Bryan Hansel Photography

Equipment Kit

Wonder what gear I use? Here’s my list.

While I believe that equipment matters in photography (except when it doesn’t), I also think that you shouldn’t get hung up on worrying too much about gear, especially if the gear you have accomplishes what you want it to do. Below is a list of most of my equipment. I seldom bring it all.

My suggestion is to only buy new gear when your current gear falls short of being able to deliver your vision. Through experience I’ve found the following equipment meets my needs.

Photography Equipment Kit and Traveling Gear List

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Table of Contents

  1. Photography Equipment Kit and Traveling Gear List
  2. Bags
  3. Cameras
    1. Main Camera Bodies
    2. Point and Shoot Camera
    3. Specialty Camera
  4. Lenses
    1. Z-Mount Lenses
    2. Adapted Lenses
    3. F-Mount Lenses
  5. Filters
    1. Filters Choices and What Filters I Use
      1. Filter Discount
      2. Filters
      3. Filter Holder
      4. Filter Pouch/Bag
  6. Tripods
    1. Ball Heads
  7. Sensor Cleaning Gear

Bags

Raide Research LF 40L Ski Pack: [Get it: Raide Direct] A lightweight ski pack that has a back panel opening. It’s slightly larger in width than other ski packs which makes it so the ICUs can fit more easily. It carries okay up to about 20 pounds. After that the hip belt strains under the load. I feel like the suspension could carry more with a beefier hip belt. This is the pack I’m currently using.

Osprey Soelden 32 [Buy it: REI | Amazon]: This is a newer version of the Kamber 32. The biggest change is that it feels more nimble and they changed how the back panel opens. On the Kamber, you have to disconnect the shoulder lift straps to open the panel. On this one, the zipper goes below the shoulder straps, so you don’t have to do that. This also made the pack slightly easier to load. Somehow, even though it is the same size, it seems a little bigger. They also removed the hydration sleeve and tube run. They removed a zippered pocket in the front compartment, which was a huge loss. Overall, I like it better than the Kamber. I also like the new green color (although I miss the bright orange).

F-stop Medium Shallow ICU [Buy: Amazon]: Designed to hold your camera gear and then insert into another pack. With some leverage this fits inside my Osprey Kamber 32 M/L or my Soelden 32 and holds a camera body with a wide-angle zoom on it, a 70-200 and two additional lenses.

Kinesis Photo Gear FilterPouch [Buy: Amazon]: While a little bulky, it fits 10 4×6-inch filters and protects them within soft fabric sleeves and a padded case. What more do you need?

The North Face Base Camp Duffel – XL [Buy: REI | Amazon]: This bag holds everything and, as they say, the kitchen sink. It’s huge and can hold a weeks worth of clothing, camping gear, computer gear and everything else you can throw at it. It works as checked luggage or works well in the back of the car. I organize the bag using packing cubes from a company that’s now out of business, but the cubes I have are similar to Eagle Creek’s Pack-It Cubes [Buy: REI | Amazon].

Watershed Chattooga Photo Kit Plus™ [Buy it: Direct]: I love this waterproof duffle for canoe adventures. It holds all the gear I usually bring, carries well and is waterproof. It also makes accessing gear easy. See my YouTube BWCA Camera Gear Loadout Video on it.

Cameras

Main Camera Bodies

Nikon Z 8 [Buy it: Amazon]: One of the best all-around cameras ever made. This is my primary camera.

Nikon Zf [Buy it: Amazon]: Great retro camera with modern features. It feel like a mini-Z 8 in the feature set and focus system. I wish it had one or two more programable buttons. This is my main carry around camera when I’m not planning on shooting landscapes. I also use this for portraits.

Nikon Z 7ii [Buy it: Amazon]: The second version of Nikon’s Z 7 series has better autofocus than the original, great dynamic range and produces beautiful files. I seldom use this camera. The Z 8 is my preference.

Point and Shoot Camera

Ricoh GR III [Check it out and buy it]: The sensor in this is a APS-C-size. That’s the same as some DSLR and ILC cameras. It’s a good size and makes for high-quality images out of a camera you can carry in the pocket. I LOVE this camera. If you’re not into fixed focal lengths you probably won’t like this camera though. It only has one focal length, and it’s 28mm wide. You can buy a additional wide conversion lens that will get you out to 21mm, but it is big and kinda defeats the purpose of this camera. Here’s my video about using it for landscape shots. Now that I have the Nikon Zf, I find myself using this less. I really like having a viewfinder.

Specialty Camera

Nikon Z 6 [Buy it: Amazon]: I have two cameras converted by LifePixels to special uses. I got one for infrared and one for night sky. For infrared, I ended up getting the 665nm filter, but in retrospect I should have gone 720nm. I just don’t do false color all that often, and I’ve found that the 665nm filter doesn’t do false color as well as the 590nm filter that I had in my last infrared camera. For night sky, I converted a Z 6 to h-alpha. I love it. I plan on selling these off and converting my Z 7II.

Lenses

Z-Mount Lenses

I love the Nikon Z system, and the lenses are great. You can read more about lens choices in my short zine on landscape photography.

Nikon Z 14-24 f/2.8 S [Buy it: Amazon]: I love this wide lens. It’s tack sharp and has very little distortion. It’s fast. Flare is controlled. It’s also smaller and lighter than the old f-mount version. With the right filter adapter, you can use 100mm wide filters with it! It’s not a 16-35 f/2.8 though.

Nikon Z 14-30 f/4 S [Buy it: Amazon]: A great wide-angle lens that takes 82mm filters. This lens is wide and sharp. It’s especially good for landscapes at f/11 to f/13. It collapses to a compact size that’s easy to pack away. I love it. During my first BWCA trip with this lens, it didn’t come off the camera. It’s also not bad for infrared photography.

Nikon Z 20mm f/1.8 S [Buy it: Amazon]: A solid 20mm lens. It’s a bit oversized and a lot oversized compared to the f-mount version. The size really doesn’t make sense. If there’s a Z-mount third-party lens that’s just as good made in the future and smaller, I’ll likely switch. Quality is about the same as the old f-mount version. I was hoping for better. I use this mainly for night sky photos.

Nikon Z 24-70 f/4 S [Buy it: Amazon]: A great kit lens for the Z 7. It’s light and sharp and has a nice rendering. This will likely not get used much now that I have a Z 24-120 f/4 S. This is a good Nikon lens for infrared photography.

Nikon Z 24-120 f/4 S: It’s just as good as the 24-70 f/4 and is what I’d consider excellent. While it might not be up tot he 24-70 f/2.8 level wide open, it’s still excellent and covers the focal lengths that I use. I typically don’t shoot at 40-70mm. I’m impressed with the lens.

Nikon Z 28mm f/2.8: I bought the for use on the Nikon Zf.

Nikon Z 35mm f/1.8 S [Buy it: Amazon]: I love this lens. It’s the perfect walkaround focal length. It’s small and compact and tack sharp even at f/1.8. I also use this for night sky photos. This is my Zoom meeting lens as well.

Nikon Z 40mm f/2.0: I bought this for use on the Nikon Zf. I’m finding that I like the tiny bit of extra reach and small size over the 35mm f/1.8. This is a great lens for infrared photography.

NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S [Buy it: Amazon]: Dang, this lens is sharp and light. It’s bigger than the old f-mount version, which seems like a weird design choice, but, dang, this lens is sharp. It’s a big improvement and excellent lens.

Nikon Z 70-200 f/2.8 S [Buy it: Amazon]: Killer lens! I love this lens. Tack sharp. Tack sharp. Tack Sharp. It’s also extremely fast. If you can’t get this lens to focus quickly, it isn’t the lenses fault. Unfortunately, mine has had to go into Nikon three times for warranty repair.

Nikon Z 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 S: Solid super telephoto in a small package.

Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4 x: I always have a love/hate relationship with teleconverters. This one is pretty good, especially with the 70-200 f/2.8. It’s okay with the 100-400 f/4.5-5.6. I find that is does impact sharpness and acuity and contrast on the latter. While I still use it, I find that I have to give images taken with this combo a little extra attention in processing.

Adapted Lenses

I have several lenses that I use with adapters. I turn on focus peaking when using these because they are manual focus. I also have the OK button programmed to zoom to 100% to help with the manual focus when needed.

Contax G 90mm f/2.8: I love this little lens. It’s tiny, shape and pairs well with the Z bodies. I use a Kipon C/G-N/Z adapter to put this lens on my camera. It’s a little fussy, because the Contax G system had an unique autofocus system. There’s no focusing ring on the lenses! So, the adapter has a focusing ring. Still, the way that this lens renders the world is beautiful. You can find these lenses used for under $300. If you find a excellent condition copy, snag it.

Voigtländer 21 mm f/1.8 Ultron: Great little manual focus lens for carrying around. It renders the world beautifully, especially cityscapes at night. I’d probably used this lens more often, except it doesn’t accept 100mm filters. The lens hood can’t be removed. Some users have resorted to interesting methods to remove it. I adapted it with a Voigtländer adapter.

Voigtländer 75 mm f/1.5 Nokton: This is a lovely portrait lens, especially in backlit situations. It’s also sharp! I’ve adapted it with a K&F Concept L/M – Nik Z adapter. I like the Contax G 90mm f/2.8 lens better, but this gives you silkier backgrounds when shot at f/1.5

F-Mount Lenses

  • Tamron 150-600 f/5-6.3 – A heck of a lens for the price. Shoot it at f/8 or f/11 and you won’t be disappointed. I’ve tried the new Nikon Z lens in this category and don’t see the need to switch. The focus on Z cameras isn’t that great. You won’t be shooting action with this one on a Z camera.

Filters

Singh-Ray filters

I’m a Singh-Ray ambassador. I use and recommend Singh-Ray filters. All my students receive a 10% discount on Singh-Ray Filters. Use the code “thathansel” to get your 10% discount. Check out their filters at their website: Singh-Ray Filters.

  • Singh-Ray Daryl Benson Reverse Neutral Density Graduated Filters – 3-stop and 2-stop, 100x150mm size – The 3-stop version is the filter that I use 90+% of the time for my seascape photography.
  • Singh-Ray Galen Rowell Soft Graduated Neutral Density Filters – 2-stop and 3-stop, 100x150mm size
  • Singh-Ray Bryan Hansel All-in-One Graduated Neutral Density Filter – 4-stop, 100x150mm size – This is a new filter that has been replacing my reverse filters for the amount of time that I use it. It’s my design.
  • Singh-Ray Mor-Slo Solid Neutral Density Filters, 5-stop and 10-stop, 100x100mm size
  • Singh-Ray Thin LB Neutral Polarizer, 82mm, thin ring
  • Singh-Ray Bryan Hansel Waterfall Polarizer, 82mm, thin ring

Haida M10 Filter Holder [Buy It]: I’ve tried dozens of filter holders. None are perfect, but the Haida makes the best compromises out of all the holders that I’ve used. It makes removing a polarizer easy if you use them combined with your ND grads. It also fits the Nikon Z 14-24 f/2.8 lens and shows no vignetting even at 14mm. The tradeoff is that the holder is larger than others.

Kinesis Gear F169 Filter Pouch [Get it]: I use a lot of filters for my photography and have tried a lot of filter holders over the years. This is by far the best one that I’ve used! So, I’ve teamed up with them to get you a discount. Save 15% when you use the code hansel15.

Filters Choices and What Filters I Use

For 2021 and 2022, I simplified the number of filters that I carry on a regular basis. This is my current filter kit, and I’ve found that it handles most of the situations that I find myself in. I’ll continue to use and recommend this setup for 2023 and 2024.

Filter Discount

Singh-Ray Filter discount. Order direct from www.singh-ray.com and use the code “hansel10” at checkout to get a 10% discount. I use and recommend Singh-Ray. I’m also a Singh-Ray Filter ambassador and designer.

Filters

Filter Holder

For the 100x150mm and the 100x100mm filters, you will need a holder. I use the Haida M10 Filter Holder. Haida offers adapters to work with odd lenses that don’t have threads, such as the Nikon Z 14-24 f/2.8 S. The Haida comes with 82, 77, 72, and 67mm adapter rings. You need an adapter ring to screw into your lens and attach the holder.

The best cheap filter holder that I’ve tried is the Sioti 100mm Square Z Series. The Sioti only comes with one adapter ring. Choose the size for your wide-angle and mid-range zoom.

My recommendation is to get the Haida instead of messing around trying to find a different or cheaper holder. If the Haida doesn’t appeal to you, get the Lee100 Filter Holder.

Filter Pouch/Bag

You’ll need a bag to carry your filters in. The Kinesis Gear F169 is the best one. It holds all the above filters and the holder. It has a quick clip to attach it to your tripod. It opens easily and keeps everything secure. Buy direct and use the code for a 15% discount. Code: Hansel15

Tripods

RRS Versa Tripod: My main tripod. It’s carbon. It’s tall. It’s smooth. It’s excellent.

SIRUI AM-254 Carbon Fiber Camera Tripod: This is the tripod I use when not using the RRS. It’s light at 3 pounds. It’s small. It’s solid. It’s the best travel tripod that I’ve used. I use this when hiking and on paddling trips.

Ball Heads

RRS BH-55 with a panning clamp — Solid ball head with a pano rotator in place of the camera clamp. This simplifies shooting panos.

Kirk BH-1 or BH-3 ball head – Love these ball heads. They last forever.

RRS Compact Pano-Gimbal Head — For shooting multi-row panoramic shots.

Sensor Cleaning Gear

There’s always a chance that you could damage your sensor and end up with a costly repair, so I don’t recommend doing this. I do clean my own sensors and this is the equipment that I use. I use it in this order. I always start with the first and then progress down the list if the dust doesn’t come off with the current tool. I always check the sensor using a loupe after each cleaning attempt.

1. Giottos AA1900 Rocket Air Blaster (https://amzn.to/35cgD0X)
2. Cleaning Brush (https://amzn.to/2KDuW7t)
3. Sensor Swabs (https://amzn.to/2D5KFIf): you’ll need a cleaning fluid as well. Different fluids work for different cameras. Make sure you get a good fluid that won’t hurt your camera.

I highly recommend getting a loupe to help look for the dust. I use this one: https://amzn.to/2O8uqjR

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