you still have all your photos on the second one. Another key feature is the 24.2-megapixel sensor, giving it best in class image quality, that can capture great details. It’s a big investment but one that’s well worth it!

Why this one?

 

24 mega pixel sensor, 2 memory cards, no remote needed, more than enough features!

Taken on the D7200 and the Tripod below

Ranger 57″ Tripod

A great Travel Tripod! With a 12kg Load Capacity, a maximum height 145cm and a minimum height of 36cm, it’ll stand up straight and fold down small. This Classic Aluminum Tripod has a  360° Panorama Ball head for getting to any shot.

It’s Ultra Lightweight at 1.31 kg and in addition, it comes with its own bag. Firstly, being only 36cm when closed, it fits nicely in my travel camera bag. Secondly, weight is a really important factor when it comes to tripods. If you are in a studio, to be sure, heavy is good. But, if you are travelling,  you don’t want to break your back lugging around a heavy tripod.

You do, however, need something sturdy enough, and this does the job. It even has a hook on the bottom of the centre column to hang a bag on for extra weight, to keep it steady in high winds. The quickly released legs make setting up and breaking down a doddle. 

You can also invert the centre column to get low shooting angles. Each leg is independently adjustable too, as well as leg length you can adjust the angle of each leg! It is so adaptable it’s one of those photography essential must-haves!

Here’s something else…

The tripod also comes with a 6-year warranty! Yes, you read that right, 6 Years!  I like things that have a long warranty, it suggests the company has faith in their products!

I’ve used this for night photography, long exposure and water shots and it’s coped admirably with everything I have thrown at it. The most I ever have to do is tighten the legs once or twice a year with an Allen key. They even supply 2 of them with the tripod! After what I put this tripod through, I’m amazed it’s still going!

Why this one?

 

Quick release legs, 12kg capacity, Lightweight for carrying, Ball head, good price!

Tamron AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2 

I have had my 70 – 300mm lens for years, it’s great for getting extra close so you can really fill the frame. Its also great for compressing perspective – lining uphills in the distance like the photo below.

Coming with macro focusing, this great lens lets you get up close and personal with insects and smaller things. This works well with the live focus feature on the Nikon D7200, seeing exactly what is in focus on the back of the screen before you press the shutter!

Mine has served me well for a number of years, 7 I think, but they don’t make it anymore. But, likewise, if I dropped mine tomorrow, I’d go for the newer model here. Especially as it comes at a very sensible price. These lenses have proved themselves in the past and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy one again!

 

Why this one?

 

1:2 Macro lens, Great price, good zoom range

Sigma 10-20mm f3.5 EX DC HSM Lens

Undoubtedly my favourite lens! A Great Ultra Wide angle lens for getting as much field of view in the frame. This lens is great for landscapes! A constant aperture of F3.5 across the zoom range makes it more predictable. I always find myself shooting in low light at some point on my trips, whether it be old buildings or night shots, for example. Having that fixed aperture, for this reason, it makes for great constant results.

Almost silent autofocus thanks to its ‘Hyper Sonic Motor’ and it comes with its own petal lens hood to reduce internal reflection and lens flare when taking pictures towards the sun. The multilayer coating on the lens also helps reduce lens flare and ghosting. The 10-20mm helps get some really good wide angle dramatic sky shots, it’s great for sunsets!

The ultra wide angle also helps with urban photography and interiors when you have no room to move and must get everything in the frame! It also comes with its own padded carry case which has a belt loop.

 

Actual results

Below are 2 shots taken in Casa Batllo, a Gaudi designed house in Barcelona . The one on the left is taken with a Samsung phone and the one on the right is taken with a Nikon D7200 with a Sigma 10-20mm lens on it at maximum 10 mm focal length. As can be seen, it gets a lot more in the frame and makes the photo more dramatic!

 

Why this one?

 

Great Ultra Wide Angle Range, Fast autofocus, Lens hood included

The Sima 10-20mm capturing the stars on Mount Teide Tenerife

Nikon 18 – 55 mm f/3.5 – 5.6G VR

The NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR is a normal zoom lens covering the 18-55mm range of focal lengths. In addition, they have a compact and lightweight design for which retractable barrels were adopted for portability, and the use of two aspherical lens elements has resulted in a superior optical performance. 

The AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR is also equipped with a vibration reduction (VR) mechanism offering camera shake compensation equivalent to a 4.0-stop increase in shutter speed. What that really means is that you can get away with a slower shutter speed than normal! 

Why This One?

 

Cheap, great optical quality, small and light

Victure Sports Action Camera WIFI

• DOUBLE WORKING TIME – 2 Pcs powerful 1050mAh rechargeable lithium-ion batteries provide a recording time up to 240 minutes
• BUILT-IN WIFI – Available to control, view and share the videos or photos timely via free APP (FinalCam) on your smartphone
• SHOOTING UNDER WATER – 2″ LCD display with 170-degree wide angle lens and IP68 waterproof case enables to take shots underwater up to 30m (1,181 inches), ideal for water sports like surfing, diving, snorkelling, swimming and drifting
• FULL HD RECORDING – High definition video up to 1080p@30fps and 12 MP outstanding quality picture; HD sport camera helps you capture vivid details when riding
• USEFUL ACCESSORIES – Victure helmet camera with 26 of accessories which support attachment to helmets, bike, surfboards, cars and other objects easily

Why this one?

 

A lot cheaper than a Go Pro for not much quality difference. Waterproof too!

The victure in action – snorkeling at Abang Island

Polarising filter

Always handy! See my article on how handy! What a polarising filter can do is three things. Protecting the lens, saturate colours and reduce glare and reflections. All steps you don’t have to do in post processing! They are simple to use, screw it onto your lens. Rotate the filter until you get the look you want. Press the shutter! Of course, make sure you get the right size, your thread size will be listed on your lens.

 

 

Skylight filter

Another useful filter and for protecting the optics of the lens. It’s way cheaper to replace a filter than a lens! This will have minimal effect on how much light enters the lens, meaning you can keep the shutter speed quicker.

Why this one?

 

Cheap, good quality available in lots of sizes

64 Gb SD card

In short, a big card lets you store loads of photos. Being class 10 it has, as a result, a fast write speed. I always shoot NEF RAW files and they consequently take up a lot of room. In the long run, these SanDisk cards have never let me down yet. If you take a lot of photos in quick succession, these cards are for you, to be sure. Even the best cameras in the world have a buffer and the sooner those buffers can clear themselves, the sooner you can get back to pressing the shutter!

Why this one?

 

Big Capacity, Fast, Reliable

Coolway Travel Tripod

 

In a word, I love my little tripod! With a spirit level and quick release head, it makes it a great option. As can be seen, the legs will wrap around all sorts of things to hold it in position. For example, see the picture below. It’s very small and easy to carry in My Travel Camera Bag and it’s helped me out in awkward situations when I couldn’t get my bigger tripod in the right position.

Why this one?

 

Position it anywhere, quick release head, spirit  level, super compact

Camera Bag

Not only is this my travel camera bag and carry-on bag, it also is my day sack when I am at my destination. What I especially like about this bag is its three-way design. It has rucksack straps to carry it, of course, as a rucksack. It also has a side handle for carrying and a long strap to make it an ‘over the shoulder’ bag.

Having pockets with zips on the front, mesh pockets at the side and ‘cinch’ straps to reduce the width, it makes it more comfortable to carry so the load does not move about. I don’t hike into the wilds with it, but this is a good city day bag.

Find it on Amazon here.

 

Why this one?

 

Multifunctional, good size pockets, comfortable and stylish

Padded Camera Bag Insert

Because I like my travel gear to be dual purpose, my carry on bag is also my travel camera bag. This padded insert carries my camera kit. It has Velcro dividers too, so it can be infinitely adjustable to fit your kit. For instance, as you can see in the picture below, it carries my camera body with lens, spare lens, filters, lens pen and in the pocket at the front has my spare lens and body caps.

Of course, the manufacturers claim it’s waterproof but I haven’t been brave enough to try that! 

Why this one?

 

Padded, adjustable and a really good price!

Black shoulder strap

Firstly, this should be in everybody’s basic photography equipment list! This camera strap is surely a great choice for extended use. It spreads the weight of your camera significantly. Almost to the point of not feeling any weight at all! Because of this, the camera is a lot easier to use and carry. Also, we’ve all thought ‘I won’t take the big camera, I don’t fancy lugging it about all day’ but this strap really makes a difference.

The wide padded strap spreads the load and the camera attaches to the strap via the standard 1/4″ tripod screw at the bottom of the camera. The strap comes with 3 of the securing screws so it’s not a problem to lose one.

The strap has a sliding carabiner with screw gate to attach it to the securing screw. The slider makes it really easy to move the strap up and down, so taking pictures quickly is a doddle.

I was surprised at how much this made a difference to walking around with the camera. Additionally, it’s also more secure than your standard camera strap dangling off your shoulder. Because of the extra strap under the arm, it cannot be pulled off your shoulder! After a long day of carrying your camera around, you’ll be glad you had this! Below, you can see the strap discreetly hidden under my coat.

Why this one?

 

Spreads the load, secure and quick to position

Assorted cleaning cloths and lens caps

These are some of the most important DSLR camera accessories!Firstly, a lens pen, like the one above, will help keep all your optics clean. They are well worth the small cost. I have seen people cleaning their lenses with the ends of their shirts and as a result, can scratch their lenses! Even if the lens doesn’t scratch it can damage the coating on the lens too. Thus resulting in a useless lens. For this reason, a lens cloth is always a good investment too!

Equally, a selection of spare lens caps and body caps to fit your lenses and cameras is a great idea too. If you lose your lens cap it is a real drag trying to avoid scratching the front of your lens. For the cost of a cup of tea, it’s well worth taking spares.

 

Nikon D7200 spare battery

In fact, I have two spare batteries inside my travel camera bag! In particular, I’m paranoid about running out of juice. They are cheap too! If you don’t have a spare battery when you are halfway up a mountain or miles away from your hotel, it’s game over!

 

Why this one?

 

Cheap, compact, never run out of electric

SD Card Holder

Last but certainly not least in My Travel Camera Bag! Sturdy, crush resistant and, of course, water resistant, this brushed aluminium case holds 8 SD cards safely and neatly. of course, I have never run this over in the car, but I feel the cards inside would survive even that!

Why this one?

 

Sturdy, Water resistant, Holds up to 8 SD cards

My Travel Camera Bag

Well, that’s the contents of my travel camera bag. It’s not just a photography equipment list for beginners, of course. It’s a collection of Camera Bag must haves! I hope some, or all of it may be of help to you! 

Amazon Shop – My Travel Camera Bag

So what is in your camera bag?

For all my tips and tricks see my Photography Tutorials page.

To see all my gear, check out What’s In My Camera Bag.

Below is a list of my most popular blogs on photography.

They form the Basis of  My Top 10 photography Tips

Click here for my Photography page with all the links on.

Disclaimer: In short, some of the links on this site are affiliate links. These means that if you click on the link and buy the item, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. The money, of course, helps go towards the upkeep of the site – so it’s a win-win for both of us! Any videos used on this site if not my own, are, of course, used within Youtube’s sharing guidelines.

My Travel Camera Bag