The Best Travel Photography Equipment to Use in 2022

Last Updated on 14/05/2022 by Edy Ragnoli

Discover all the tools and accessories to make your travel photography easier, more efficient, and professional: laptops, software, bags, tripods, cleaning tools, and more. Here's the best travel photography equipment in 2021.

Photography is often one of the main activities you do when you travel regardless of the reason. If you wish your images to stand out from the crowd (especially if you want to use them for work) while making the process more comfortable, you must use the best tools. This travel photography equipment guide will tell you what you should use and where to find the best deals.

Travel Photography Genres

Do you love photography and visiting places all around the world? For any scenario, there's a style and when we talk about travelling, we can identify four main genres: landscapes, street, reportage, and nature photography. Each genre has different styles and requires different devices and equipment. So let's see what kind of photography you can do on travel.

Landscape Photography

Landscape photography is the art of capturing the “soul” of nature and the outdoor. A good landscape photographer takes pictures that make the viewer feel into the scene and, in some way, connected to the emotions the artist felt during the shot.

Landscape photography is broad and can include snowy mountains, colourful hills, vast lands with lush vegetation, white-sand beaches, coastlines, ancient structures, industrial or rural areas, city skylines, and so many more. All of them have something in common: immerse the viewers – and their minds – inside the picture. Good landscapes photography can create the illusion of travelling into another land.

Street Photography

It's also called candid photography and features random incidents and scenes taken in public spaces. Contrary to what the name may let you think, street photography often includes people caught on camera during their everyday activities. Street photography is rarely staged. So capturing exclusive moments requires patience and, sometimes, enough courage to approach strangers if you need their permit (especially if they are recognizable or you are photographing kids).

This photography genre is not limited to streets, but can also include scenes at the museum, coffee shop, beach, shopping mall, train station or on public transportation services. To make your street photography creative and amazing, you must follow all the good rules of composition and play with lines, symmetry, contrast, light, negative space, frames, etc. Your objective is to merge random disconnected incidents and form a whole that transmits a message.

Reportage Photography

Also known as documentary photography, this genre requires a photo-journalistic approach. In this genre, the photographer capture unique images that, more than others, tell a story and candidly capture real events. A good reportage photographer shoots powerful images to catch and convey the atmosphere felt at the moment so that the viewer can feel inside the scene and experience the event through the images.

Some examples are a demonstration on the square, concert, party or parade. Since every moment missed won't repeat, a good reportage photographer must be quick and attentive, laser-focus on the situation and participants and how they interact with each other. He/she must try to anticipate the events to be ready when the right moment comes.

Nature Photography

Natural photography is a wide genre including landscapes, plants (garden photography) and animals (wildlife photography). In both cases, you take pictures outdoor and display natural elements, scenes, and texture. Generally, natural photos are published in travel, scientific, and cultural magazines such as National Geographic.

Most of the time, natural photography focuses on the wildlife where animals are photographed in action in their environment (for example during eating, fighting or flying). This genre requires a lot of patience and the use of middle to high-end equipment such as expensive lenses. Therefore, you need advanced photography skills that an average travel photographer may not have.

The Best Travel Photography Equipment

Main Equipment for Travel Photography

Camera and Lenses

Travel Cameras

When you travel, either for leisure or work, you have many options to take amazing pictures on the go. The first thing you need is a camera. Which one is the best for you depends on many factors: your budget, taste, style, and photography genre. But the choice can be not so easy as you must consider many things: how photography and cameras work, the pros and cons of each device, and more.

I decided to make things easier for you. In this article, I explained what are the best travel cameras in 2020 with 15 models for all budgets (with all the essential features, benefits and disadvantages).

Lenses

They are also called photography lenses and are an essential complement to any camera. They are the easiest way, for a photographer, to manipulate, change, and improve the quality of an image. While anyone can take a simple photo, knowing how to use the various camera lenses can transform your picture into a real piece of art.

The lenses market is complex and vast with so many types, brands, and models. Each of them serves its purpose and which one to use depends on your budget, style, habit, taste, and type of photography. That's why photographers always carry many lenses to use with different subjects and styles.

Combinations can be almost limitless but once you know them, you can find the right setting for your specific situation. As a quick and easy guide, have a look at the following table where I explain when you should use the various camera lenses depending on the focal length and type of photography.

Main uses of lenses divided by focal lengths

My Suggestion Kit for Casual Photographer

• Camera: Panasonic Lumix LX100 II
• Memory Card: SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I Card
• Camera Bag: Manfrotto Lifestyle NX CSC Messenger Blue

My Suggestion Kit for Beginner Photographer

• Camera: Sony A6400
• Lens: Sony FE 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS
• Memory Card: SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I Card
• Tripod: JOBY GorillaPod 5K Kit
• Camera Backpack: Lowepro Fastpack BP 250 AW II

My Suggestion Kit for Enthusiast Photographer

• Camera: Fujifilm X-T3
• Lens: Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR
• Lens: Fujifilm XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR
• Filters Kit: NiSi Starter Kit Plus – V6 for 100mm
• Memory Card: SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I Card
• Tripod: Manfrotto Befree Advanced
• Remote Control: Aodelan WTR2
• Camera Backpack: Lowepro Whistler Backpack 450 AW II

My Suggestion Kit for Advanced Photographer

• Camera: Sony A7r IV
• Lens: Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM
• Lens: Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM
• Lens: Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS
• Filters Kit: NiSi Professional Kit – V6 for 100mm
• Memory Card: SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO SDXC
• Tripod: Gitzo Traveler Tripod Kit
• Remote Control: AODELAN WTR2 
• Camera Backpack: Shimoda Action X70 Kits

My Suggestion Kit for Photographer who Also Make Videos

• Camera: Panasonic GH5 S
• Lens: Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro
• Lens: Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO
• Lens: Olympus M.Zuiko ED 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro
• Filters Kit: NiSi Professional Kit – V6 for 100mm
• Memory Card: SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO SDXC
• Tripod: Gitzo Traveler Tripod Kit
• Remote Control: Aodelan WTR2
• Action Camera: GoPro Hero 8
• Drone: DJI Mavic 2 Pro
• Drone Filters Kit: Nisi Professional Advance Kit
• Camera Backpack: Shimoda Action X70 Kits

Lightweight Laptop

Camera Bags

Travel photography necessarily requires a bag, unless you just use a smartphone or compact camera for which your pocket is enough. But here, I'll be focusing on more demanding photographers, from hobbyists to professionals who need to carry on multiple gears and accessories. Below, I suggest the best camera bag deals for each type of photographer: “casual”, beginner, enthusiast, and advanced.

Best Camera Bag for Casual or Street Travel Photographers

Manfrotto Lifestyle NX CSC Messenger Blue

Dimensions: 29x11x20 cm | Weight: 0.4kg | Lenses: 2 | Raincover: No | Padded hip belt: No | Tripod storage: No | Laptop compartment: No | Tablet compartment: Yes

I suggest the Manfrotto Camera Messenger to street photographers, who travel with a few things, and “casual” photographers who just shot from time to time (for example, when they go on holiday for a week or visit a capital city for a couple of days).

This bag is specifically designed for mirrorless cameras and features enough room for two lenses and personal items. The top opening is large and easily accessible while the dividers are removable. In addition, a dedicated compartment can safely host your tablet.

Best Camera Backpack for Beginner Travel Photographers

Lowepro Fastpack BP 150 AW II

Dimensions: 31.0×26.0x50.0 cm | Weight: 1.8kg | Lenses: 4 | Raincover: Yes | Padded hip belt: Yes | Tripod storage: Yes | Laptop compartment: 15in | Tablet compartment: Yes

Lowepro Fastpack II series is perfect for the everyday use of most beginner travellers who don't want to give up on photography, comfort, and creativity carrying several accessories. This backpack can store a DSLR camera with up to 200mm lens plus three additional lenses or flashes, a 15-inch laptop, tablet and other devices such as a smartphone, hard drive, and headphones.

You don't have to worry about comfort thanks to a padded removable waist belt, a compression strap to secure the backpack to a trolley, a built-in All Weather AW Cover, and a mesh side pocket to hold a bottle or tripod base.

Best Camera Backpack for Enthusiast Travel Photographers

Lowepro Whistler Backpack 450 AW II

Dimensions: 31×30.2×57.2 cm | Weight: 3.3kg | Lenses: 4 | Raincover: Yes | Padded hip belt: Yes | Tripod storage: Yes | Laptop compartment: 15in | Tablet compartment: Yes

Lowepro Whistler 450 is a mid-size middle to high-quality backpack ideal for outdoor adventure photographers who love the mountain. Do you like photographing the wilderness and need to travel with all the gear required by this genre? This backpack is your choice with room for a camera, lenses, video devices (GoPro or similar) or drones, a 15-in laptop or tablet, personal items, and functional outdoor gear.

Since you like adventurous journeys, this is the bag I suggest because of its high-performance materials and technology that can protect your gear in any environment: ActivZone, Max Fit, SlipLock technologies, waterproof barrier, drain holes, detachable All Weather AW Cover, and multiple attachment points to secure heavy gear such as snowboard and skis.

Best Camera Backpack for Advanced Travel Photographers

Shimoda Action X70 Kits

Dimensions: 31x59x23 cm | Weight: 3.7kg | Lenses: 9 | Raincover: No | Padded hip belt: Yes | Tripod storage: Yes | Laptop compartment: 16in | Tablet compartment: Yes

The Action X70 is a high-end travel kit and it's one of the most resistant and spacious backpacks for professional or enthusiasts photographers with advanced skills. It's your ideal companion if you travel with a lot of gear and go for a long trip in rugged or wild areas such as mountains, the savanna, jungle, etc.

The Action X70 backpack can accommodate larger Cine, Digital Video and DSLR camera kits with lenses, drones, and more. If you are a very demanding photographer, you won't need to leave anything behind thanks to an expandable roll-top that can add 7 litres of volume to the bag. And for those who love breathtaking pictures in remote locations waiting for the sunrise, the Action X70 also makes a great camping bag. It doesn't come with a rain cover though, but it's made of water-resistant material and features a waterproof bottom panel.

Spare Batteries and Battery Charger

Batteries are an essential part of your camera and you can't neglect them if you don't want to miss your shots. What if your battery dies right when you are in front of the most beautiful scene of the day? The solution is simple: getting some spare batteries. Every camera comes with its original battery and each of them is different. But they are a lot and the original ones are usually quite expensive. Therefore, both enthusiasts and professional photographers often buy compatible batteries.

Following, I reveal to you some good battery charger sets that can save your day (and money). Although they may be called “universal”, they don't really cover all the battery models: there are hundreds of them and a one-fit-all solution is pretty impossible. But this battery chargers selection can cover most of the Sony, Nikon, and Canon cameras usually found out there.

• RAVPower NP-FW50 Battery Charger Set: Compatible with Sony A6000, A6500, A6300, A6400, A7, A7II, A7RII, A7SII, A7S, A7S2, A7R, A7R2, A55, A5100, RX10 Accessories
• RAVPower NP-FZ100 Camera Batteries Charger Set: Firmware 2.0 Sony Alpha A7 III Battery, A7R III, A9, Alpha 9, A7R3 a6600, a7R IV, Alpha a9 II, Alpha 9R, A9R, Alpha 9S
• RAVPower LP-E6 Replacement Battery Charger Set: Compatible with Canon 5D Mark II III IV, 80D, 70D, 60D, 6D, EOS 5Ds, 5D2, 5D3, 5DSR, 5D4
• RAVPower EN-EL15 Replacement Battery Charger Set: Compatible with Nikon d750, d7200, d7500, d850, d610, d500, MH-25a, d7200, z6, d810
• RAVPower EN-EL14 Camera Battery Charger with 2-Pack Batteries: Compatible with Nikon D5600 D3300 D3500 D5100 D5500 D3100 D3200 D5200 D5300 Coolpix P7000 P7100 P7200 P7700 P7800

Memory Cards

You need a memory card if you want to take and keep your pictures. This is obvious and you surely know that already. But which one to choose? It's all a matter of size, speed, compatibility, and price tag.

Card Reader

Once you get the best memory card, you need to read the content properly and exploit your card speed entirely.

Accessories for Specific Functions for Travel Photography

Camera Tripod

Camera Tripods can transform your photography adding also different shooting styles impossible without camera support. Just think about time-lapses, panoramas, traffic trails, long exposure, water flows, stars movement, and much more. Although camera stabilization systems are getting better and better, a tripod can guarantee you the best support for perfectly sharp images (especially with high megapixels).

Filters for Camera Lenses

Photographic filters are tools used in photography to create peculiar effects during shooting or to shoot in particular conditions. By applying filters in front of the lens, the sensor changes the light perception and creates unique variations. This adds value to the photo enriching it with modified colour tones.

The photographic filter is mounted on the lens and can have different types of mounting: circular screw or plate. Optical filters are built of different materials that affect their quality. They can be made of optical glass or plastic material such as resin.

You can find different types of optical filters on the market. They offer a wide range of effects. The best photographic filter for your kit depends on the photographs you want to take and on the atmospheric and environmental conditions in which you mainly are.

Here's a brief list of five types of existing filters with their practical applications (in the future, I'm going to write a more specific and comprehensive article about filters).

• Polariser: it allows you to eliminate unwanted reflections from the scene such as light trails that reflect on water, glass and other smooth and reflective materials;
• Neutral density (ND): it's a uniformly grey filter that reduces the amount of light entering the lens. It's particularly suitable for landscape photography because it eliminates the differences in lighting between the various areas of the scene you want to photograph;
• Graduated neutral density (GND): it's an ND filter with the dark grey layer distributed gradually over the surface rather than uniformly. It's mainly used for landscape photography when the environmental situation has very strong differences in light between sky and earth or vice versa;
• Variable neutral density (VND): it has the same function as the ND, but with the ability to adjust the opacity and, by consequence, the number of stop being retrieved;
• Infrared (IR): it's a special filter with a very dark appearance, almost like a highly absorbent ND. It's used to “simulate” an infrared shot.

In the past, there were also UV filters and Colour Temperature Conversion filters. But with the advent of digital technology, they disappeared.

As for filter manufacturing companies, I have no doubts. NiSi is the best photographic filters manufacturer in the world. NiSi is an Italian company that produces and markets circular screw and plate filters and optical products of the highest quality. NiSi sells both single filters and specific kits for compact cameras, lenses up to 100 and 150 mm in diameter, drones, and video cameras. Below, I show you some very interesting kits.

NiSi Filters and Holders for Compact Cameras

NiSi Starter Kit Plus V6 for 100mm Plate Filters (III Series)

This NiSi starter kit offers all you need to take true-to-life colour pictures, including a pouch, cleaning tools, and a lens cap. Here's the full list of what you get with this amazing kit.

• V6 holder
• Medium GND 0.9 (3-stop)
• Reverse GND 0.9(3-stop)
• Nano multicoated IR ND 1.8 (6-stop)
• Nano multicoated IR ND 3.0 (10-stop)
• 82mm main adapter
• 67, 72, and 77mm adaptor rings
• 86mm landscape NC CPL
• Filter pouch
• V6 lens cap
• Square filter cleaning eraser
• Cleaning cloth
• Air blower.

NiSi Starter Kit II for 150mm Plate Filters

The NiSi Starter Kit Generation II is compatible with any NiSi 150mm System holders and designed for landscape or seascape photographers and anyone who loves long exposure images. The case can hold up to seven filters.

DJI Mavic 2 Pro Professional Kit + (Plus) Filters

This kit allows enhancing your drone-taken pictures with a great selection of filters and the high quality of NiSi optical glass. Thanks to the Natural Night filter, your drone can shot low-light photos and videos and get higher quality by reducing the light pollution directly at shooting.

Camera Remote Controls

Do you want impeccable results in long-exposure photography? A camera remote control is the only way you can eliminate camera shake during shooting and grant you the best outcome, especially with high-resolution images.

You may know it with other names too: wireless shutter release, wireless or remote trigger. I prefer to call it a camera remote control because it does exactly what this name says: it allows you to control your camera remotely and shoot hands-free. Here's my choice.

Portable Hard Drive HDD

When you do long travel and shoot a lot, a memory card is not enough, especially when you take high-resolution photos and videos. You need a lot of storage space and an external USB hard drive is essential.

Power Bank

Power banks are useful equipment to never lose charge during a shot so you won’t miss any occasion of taking pictures. The best power bank is a portable rechargeable battery, tiny but with enough capacity to offer you proper extra power for your camera during the trip…and make it last longer.

Multi-Port USB Charger

Travel photography often requires the use of several devices (depending on your photography style and needs): smartphone, tablet, laptop, several cameras, drone, and more. Charging your equipment all at once can save you a lot of time and when you are on the go this is definitely an advantage.

Universal Travel Adapter

Camera/Lens Maintenance Accessories for Travel Photography

Rain Cover for Camera

Pens for Cleaning

Rocket Blower

Sensor Gel Stick

Microfiber Cloth and Lens Cleaner

Utility Tools for Storage and Photo Post Production

Backblaze Cloud Backup & Storage 

Backblaze is one of the best cloud backup and storage services available today (maybe the number one). The company offers several storage solutions, for both personal and business use, including scalable cloud storage similar to Amazon S3 and Microsoft Azure, but at a much cheaper price.

What do I like about this platform? It automatically backs up your external hard drive giving you safe extra storage at any time. With your data stored in two places simultaneously, you can keep your memory card free and use it over and over again.

Adobe Lightroom Photo Editing Software

Lightroom is a cloud-based service to edit, organise, create, store, and share your photos across all your devices. This is a wonderful and useful feature for any photographer on the go. It offers the well-known Adobe professional quality to make your pictures exactly as you want regardless of the device you use. In fact, any edits automatically apply to all of them wherever you go and whenever you do it thanks to the cloud storage at 20GB, 1TB or more.

Until a few years ago, this tool – like any Adobe product – was a pricey on-premises software. But now it's part of the Adobe Creative Cloud and available as a cheap monthly subscription plan. Instead of spending a thousand dollars (for any new release), you spend just a few bucks and can cancel any time.

It's worth a try, considering the high-level results you can get.

Photography is a wide field and industry with so many devices and accessories. What to use depends on your habits, taste, and photography style. This guide list what I think is the best photography equipment in 2020 explaining why I suggest them, the advantages, and where you can find the best deals. Which one do you use? What else would you suggest and add to the list?