I’m often asked what photography gear I use, so I thought I’d share a rundown of my essentials. Here’s my list of the kit I rely on regularly. Of course, gear only accounts for a quarter of what goes into capturing great images. The other three-quarters? That comes from truly knowing your equipment, spending time practising, refining techniques, and honing your editing skills.
As part of my work at 10ways, I’m always on the lookout for high-quality products and recommendations, which factors into my photography as well. From gear reviews to sharing tips on capturing better shots, my goal is to help people find lasting value. Photography is not just about the equipment but about making meaningful connections through visuals—a principle I also bring into my work, aiming to inspire others to save smarter, spend better, and make the most of their purchases.
*The article contains affiliate links, which help me fund this work.
Table of Contents
Cameras / Lenses
Sony A9iii & Grip
Combine this with almost any subject and you know you can get the shot, it’s ultra fast albeit with slightly less than ideal resolution.
Sony FE 400mm f2.8 GM OSS with Wimberley AP-609 Foot
Without a doubt the best piece of photography equipment I’ve ever owned, it’s absolutely wonderful to work with, it’s perfectly sharp, wonderfully balanced and a pleasure to use. The only negative is the foot isn’t Arca Swiss so I swapped that for a Wimberley AP-609.
Sony FE 70-200mm f2.8 GM OSS II with Wimberley AP-611 Foot
Sharp, Ultra Practical, Smooth and Lovely Bokeh, combined with the Wimberley AP-611 replacement foot for Arca Swiss mounting.
Sony 1.4x and 2.0x Teleconverters
These turn the 400mm f2.8 into a superb 560mm f4 or a 800mm f5.6, however, sharpness on the 2x does take a small hit unless it’s perfectly steady. It also turns the 70-200mm into 98-280mm f4 or 140-400mm f5.6
iPhone 16 Pro
You know what they say the best camera is the one always with you and that’s certainly true when it comes to the iPhone 16 Pro when shooting in RAW, crying shame it’s not a physical aperture camera though.
Sony 14mm f1.8 GM
With Landscapes and Astro this is my go to, it’s ultra wide so it has limited uses outside of these subjects but wow is it great.
Sony RX10 IV
It’s a few years old but it’s a great second camera for times where the A9iii is being used elsewhere (e.g. on a remote trigger) or when I’m jumping out of helicopters and size is important.
*Sony A1 II / A7RV
Whilst I love the A9iii, on occasion it would be great to have the resolution of the A1, *so I’ll probably buy the new A1 ii or a A7RV at some point soon.
Storage / Bags
Yeti Loadout 30 with Peak Design Large Camera Cube V2
Dustproof, Waterproof, Lockable, Crushproof and built to last with easy swapping of kit thanks to the Camera Cube. It would be better with some wheels or shoulder straps but overall it’s great.
Lowepro Lens Trekker 600AW II
90% of the time I shoot with the 400mm so having this in a bag ready to shoot with lens hood and body attached can sometimes be the difference between getting the shot and not. It’s a very comfy bag. It can also take the teleconverters + the 70-200mm + a laptop easily.
Yeti Lunchboxes
Yeti 3 Litre Sidekick
If it the weather gets really bad it’s great to know you have a fully waterproof bag with you, it also acts as a lunch bag if I’m not able to take one of the other lunch bags. It also attaches to the side of the Lowepro Lens Trekker.
Other Accessories
Lexar 256GB V90 Cards
The fastest SD Cards, so far these have been great and can cope with the 120fps RAW images from the A9iii well, would be good if the price could come down though. I refused to buy the Sony Rugged versions as they seem a rip off.
Peak Design Slide Strap
It’s understandable why the majority of photographers have these little red and black attachments on their cameras combined with these straps, this system is excellent.
Elevation Lab TagVault for AirTags
The ability to fix an AirTag directly to your camera strap and bag felt like a must for me, great bit of kit.
Apple AirTags
It’s insane that Sony et al don’t offer inbuilt tracking options for your gear so Apple AirTags is a good option for tracking my gear, they’re spread out across my equipment.
Anker Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank
Keeping cameras / laptops fully charged on the go is a must, having one of these instead of endless small Sony batteries works great, it will also keep my laptop going as well.
Rocket AirBlower
I’ve had the same one for over 20 years but it still works just as you would expect.
25M Cat7 Ethernet Cable
I’ve tried several remote triggers and apps and they never gave enough freedom so instead I use a wired ethernet connection to a Macbook Pro.
Small Foldable Stool
A telescopic seat capable of holding 180kg is a must for makeshift hides or long days away from a comfy seat.
Tripods / Monopods / Heads / Stability
Wimberley WH-200 Version II Gimbal and Wimberley MonoGimbal Head MH-100
If you can get the best do it, these are beautifully crafted and are such a pleasure to use, don’t go cheap is my suggestion, these are often replicated but very few come close.
Sirui R-5214X Carbon Fibre Heavy Duty Tripod
This Tripod is built like a tank, it’s ideal for static work but it’s not crazy heavy if you need to move across a vast area with it on your back as well. No interior column reduces movement dramatically. Only real negative is the legs are stiff to adjust.
Giottos GTMML 3270B 4 Section 170cm Pro Monopod
I’ve had this for over 15 years, I should probably it to a carbon fibre one with a 3-way foot but it works fine and compared with the weight of the big tripod it weighs next to nothing.
Double Bean Bag
You don’t realise the difference these can make on a trip, ideal for anyone taking photos from within a vehicle (e.g. safari / roadtrip).
Clothing / Waterproofing / Camo
Silent Waterproof Treemetic 900 Camouflage Jacket
Great jacket for a great budget price, it’s warm even at -5c and is ideal for long trips outside, various pockets and air vents, they also do matching trousers.
Treemetic 500 Longsleeve T-Shirt
To improve my ability to remain hidden but also to protect the 400mm/A9 combo these reversible camera and lens all-in-one waterproof covers are excellent.
C33 Lightweight Throw Over Hide
These are a little fiddly and actually, I was expecting much better vision when inside; however, they’re good for a urgent/temporary hide.
C80R All in One Realtree Waterproof Cover
I’ve found this far more useful than I first thought, it lives on the 400mm almost all the time which aids protection but also ensures I can suitably protect the combo from all weathers.
Software
Lightroom | Photoshop
Expensive but it’s great for the most part, a few things annoy me but overall 90% of my editing is done within Lightroom, the rest in Photoshop and some in Topaz.
Topaz Photo AI
I much prefer Lightroom but occasionally I’ll use Topaz for its ability to upscale images.
Merlin Bird App
I can take photos of birds but I’m not a birder, this app is great to be a second set of ears for when I’m out and unsure what I’m hearing.
Sony Imaging Edge Desktop
Having control of the A9iii from 25M away is superb for some shots where wildlife is jumpy, I found the wireless options aren’t good enough so having wired was the only option.
Printers
Canon SELPHY CP1500
Sometimes it’s good to just see a photo in it’s physical form and this tiny printer is ideal for that. Refills, Portable Batteries and a case can be important as well.
*Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 A2+
With fine art prints that last over 200 years this printer gives superb images. *it’s on my buy list, I’ve not actually purchased it yet currently I get my prints printed by a 3rd party.