Gary Arndt

Travel | Last Updated: April 4, 2024

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As a travel photographer, I travel very light. I have a very limited selection of lenses and bodies I carry with me. I find it is better to have more versatile gear than it is to carry more gear, trying to have a perfect lens for every possibility.

I used to shoot with Nikon for years, but after getting fed up waiting the better part of a decade to upgrade the D300s, I jumped ship to Sony in 2016. I do not regret the move.

Here is what I carry with me:

Bodies

▪ Sony a7R II. This is my main camera and it is with me almost all the time. The only time I used my backup body was when I was photographing polar bears in Manitoba and I wanted the extra reach and speed. Since then, Sony has solved many of the problems with the a9, so if I need to do that again, I will probably just get a new camera.
▪ Sony a6000. This is a small, affordable camera that uses all of my e-mount lenses. The entire a6000 lineup serve as great backup bodies that do not take up much space or weight. I may upgrade to the a6500 soon and convert this camera to an infrared camera.

Lenses

▪ Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS Super Zoom Lens. This is my go-to lens which will cover most situations I encounter in the field. I am a big believer in super zoom lenses as they minimize weight and space. I’ve taken most of my award-winning shots on such lenses.
▪ Sony 16-35mm f/4 Vario-Tessar T FE F4 ZA OSS E-Mount Lens. I always have a wide-angle lens with me for occasions where my super zoom isn’t wide enough. Mostly for use in architectural photography or indoors.
▪ Sony 50mm f/1.8 OSS. I don’t use this lens that often, but it is small and very fast in case I want something.

Tripod

▪ Really Right Stuff TVC-24 Tripod with BH-40 LR Ballhead. The RSS tripods are seriously built to last. After using other tripods, this one has met all of my expectations.

Drone

▪ Parrot Anafi. This is lighter and quieter than the DJI Mavic Air and it also allows you to shoot straight up. The controls are very intuitive. Most of all, this is perhaps the easiest drone to travel with currently on the market.

Misc Camera Gear

▪ 3x B+W Neutral Density, 1x circle polarizing filter. I don’t use filters that often, but when I do, I really need them, so I always carry these around with me.
▪ Foto&Tech 2 In 1 Hot Shoe with Bubble Spirit Level. A cheap, tiny thing for my hot shoe space that serves as a level for my camera.
▪ PNY Elite Performance 256 GB High Speed. I’ve adopted the strategy of using very large memory cards. I believe my photos are most at danger when they are out of my camera. By storing as much as possible inside, I lessen that risk.
▪ Hoodman Glasses Hoodeye for Sony A7 Models. I wear glasses and I like having a custom eye piece.
▪ Blackrapid Camera Shoulder Strap with Pocket. Sadly, they don’t make this model anymore, which sucks, because it is great. I can store 5 batteries, extra SD cards, and a lens cloth right inside my strap.

Electronics

▪ MacBook Pro 15”. I lived on the road for 9 years without a home, so having a good laptop with a big screen was very important to me. I now have a home base so having such a large laptop isn’t as important, but I still travel with my MacBook Pro.
▪ Ventev Universal Wall Charger. I’ve used many universal adaptors, and this is what I carry with me all the time now. In addition to working on any outlet in the world, it also has 2 USB ports for charging.
▪ Monster Travel Power Strip. I’ve had this for years and I have no desire to ever give it up. It is flat and light and doesn’t allows me to use just 1 adaptor.
▪ Western Digital Passport 2TB USB Hard Drive. I always carry 2 external hard drives with me to back up photos.
▪ Parrot Zik 3 Wireless Headphones. I’ve used Parrot headphones for years and they do a great job. They are best when used on a plane for their noise canceling.
▪ iPhone 7 Plus. I’ve been using this since it came out. I haven’t found a need to upgrade yet.