Inside My Camera Bag | Quentin Rademaker

I am a fashion, portrait & event photographer based in the Amsterdam area in The Netherlands. Besides my daily work I also like to shoot lifestyle and everyday content right up to landscapes when I get the chance.

Apart from being behind the camera I also give photography workshops for beginners to the intermediate photographers. I love being able to teach others what I know about photography and sometimes even I learn something new.

I am also the pretty active on social media where I am running Facebook community groups for two large brands, Sony being one of them.

I started my photography back in 2012 and after a year I realised this was the way to go so in 2013 started doing paid jobs and I have been enjoying every minute since then.

My first digital dslr camera was a Canon. I switched to Nikon for a while and I eventually switched back to Canon.

It wasn’t until 2017 that Sony won me over with their Sony a7 mirrorless series lineup. Before I knew it, I had fully switched to the Sony a7 series mirrorless cameras. First the Sony a7 II and later on got the Sony a7 III and I can truely say that I haven’t looked back at any former brands since my switch.

The Sony handles my workflow so well, the feature that this camera offers suits my needs perfectly. Some of the features that made me choose the Sony a7III were the file size (24mp is enough for what I do and need it for), being able to see the result before you take a picture using the EVF and the weight.

Sure, Sony glass is pretty much the same size as the ones from Canon and Nikon but combined with a a7 III body they are still a lot easier to carry around then its DSLR counterparts.

I can still remember the days with my Canon 5D Mark II with grip, two batteries and a couple of good L-glass lemses. My arms got ripped while doing a wedding all day 

Lenses I use:
Sony 24-70mm f/2.8
Sony 70-200mm f/2.8
Sony 85mm f/1.4
Sony 16-35mm f/2.8

My setup for fashion and portrait photography is easy – just the Sony 85mm f/1.4. It’s pretty much the bread and butter of the Sony prime lenses in my opinion. It’s not the fastest focusing lens but its razor sharp and it gets the results I want.

For weddings I’ll have the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 and the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 in my bag just in case I need them, but shoot mostly with a Sony 85mm f/1.4 and a Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 as my go-to lenses for weddings.

For event and overall photography, I just grab the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM. The versatility that this lens gives me is a true bonus for me and the quality is crisp and sharp and especially on trips makes it so much easier then to carry a bag full of lenses.

I am tending to go all primes in the future though – they are sharper than my zooms (but that’s just my opinion). Don’t you just love composing using your feet? I do! It makes it a lot more fun communicating with your subject(s) as well, which in turn makes photography even more fun.

I love to shoot in natural light but if a job/assignment requires lighting equipment then I usually rent them. I used to use Yongnuo flashes with my Canon but ever since I am running with Sony, I am in the market for something more powerful yet still compact. Don’t know if I will go for flashes or portable strobes.

In studio or when the need is there to use a tripod, I’ll use my old trusty Manfrotto MT293A3 290 tripod. It’s heavy and clunky but I haven’t been able to find the time to shop around for a more decent one yet. Could surely use one that’s more portable and compact.

To transport my camera gear, I use various bags ranging from my main bag, the Lowepro Pro Tactic 450 AW, to a couple of smaller genuine leather camera “man-bags” from MegaGear.

These days I tend to travel as light as I can and only bring certain camera gear that I truely need instead of bringing everything with me.

www.QuentinRademaker.nl