As photographers we have a close affinity to the equipment we use. Sometimes it's our only companion whilst out in the field. For many there also seems to be an inbuilt curiosity about the equipment fellow photographers use, comparing their setup to our own.
For the curious among you I'll give you a run through of the gear I currently carry with me whilst out shooting landscapes.
I tend to take the majority of the equipment out with me on every outing as I know i'll be longing after that one piece of kit I excluded from my bag if I don't.
CAMERA BODY
Starting with the engine room of the setup, the body I'm currently using is the Canon 6D. This has a full-frame sensor and has provided me with a noticeable improvement in noise reduction over my previous crop-sensor body, the 70D. Full-frame sensors also give you the full range of your wide lenses. For example my 17mm lens actually gives me 17mm now rather than 24mm on the 70D (due to 1.6x magnification from crop sensor)
CAMERA LENSES
Around 80% of my landscape photography is shot with the canon 17-40 f/4 L lens. This a great wide zoom lens and is the perfect choice for anyone looking to invest in their first L glass. It offers me the corner to corner sharpness I want with the build quality you would expect from an L series lens.
I also carry a Canon 70-200 f/4 L non-IS telephoto lens. I went for the cheaper non-image stabilised version of this lens due to the fact that I almost exclusively shoot using a tripod, therefore the stabilised version is luxury I just don't need. Again, amazing build quality and faultless sharpness. Even though I use this lens for a fraction of the time I use the 17-40, the 70-200 has produced some of my favourite shots.
I'll also throw in a nifty 50 - the Canon 50mm f/1.8. Do I use it? not really. I carry this just in case the situation arises where something between 40-70mm is absolutely required. Of course at f/1.8 it is by far the fastest lens in my bag therefore provides the option of shallow depth of field or a faster shutter speed if required.
TRIPOD
A stable bases is a must for landscape photography. OK, you can get away with handheld shots in good light and when shooting at higher ISO speeds, but landscape photography often call for shooting in dawn or dusky light and in order to reduce noise pushing ISO is rarely an option. Therefore, a tripod is the landscape photographers saviour to ensure pin-sharp crispness when shutter speeds extend. A fixed base is also crucial when shooting panoramas in order to give the consistency Lightroom or photoshop needs in order to successfully stitch your images together.
The Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 is my weapon of choice. After lugging a set of aluminium legs up and down countless hills I decided to make the switch to carbon fibre, and even if it does only save me a couple of hundred grams, psychologically that's everything as my calves begin to burn as the path rises. I've owned a few Manfrotto tripods and none have ever failed me. I'm really pleased with the build quality of these legs, and am fully confident in the support they provide. The 90º centre column is also a nice feature that allows me to get really low to foreground subjects.
I've teamed the 055 legs with Manfrotto's XPRO ballhead. Again, super sturdy. More than capable of securing my 6d + 70-200. It uses magnesium somewhere in it's construction so can provide the strength without extra weight... or something. Either way, it does the job magnificently.
I have modified the ballhead, adding a cheap Andoer top plate, which accepts an Arca Swiss plate, allowing me to use an L-bracket. In order to fit this plate I had to buy a special adaptor as Manfrotto heads use a slightly different fitting than other brands.
Again, the L-bracket I use isn't anything fancy just a L-braket. What it lacks in refinement it more than makes up for in utility. An l-bracket would be my number 1 recommendation for any photographer than regularly uses a tripod and switches between landscape and portrait compositions. An L-bracket allows you to simple flip the body round to suit your composition without the need to manipulate your tripod head. this ensures your lens remains centred on your tripod and also saves time.
FILTERS
Some people love them others hate the fuss, personally, I use filters on 95% of my shots. There's a certain pleasure about capturing an image as close to the end result in the instant you captured it. bracketing your exposures and composing them in post will always have a place, as dynamic range will always be an issue in difficult lighting situations such as when shooting directly into a sunset or sun rise. But, if there is something I can do whilst shooting to minimise my time in post, I will do it.
My filter set up is a bit of a mongrel at the moment, crossing brands- but it works!
The base of my filter set up is a Nisi V5 100mm foundation set. The benefit of the Nisi system is its integrated circular polariser. A circular polariser is a must when shooting landscapes, especially when water is involved. A polariser will reduce the glare caused my sunlight, this means water that is blown out but the suns reflection can be pulled back to reveal detail. It can also help to cut through haze. The circular polariser is often the first filter I'll reach for. It is also impossible to replicate its effects in post production. Get one!
The Nisi V5 system accepts 100mm filters and my current set includes:
Lee Big Stopper
Lee 0.9 soft grad
This simple set up sees me through most situations. Although this will likely be the area in my bag that will expand the most over the corse of time.
I carry my filters in the Lowepro filter pouch. It does exactly what it needs to and i'm able to attached to my bag's wait strap or my belt to ensure my filters are always within reach.
ACCESSORIES
My most used accessory is my Canon remote release. I had a couple of cheap Chinese versions of a remote release, however they have all failed, particularly with the 6D's fitting. This canon version is more expensive, but build quality is improved over the cheaper versions. I have no need for an intervalometer which means I don't need to worry about feeding this batteries - a god send!
Cleaning equipment is also a necessary addition to any camera bag. You don't want unwanted dust, a bug, rain or sea spray to ruin the composition you've worked hard for. So, a blow and a wipe before clicking the shutter is well worth it. I carry a Blower, thick microfibre towel and a lens cleaning clothing and a lens pen