Travelling & creating travel videos.
This page details all the gear we use for travelling & creating our videos. We will keep it up to date so you can see exactly what we’re currently using.
I suffer from GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). They say that admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery, but it’s a long road! Seriously though, our YouTube channel is our hobby and creating videos is an outlet for my artistic side and lets face it, buying new gear is fun, I LOVE tech and gadgets! Our gear has been changing and adapting since we started, in an attempt to find that sweet spot between having all the best gear for the job and still being as minimalist as possible.
Sony A7S III
from 2020 to 2023
The Sony A7S III is a professional standard full-frame camera which can also take decent photographs. It shoots in 4K up to 120fps which translates to stunning slow motion. It has amazing low light capability and dynamic range. The auto focus is second to none in all lighting conditions and it has a flip-forward screen for vlogging. Two separate SD cards can be inserted and ours is set-up to write to both simultaneously, in order that we always have a redundancy and never lose footage in the event of a corrupted card or accidental deletion. We have equipped it with Peak Design anchor links compatible with their straps and also a Peak design plate to use on their tripod and capture clip. In September 2023 we replaced this camera with the Sony ZV-E1.
Sony ZV-E1
from September 2023
The Sony ZV-E1 is essentially a simplified version of our previous main camera, the Sony A7S III, but with some updated internal processing power. We have had to sacrifice a couple of features to have a simpler, smaller and lighter set-up though. These mainly being a two SD card slot (redundancy) option and an EVF (electronic viewfinder). Also, the overall build is lighter and not so ‘professional’ grade.
For us, being a small YouTube channel, these were sacrifices worth making.
To offset some of the limitations in build quality we have equipped the ZV-E1 with a SmallRig cage, which provides a larger grip, different mounting options and overall enhanced protection. The camera can, however be easily removed from the cage to offer a smaller footprint, great for carrying around in the evening and out for dinner.
Camera Lenses
We have four lenses for our main camera:
Sony 16-35mm PZ G F4
Sony 24-105mm G F4
Sony 20mm G F1.8
Sony 70-200mm G F4
We use a range of lenses to ensure we have the flexibility to capture a range of shots we might need. Our main ‘walk-about’ lens is the Sony 16-35 F4 which provides a nice wide angle for capturing not only us, but also our surroundings when talking to camera. It also has a short zoom, so is the ideal lens most of the time. We have telephoto lenses for more distant subjects.
As you may know, we like to record into the evening, often meaning dimly lit restaurants and entertainment venues. For this we always stick to the Sony 20mm F1.8, as it provides a nice, natural looking focal length with a very ‘fast’ aperture, so is excellent in low-light scenarios and provides good subject separation from the background (bokeh).
The 24-105mm F4 is an easy to carry zoom lens which also has the convenience of a fairly wide focal length, so is very flexible.
The 70-200mm F4 is not a lens we always choose to take with us, as it is much larger and heavier than other lenses. It is, however, by far the best lens for capturing distant subjects, especially when couple with our large tripod.
DJI Osmo Pocket 3
A new addition to our gear in October 2023, this is the third version of DJI’s pocket sized camera with built-in mechanical stabilisation. We have owned both of the earlier models and they’ve proved really useful for certain jobs. It’s the perfect ‘B’ camera.
This is my go-to camera for filming from moving vehicles and is also perfect for timelapses.
This new version is a pretty big upgrade from DJI’s previous pocket cameras, with a much larger screen, a one inch sensor and multiple software improvements. That being the case it’s likely to be used for a wider range of shots than the previous models.
Audio
Good, clear audio is arguably more important than high quality visuals. Noisy, distracting wind and background noise or speech so quiet it’s impossible to hear, is enough to make most people turn off.
I’ve made a few mistakes when it comes to sound, either relying on in-built camera microphones or just not setting external audio devices properly. The results are either lots of distracting background or wind noise or just audio that is difficult to hear.
We have several options for external audio when it comes to our primary camera, as they are both compatible with Sony’s own digital multi interface shoe:
Sony ECM - M1 shotgun microphone
Sony ECM - W2BT wireless microphone
Rode Wireless Go ll lapel microphone
DJI Wireless microphone
The Sony Microphones are digital and compatible with the latest Sony mirrorless cameras. They don’t require cables or batteries and just plug into the camera via a multi interface shoe, where they achieve an electronic connection to the camera.
The Sony ECM-M1 is our main ‘walk-around’ microphone. Not only are we able to control audio levels (volume), but also the direction from which the mic picks up sound, all within the microphone itself. It also has noise cancelling technology which is fully controllable.
The Sony ECM-W2BT is a simple wireless Bluetooth microphone which also utilizes the Sony digital multi-interface shoe, meaning the receiver (which connects to the camera) is completely wireless. It has one single transmitter which can be worn on the body. This is great for standing away from the camera (such as on a tripod) with very little distracting ambient noise being picked up and we’ve also used it as a quick and easy handheld microphone in noisy areas, as it is very fast to set-up.
The Rode Wireless Go II consists basically of three small boxes, one (the receiver) attaches to the camera and plugs in via a small cable. The others (the transmitters) clip onto the ‘talent’. Again, this allows for speech to be heard clearly with very little ambient noise and are what both Kirstie and I wear in the evening, during dinner. Sometimes you may find us wearing a small lapel microphone. This is simply plugged into the transmitter which can then be worn out of sight.
The DJI Wireless microphone operates in the same way as the Rode system above. The main difference is the DJI mics have direct connection compatibility (without wires) into the DJI action cameras and this is the sole reason for keeping this, as well as the Rode system.
DJI Action 4
Most content creators should have an action camera in their arsenal. In fact some use nothing more, as they’re extremely versatile and may be used in a wide variety of filming scenarios. They are portable, rugged and waterproof.
They are also very easy to use, as there are no additional lenses to change or focus issues to worry about (everything in the shot is always in focus).
Where they begin to fail though, is in low light. It’s not that they can’t be used in dimly lit scenarios, it’s just that the resulting image quality will be poor. They’re better than they were a few years ago and the current DJI model we use is actually pretty decent, but nowhere near as useable as our main camera.
The wide angle lens of this type of camera is also not always the best option.
We use this camera for shots such as swimming in the sea or pool. It’s also perfect for mounting in awkward spots to achieve those different perspectives.
Just don’t expect nice, cinematic blurry backgrounds!
Drone
DJI MINI 3
The drone doesn’t get used a lot. A drone is on the prohibited items list for most cruise lines and there are lots of places where they don’t want you to fly.
When we are able to though, the establishing shots that can be achieved with a drone are amazing and well worth the effort. The DJI Mini 3 is a fantastic little drone. It shoots in 4K and is not to much hassle to carry, as it is very small and light.
Expect to see at least some drone footage when on land based vacations, probably just not on cruises.
Tripods
These aren’t all the tripods we own, we have a few full size and tabletop tripods as well as selfie-sticks, but these are the ones we’ll always have with us on a trip as they cover most of what we’ll need to do.
Carrying around a full size tripod is a pain as they are generally big and heavy. The Peak Design travel tripod isn’t actually too bad as it folds down with very little ‘negative space’ so is easy to stow. We like to use a full size tripod for talking into camera bits and also to set up a camera to do ‘walk-by’ shots, as well as being useful when using a long zoom to keep the shot steady. The full-sized tripod will normally stay on our balcony on cruises and won’t be routinely carried.
A decent tabletop tripod is great as a vlogger, as you can use it to grip your camera as well as use it in a similar way to a full size tripod, but have it sat on a surface such as a table, rather than the ground. We use a Sirui 3T-35 which is extremely durable, being fully metal and can extend taller if required.
The last tripod is for use with our action cameras. It’s a very small tripod that does extend a little. It’s the Ulanzi MT-09 and makes for a great little minimalist grip when vlogging with the Action II.
DJI Ronin SC Gimbal
We don’t routinely carry a gimbal anymore. They're fairly large and cumbersome and add a lot of weight to our luggage. They are also not the most discreet bit of equipment to use! That, plus in-body stabilisation is becoming very capable, therefore a gimbal is not so much of a necessity.
They are, however, important when it comes to creating beautiful, smooth and cinematic movement.
It’s great to have in the arsenal and would definitely be used should we be asked to produce professional looking content in the future.
Travel Laptop
This Microsoft Surface Pro laptop/tablet is used solely for travelling as it is so small, it easily slides into our carry-on bag and takes up little space in a cabin or hotel room and is never used at home.
It’s sole purpose is to manage and transfer files from our SD cards and onto our Lacie Rugged 4TB external hard drives.
SmallRig Filming Light
Creating a good looking image is all about light. To be honest, we don’t concern ourselves about it too much, however having a light to hand is useful in some scenarios and the SmallRig P96L is smaller and lighter than most smartphones. As you can see, it mounts easily to a tripod, such as the Manfrotto Pixi mini pictured.
Camera Bags
As you can see, we have three sizes of the Peak Design bags.
Peak Design Everyday Backpack 15L
Peak Design Everyday Sling 6L
Peak Design Everyday Sling 3L
With these three bags I can easily tailor what I carry without having to carry a bag too big or too small. There very tough and highly water resistant, with waterproof zips.
If I’m carrying a bag that isn’t one of these, then it’ll be my Lowepro Flipside Trek 350. Still a 15L backpack, the layout is sometimes preferable, having a completely separate top compartment, which the Peak Design doesn’t have. Camera gear is also accessed from the part of the bag against your back when wearing (rather than the side with the Peak Design backpack), which I actually prefer.
AWAY luggage
We each have our own AWAY suitcase in the LARGE size. They're pretty expensive at over £300 each, but well worth it in our opinion. We find that the large size always fits everything we need.