What’s in my Camera Bag 2026
This one always feels like a bit of cop out, everyone does “what’s in my bag” blogs/vlogs etc, but this time, I think my bag has changed enough to warrant one, but yes, I am still shooting with the 80D, that much hasn’t changed. So without further ado, let’s take a look at what’s in my bag this year and why each item has earned its place!
What’s out?
I don’t take my 18-55mm kit lens out with me anymore. I am keeping it, because when I come to sell the 80D, it’ll add a little extra resale value to the camera. I’ve also ditched the GoPro Hero 7 and the 50mm is spending less and less time in the bag these days, as I just don’t seem to have a use case for it at the moment. I won’t get rid of it, because I love it and if I were to not have it, I would be looking for excuses to buy another one.
My 85mm only comes out when I know I am going to be taking portraits or if I am going to indulge in a bit of 85mm street photography; I will NEVER get rid of this lens, it is so incredibly sharp and the bokeh is incredible. It’s one of those lenses that for me, is just irreplaceable!
The bag itself changes frequently. I am forever flip-flopping between the LowePro Fastback 250 AWIII (read my review here), and my LowePro Pro Tactic 450AW. It’s not that I can’t make my mind up, but that they are just both best suited to different things… the 450AW is better if I want to take more camera gear and really load up. If I am taking less gear and travelling a little lighter and perhaps with some sustenance for the day then I am taking to FastPack. Oddly, the 450 is more suited to walking as it’s got great hip straps which help to move the weight around but I tend to take it when I need more kit on a shorter walk or if I am travelling to specific outdoor location. If I am on a set then the 450 is the bag that is coming with me.
I’ve also ditched the Canon camera strap that came supplied with it in favour of a different solution. Read on to see what’s taken its place!
What’s In?
Lets start with the lenses… I’m carrying the Canon EF 70-200 f/4L, the Canon 16-35mm f/4L, the Canon 24-105 f/4L (Yes, I know I have these focal lengths covered in the first two lenses) and the Sigma 105 DG EX Macro f/2.8, I’ve also usually got my Pocket Dispo lens in there as well, for when I want to grab something that feels a little more nostalgic and where corner to corner sharpness doesn’t matter.
Canon 16-35mm f/4L
This is my favourite lens of the 4 focal lengths I regularly have in the bag. It’s small enough to carry, and being the f/4 version, it is much lighter (and cheaper!) than the faster, f/2.8 version. It’s got great sharpness across the focal range and it’s great for video as well. I’ve done a review of this lens, it’s only a recent addition to my bag; you can read it here.
Canon 24-105 f/4L
So I know there is a bit of cross-over here between the 16-35 and this, but that longer focal length gives me some extra flexibility. It’s sharp and the autofocus is great!
Canon EF 70-200 f/4L
This is a close second to the 16-35 and I often go out with just this lens as it forces me to look for different compositions, and paired with my teleconverter and crop sensor, it gives just about enough reach to dabble in a little bit of wildlife photography if the mood and/or circumstances present themselves.
Sigma 105 DG EX Macro f/2.8
This is a recent addition to my bag. A 1:1 magnification macro lens is something I have been looking at for a while and this one came along at the right time. It’s a prime lens and produces some really sharp images. I carry this as it allows me to take better detail shots when I am out in the field and I’m enjoying the challenge of finding smaller, more interesting things to shoot. I’ve done a review of the Sigma 105 DG EX Macro f/2.8 recently, take a look!
Canon EF 2X Teleconverter
I am still carrying this as I am still a little bit unsure about it. What it does, it does really well.
It magnifies everything in your image, including any noise, which is a bit of a bind as it reduces your lens to an f/8 so ISO often has to be high. That being said, I still don’t feel like I have got enough time with it to really understand how it works with my camera and how to get the very best out of it. It’s staying for now, bur I have no doubt that when the time (and money) comes, it will be replaced by a dedicated telephoto zoom with a really long focal length.
Pocket Dispo
Something for a bit of fun. This isn’t hugely sharp, it shoots at one focal length, it used to live in a disposable camera and I love it. It’s a really fun piece of kit, weighs next to nothing and the images it takes are full of nostalgia. I’ve done a review of this lens previously on this blog, and you can read it here.
Video
For video I usually have two action cameras with me, the DJI Action 2 and the DJI OSMO Action 4. Both of these do similar things, but the OSMO Action 4 does them much better and in a way that I find easier. Having the two bits of kit means that I can mount one of them on top of the camera and the other one can be set up for to grab those cheeky time lapses.
Strap
I am a recent convert to the Peak Design Slide Lite and Peak Design Cuff. Both of these are easy to get on and off of the camera with the clip system, it feels good, looks great and holds the camera really securely.
Tech Pouch
The LowePro Gearup Creator Pouch is the pouch of choice for storing a fair bit of the stuff that ends up rattling in the bag getting lost. It fits neatly inside both of my bags, hold both of action cameras, all of the cables that I am ever likely to need whilst I am out an about. It’s also handy for storing notebooks, a pen and a pencil, the obligatory £20 note and both of the battery packs that I carry with me when I am out and about. Oh and my lens cloths!
MacBook Pro M4 16” 2025
Ok. so this isn’t always in the bag, I’m unlikely to drag up a fell or into a cold wet wood, but this thing is a beast.
If I am going away and need some serious editing power, then this thing really cuts it. It’s quick, it’s sturdy, it’s easy to use, it multitasks without skipping a beat and the render times for video are better than good. The downside is that because it’s quite big, it’s also quite heavy but given that I’m not often carrying it far, usually from the car to where I am staying, this really isn’t a huge concern for me. Oh and I did I mention the screen? The screen is out of this world; it’s bright enough that you can use it in bright light, the colours are great and it really is a joy to edit on - the 16” screen gives plenty of real estate to really give you a good idea of how your edits look.
Canon 80D
This has been my daily driver for a number of years and I love it. I know that the tech in it is pretty outdated now, but it works and it’s the best camera that I have. I know it really well and I don’t feel like there is anything I can’t do with it. I will need to upgrade it at some point as whilst I know it so well, I feel like I am really at the limits of what I can do with it. It has enough resolution for what I do in the studio in terms of cropping, the APSC sensor bags me a bit of extra reach and it’s built really well so it’s suited to the work I do and the manhandling it gets.
Headtorch
Not all photographers are going to need one of these, but landscape photography calls for one (and a good one at that) to be in your bag. If you’re out in low light at the start or end of the day, you need to see where you are putting your feet! This is the one I like, it’s super bright, rechargeable and lightweight.
Editing Software
I am still pretty reliant on Adobe and I know that there is a lot of movement away from it at the moment, with people starting to favour other options because of the pricing model that they use, but I know it, it works and Photoshop is still an industry standard. Lightroom is where most of my landscape edits happen with any little retouches happening in Photoshop, but I do find myself using Photoshop less often as the editing tools in Lightroom are getting so good that it’s just not needed. .
In the studio I am using Capture One, another industry standard. The tethering is better and more stable than it is in Lightroom and the software as a whole interprets raw files much more accurately/effectively.
Audio editing is done in either Audition or in Logic Pro, depending on what I am doing. I am learning DaVinci, but still don’t know it well enough to leave Premier behind.
ND Filters/Polarisers
These are a vital piece of kit for landscape photographers and I have them for all of my lenses, with the exception of the macro lens as I haven’t yet come across a situation where I want less light in it! I like the Nano X filters from K&F concept which are a little pricier, but they are great at what they do and they cause minimal colour cast, which is easily corrected in post. I keep them in this pouch, which is a hardshell but worth the its size because it’s keeping my filters safe!
SD Cards
Not much to say about these, they’re an essential part of what we do. I use high speed 128gb Sandisk ExtremePro cards in my camera and I use Lexar V30 micro SD cards in my video kit as they can handle the write speeds needed to write 4K video.
Video Gear
This is nothing fancy I’m afraid. If you’re wanting me to have a ton of cinema stuff, you’re going to be disappointed. What I do have is a DJI OSMO Action 4 and a DJI Action 2. Both of these are actions cams. They’re small and rugged enough to handle a bit of a beating being dumped on the ground in my bag or left on a tripod somewhere to shoot timelapses whilst I run around with the camera. I’ve got a review of the Osmo Action 4 here - take a look!
The Bag
I flit between 2 bags; the Lowepro Pro Tactic 450AW and the Lowepro Fastpack 250 AW III. Both are great bags with plenty of space, but what I am taking my kit in depends on what I am taking and where I am going. If I going to do a full location shoot or if I am taking a lot of kit a long way, I’m taking the protactic as the hip straps really help with the weight. If I am travelling lighter then I’m taking the flat pack. It’s not as comfortable but it has two separate compartments which helps to keep everything apart and the second compartment is a great space for some food!
Drone
I don’t use my drone much and the one I have is old, getting on for 5 or 6 years. I have DJI Mavic Air 2. It gets the job done, but not always very well. The small sensor isn’t great in low light and the photos it takes aren’t great. I do like some of the video that comes out of it is decent quality and makes for some good b-roll. This stays out of the bag more than it stays in. I can’t lie you to on this one, they’re hard to find, as are the spares.
So that’s me for this year. I am sure there will be some additions as I move through year, but I think that the majority of it, the core if you will, is going to remain the same. I’ll update you if anything changes.
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