Below is the gear I have acquired over the years to document my travels. I try and buy the best gear that I can. You are fairly limited with the number of things you can travel with if you are full time on the road so if a piece of gear is listed here it has withstood the test of time and proved to be worth having. Everything listed here is what I use to generate content for my YouTube channel Fat Desert. The links below are for my Amazon Affiliate program. If you use any of these links to purchase anything listed here I will get a credit for it. It does not cost you anything.
Photo & Video Gear
First up is what I use to do landscape photography.
Drone and action video gear will be listed afterwards
Nikon D810
This is my workhorse. When nature serves up a moment that sparks the imagination its time for the D810 . Why carry around a big camera? A RAW image from a full frame camera can be pushed a lot more than images from Micro Four Thirds, smart phones, APS-C, etc.
The D810 has been replaced by the D850 but it is still a powerful camera that produces great images with impressive dynamic range. With vlogging taking up more of my time I don’t take out the D810 as often as I used to but when confronted with a scene from nature that blows my mind the D810 is the tool for the job.
If you want to see samples of what this camera can produce here are some shots from my portfolio.
The Amazon link below is for a used D810. This is less than half of what I paid for a new one. If you want the most current Nikon offering the D850 I have supplied a link for that as well.
Nikon D750
The Nikon D750 was released after the D810. It might be a shade less sharp than the D810 but it seems to handle low light situations better. My main reason for getting the D750 is that I wanted two bodies so I didn’t have to change lenses in the middle of a sandstorm and it was less expensive than getting another D810.
The D750 has been replaced by the D780. Below you will find a link to a used D750 and the new D780.
Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8
This is my favorite lens for landscape. I know most people prefer a wide angle when shooting landscapes but I prefer the way a longer lens compacts the image.
Here is an example-
Here is the Amazon link for a refurbished version of this lens.
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras (Renewed)
If you want the most current version of this lens.
Nikkor 16-35mm f/4
This is my traditional landscape lens. I don’t use it as much as the 70-200mm but there are many times when you want to distort an image with that wide angle look. Between this and the 70-200mm I have most situations covered.
Here is the Amazon link to this lens.
Rokinon 24mm f/1.4
The 24mm Rokinon is a great lens for the money. I don’t use it near as much as I should. Its manual focus and fast. I use this for most of my night shots.
Here are some additional items that I like to keep around.
Induro AT213 Tripod
Unfortunately they no longer make the aluminum version of this tripod which is the one I have. It is now carbon fiber which means it is just as robust as the previous model but lighter weight. I wish I had an excuse to upgrade mine to the new version but these things are made like a tank. I have done little to nothing to take care of mine and its still steady as a rock when I need it.
Induro CT-213 8X Carbon Tripod 3 Section 64-Inch Max Height 26lb Load
Induro BHL2 Tripod Ball Head
Same as the ‘sticks’ there are more expensive ball heads but for the money the Induro is hard to beat. The version I have, BHL2, has been replaced by the BHL3S. Well machined and heavy duty.
Nikon MC-36A
This is one of the remote shutters I use. I can’t seem to find it so perhaps Nikon quit making it which is just as well. It cost quite a bit and although it has a built in intervalometer I would guess there are other more cost effective solutions.
Firecrest ND 77mm 1.5, 2.1 and 3.0 Filters
I used to have a box full of step-up rings and filters when I was striving for the ‘Cine’ look with my Lumix video camera’s. For landscape photography though I only carry three screw on Firecrest filters.
77mm ND 1.5
Unfortunately it doesn’t appear that Amazon stocks these other two filters.
77mm ND 2.1
77mm ND 3.0
Streamlight 44910 Waypoint 1000 Lumens Spotlight
This spot light is handy for checking out strange sounds late at night when you are in the middle of nowhere but it’s also great to use for light painting. I bought some red jell and cut it out to fit inside the removable lens.
Here is a sample of some light painting using this spot light.
Streamlight 44910 Waypoint 1000-Lumens Spotlight with 120-Volt AC Charger, Yellow
And you don’t even have to cut out your own jell anymore. Now you can buy this handy screw on filter!!
Wireless Remote Shutter
I am not sure of the name of this Remote nor where I bought it but it is indispensable. I use this mostly for long distance selfies and light painting.
Lowepro Camera Backpack
I am not really setup to do long hikes with my gear. Everything I have weighs a ton. That said I often have to carry my gear and having a heavy duty backpack is indispensable. There are tons of these on the market. I can say my Lowepro has been fairly abused and still looks great. This is not the exact model I have but it looks pretty close.
Drone and Action Camera’s
DJI Mavic 2 Pro with Smart Controller
I hate drones. They are annoying and intrusive. That said this is my favorite camera and the one that sees the most use. The Mavic fits into my Teton water bladder backpack so I can hike away from any people before I launch.
I have been waiting for a drone that could take decent still photo’s so when DJI released the Mavic 2 Pro with a 20 MP 1″ sensor I couldn’t pass up the chance to give it a shot. It was easy to fly and shoot video or stills right out of the box. I have almost lost it a couple of times but those were both due to operator errors. This drone has never failed to impress me every time I fly it.
I opted to get the Mavic with the Smart Controller. This is a great piece of kit. It simplifies the process, is durable and has a great screen.
GoPro Hero 9
I started out with a Sony action cam. I forget the name. The video it produced looked good but it would routinely decide to shut off for no reason and there was no screen so you couldn’t check your footage until you downloaded it from the SD card.
I was doing a far amount of mountain bike riding and some of the trails had some great scenery. It just seemed to make sense to get a video cam mounted to my helmet so I had record of all these places I was riding.
The chimes that ring letting you know when recording has been stopped and when the unit shuts down are really helpful. Small touches but they help make this cam easy to use when your mind is elsewhere. The mic is pretty weak. I have yet to explore the aftermarket for this cam. All I have so far is the stick on mounts, head mount and this selfie stick made by GoPro that could be a good piece of kit but its too cheaply made.