What’s in My Bag, Landscape Photography Edition
Below is some insight into the equipment I use for landscape photography. Occasionally, I may update my equipment, but I will do my best to keep this list updated.
- My Landscape Photography Camera Body
- A Quick Glance at My Lenses for Landscape Photography
- Additional Equipment I use for Landscape Photography
- Outdoors Clothing
- Hardware, Software, And Storage
- Sources of Landscape Photography Equipment & Clothing
- TLDR – A Quick Summary of My Landscape Photography Equipment
My Landscape Photography Camera Body
Canon EOS 5D Mark 4
I’m a longtime Canon user. I have used Canon cameras since I began my photography journey roughly 15 years ago. I now use a Canon EOS 5D Mark 4 for my landscape photography. Although a little dated now, it is still a workhorse of a camera. The camera is fully weather-sealed, has excellent high ISO performance, and has a decent dynamic range. It has truly withstood the test of time.
Over the several years I have owned the EOS 5D Mark 4, its ability to perform well in all weathers has impressed me the most. Heavy rain, sleet, snow, freezing fog and high humidity, nothing stops it from doing its job.
Would I buy the Canon EOS 5D Mark 4 again? Yes, absolutely. It truly is a phenomenal camera, and it hasn’t disappointed me once. It performs very well in low light and high-dynamic situations, the image quality is exceptional, and the battery life is excellent.
Are there any cons to the Canon EOS 5D Mark 4? Sadly, the EOS 5D Mark 4 is a little outdated now. Although it continues to perform exceptionally well, Canon has concentrated its focus on mirrorless camera systems (rightly so) in line with technological advances.
A Quick Glance at My Lenses for Landscape Photography
Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8L II USM
The Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8L II is a fantastic mid-range zoom lens and is my go-to for slightly wider-angle landscape photography. This lens produces exceptionally sharp photographs. However, it is on the heavier side in terms of weight. As someone who regularly hikes long distances with camera equipment, I would opt for the lighter-weight F4 variant next time. Also, I very rarely shoot wide open, and so I don’t gain the benefit of having a faster lens.
Above is an example of an image captured in the iconic Lake District with my Canon EOS 5D Mark 4 and Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8L lens. I also used my LEE Filters Circular Polariser to boost the saturation of the autumnal colours.
Canon EF 70-200mm F4L USM
Canon’s EF 70-200mm F4L is my favourite lens for landscape photography. The focal range is perfect for most scenes I like to photograph, and the images are extremely sharp. The lens is incredibly durable and completely weather-sealed, ideal for anyone who loves photographing in poor weather conditions. The lens is incredibly versatile, and I use it for mountainscapes, woodland, and seascapes.
The image above was captured in the Lake District using my Canon EOS 5D Mark 4 and EF 70-200mm F4L lens. This image was taken at 200mm to capture the early morning mist gently gliding amongst the trees near Little Langdale.
Canon EF 16-35mm F4L IS USM
Admittedly, the Canon EF 16-35mm F4L is the least used of my lens collection. I go through a love/hate phase with this camera lens. The problem doesn’t lie so much within the lens itself. I’m personally not a big fan of ultra-wide-angle shots. It all boils down to personal preference, and I find more use within the 24-200mm focal range.
This image was again captured in the beautiful Lake District using my Canon EOS 5D Mark 4 and 16-35mm F4L lens. This was taken at the narrower end of the lens, at 30mm.
Canon EF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM
Canon’s EF 100mm F2.8L Macro lens is a delight to use. Although not intended for typical landscape photography shots, it excels at producing close-up intimate shots of natural subjects. This is, without a doubt, one of my favourite lenses. It is incredibly sharp and makes for a nice change of pace from your typical landscape photography focal lengths.
During the summer months, when my landscape photography naturally drops off, macro photography is a great way to keep myself busy. I enjoy photographing the different species of butterflies which populate the local fields surrounding my village. Macro photography also reinforces the importance of depth of field, an excellent carryover to landscape photography.
Above is a macro photograph captured with my Canon EOS 5D Mark 4 and Canon EF 100mm F2.8L Macro lens. This was a very pleasing ice formation I found within a frozen puddle.
Additional Equipment I use for Landscape Photography
Camera Backpacks & Hard Case
Lowepro Flipside 300 AW II
I use a range of camera bags for landscape photography. First up is my trusty Lowepro Flipside 300 AW II, with pixel camo. I believe this is discontinued now, but the fact that I still have the backpack demonstrates the quality of the backpack! It is incredibly well-made and performs as well as it did on day one. It has an all-weather cover, which isn’t the greatest. Under heavy precipitation, it will begin to fail. Other than that, it is a quality backpack, and I love it.
The feature I like most is that I can simply swing the backpack around to my front and access my camera without having to remove the backpack. This also provides improved security as the backpack cannot be accessed by anyone once on my back.
Osprey Stratos and Osprey Kestrel Backpacks
If venturing into the mountains where I need to take additional safety equipment and food supplies, I will opt for my Osprey Stratos (36L) or my Osprey Kestrel (70L) backpack. When using either of the Osprey backpacks, I will load my camera with a fixed lens into a Lowepro ProTactic TLZ 70 AW Toploader. This provides my camera with adequate protection at the expense of being able to carry multiple lenses. The Lowepro Toploader also has a handful of small pockets which can accommodate spare batteries, lens cloths, a wireless shutter release and spare memory cards.
Vanguard Supreme 53F Foam Hard Case
For long-term storage and protection during transit, I like to use my Vanguard Supreme 53F hard case. Once inside the case, I’m confident that my photography equipment is safe from damage. The hard case is supplied with foam inserts, which can be precisely cut to ensure a snug fit for each piece of equipment (camera body, lenses, and accessories).
Manfrotto MT055XPRO3 Camera Tripod
A trusty tripod is a landscape photographer’s best friend! I use a Manfrotto MT055XPRO3 for my landscape photography. Made from aluminium, it’s not the lightest of tripods in the marketplace. It is, however, extremely rigid. This tripod stands up to even the harshest of weather conditions. I use my tripod in conjunction with a Kirk L-bracket fitted to my Canon 5D Mark 4 and an Arca Swiss ball head.
LEE Filters
I use a couple of filters to support my landscape photography, particularly during the autumn months. Firstly, LEE Filters’ circular polariser. A phenomenal lens filter that has a low profile and sits closer to the lens. This provides exceptional image quality with little to no vignetting when using lenses at their widest focal length.
Secondly, I use LEE Filters’ Little Stopper. This is a 6-stop ND filter that oozes quality. I regularly use this filter to smooth or blur water sources and clouds whilst capturing longer-exposure landscape photographs.
Finally, I also have the LEE Filters 0.6 Graduated ND Filter. This is one of my least-used filters. The majority of the time, I can avoid using this filter by simply bracketing my exposures.
First Aid Kit
I never leave home without a first aid kit. This is the safety-conscious mountaineer in me!
Miscellaneous Photography Items
I won’t go into too much detail, but I also always carry the following items:
- Headtorch
- Wireless shutter release
- Spare batteries
- Spare memory cards
- Microfibre lens cloths
- Lens blower
- Lens wipes
- Notepad and pen
- Camera rain covers
- Emergency Power Bank
- Emergency whistle
- High energy snacks
Outdoors Clothing
To make your landscape photography stand out from the crowd, you will want to chase the extreme weather conditions. This means potentially exposing yourself to dynamic weather, which requires suitable clothing. Here’s a list of clothing I wear throughout the year.
Down Jackets
Rab Microlight Alpine Down Jacket
For all-season use, I like to use my Rab Microlight Alpine Down. I bought the jacket in yellow. I prefer to purchase brighter-coloured down jackets as they’re more visible, which means should I ever need help, I can be easily spotted (in theory!). The Rab Microlight Alpine jacket is extremely lightweight yet exceptionally warm. I use this for most of my trips when the weather is dry.
Mountain Equipment Lightline Down Jacket
The Mountain Equipment Lightline Down Jacket is my go-to jacket for colder, wintry conditions. When the temperature drops this jacket excels. I typically wear this jacket a lot during the winter months, especially when venturing up to the higher altitudes around the Lake District.
Waterproof Clothing – Berghaus Stormcloud
When the weather is against me, I turn to my waterproof clothing. I use Berghaus Stormcloud Gore-Tex Overtrousers paired with the Berghaus Stormcloud Jacket. Being extremely lightweight, I can comfortably carry them in my backpack and have them ready for action whenever needed. The jacket and the trousers are fully waterproof and windproof and provide an extra layer of warmth in combination with my down jackets.
Walking Boots – Solomon Quest 4 GTX
Throughout most of the year, I use Solomon Quest 4 GTX walking boots when venturing outdoors. They are full-ankle boots and are grippy and comfortable, especially when worn on long hikes.
Walking Trousers – Berghaus Ortler 2.0
My go-to trousers are Berghaus Ortler 2.0. As I like to move around a lot and capture photographs from different heights, which can often include crouching low to the ground, I prefer to wear trousers made with stretchy fabric. The Berghaus Ortler trousers are durable and comfortably withstand the abuse they receive throughout my hikes.
Hardware, Software, And Storage
Apple Mac 5k I5 2020
My preferred choice of editing platform is Apple Mac. As a creative, I find their operating system easy to navigate with intuitive gestures. All my photo editing is done on Apple’s iMac 5K 2020 edition. I’ve had the desktop since its release, and it continues to run as well as it did when it was newly unboxed.
Adobe Creative Cloud
My software of choice for editing and maintaining my landscape photography portfolio is Adobe Creative Cloud. I use a combination of Adobe Lightroom Classic and Adobe Photoshop for all of my photo editing needs.
SanDisk SSD Portable Storage
When storing and backing up my photography library, I prefer to use SanDisk Extreme Portable SSDs. I have several SSDs which I use for different purposes. As a permanent storage solution on my iMac, I use a SanDisk Extreme 2TB SSD. This takes the pressure away from the storage on my iMac. I also use a larger SSD to perform regular backups of my entire portfolio to act as disaster recovery should the unthinkable happen.
Sources of Landscape Photography Equipment & Clothing
Wex Photo Video for Photographic Equipment
For all of my photographic equipment needs, I use Wex Photo Video. Choosing a supplier feels very subjective. However, it often pays to hear genuine feedback and consider online reviews. I have only ever had positive experiences whilst using Wex Photo Video as the supplier of choice for my photography-related purchases. They have an extensive range of new and used camera equipment and orders arrive well-packaged and on time. Can’t argue with that!
Millets/Blacks for Outdoors Clothing and Equipment
With regards to outdoor clothing/equipment shopping, I tend to use Blacks and Millets (same company) quite frequently. They hold a wide range of clothing and outdoor equipment, everything you could ever need for venturing outdoors. Again, the choice of outlet is subjective. I chose Blacks because I have an outlet nearby, and they have yet to disappoint!
If all Else Fails, Amazon
I would much rather try to keep to high-street retailers. However, it’s hard to ignore the fact that anything and everything is available via Amazon. I tend to use Amazon for purchasing last-minute items and/or more unique items which would be harder to source elsewhere.
TLDR – A Quick Summary of My Landscape Photography Equipment
- Canon EOS 5D Mark 4 camera body
- Canon EF 16-35mm F4L IS USM
- Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8L II USM
- Canon EF 70-200mm F4L USM
- Canon EF 100mm F2.8L Macro IS USM
- Manfrotto MT055XPRO3 Tripod
- Kirk Enterprise Solutions L-Bracket
- Arca Swiss Ball Head
- LEE Filters Circular Polariser
- Lee Filters Little Stopper (6-stop ND)
- Lee Filters 0.6 Graduated ND Filter
- Lowepro Flipside 300 AW II backpack
- Osprey Stratos 36L backpack
- Osprey Kestrel 70L backpack
- Lowepro ProTactic TLZ 70 AW Toploader
I hope this insight was helpful to you. If you have any questions about the equipment or clothing mentioned above, please contact me, and I’ll be happy to help.