Before I discuss my advice with you I want you to know I am an avid outdoors professional photographer. It is indeed my passion and the reason for me to arise at 4 AM every Saturday rather than going out with friends.
Exploring the outdoors with cameras represents a challenge and a risk. No matter what equipment you choose to take you will need to deal with it for the next several hours, there is no backing out, so make a calculated decision and have a plan of what you want to photograph before you go on a hike. And you really don't want to carry a $2000 lens that you wound up using to take 4 bad photos.
Within the following list, you will have the equipment I usually take with me on a hike. You must evaluate and change according to your style.
#1 Your main camera along with a good, wide lens.
I will not even mention brand here. I favor Canon, you can go for whatever you like, providing you have full management of all the functions. For those who own a full frame camera, a 35mm or more would certainly do a decent wide angle, in case your camera is NOT full frame, choose a minimum of 24mm. Prime or Zoom? Select whatever you wish, I personally prefer zoom lenses given that they give me a broader creative range. With a zoom lens or two I can save space I would usually take transporting a few prime lenses, it's your choice.
#2 Ideal lens for low light scenarios
When I go travelling, I always take an inexpensive 50mm with me. They are:
It's the lowest priced lens of the Canon lenses (about $130 in amazon)
It's the least heavy Canon lens in their lineup so you will likely not tire.
Max aperture 1.8 helps it be ideal for low light circumstances as well as well suited for more creative photographs where you can play pretty well with the Depth Of Field.
#3. A Flash kit with IR technology
Always bring an external flash along with you. The pop-up flash will only make your photos worse. Here are a few of the main reasons why:
You can take amazing sunset/sunrise pictures exposing on the background while artificially lighting the forefront using your external flash.
Eliminate unpleasant shadows on individuals faces. Whenever capturing portraits under the sun, harsh shadows are made. Using a strobe or flash will quickly eliminate this nuisance.
Capture in low light without needing to extend the shutter speed. Capture during the night.
#4. Take a light weight tripod along with you.
Every single serious photographer knows the need for shooting by using a tripod. Yes, I am aware it's kind of of a pain to carry it all over, however, you can get SHARP IMAGES in return. Do you consider they are well worth the additional weight? It is a no brainer in my opinion It could do or kill a good photo.
The next occasion you consider taking a tripod with you think about all those nice photos you've you will never ever print because you know they are not sharp enough.
#5. A top quality DSLR camera bag that will protect your gear.
Today's top DSLR camera bags integrate 3 main concepts: Proper protection, Organization and convenience. When browsing through camera bags, be sure those 3 aspects are covered. Tamrac evolution 9 is quite a trustworthy option. Most may have proper protection and organization, few will have accessibility. Make an informed choice.
