Away luggage

One of the most common questions I’m asked is what gear I use for photography and blogging.

As a travel blogger who documents destinations, taking great pictures is key. A high quality camera is the most important thing I own for my work. I’m here to help you understand the different options on the market and which is the best camera for travel blogging. There are a lot of choices and it can get overwhelming, not to mention expensive. Buying any type of technology is pricy, and purchasing photography gear for blogging is no exception. It’s important to make an educated purchase.

There are a few items you’ll need to get started blogging but the most important purchase is your camera. As a blogger, your photos and their quality really matter. Your camera will likely be the most expensive and important purchase you’ll make, and that can be scary.

Now that I’m four years into blogging, the camera I use is the Sony a7R II. I love my Sony, but I didn’t always use this camera. In this post I’ll go over why I chose my camera and my recommendation for beginner bloggers. I’ll also share other photography and blogging gear I love.

Let’s dive into the best camera for travel blogging and my favorite gear!

The best camera for beginner bloggers

I tell bloggers and photographers who are just starting out to buy an entry-level camera first. You don’t want to drop a ton of money on a camera only to realize a few months later that this isn’t for you. Your entry-level camera will be great to learn on and if you realize this is a field you want to pursue you can eventually upgrade. I used my entry-level camera for about three years before I was ready to take the leap and invest in a more expensive camera.

The Canon EOS Rebel SL3 / EOS 250D is a great camera for beginners. It’s a lightweight and intuitive DSLR camera with a good price tag.  I suggest purchasing this camera, or a similar one, to learn on as you start your blogging and photography journey.

The best camera for travel blogging

I think Sony makes the best cameras for travel blogging. I invested in a Sony a7R II after three years of using my entry-level camera. I chose the Sony a7R II for a few reasons. It’s a mirrorless camera which means it’s relatively small and easy to pack- important when you’re traveling for your work! I also found it to be very user-friendly, which is important to me! This is also a full-frame camera which means it can capture the entire scene you’re shooting without a crop factor. This leads to better image quality and a greater control over depth of field when you’re shooting.

When I purchased my Sony a7R II, the III version had just come out on the market. I didn’t find the differences in the two cameras big enough to justify the price jump, so I stuck with the II. Some of my friends who made the investment in a mirrorless camera more recently have gone for the Sony a7R III and they love it. The a7R III has auto focus, which is a nice feature. If the price difference doesn’t bother you and you’re looking to buy right now I would go with the Sony a7R III.

What does “mirrorless” mean?

A mirrorless camera, as opposed to a DSLR camera, does not have a reflex mirror inside that bounces light into the optical viewfinder. Instead light will go directly in the image sensor and an electronic viewfinder displays a preview of the image. Mirrorless cameras can be seen as “better” than DSLR cameras because they’re lighter, smaller and faster. It all depends on your preference, and for me, smaller and faster equals good!

Sony is on the cutting edge of the mirrorless camera revolution in the industry. You’ll increasingly see photographers giving up their DSLRs and going mirrorless.

The lenses in my camera bag

The Canon Rebel comes with a lens, referred to as a “kit lens.” These lenses aren’t the best, but they’re fine for someone new to photography.  When you purchase a Sony a7R camera you only buy the camera body. You have to purchase lenses separately. This adds a whole new layer of confusion (and expense!) to the process.

When I first bought my Sony I wanted to get the best affordable lens on the market. I was dropping a lot of money on the camera body and I wanted a lens that was good but wasn’t super expensive. Some lenses are more expensive than the camera! The first lens I bought was a 50mm lens aka the “nifty fifty.” This is a very affordable lens but it’s also very versatile and easy to use. It gives you a lot of bang for your buck and should be in every photographer’s arsenal. The nifty fifty is a great first lens because it helps train your eye. It comes the closest to capturing what your eye is actually seeing. It’s great in almost every photography situation- shooting landscape, portrait and street scenes.

I shot with just my nifty fifty lens for over a year before I was ready to add another to my collection. I knew I wanted my next lens to be wide angle and I purchased the 28mm lens. This lens is more expensive than the nifty fifty, but it’s still relatively affordable in the world of camera lenses. The nifty fifty lens plus the 28mm lens with your Sony a7R camera will set you up for blogging success!

Other blogging accessories

Tripod

A tripod is important so you can take pictures by yourself. The best travel tripod is the Vanguard VEO carbon fiber tripod. This tripod is great for travel because it’s relatively small so it packs easily and it’s lightweight. It’s also pretty sturdy, even given its light weight. This will come in handy when you’re shooting in windy locations.

SD Cards

You’ll need SD cards to insert into your camera. These cards hold your images and I recommend getting the extreme or extreme pro version which has a faster speed. Order a lot of SD cards and keep some extras in your camera bag.

Camera bag

I use the Lo and Sons Claremont purse for my camera bag. This bag was created with travel in mind and the inside is padded which protects my camera. The bag also has two slots to hold SD cards and it has a zipper pouch on the back. I love this bag because it’s functional and fashionable. It looks more stylish than most camera bags so I can bring it with to shoots and events.