What’s in My Bag? | Gear – Haylo Photo by Heather

I get a lot of messages from new photographers or hobbyists asking what equipment I use so I thought I’d go ahead and put it all out there.

Camera Body: Canon 5D Mark II

I love this camera! I’ve had it for a few years now and it hasn’t failed me (knock on wood). I went from a Canon Rebel to this and it was a very welcome upgrade. Although the Canon Rebel was a great starter…the 5D
is what helped me make the jump into making photography my career. Soon though the Canon 5DS
will be in my bag…I turn into a kid in a candy store over this stuff.

Lenses:

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens

As of right now this one is by far my favorite for everything. It’s not only great for macro shots but also portraits! This one doesn’t come off my camera much.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens

This one is a close second, there was a time when I wouldn’t take this one off either. I think they get their fair share in the rotation.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom Lens

Go to lens for weddings, events, and even portraits! I think this one is a must have, for sure.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Ultra Wide Angle Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras

I use this mainly for real estate and some lifestyle sessions. It’s a great lens for smaller spaces, you just have to watch for the lens distortion.

Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 SP XR Di LD Aspherical (IF)

This was the first lens I bought! I still have it and use it quite often. I have definitely gotten sucked into the Canon glass but this is a great lens at a great price. It still has a special spot in my bag and gets used every session.

Tripod:
Manfrotto MK055XPRO3-3W 055

Lightmeter:
Sekonic 401-479 LiteMaster Pro L-478DR

I think this kind of speaks for itself. Sekonic in my opinion is the brand to go with for light meters. This one is my favorite out of the dozen of so that I’ve tried.

Flashes:

Canon Speedlite 430EX III

YONGNUO YN568 EX II TTL Flash Speedlite with High Speed Sync for Canon

Compact Flash Cards:

Lexar Professional 1066x 16GB CompactFlash card LCF16GCRBNA10662 – 2 Pack

It’s so important to have good cards. You don’t want to get a corrupt card and lose a whole session or something. These have a fast write speed too. I get these year after year…they’re great!

Well, that’s a start! If you can believe it, there’s still more stuff than on this list in my bag(s)! I’ll save the rest for another post.

Most importantly, use what works for you! These things work for me, and of course the wishlist is always growing, but it doesn’t always take the latest and greatest to create a beautiful photograph. Hone your skill and you’ll be amazed at what you can do with what you have available.

Feel free to ask questions about any of the equipment above!

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