Drone & DSLR Gear and Equipment That I Use

This page lists all the gear that I personally use, and recommend. It isn’t meant to serve as a review of products, but rather a selection of camera, and camera gear selected by me after thorough research, and why. You’re free to buy the same gear or not.

When I travel, my camera gear consists of:

1. A drone + drone accessories
2. A DSLR + lens
3. An action camera + accessories
4. A gimbal for my action camera
5. And a bag to fit everything above

So let’s start.

My Drone

I currently use the DJI Mavic 2 Pro.

My DJI Mavic 2 Pro

Why?

1. It’s portable. It folds into a compact shape, making it easy to travel with.
2. It’s got excellent battery life. On average I get 25-27 minutes of fly time.
3. It’s got a fantastic range and now transmits images and videos in full HD resolution.

DJI Mavic 2 Pro, still that same compact design

When it comes to drones, DJI drones are a no-brainer. The company practically dominates the consumer drone industry with models to fit various budgets, and requirements.

I recently upgraded from the Mavic Pro to the Mavic 2 Pro. So far I’ve been greatly impressed by the battery life, image transmission, speed and agility of the drone. Not to mention that the video and photos produced by this drone have greater dynamic range and clarity than the original Mavic 2 Pro.

Must-Have Drone Accessories

There are numerous drone accessories that you can buy for your drone. But I think that there are a couple of essential accessories every drone owner should have.

Monitor Hood

I use the official DJI Monitor Hood (fits the remote controller of Mavic Pro, Mavic Air, and Spark)

Why?

More often than not, I fly my drone in bright sunlight. The glare from the sun can make it extremely difficult to see my phone’s screen. It becomes impossible to fly!

Luckily there’s a solution for that. A monitor hood that provides shades to my remote controller and phone. It really helps me fly my drone even when the sun makes it impossible to see my screen.

ND/PL Filters

With my new Mavic 2 Pro, I decided I needed a set of really good filters. This time I decided to go for the Polar Pro Vivid Collection | Cinema Series. It’s a pack of 3 filters that contains ND and PL combination filters which are perfect.

The Polar Pro Vivid Collection | Cinema Series Pack of 3 filters for the Mavic 2 Pro

The great thing about the Mavic 2 Pro is that the original filter is really easy to remove. Just twist, and pull off.

Why?

Just like you need sunglasses to cut the sun’s glare and reflection, so does your drone. In fact, your drone’s vision isn’t as sophisticated as your eyes and it needs sunglasses more than you do. That’s why filters.

Not only do they help improve the dynamic range of your photos, but also help you achieve cinematic footage.

Anemometer

I use the Proster Anemometer.

An anemometer – it helps me measure the wind to know if it’s safe to fly

Why?

Consumer drones are very inept at flying in windy conditions. But if you’re like me, on a very windy day I bet you’ve wondered, “can my drone handle this much wind?”. That’s why I usually carry an anemometer in my backpack. It’s a tiny device that helps me measure the speed of the wind, and lets me know if it’s safe to fly. This way, even if I’m getting the high wind velocity warning in my DJI Go app, I know what the wind speeds are (roughly).

And in case you own an anemometer, it’s useful to know that the Mavic Pro can fly in winds of up to 19–24 mph (29–38 kph).

My Handheld Camera

I use the DJI Osmo Pocket.

I bought it to replace the combo of the Yi 4K+ and the gimbal. It’s been an absolute pleasure to carry a small, capable camera that is mechanically stabilised. As I always carry so much other equipment in my camera bag, it’s nice having such a small and capable device.

My DSLR

I use the Sony A7RIII mirrorless full-frame camera.

The Sony A7RIII – Look at that thin camera body

My main lens is the Sony 16-35mm GM

The Sony 16-35mm GM

Why?

As a long time DSLR user, I finally made the switch to a mirrorless camera. I feel that the best mirrorless cameras nowadays are on par, or better than their DSLR counterparts.

The Sony A7RIII packs in all the features of a DSLR + more into a much smaller body. This makes it easy to carry.

It also has many cool, and useful features. My favourite is the ability to switch from full-frame mode, to crop mode. As the A7RIII is a 42-megapixel camera, it can take advantage of its large sensor and crop the image. Essentially, this acts as a lossless zoom because it switches to using half the sensor. What this means is that my 16-35 mm lens doubles up as a 16-52 mm lens.

DSLR Accessories

Backpack Clip

I use the Peak Design Capture Clip to hang my camera onto my backpack.

Why?

The clip attaches to my backpack’s shoulder strap, from which I can hang my camera. This is extremely convenient when I am walking with a camera and want to free my hands. Instead of returning my DSLR to my bag, this allows for easy storage and access.

My Backpack

I use the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L. It fits all my drone & DSLR gear.

The Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L. Packs in everything!

Why?

The Peak Design Everyday Backpack is amazing! In a world of dull, boring camera bags, the Everyday Backpack is truly a departure from the norm.

The backpack itself is made of the best materials and is solidly constructed. The dividers inside the bag can be organized, and re-arranged to fit gear of any shape or size. The backpack makes efficient use of space with pockets on the sides, top, and back.

I can easily fit my

1. drone
2. drone’s remote controller
3. 2 spare drone batteries
4. my main camera
5. An extra lens for my camera
6. my laptop & tablet
7. my action camera with its gimbal, and then smaller items like
8. monitor hood for drone’s remote controller
9. spare batteries for my Sony camera and action camera
10. portable battery for my phone
11. headphones
12. e-book reader
13. spare cables

This backpack is spacious and seriously incredible!