Mark's Essential Gear

You don’t need to splash the cash on your first camera! I started out with a second hand Panasonic GH4, thinking that video was going to be my thing.  It was only after I started taking my camera into the Lake District at home that I realised how much I preferred photography.

I now mostly use the Sony 24-105 F4 or the Sony 35 F1.4 GM on the Sony A7III. 

For trips where I know I’ll want more reach,  wildlife, landscapes with compression, that kind of thing, I’ll pack the 70-200mm. Although it has a habit of making itself known at the bottom of the bag after a long day on foot.

The best tip I can give any budding photographer is to invest in good glass! Sony’s GM lenses are a dream, but they do come with a price tag. Try to avoid buying camera bundles that include the body and the kit lens. The kit lens will only get you so far. 

Technically I’m on my second Sony A7 III. If there’s one lesson to be learned from my experiences with camera gear and travelling, it’s that you need good insurance (with gadget cover). When backpacking through South America, in our first country of the trip, Colombia. We were robbed of almost the entirety of my camera bag. Camera, Lenses, Drone, GoPro, Hard drive. All gone. It was truly a devastating experience and something which very nearly ruined the trip.