Travel photography tips: choosing the right gear

A vietnam train station, shot on a Sony NEX-7. (Credit: John Wallace)

John Wallace has been in the business of choosing the right gear for more than 20 years.  A photographer himself, John now manages Foto Riesel camera store in Sydney but has also worked for giants within the industry including Nikon, Sony and Konica Minolta. 

When you're travelling, selecting the best camera gear can be the difference betwee great images and great memories. Likely, you've only got a certain amount of room for gear, but you also want the best kit to produce great images. Here's what to keep in mind.

Tips for outdoor travel photography

1. Keep it light
Opt for mirrorless 'four-thirds' cameras such as Olympus PEN - EP3 and Sony NEX (which was used to take the image above) give DSLR quality images for a quarter of the weight.

2. Get a good bag
Protect your gear with padded bags - there's nothing worse than a busted camera you have to lug around. Look for brands like Domke, Billingham and Lowepro.

3. Megazoom lenses mean one lens for everything
Taking just one lens with you when you travel will save you sapce and weight. Look for the 18-270mm Tamron for Canon, Nikon and Sony.

4. Use reliable cards to record your images
The last thing you want after your trek of a lifetime is to experience a corrupt card and lost pictures. Sandisc Ultra and Extreme Cards set the benchmark. Make sure you have enough to see you through.  No space on cards means a useless camera.

5. Filters are essential
Every lens should have a filter to protect the front element and cut down UV Haze. Pro 1 Digital from Hoya are the best quality and price.  You may also like to add a polarizer for rich blue skies.


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