Dan’s Gear Guide

Cameras

Camera	B&H Photo	Amazon	Adorama	Moment
Sony a1	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Sony a9 II	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Sony a7S III	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Sony A7 IV	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
GoPro Hero 9 Black	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A

Over the years, the size and content of my camera collection have changed regularly. Still, at the moment, I find myself with a relatively simple setup – although I’m occasionally borrowing additional cameras for testing from our site’s partner B&H Photo.

I recently switched to Sony mirrorless for my work cameras, having been a Canon shooter for my entire career. It was not a decision I took lightly, and I have written a detailed post on my reasons behind the Canon to Sony move. The primary reason for the switch was a desire to use Sony’s state-of-the-art autofocus system for my wildlife photography while also taking advantage of their excellent dynamic range for landscape photography.

I also have a Canon EOS RP mirrorless camera. This camera is a bit on the slow side, but it produces amazing images at an incredible price point. I’m aware that there is a lot of interest in Canon’s new RF lenses, so I have vowed to keep at least one RF mount Canon camera in my kit for purposes of reviewing those new RF lenses on this site. At the moment, I also use the RP to take the majority of the gear photos and behind-the-scenes photos for my websites and social media channels.

I still have a couple of Canon 6D DSLRs that I use in my wildlife camera traps, primarily because DSLRs are far more power-efficient than mirrorless cameras, and this is a big factor when you are trying to leave them in the field for months at a time.

The only other camera I have right now is a GoPro Hero 5. I mainly use this for capturing behind-the-scenes content for my social media channels and the “5” does just fine for that right now. I haven’t been tempted to upgrade to a newer model yet.

Lenses

Gear	B&H Photo	Amazon
Sigma 14mm f/1.8 ART	Check Price	Check Price
Sony 20mm f/1.8 G	Check Price	Check Price
Sony 24mm f/1.6 GM	Check Price	Check Price
Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD	Check Price	Check Price
Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G	Check Price	Check Price
Sony 1.4x Extender	Check Price	Check Price
Sony 2.0x Extender	Check Price	Check Price
Sigma MC-11 Mount Adapter	Check Price	Check Price
2 x Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 L	Check Price	Check Price

As mentioned in the camera section, I recently moved from Canon to Sony so my lens kit has gone through a huge change. One of the reasons I felt comfortable making this switch is that Sony has finally ironed out the kinks in their lens designs, and are now producing sensational glass that matches the quality I was so fond of in the Canon L-Series lenses. On top of that, they have several lenses that Canon simply did not have, like the exceptional 20mm f/1.8 G. A tiny, ultralight wide-angle lens that easily resolves on high megapixel cameras like the A7RIV. With so many other manufacturers releasing giant, heavy mirrorless lenses, it’s refreshing to see these smaller options from Sony.

Then there is the 200-600mm G lens. A lens that should probably cost twice as much as it does. The focal length range of this lens is considerably more useful for wildlife than a 100-400mm or 100-500mm, and the fact that it somehow manages to work so well with a 1.4x extender means you have an 840mm lens that you can hand hold and still lock on to fast-moving wildlife such as birds in flight. I have already produced many images with this lens that I was simply never able to with my old Canon gear.

Another great reason to use Sony cameras these days, is the Tamron f/2.8 trinity. These lenses are on a par with the Sony GM lenses in terms of sharpness and autofocus speed, and the price is roughly half of the Sony equivalent. Initially I have opted for the 28-75mm f/2.8, but in the future I can see myself buying more from their range. There’s a good reason that these Tamron FE lenses have been the best selling lenses in the entire photo market for the past few years. It seems odd to say that a reason to switch to Sony is Tamron lenses, but the lenses are that good that I believe that is definitely a legitimate consideration for many people.

As you will have seen in the camera section, I do still have a Canon RF mirrorless body so that I can review RF lenses on this site. With that, I also have the versatile RF 24-240mm lens, which is the lens I use for the majority of the gear review photos on this site.

Camera Bags

Gear	B&H Photo	Amazon	Direct From Manufacturer	Additional Info
MindShift BackLight Elite 45L	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price +free gift*1	Read the review and development story
MindShift FirstLight 40L	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price +free gift*1	Read the review
MindShift Stash Master	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price +free gift*1	Read the review. Turns any bag into a camera bag.
Peak Design Everyday Backpack 20L V2.0	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	My day-to-day "portable office" bag. Buy direct from Peak Design to get free shipping.
Shimoda Action X70	Check Price	N/A	Check Price & Save 10% with coupon code SHUTTERMUSE10	The biggest photography pack on the market. For overnight camping trips and carrying multiple super telephoto lenses.
Think Tank Retrospective 30 V2	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price +free gift*1	Read the review
Think Tank Logistics Manager 30	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price +free gift*1	HUGE rolling case!!
Think Tank ShapeShifter 15 V2	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price +free gift*1
Gura Gear Kiboko V2 22L+	Check Price	N/A	N/A	B&H Photo now has exclusive distribution rights to all Gura Gear bags.
Gura Gear Kiboko V2 30L+	Check Price	N/A	N/A	B&H Photo now has exclusive distribution rights to all Gura Gear bags.
Osprey Rolling Transporter (various sizes)	N/A	Check Price	N/A	For travel with heavier non photographic gear.
Osprey Transporter Duffle (various sizes)	N/A	Check Price	N/A	For travel clothing and other lighter, soft gear.
Arc'Teryx Bora AR 50	N/A	Check Price	N/A	Technical multi-day hiking pack.
Arc'Teryx Alpha AR 55	N/A	Check Price	N/A	Ultralight multi-day hiking pack.
Arc'Teryx Alpha AR 20	N/A	Check Price	N/A	Ultralight hiking day pack.

*1 If you use my links to reach either the MindShift Gear website, or the Think Tank website, and then spend over $50, you’ll get a free gift at the checkout! For more details on these two special offers, please see the deals page of my site.

The majority of my camera carry gear comes from MindShift Gear and their sister company Think Tank Photo. My primary backpack is the MindShift BackLight Elite 45L pack which is designed to be the ultimate rugged outdoor photo pack for adventures anywhere in the world, in any kind of condition. I should know, I helped to test and refine the pack for over two years during the development phase before it was released to the public.

When I travel by plane, my current favourite laptop bags to use as that “personal item” for carry-on are the Retrospective 30 shoulder bag and the uniquley designed expandable Shape Shifter backpack. For big car trips where I need to take everything but the kitchen sink, I load up the gigantic Logistics Manager 30 roller bag, and if I need maximum camera gear volume in a backpack then I use the First Light 40L.

Yes the BackLight Elite 45L and FirstLight 40 are similarly sized, but the FirstLight is entirely for camera gear, where the BackLight saves a lot of space for other outdoor equipment. For bulky items like my underwater housing, the FirstLight is the right choice.

I also really like the Gura Gear Kiboko bags for safari style photography. There’s no other bag on the market that can give you such easy access to a pair of ready-to-go cameras with big lenses already in place. The butterfly opening is unique and specific, but it’s a worthy addition to the gear closet for wildlife photographers. These bags went off the market for some time, but I’m happy to see them back now and available exclusively through B&H.

Sometimes a very specific situation calls for a pack with a laser-targeted purpose and when that happens, I usually turn to Arc’teryx’s lineup of adventure packs and convert them for camera usage by adding the previously mentioned MindShift Stash Master 13.

Tripods and Tripod Heads

Gear	B&H Photo	Amazon	Direct from Manufacturer	Additional Info
Peak Design Travel Tripod (Carbon)	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price - Free US shipping, $4.95 shipping to Canada and most other places.	Best accessories for the Peak Design Travel Tripod
Acratech GXP Head	Check Price	Check Price	Buy direct from Acratach here and use coupon "ShutterMuseShipping" to get free shipping	Read the full review here.
ProMediaGear Katana Junior Gimbal	Check Price	Check Price	Free US shipping and affordable international options. Check Price	Read the full review here.
Really Right Stuff TFC-24L MkII	Check Price	N/A	N/A
Really Right Stuff TFC-14 MkII	Check Price	N/A	N/A	Pair this with a BC-18 for the ultimate ultralight tripod setup.
Really Right Stuff BH-55 ballhead	Check Price	N/A	N/A	Check out my HUGE RRS ballhead guide here.
Really Right Stuff PG-02 gimbal	Check Price	N/A	N/A	For use with big super telephoto lenses.
Really Right Stuff BC-18 Microball	Check Price	N/A	N/A
Really Right Stuff TFA-01 Ultra mini tripod	Check Price	N/A	N/A
Wimberley MonoGimbal	Check Price	Check Price	N/A	A gimbal for your monopod! Read the full review here.
Platypod Max	Check Price	Check Price	N/A	Read the full review here.

Much of my support equipment comes from Really Right Stuff. Over the years I have owned all of their heads for one purpose or another, so I wrote an extensive RRS ballhead and gimbal guide to compare them all. I also wrote a specific gimbal guide that talks in detail about the unique side mount design of the RRS PG-02 gimbal because people continually have questions about that. After that, I wrote an extensive guide to the entire range of Really Right Stuff Tripods. In the tripod guide you’ll learn more about why I chose the specific tripod that I did for most of my work (TVC-24L Mk2).

After spending some time with a prototype version of the Peak Design Travel Tripod on a trip to the Arctic in 2019, I then went on to purchase the carbon version of that tripod to add to my kit when it became available in 2020. It’s a very impressive piece of kit and has been serving me well when I want to carry a second tripod on my pack alongside my primary tripod. Sometimes that is useful for shooting a simultaneous second angle, and sometimes I’m using it to take high quality ‘selfies’ of me working, either for tutorial content, or marketing material for several industry brands that I work with. Peak Design also make a wide variety of accessories for this tripod, which I have detailed here: Best Accessories for the Peak Design Travel Tripod.

In terms of ball heads, while I still own several RRS heads I have also added an Acratech GXP ball head to my kit. You should definitely have a read through my Acratech GXP review to find out why I love it so much, and why it is the most used ball head in my collection at the moment.

For tripod gimbals, I have really been enjoying the Katana Junior gimbal from ProMediaGear. You can read the full Katana Junior gimbal review here to find out why this will be my recommended gimbal for pretty much everyone from now on. At the moment I’m still keeping my RRS gimbal, perhaps out of sentimentality for all the adventures I have had with it, but the quality/weight/price combination of the Katana Jr. is making this harder and harder to justify.

As for monopod heads, I have transitioned to the Wimberley MonoGimbal which is a unique and incredibly awesome mini gimbal head. There’s not else like it on the market! You can read the full Wimberley MonoGimbal review here.

Lighting

Gear	B&H Photo	Amazon
Elinchrom ELB 400	Check Price	Check Price
Elinchrom Quadra HS Head	Check Price	Check Price
Einchrom Skyport Pro wireless trigger	Check Price	Check Price
Elinchrom Quadra 7" Reflector	Check Price	Check Price
Elinchrom Quadra Reflector Adapter MkII	Check Price	Check Price
Elinchrom High Performance Reflector	Check Price	Check Price
Elinchrom 10m Quadra Extension Cable	Check Price	Check Price
Canon 600EX RT	Check Price	Check Price
Canon ST-E3 RT	Check Price	Check Price
2 x Pocketwizard PLUS III	Check Price	Check Price
Westcott Collapsible Beauty Dish	Check Price	Check Price

These days I don’t do a huge amount of flash work, but throughout my career I have been a fan of Elinchrom gear. They consistently make robust gear that is designed to be used in the field and not in the studio. Yes there are cheaper Chinese brands, but if you need gear that can work in potentially adverse conditions, or survive life being shipped around the world in a Pelican case then Elinchrom is the real deal. 

I have downsized from the 1200w/s Ranger RX to the 400w/s ELB400, but the light weight and portability suits my work perfectly these days.

I also keep one Canon flash with the wireless transmitter for use at sporting events when you need on-camera fill flash in poor lighting.

Accessories

Gear	B&H Photo	Amazon	Direct From Manufacturer	Additional Information
Peak Design Tech Pouch	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	The best way to organize the bulk of my accessories.
Shimoda 3-Panel Wrap	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price & Save 10% with coupon code SHUTTERMUSE10	Great for organizing smaller accessories.
Peak Design Slide Lite camera strap	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Read the review.
Peak Design Clutch hand strap	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Read the review.
Peak Design Leash camera strap	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	For when you need to go ultralight. Read the review.
Black Rapid Double Breathe camera strap	Check Price	Check Price	N/A	For when you need to carry two cameras at once. Read my camera strap guide.
Think Tank Photo DSLR Battery Holder	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price + free gift*1
Think Tank Photo AA Battery Holder	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price + free gift*1
Sony Tough SD Cards	Check Price	Check Price	N/A	Read my review
Think Tank Photo Secure Pixel Pocket Rocket card holder	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price + free gift*1	Read the full memory card wallet guide.
Really Right Stuff MTX Photography Tool	Check Price	N/A	N/A	The ultimate photography multitool.
Leatherman Free T4 Multitool	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
Garmin GPSMap 66i with InReach	Check Price	Check Price	N/A	Read the review.
Petzl Swift RL Headlamp	N/A	Check Price	N/A	Usually in my bag for those sunrise and sunset missions.
Petzl Bindi Headlamp		Check Price		Ultralight emergency headlamp
Anker Powercore 10000 PD battery pack	N/A	Check Price	N/A	For portable charging of mirrorless cameras.
Field Notes Expedition notebooks	N/A	Check Price	N/A	I'm always making notes about what worked and what didn't. You should too.
Fisher Space Pen	N/A	Check Price	N/A

*1 Click through to Think Tank’s store and spend more tan $50 to get a free gift. More details about this offer can be found here.

Most of the items in this list are things that I pack into my bags whenever I leave for a photo mission and with the exception of the big camera straps, it all fits in the the handy Peak Design Tech Pouch to keep all the small things organized. All I need to do is remember to grab it on my way out!

Photography Gloves

Glove	B&H Photo
The Heat Company Softshell 2	Check Price
The Heat Company Heat 3 Shell	Check Price
The Heat Company Polartec Wind Pro Liner	Check Price
The Heat Company Polar Hood	Check Price

I live in the Yukon and spend a lot of time shooting photos in cold weather and mountainous locations. Functional photography gloves are extremely important for me. For the Shutter Muse Gear Guide series, I undertook an in-depth group test of all the photography gloves on the market, and these gloves from The Heat Company came out on top.

The Softshell 2 is a brilliant glove for milder temperatures and cold wind, and the Heat 3 Shell will keep you comfortable well below -30 degrees with the liner. Read the photography glove guide for more details.

Filter Kit

Gear	B&H Photo	Amazon	Direct From Manufacturer	Additional Information
Breakthrough Phtoography X4 2-stop soft edge GND	N/A	N/A	Check Price
Breakthrough Phtoography X4 3-stop hard edge GND	N/A	N/A	Check Price
Breakthrough Phtoography X4 3-stop reverse GND	N/A	N/A	Check Price
BreakThrough Photography X4 CPL (various sizes)	N/A	Check Price	Check Price	Read the CPL guide.
BreakThrough Photography Dark CPL (various sizes)	N/A	N/A	Check Price
Breakthrough Photography X100 Filter Holder	N/A	N/A	Check Price
MindShift Gear Filter Hive filter case	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price +free gift*1	Read the review.
MindShift Gear Filter Nest Mini filter case	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price +free gift*1	Read the review.

*1 If you use my links to reach either the MindShift Gear website, or the Think Tank website, and then spend over $50, you’ll get a free gift at the checkout! For more details on these two special offers, please see the deals page of my site.

At the moment I’m really loving the line of filters from Breakthrough Photography. They are extremely colour neutral and the X100 filter holder is a real bargain at only $50, about half the price of some other very similar options. One thing I do find odd is that they don’t sell their full range of products on Amazon or B&H Photo like most people. Selected products to pop up in those places, but to get the full range of products you need to buy directly from their website. That said, this isn’t a bad thing as they have free shipping and some exceptional customer service.

Of course you’ll need a case of some sort if you are going to have a few different filters, and the Filter Hive from MindShift is the only holder out there that will hold grad ND filters, circular screw-on filters and 4×4 filters. It’ll even hold the filter holder so everything is packaged up an a read-to-go case. Love that!

If you’re looking to get a filter “starter kit” as many people have asked me about in the past, I would suggest getting a 2-stop soft edge GND, a circular polarizer and a 3-stop ND filter. Check this article if you aren’t sure about the difference between a GND and an ND filter, and check out this article for help on choosing between square and screw-on ND filters.

Computers and Drives

Gear	B&H Photo	Amazon	Additional Information
Mac Mini - 3.2Ghz 6-core i7 - 64GB of OWC RAM	Check Price	Check Price	Desktop machine. Yes Mac Mini is incredibly powerful these days!
13" Macbook Air	Check Price	Check Price
BenQ SW271 monitor	Check Price	Check Price
Logitech MX Keys for Mac	Check Price	Check Price	Awesome backlit Mac-specific keyboard.
Logitech MX Master 3	Check Price	Check price	Mac-specific highly customizable mouse.
Wacom Intuos Pro Small	Check Price	Check Price	Graphical pen tablet. The defacto standard.
QNAP TVS-472XT	Check Price	Check Price	Primary image archive storage. Thunderbolt+10Gbe NAS
Drobo 5D3	Check Price	Check Price	Backup of my QNAP NAS
Drobo 5D	Check Price	Check Price	Offsite Storage
LaCie Rugged Raid Pro	Check Price	Check Price
LaCie Rugged USB-C 5TB	Check Price	Check Price	Read the review
Sandisk Extreme SSD	Check Price	Check Price	Read the rugged drive guide
Sandisk Extreme Pro SSD	Check Price	Check Price	Read the review
Prograde Digital Dual SD Reader	Check Price	Check Price	Read the review
CalDigit TS3+ Thunderbolt Dock	Check Price	Check Price
OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dock with Thunderbolt 3	Check Price	Check Price	Dock+ 2-drive RAID box. Read my full review.
Motu M2 Audio Interface	Check Price	Check Price	XLR audio inputs and input/output level monitoring + headphone amplifier.

In my office I’m running a 10-core Mac Studio with am M1 Max chip and 64GB of RAM. This machine is something of a revolution for photographers. It runs photo applications at lightning speed, and is easily capable of editing 8k video. Although there is a more powerful M1 Ultra chip, that version is twice the price and delivers only modest gains in some applications. For me, the Mac Studio with an M1 Max chip is the computer I have been hoping Apple would build for many years.

I don’t tend to do much editing on the road, so my laptop only really needs to be able to download cards and run Lightroom for basic editing. For this I take the small and light 13″ MacBook Air.

I take my photo backup routine very seriously. Literally my entire career relies upon it so the setup is redundant in multiple different areas. This list shows you the drives I’m currently using, but if you want to read about the actual process and backup automations I have in place, I keep a series of articles on the site that go through this in great detail.

The QNAP TVC-472XT NAS is the heart of my backup system. It’s a truly incredible machine if you take the time to learn how to make the most of the complex feature-set.

Audio and Video

Gear	B&H Photo	Amazon
Sound Devices MixPre-3 II audio recorder	Check Price	Check Price
Rode Lavalier Mic	Check Price	Check Price
Rode VideoMicro	Check Price	Check Price
Rode VideoMic NTG	Check Price	Check Price
Rode Procaster	Check Price	Check Price
Rode NT-USB Mini	Check Price	Check Price
Rode NTG-2 Shotgun Mic	Check Price	Check Price
Sony UWP-D21 wireless mic kit	Check Price	Check Price
Rode Wireless GO	Check Price	Check Price
Sennheiser MKE-200	Check Price	Check Price
Motu M2	Check Price	Check Price

I typically don’t shoot video for clients, but I do post videos on my Youtube channel and my social media channels on a regular basis. I also take part in quite a few photography podcasts and record tutorials for various photo editing applications.

All cameras these days are capable of recording video that is more than high enough quality for web consumption, but where they fall down is the audio quality. It sucks if you use the on-board microphone in the camera! Audio is hugely important, just as important as the video quality, if not more! Rode makes all kinds of excellent microphones at great prices, and the Sound Devices recorder allows me to route sound to a camera or a computer however I please.

Optics

Optics	B&H Photo	Amazon	Adorama
Nikon Monarch HG 10×42	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price

Anyone that does a lot of wildlife photography should have a good pair of binoculars. Much like a good tripod, this is something that with careful thought and research can be purchased perhaps just once or twice in your life. Good ones can be expensive, but they last well and they truly enhance the wildlife watching experience.

Yes, they are great for spotting wildlife in the first place, but they are also great for watching the wildlife that is simply too far away to get a good photo. If I can’t get a good shot, you can bet I’m still going to sit there for a while and study the animal’s behaviour so that I’m more familiar with their motions and patterns for future encounters.

The Monarch HGs are relatively new to the market but have quickly picked up near-legendary status for the quality that they deliver at a price point that is less than half of other binoculars with a similar optical performance. I’m sure I’ll have these around my neck for my whole career.

Outdoor Equipment

Gear	Amazon	Manufacturer Website	Notes
MSR Hubba Hubba NX Tent	Check Price/a>	N/A	General spring/summer tent.
Mountain Hardware Phantom Gore-Tex Sleeping Bag (0F/-18C)	Check Price	Check Price	For moderate Arctic sleeping.
Mountain Hardware Phantom Gore-Tex Sleeping Bag (-40F/-40C)	Check Price	Check Price	For serious Arctic sleeping!
Mountain Hardware Trango 2 Tent	N/A	Check Price	Expedition grade 4-season tent for extreme weather.
Thermarest Parsec Sleeping Bag (20F/-6C)	Check Price	N/A
Thermarest Ohm Sleeping Bag (30F/0C)	Check Price	N/A	900 fill. Weighs only 18 ounces! Great all purpose travel bag.
Thermarest Prolite Apex Sleeping Mat	Check Price	N/A
Thermarest Mondoking 3D Sleeping Mat	Check Price	N/A
MSR Guardian Water Filter	Check Price	N/A
MSR WhisperLite International Stove	Check Price	N/A	Liquid fuel stove for camping in extreme cold temps when gas canisters freeze.
MSR Pocketrocket Deluxe Stove	Check Price	N/A
Nemo Fillo Pillow	Check Price	N/A
Tragopan Monal V2 Photography Blind	N/A	Check Price	Read my complete guide to the range of Tragopan blinds here

I spend a lot of my time outside, so naturally, I have amassed a fairly large amount of outdoor and adventure equipment alongside my photographic gear. There’s far too much to list all of it, but these days, the stuff on this list is what I find myself reaching for on a regular basis.

The Guardian water filter is worth a special mention. This is the new king of MSR’s water treatment lineup and it’s effective against protozoa, bacteria, viruses, and particulates. Whether you’re camping or travelling in an area of the world with suspect water conditions, the Guardian is a great tool to keep you behind your camera and not… you know… in the bushes.

I’m also loving the new Prolite Apex sleeping pad. This is a 2″ thick self-inflating pad and whilst it’s slightly heavier than the previous NeoAir pads I have been using, it’s much more rugged and simpler to deal with. It’s the first self-inflating style of pad that I’ve been comfortable on as a side sleeper.

WordPress Plugins

Plugin Name	Link to Plugin
Envira Gallery	More Info
Yoast SEO	More Info
Optinmonster	More Info
WP Forms	More Info
Akismet	More Info
WP Rocket	More Info
Social Snap	Learn More
Monarch	More Info

These are the valuable WordPress plugins that are used on the Shutter Muse website, as well as my personal professional photography portfolio. My websites are a hugely important part of my business so I spend a lot of time optimizing them and testing various plugins.

For WordPress themes, my preferred solution is Divi from Elegant Themes. There’s a reason that it is the most popular WP theme in the world! It’s highly versatile and wonderfully easy to use.

Equally important as these plugins and a good theme is a great hosting company. My sites are all hosted with Kinsta, which is a fabulous managed WordPress solution. Their support is second to none, and my sites have never been faster and safer!