Dan’s Current Gear List

People are always interested in the gear that I use to create my images. Below is a detailed list of all the most important items that get regular use. If it’s on the list, it’s something I use myself and would recommend. There are even a few deals on some of the items that come from brands that support my work.

Cameras

Gear	Purpose	B&H	Amazon	Adorama	Moment
Sony a1	Primary camera	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Sony a9 II	Backup camera	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Sony a7S III	Video and low-light camera	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
GoPro Hero 9 Black	Blog content	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price

Since switching from Canon several years ago, my Sony system has grown and evolved. Currently, my primary camera is the astonishingly powerful Alpha 1. The a1 delivers everything I have ever wanted in a camera. For the first time, I wasn’t forced to choose between speed and resolution. The 50MP sensor has exceptional dynamic range, and the 30fps shooting speed is paired with an incredible focus system. This is by far the best camera I have ever owned. A real do-it-all workhorse that Sony has somehow managed to pack into a small mirrorless body. It even shoots 8K video.

I also own an a7S III which primarily gets used for video work, time-lapse work and as the studio camera for my content creation on the Shutter Muse website. This is a powerful little camera, and although it only has a 12MP sensor, it is 12 of the very best megapixels you could ever hope for.

My third camera is an a9 II. This used to be my primary camera until the launch of the a1. Now it makes a fine backup camera, and mostly lives in my bag on trips where I need a second pro-level camera in case of a malfunction in the a1.

Last, and yeah, probably least, is a GoPro Hero 9 Black. This is just a fun little camera that I sometimes use for video content on social media. It’s a huge step up from my old Hero 5, and I love the front-facing screen.

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Lenses

Gear	B&H	Amazon	Adorama	Moment
Sony 20mm f/1.8 G	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III for E-Mount	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Sony 1.4x Extender	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
Sony 2.0x Extender	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
Sigma 14mm f/1.8 ART	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
Sigma MC-11 Adapter	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price

The lens list if fairly self-explanatory, but there are a few things I want to flag. Firstly, the Sony 200-600mm G lens is one of the best value lenses on the market from any manufacturer. It is stunningly sharp, and Sony should probably be charging a lot more money for it! This lens alone, is a reason that some people should consider a switch to Sony. It’s that good!

Another notable lens is the small and relatively cheap Sony 20mm f/1.8 G. This lens is as sharp as a GM lens, and has several characteristics that I actually prefer over the more expensive 24mm GM. I find myself using this lens a lot for landscapes, astrophotography and for photographing the Northern Lights.

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Camera Bags

Bag	B&H	Amazon	Adorama	From Manufacturer
MindShift BackLight Elite 45L	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price *1 Gift
MindShift FirstLight 40L	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price *1 Gift
Think Tank Retrospective 30 V2	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price *1 Gift
Think Tank Logistics Manager 30	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price *1 Gift
Think Tank ShapeShifter 15 V2	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price *1 Gift
Shimoda Action X70	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price *2 Deal
Gura Gear Kiboko V2 30L	Check Price	Check Price	N/A	Check Price
Gura Gear Kiboko V2 22L	Check Price	Check Price	N/A	Check Price
Gura Gear Kiboko V2 16L	Check Price	Check Price	N/A	Check Price
Gura Gear Chobe V2	N/A	N/A	N/A	Check Price
Moment Sling Bag	N/A	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price

*1 – Think Tank Photo Deal – If you use my links to purchase a Think Tank or MindShift product over $50, you’ll get a free gift at the checkout! For more details on these two special offers, please see the deals page.

*2 – Shimoda Deal – You can use the coupon code SHUTTERMUSE10 to save 10% on all Shimoda products when purchased from their online store.

I’m constantly testing and review new bags on Shutter Muse, so this list can be somewhat variable, but it does encompass all of the brands that I think are currently doing the best job at designing gear for outdoor photographers.

Think Tank Photo and their sub-brand MindShift Gear are well-known for their quality and durability. The BackLight Elite is a particular favourite of mine, and I wouldn’t look anywhere else when it comes to carry-on rollers for photo gear.

Gura Gear’s backpacks have a unique butterfly opening design. When it comes to carrying long lenses for wildlife work, there’s nothing that works as well as this. The bags are built from light but durable sailcloth, and for those times when ease of access to camera gear is a priority for me, I usually reach for one of these.

Shimoda are another great brand that is focussing on the outdoor market. With a 70L volume, the Action X70 backpack is the largest photo pack on the market right now. I keep this pack in my closet for those days when I need to carry everything, including the kitchen sink.

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Lighting

	B&H	Amazon	Adorama
Elinchrom ELB 400	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Elinchrom Quadra HS Head	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Elinchrom Skyport Pro wireless trigger	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Elinchrom Quadra 7″ Reflector	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Elinchrom Quadra Reflector Adapter MkII	Check Price	N/A	Check Price
Elinchrom High-Performance Reflector	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Elinchrom 10m Quadra Extension Cable	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
2x Pocketwizard PLUS III	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Elinchrom Snaplux Softboxes	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
3x Godox UL150 COB Lights	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price

I have used Elinchrom flash gear my whole career. Their battery packs and flash heads are always built to withstand harsh outdoor conditions, which suits my still photography work perfectly. For video lighting, I’m using powerful Godox COB lights which can be mains powered in my studio or powered by V-Mount batteries for use in outdoor locations.

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Tripods and Tripod Heads

Gear	Purchase Link
Really Right Stuff TFC-24L MkII tripod	Check Price
Really Right Stuff Ascend-14L tripod	Check Price
Really Right Stuff TFA-01 Ultra tripod	Check Price
Really Right Stuff BH-55 ball head	Check Price
Really Right Stuff BH-40 ball head	Check Price
Really Right Stuff BH-30 ball head	Check Price
Really Right Stuff PG-02 gimbal	Check Price
Really Right Stuff BC-18 micro ball head	Check Price
Acratech GXP ball head	$445
ProMediaGear Katana Jr. gimbal	$649.95
Peak Design Travel Tripod	$349/$599 *1 Deal

*1 – Peak Design Deal – I have had a close relationship with Peak Design for many years. They kindly offered a special deal to my readers but asked me not to publicly share the details. If you want to know what the deal is, click here.

Most of my support equipment comes from Really Right Stuff. They continually produce the finest carbon tripods and machined aluminium heads on the planet.

Over the years, I have owned all of their heads for one purpose or another, so I wrote an extensive Really Right Stuff ball head and gimbal guide to compare them. I also wrote a Really Right Stuff tripod guide and a specific gimbal buying guide that talks in detail about the unique side-mount design of the RRS PG-02 gimbal. People are always asking me about that one.

My primary tripod is the TFC-24L Mk II which is one of their tallest tripods. I’m only 5ft9″, but a tall tripod allows you to have a long downhill leg when you’re shooting on a slope, and still keep the camera at eye level. Honestly, buying a tall tripod was one of the best gear decisions I ever made!

The three non-RRS items on the list are the Acratech GXP ball head, the Peak Design Travel Tripod and the ProMediaGear Katana Jr. gimbal. All of these items are in my kit because they are smaller or lighter than their equivalent RRS products. I often choose them when weight is going to be a concern, or in the case of the PD Travel tripod, I carry it alongside an RRS tripod when I need two tripods for that day. Read my Acratech GXP review, my Peak Design Travel Tripod review or my ProMediaGear Katana Jr review for more details on those

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Accessories

Gear	B&H	Amazon	Adorama	From Manufacturer (Best)
Peak Design Tech Pouch	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price *3 Deal
Shimoda Panel Wraps	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price *2 Deal
Shimoda Accessory Pouch	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price *2 Deal
Think Tank Secure Pixel Pocket Rocket Card Holder	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price *1 Gift
Think Tank AA Battery Holder	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price *1 Gift
Think Tank Camera Battery Holder	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price *1 Gift
Really Right Stuff MTX Tool	Check Price	N/A	N/A	N/A
Peak Design Slide Lite Camera Strap	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price *3 Deal
Leatherman Free T4	Check Price	Check Price	N/A	N/A
Field Notes Expedition notebooks	N/A	Check Price	N/A	N/A
2x Sony Bluetooth Camera Remote	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
Biolite Headlamp	N/A	Check Price	N/A	Check Price
4x Sony TOUGH CFexpress 160GB Cards	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
10x Sony TOUGH 64GB+128GB SDXC Cards	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
ProGrade Digital CFexpress/SDXC Dual Slot Card Reader	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
BioLite Charge PD 80 USB Battery Pack	N/A	Check Price	N/A	Check Price

*1 – Think Tank Photo Deal – If you use my links to purchase a Think Tank or MindShift product over $50, you’ll get a free gift at the checkout! For more details on these two special offers, please see the deals page.

*2 – Shimoda Deal – You can use the coupon code SHUTTERMUSE10 to save 10% on all Shimoda products when purchased from their online store.

*3 – Peak Design Deal – I have had a close relationship with Peak Design for many years. They have offered a special deal to my readers but asked me not to publicly share the details. If you want to know what the deal is, click here.

Accessories need to be organized and carried. I use the Peak Design Tech Pouch to organize items in my office, and in my travel bags when I’m on the road. Its larger size means that it’s great for those items that need to come with you on a trip, but don’t necessarily need to be with you in the field every day. It’s perfect for your cables, hard drives, card readers and battery chargers.

For those items that need to be in my bag alongside the lenses and cameras, I use the very versatile Panel Wraps from Shimoda Designs. These come in a variety of different sizes, and the clear plastic windows show you what you have stored in each of the internal sections. Their flat folded shape also makes them easy to slide into the larger pockets found in the front of most camera packs.

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Filter Kit

Gear	Amazon	Adorama	From Manufacturer
Breakthrough Photography X4 2-stop soft edge GND	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Breakthrough Photography X4 3-stop hard edge GND	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Breakthrough Photography X4 3-stop reverse GND	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
BreakThrough Photography X4 CPL (various sizes)	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
BreakThrough Photography Dark CPL (various sizes)	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Breakthrough Photography X100 Filter Holder	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
MindShift Gear Filter Hive filter case	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price *1 Gift
MindShift Gear Filter Nest Mini filter case	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price *1 Gift

*1 – Think Tank / MindShift Deal – If you use my links to purchase a Think Tank or MindShift product over $50, you’ll get a free gift at the checkout! For more details on these two special offers, please see the deals page.

Every photographer should have a circular polarizer. The best one out there is the Breakthrough Photography X4 CPL. You only have to look at these CPL examples to see just why this is such an important filter. I’m also a huge fan of the Breakthrough 6-stop Dark CPL. This combines a 6-stop ND filter with a circular polarizer. If I could only have two filters, those would be the ones. If I could only have three, I’d add their 2-stop soft graduated ND. This can be carried in the MindShift Filter Hive, along with a filter holder and some step rings.

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Computer and Backup

Gear	B&H	Amazon	Adorama	From Manufacturer
QNAP TVC-472XT	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
Many Seagate IronWolf Drives	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
Drobo 5D3	Check Price	Check Price	N/A	N/A
OWC Elektron SSDs	Check Price	Check Price	N/A	Check Price
BlackMagic Resolve Speed Editor	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
Wacom Intuos Pro M	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
Logitech MX Master 3	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
Logitech MX Keys	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A

The heart of my backup system is the Thunderbolt-enabled QNAP TVC-472XT. Currently I have it populated with 48TB of Seagate IronWolf drives, but this can be expanded as needed. The drive connects to my main computer over Thunderbolt, but also has a 10GbE connection to my home network so that I can access it via my laptop from other rooms in my house.

I use the applications on the NAS to control several different backup routines, including cloning the whole NAS to a Drobo 5D3 every night to give me a backup. Now that I have a bit more experience with QNAP NAS systems, I plan to replace my Drobo with another QNAP NAS in the near future. These things are awesome!

On the road, I’m using the OWC Elektron drives. They are incredibly robust, blazingly fast and also very good value. A pair of 2TB drives takes up very little room in my bag, or even my pocket!

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Audio

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Gear	B&H	Amazon	Adorama	Moment
Sound Devices MixPre-3 II	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
Rode NTG2	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
Rode VideoMic NTG	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Sennheiser MKE200	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	N/A
Tentacle Track E	Check Price	N/A	Check Price	N/A
2x Tentacle Sync E	Check Price	N/A	Check Price	N/A
LOM MicroUSI Pro	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

The MixPre-3 mixer/recorder is always in my kit. Whether it’s for field recording the sounds of nature, capturing crisp audio for a podcast or strapped to my camera for video production. It’s both a high-quality 32-bit float recorder and a 5-channel mixer.

The microphones on this list are all industry standards for their particular uses. This is, except for the LOM MicroUSI Pro. This is a matched pair of microphones for stereo field recording. These mics perform particularly well when recording very subtle, quiet sounds. The only issue is that they are sold directly by the guy that makes them, and he makes very few of them every year. When some do appear on his online store, they generally sell out in 2-3 minutes! They are awesome if you can get them, and I’m very thankful to have a pair in my kit.

The Tentacle Sync and Track devices are also amazing if you want a multi-cam video shoot with wireless timecode sync to cameras and a separate audio device.

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