My Essential Camera Gear: What I Use for Travel & Wildlife Photography

🌿 INTRODUCTION

Whether I’m photographing wildlife, documenting a desert adventure, or capturing tiny everyday details, having the right camera gear makes all the difference.

Over the years, I’ve slowly built a small—but reliable—kit that’s perfect for travel, beginners, and anyone who wants clean, sharp photos without carrying a huge setup.

This is the exact gear I use, why I chose it, and what I’d recommend to anyone starting out in travel or wildlife photography.

📸 MY CAMERA BODY

Sony A7 IV (Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera)

This is the main camera I use for all my travel and wildlife photography. It’s lightweight, fast, and has amazing autofocus—especially for animals and moving subjects.

Why I love it:

• Incredible dynamic range

• Amazing eye-tracking autofocus

• Great for both photos and video

• Performs well in low light (forests, sunrise, sunset)

👉 Get it here

Alternatives for beginners:

If the A7 IV is out of budget, these are great options:

• Canon R6 Mark II

• Sony A7 III (older but still a beast)

🔭 MY MAIN WILDLIFE LENS

Sigma 100–400mm f/5–6.3 (Sony E-Mount)

The lens you use matters more than the camera body. For wildlife and travel, I keep a 100–400mm telephoto lens in my bag. It lets me shoot far-away detail without getting too close to animals (or scaring them off). This lens is perfect for wildlife because it gives you reach without being too heavy. I brought this to Borneo and it handled monkeys, birds, lizards—everything.

Why I love it:

• Lightweight for a telephoto

• Tack sharp

• Great for hand-held shooting

• Affordable compared to Sony’s GM lenses

👉 Get it here

🎒 SMALL ACCESSORIES THAT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE

Over time, I’ve realised certain small items make shooting way easier, especially when you’re travelling.

My must-haves:

• A lightweight camera strap

• Extra batteries (always!)

• Fast SD cards

• A microfiber cloth

• Protective wrap like this one.

• A compact camera bag

• A small rain cover for unexpected weather

🐒 WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY SETTINGS

Perfect for beginners:

• Shutter speed: 1/1000 or faster

• Aperture: f/5.6–f/8

• ISO: as low as possible (but don’t fear ISO 1600–3200)

• Focus mode: AF-C (continuous)

• Drive mode: High burst

📘 Download my Wildlife Photography Handbook (coming soon!)

This is my exact gear setup and what I rely on for the majority of my travel and wildlife photography. If you’re looking to upgrade your kit or you’re just getting started, I hope this helps you get a solid foundation.

If you want more photography tips, editing walkthroughs, or travel guides, you can check out my TikTok or Pinterest for more.