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CAMERA GEAR FOR PHOTOGRAPHY & VLOGGING
This post explains the gear we use today as well as the gear we started with. All of the gear on this page is what we use and recommend. If we’ve used something and didn’t like it, we didn’t include it on this page.
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2023 Camera Gear for Photography and Vlogging
Here is all of the gear we’ll be using for 2023 and as soon as we gain a new piece of equipment, we’ll add it to this list.
Photo and Video Cameras
Our GOTO Setup
Canon R5 Mirrorless Camera This is our primary shooter. We use both of our cameras interchangeably to shoot a-roll, b-roll, and photos, however, if this camera is available, it’s always our first pick. We love this camera for its ability to shoot that buttery slow-mo in 120fps in 4K. We absolutely love this camera!
Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 lens This is our primary vlogging lens. It allows us to get really wide angle shots so we can both be in front of the camera as we hold it up as well as some great b-roll for establishing shots. When we’re on the boat, this is one of the two lenses that are usually always on our cameras.
The Secondary Setup
Canon R6 Mirrorless Camera This is our backup camera, so basically at any point our R5 is being used, we use our R6 to capture anything we’re missing. Similar to our R5, we use this camera interchangeably to shoot a-roll, b-roll, and photos. We have loved having a second camera as it gives each of us a camera to hold so we can capture what we each see.
Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 lens This is our go to lens to carry when we don’t have access to all of our lenses. It gives us the perfect balance between close up and distance; a great all around lens.
Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 lens We use this lens for getting far away shots and zooming in really close. When we’re on the boat, this is the second of the two lenses that are usually always on our cameras so we’re ready to capture a bald eagle flying by, dolphins swimming, or something else really far away.
OTHER CAMERAS
GoPro Hero We use our GoPro to capture things underwater or when a situation arises that we’d be uncomfortable to use our R5 or R6 because of the camera size, water exposure, etc.
DJI Air 2S, Fly More Combo We LOVE our new drone! The images and videos it captures of high perspectives and angles are incredible. It also has a “follow” feature, which allows us to throw our drone up, select “follow,” and the drone will follow the boat as we cruise. We upgraded our drone in 2021 because our original drone, the DJI Mini, was so lightweight that it was difficult to fly when there was no wind present. It’s a great piece of equipment!
ACCESSORIES
Rode VideoMic Pro+ This is the mic we use to record all of our audio. We are very happy with this mic because it helps to reduce a lot of wind noise when we’re cruising. Depending upon which camera we’re recording a-roll with, we switch this mic between our R5 and R6.
Rode Deadcat This mic attachment helps to the wind noise when we’re cruising. It would be incredibly difficult to get clear audio without this attachment.
Polar Pro Circular Polarizer This is our favorite lens filter! It deepens the colors without making them look fake. It also acts as a protector to our much more expensive camera lens.
Polar Pro Variable ND Filter 2-5 This filter allows us to put sunglasses on our camera lens when it’s really sunny outside and we’re shooting in harsh light conditions. We use this filter a lot when during the day when we’re cruising and it’s really bright outside.
Polar Pro Variable ND Filter 6-9 This filter allows us to put sunglasses on our camera lens when it’s really sunny outside and we’re shooting in harsh light conditions. We use this filter a lot when during the day when we’re cruising and it’s really bright outside.
Peak Design Travel Tripod in Aluminum This is the tripod we use to set up our shots both on the boat and exploring different cities and towns. It’s great because it’s collapsable and folds together tightly to save space. We love Peak Design for their lifetime warranty!
Peak Design Camera Capture Clip We love this clip! Both of us have one of these clips on our backpacks or belts to carry around a camera. It allows us to quickly and safely store our camera so we can go handsfree. We love Peak Design for their lifetime warranty!
Peak Design Slide (Camera Strap) Jenn loves this camera strap because we’re able to easily change the strap sizes and maneuver the strap with ease. We can keep the super close to our body or keep it loose to get a shot quickly. We love Peak Design for their lifetime warranty!
GoPro Floating Hand Grip When we’re going into the water with our GoPro, we use this attachment to make sure our GoPro doesn’t go sinking to the bottom as it floats!
GoPro Performance Chest Mount We use this chest mount for our GoPro to get shots of our hands without needing to hold a camera. We’ve used this tool primarily when anchoring or docking and we need to focus on the task at hand.
Suptig Jaws Flex Clamp Mount Gooseneck Mount for GoPro We love this flexible clip and arm for our GoPro because we’re able to mount it in a variety of places (handrails, bimini top, stainless steel poles, etc.) and get different shots. We’ve really enjoyed this new piece of equipment because it’s allowed us to extend the usage of our GoPro that our R5 or R6 would be too heavy, too big, or too fragile to use in a particular situation.
Canon Wireless Remote Control We use this clicker to set up shots when we’re exploring various cities and want to get us both in the shot.
Joby GorillaPod 5K We use this tripod as an extension of our arms or as a mini tripod on our flybridge or navigation station. The flexible arms allow us to customize the stand to fit our needs on the boat. It’s easy to maneuver and we can use our Peak Design clip with this mount.
Sandisk Extreme Pro SD Cards After struggling with various SD cards and having a lot of formatting issues, we upgraded our SD cards to the Extreme Pro. We have 512 GB and 1 TB versions of these cards which allows us to film in 4K and save several days worth of footage on them. We have a few back up SD cards, but we have never filled up one card in a day, thus far.
SanDisk CFexpress Cards Our Canon R5 uses a CFexpress card for 4K footage and we have two of them; one is 256 GB and the second is 512 GB.
Peak Design 40L Travel Backpack We started using this backpack as our main backpack when we began traveling internationally. We continue to love the versatility in this bag. We’re able to carry our camera equipment in in or we use it as our travel bag. It’s versatile size allows us to make it smaller 35L or we can extend it to 45L in different situations. We love Peak Design for their lifetime warranty!
Peak Design Camera Cubes We use the small and medium camera cubes to keep our camera gear safe in our Peak Design Travel Backpack. The cubes are customizable, which gives us the flexibitiy to arrange the gear as we like. We love Peak Design for their lifetime warranty!