The Equipment Checklist

The heated debate over camera equipment is a topic covered quite frequently by creators. Many say it does not matter what gear you have in your arsenal, while others strongly disagree.

I believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

The Main Idea

While certain camera bodies have more megapixels than others and some lenses of the same focal length might be built better than others, it's not the end all be all. The equipment you use as a Creator should never be seen as a limitation to your creativity.

Evolution

I personally have come a long way with the gear I have used, and that has helped me to better understand the ins and outs of the equipment I use today. I believe this is crucial for learning how to capture a scene and deliver an experience to your audience, rather than just a picture or a video. I attribute a lot of what I know about composition and work efficiency to my old setup and using it for a long period of time before I upgraded.

I still remember back when I had my Canon T7i, I was out doing street photography with a good friend of mine. At the time, he had an A7iii with a lens the price of my entire setup. I was looking at the equipment in his hands with dreams of it being in mine. He then told me "I still remember my old Nikon. I have no clue what I would have done without it." That's when I came to a realization, as I knew what I was holding in my hands was only the beginning to a passion that will last a lifetime.

Old Gear

The following photo was taken with my old setup back in 2020:

• Canon T7i
• Canon 50mm F1.8
• Hoya circular polarizer
• Sunpak tripod

(Essentially my whole gear list at this point)

Current Setup (Photography)

I have changed a lot of things since the last photo. Here is the list of gear used for a photo I took in late 2022:

• Sony A7iii
• Sigma ART 35mm F1.4
• Hoya circular polarizer
• Manfrotto BeFree tripod

The Means to an End

With everything being said, I do still believe better gear does make for better end results. A lot of the time, you get what you pay for in build quality and features, and you unlock certain aspects that some gear may not have.

However — without proper knowledge on how to use the gear you have and how to manipulate it in post, it does not matter what equipment you have. Those certain aspects aforementioned will be meaningless if you do not understand how to use the equipment you have efficiently and effectively. You will still be held back, but instead of technical limitations, you will be held back by yourself without even realizing it.

So I say get out there and forget about what's in your hands; creativity does not come from cameras or accessories… It comes from the mind.

Complete List of Current Photography Gear

• Sony A7iii
• Sony 85mm FE F1.8
• Sony 55mm FE F1.8 Zeiss
• Sigma ART 35mm F1.4
• G Master 24‑70 f2.8 Mk II
• Hoya CPL
• Tiffen Black 1/4 Pro Mist
• KF concept Variable ND and CPL combo
• Manfrotto BeFree Tripod
• Leather Wrist Strap
• Nanlite PavoTube II 6c Two light kit
• Sandisk Extreme Pro 32GB V90
• Sandisk Extreme Pro 128GB V30
• Pelican 1510 Carry case

Complete List of Videography Gear

Though I mostly covered photography above, the same principle applies to videography. I actually wanted to start making videos before I even got into photography. My first attempt at creating videos was a short skiing montage in Vermont back in 2018 where I used a GoPro strapped to my skiing pole, my iPhone and a free version of DaVinci Resolve. I went from there to getting the Canon T7i and attempting video every once in a while. From there, I got the a7iii and a cheap gimbal and continued the trial and error. With the help of Djordanmedia's courses, I got to a level I was truly proud of, and the growth continues to this day.

Here is the list of video equipment I currently use:

• Sony A7Siii
• Same lenses as photo list
• SmallRig cage for a7s model cameras
• Hoya CPL
• KF concept Variable ND and CPL combo
• DJI Ronin RS3 Pro
• Tilta Advanced Ring Grip
• Atomos Ninja V
• Angelbird 500GB SSD
• JSAUX 3FT HDMI to HDMI cable
• Sandisk Extreme Pro 64GB V90
• Sandisk Extreme Pro 128GB V90
• DJI Mavic 3
• Rode VideoMicro
• Pelican 1510 Carry case

Audio

• Zoom H5 audio recorder
• RODE M5 2 pack
• 2x 10ft XLR cables
• 2x RODE VMPR+ dead cats
• 2x suction cup mounts (one for the mic in the back of the car and one to mount the H5 to glass in the interior)
• Painters tape (to adhere wires to the car to eliminate tapping noises)

PC Setup

I currently do 99% of my editing on my desktop PC, which I custom built. MacBook Pros are an amazing tool that get the job done without much hiccup — especially top-of-the-line models. I still keep my 2020 MacBook Pro for travel. iPhones also do an amazing job with photo editing in a pinch.

Here are my PC specs:

• GPU: Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3080 VISION 10gb
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5950x
• Cooling: Corsair H150i Elite Capellix
• MOBO: MSI MAG X570s Tomahawk Max Wi‑Fi
• RAM: Corsair Vengeance 64gb DDR4 (2x 32gb)
• Storage: Samsung 1TB NVMe M.2 (x2) + 2TB SSD
• Case: Corsair iCUE 5000x