All my photo and video gear

Everything I'm currently using for landscape photography and shooting videos for YouTube

All my photo and video gear

Quality camera gear isn't essential for great photography, but it does improve your chances of capturing exceptional images. While skilled photographers can create stunning photos with basic equipment through strong composition and timing, well-designed gear provides distinct advantages. As someone with a design background, I particularly value thoughtfully engineered equipment. Experience has taught me that investing in high-quality gear ultimately saves money and frustration compared to buying cheaper alternatives that deteriorate and need replacement.

Here is all of the gear I'm currently using for my landscape photography, YouTube video creation, printing, and desktop hardware/software.

Landscape photography camera bodies and lenses

  1. Fujifilm GFX 100S II - Amazing 102 megapixel digital medium format camera. Switching to this in Fall 2023 was one of the best photography investment decisions I've made. Image quality is superb, loads of megapixels for cropping, and there's just something about its native 4:3 aspect ratio that works for me creatively. Heavier and bulkier, for sure, but worth it.
  2. Fujifilm GF 32-64mm f/4 - This was the first lens I picked up for the GFX, and it's the one I most often use. For landscape images, I most often shoot in its sweet spot between f/8 and f/16. Focal length range isn't the greatest, but they're the ones I most often use (25-51mm equivalency to full frame).
  3. Fujifilim GF 45-100mm f/4 - Some overlap with the former, but more range and optical image stabilization. Better lens for handheld shooting and getting closer to subjects. Really like using this lens.
  4. Fujifilm GF 100-200 f/5.6 - For situations when I need more reach. I don't think it's as sharp as my other GF lenses, but that's okay. Other GF primes around this focal range may be sharper and have bigger apertures, but for shooting landscapes on a tripod, this will do.

Landscape photography tripods and ball heads

  1. ProMediaGear TR344L 71" tripod - Workhorse of a tripod. Fantastic build quality. Stands taller than the average tripod, which comes in super handy on rocks, slopes and awkward terrain. Can be accessorized with a smaller, lighter Apex (half pound, in fact) and leveling head. Made in the USA too, which is rare to see these days.
  2. ProMediaGear BG50c60 ball head - Super strong and durable. When I lock down my Fujifilm GFX, it stays exactly where I want it. Large dials are so much nicer than fiddling with tiny knobs. Fits perfectly on both the standard and smaller Apex mounts on the aforementioned TR344L.
  3. Kirk BL-GFX100S L-Bracket - Essential for switching between landscape and portrait orientations. How I mount my GFX 100 to the ball head.

Camera backpacks

  1. Shimoda Explore v2 35 liter - This is the bag I use most often. Large, well padded shoulder straps for optimum comfort when hiking, quality materials and construction. Can easily remove the camera unit and use it as a normal backpack. The bag I prefer using in warmer weather. Note: Use promo code DOMINEY10 to save 10% at the Shimoda Store. (My review)
  2. Shimoda Action X50 v2 - Slightly bigger and more water resistant than the aforementioned Explore. Stores fine in an airplane's overhead bin. I prefer this bag when traveling to wet and/or colder environments. Note: Use promo code DOMINEY10 to save 10% at the Shimoda Store. (My review)
  3. Shimoda Urban Explore 25 liter - Similar design to the Explore and Action X bags, but simpler, cleaner, and more refined for general travel use and around town. Note: Use promo code DOMINEY10 to save 10% at the Shimoda Store. (My review)

Filters

  1. Maven magnetized filters - Great magnetized filters with color-coded rings and notch designs that help make finding the right filter faster and easier. Glass is very high quality with little-to-no color shifting. Use these for both still photography and video.
  2. Tiffen 82mm Glimmer Glass - I've tried many diffusion filters when shooting video, and while all do the job of softening harsh detail and blooming bright highlights, this one has the most pleasing, least obvious effect.

Video camera gear (travel)

  1. Fujifilm XM-5 - Recently switched to this for shooting YouTube videos while traveling. Super lightweight, open-gate 6.2K shooting for maximum flexibility when cropping, very reasonably priced.
  2. Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2 - There are many X-mount compatible lenses, but I ended up going with Fuji's 23mm f/2 for video. 35mm full frame equivalency (which is my preferred focal length), weather sealing for shooting outdoors, aperture ring, auto focus, and a decently large f/2 aperture.
  3. Ulanzi Zero Y compact tripod - What I use for my video camera when out in the field. Super lightweight and easy to pack and carry. Not robust enough for still photography, but just fine for video. (My review)
  4. Rode Wireless Pro - I've been using Rode wireless microphones for a while now, and the latest version is easily the best. Comes with two transmitters, a receiver, lav microphone, and (my favorite) a rechargeable case that keeps everything charged.
  5. DJI Osmo Pocket 3 - Surprisingly great little pocket camera with a large flip out screen and rock solid stabilization. Perfect for vlogging style shots.
  6. iPhone 15 Pro Max - Now with Apple Log color profiles, ProRes video, and the free Blackmagic Cam app, the iPhone Pro Max is a solid video production machine.

Video camera gear (studio)

  1. Canon EOS R5 - Now my studio video camera after switching to Fujifilm for photography. Beautiful 4K image, but the 30 minute record time limit is less than ideal. Which is why I connect and use the...
  2. Atomos Ninja V - Great external HDMI monitor for video monitoring and recording. Gets around the R5's 30 minute record time. Recording to these drives and caddies.
  3. Sennheiser MKH 50 - Professional grade condenser microphone that works exceptionally well for out-of-frame mic placements and vocals recorded indoors. Expensive, yes. But if you record voices as much as I do, it's worth investing in.
  4. Sound Devices MixPre-3 II - How I record audio from the Sennheiser microphone.

Travel accessories

  1. AER Slim Pouch - I admit, I'm kind of obsessed with this thing. The perfect EDC pouch for storing small items like Airpods, USB cables, pen, lip balm, etc, etc. Plus, its shape fits perfectly in the top pouch of my Shimoda backpacks for easy retrieval.
  2. AER Travel Kit 2 - I liked the Slim Pouch so much I bought the company's Travel Kit. Perfect for small toiletry items, plus an integrated hook.
  3. Coast PX9R Rechargeable Flashlight - Nice little USB-C rechargeable LED flashlight that's plenty bright for hiking in the dark before sunrise and after sunset.
  4. Apple AirTags - I'm super paranoid about losing keys and other items when traveling, and these help keep me sane.

Desktop hardware

  1. Apple Mac Studio M2 Ultra - Fantastic machine, plenty of horsepower for editing photos and (especially) encoding video. If I didn't work with video the Max would be perfectly adequate (I owned that model before the Ultra).
  2. BenQ SW272U - Solid 27" 4K IPS LCD display with 99% Adobe RGB coverage, matte finish, height adjustable stand, and hardware color calibrated. (My review)
  3. Calibrite Display Pro HL - The calibrator I use with my displays to ensure color accuracy and proper brightness levels.
  4. BenQ ScreenBar Halo - The horizontal light sitting on top of my display. Provides perfect ambient light behind and in front of the screen.
  5. OWC ThunderBay 8 - What I use to store and secure all my photos and videos. Not as fast as SSDs, but the drives are cheaper at this size. And because it's connected directly to my Mac and recognized as an external drive (not networked like a NAS), automated cloud backup through Backblaze is very affordable. (My review)
  6. Mozlteck Brackets - I didn't want the ThunderBay on my desk or the floor, so I mounted underneath using these brackets. Super high quality, absolutely perfect.
  7. Logitech MX Master 3S - I couldn't work without this mouse. I've configured mine with frequently used keyboard shortcuts in Lightroom, Premiere, Photoshop and other apps to optimize efficiency.
  8. TourBox Lite - I've used every model of TourBox, and the Lite is my favorite. Perfect for zooming, adjusting brush size, and triggering frequently used functions. I use it most in Photoshop and Premiere. I prefer the Lite because it's bus powered, smaller, and resists fingerprints. It's also their most affordable model. (My review)
  9. FlexiSpot Bamboo Standing Desk - Decent standing desk at a reasonable price. Rises high enough for a six-foot-four person, like me.

Desktop software

  1. Adobe Creative Cloud - I primarily use Adobe Lightroom Classic and Photoshop for raw photo editing and Adobe Premiere for video.
  2. Topaz Photo AI - Amazing application for denoising, sharpening and upscaling. (More)
  3. Topaz Video AI - Similar to the aforementioned, but for video. I especially like using this for creating slow motion footage, upscaling and improving older 1080 HD video, and stabilizing shaky footage. (My review)
  4. DxO PureRAW 4 - Incredible raw pre-processing application with better (IMO) lens correction profiles than Adobe. Also helps restore detail and texture. Works well with all raw files, but especially older ones from years past. (My review)
  5. Luminar Neo - Powerful and imaginative editor with unique color and effect processing tools. I like using it towards the end of an editing workflow tweak color and contrast. (My review)
  6. Nik Silver Efex - Dedicated editor tailor made for black and white photography. Been around forever, but still going strong. Sold as part of a collection of plugins, but worth the price on its own. (My review)

Online services and apps

  1. Epidemic Sound - Music and sound effects are critically important to me when producing videos. Epidemic Sound has a huge and ever-expanding library that fits every mood and style. Affordable pricing too. Check out my current favorites.
  2. Squarespace - What I use to publish my photography portfolio. Clean, well designed templates, plus e-commerce for those who want to sell digital products and services. Use promo code DOMINEY to save 10% off a new website or domain registration.
  3. Ghost - Used to publish the site you're looking at! Ghost is fantastic for blogging, building an audience, email newsletters, and even paid subscription tools (similar to Substack).

Printers and paper

  1. Canon PRO-300 Inkjet Printer - Creates amazing prints up to 13x19" (A5+). Great color, deep blacks, connects over Wi-Fi, and the software is surprisingly decent. (More)
  2. Hahnemühle fine art photo paper - Some of the best photo paper out there. I'm especially into their Photo Rag Baryta papers for their brighter, more neutral whites. Simply gorgeous. Absolutely worth picking up a sample pack of to test out with your printer.
  3. Red River fine art photo paper - Excellent, more affordable alternative to the aforementioned, with all the same paper types for black and white and color. Also worth trying out.