What's in my backpack? ...
Explore Landscapes #104
I don’t ‘do’ gear reviews, but this post mentions a few items that I rate and that have made a real difference to my photography, and/or, to my comfort out on the trail.
What I carried back in 2020 … (damn that was heavy!) | © 2020 Jon Norris
I’m often asked what I carry when I’m out on a landscape photography shoot. Rather than just give you a list, I thought it would be interesting (at least for me) to compare what’s changed over the last 5 years.
I don’t ‘do’ gear reviews, but I will mention a few items that I rate and that have made a real difference to my photography, and/or, to my comfort out on the trail.
By carrying less photography gear, not only do I save weight, which my back greatly appreciates, but I also have room for some hiking essentials.
What I’m carrying in 2025 (when I’m shooting digital) | © 2025 Jon Norris
Firstly, I’ll mention a few items that are ‘stand-out’ for me and that I highly rate:
MindShift Gear BackLight Elite 45L Backpack: This was expensive when I bought it back in 2019 - but it has repaid every dollar (and some) since. It’s the perfect size for a daypack as the 45L leaves enough room for personal items (puffer jacket, waterproof, Garmin inReach GPS, Kestrel weather meter, Gerber multi-tool, first aid kit, toilet bag, snacks and water). It has a packing cube big enough for 2 DSLR or Mirrorless cameras, two lenses, and assorted camera bits and pieces. It’s been used heavily for 6 years and is showing very few signs of wear and tear. Sometimes ‘buy once - cry once’ is the right thing to do.
I’m now using my Canon EOS R mirrorless camera as my back up body. I primarily shoot with a Canon EOS R5 mirrorless camera. I love both these cameras. The R5 is paired with the Canon BG-R10 Battery Grip and a Really Right Stuff R5/BG-R10 L-Plate.
I still have the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 III USM lens (not shown in 2025 gear image), but it now only gets used for astrophotography. As I shoot with a Canon EOS R or R5, the EF lens needs the EF to RF adaptor.
My ‘everyday’ lens is a Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens. This is a great lens covering wide-angle to low telephoto focal lengths.
I’ve had my Gitzo GT2543L Mountaineer Series 2 Carbon Fiber Tripod (Long) for over 10 years now. It’s had heavy use, and it’s showing only light signs of wear and tear. I chose the Long version as it’s height (without using the center column( is 6 ft 3 inches, and it weighs only 3.8 lb (without tripod head). This was definitely a ‘buy once - cry once’ purchase.
Soon after my 2020 gear photo, I replaced my Gitzo ball head (have I ever mentioned that I hate ball heads?) with an Acratech Long Lens Head plus an Acratech Leveling Base. This was one of the best decisions and made me fall in love with shooting on a tripod. Leveling the head is a breeze and I the pan and tilt head just works so well for landscape photography.
Another change I’ve made since 2020 is moving from Lee to Nisi filters. The filters that I use for my landscape photography are:
Nisi V7 100mm Filter Holder with Nisi True Color NC Circular Polarizer
Nisi 100mm IR ND Filters - ND8 3 Stop, ND64 6 Stop, and ND1000 10 Stop
Nisi
Natural Night Filter (Light Pollution Filter)
Next, I’ll mention a few items that no longer have a place in my backpack:
Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM lens. This was a nice lens but it just didn’t have the ‘reach’ for landscape photography—and consequently it got very little use.
DJI Gimbal, Canon GPS Receiver, USB battery pack, iPad, remote intervalometer, AA and AAA battery pouches, Gnarbox 2.0 SSD Rugged Backup Devices, and the Princeton Tec Apex Pro LED Headlamp.
What gets added in 2025 (when I’m shooting film) | © 2025 Jon Norris
I recently got back into film photography, so my digital gear is sometimes replaced with my medium format gear:
Mamiya RZ67 Pro II medium format 6x7 film camera.
Mamiya-Sekor Z 110mm f/2.8-f/32 lens.
Mamiya RZ67 120 film backs (two)
Mamiya RB67 dual release (mirror lockup and shutter release)
Keks KM02 Light Meter
Tiffen color filters for black and white photography
Hoya 72mm circular polarizer and ND4 filters
A few other ‘random’ items that I rate:
Sensei 62-77mm Filter Wrenches (not shown but I carry one in each of the screen-in filter pouches. These plastic filter wrenches will help you unscrew filters that have been overtightened or are cross-threaded on the end of your lens.
Freehands Men’s Stretch Thinsulate Gloves (not shown - but in my backpack lid for much of the year). These gloves have fold down flaps for your thumbs and index fingers, which makes it easy to operate your camera while still wearing the gloves. As I spend much of my time shooting in SoCal the gloves are warm enough to be used throughout the winter.
Think Tank Photo Airport International V2.0 Carry On (link is for the V3.0 as the V2.0 isn’t sold anymore). When I’m flying I’ll typically pack my rucksack (empty) in my checked-in luggage, and put all my camera gear into this rolling camera bag. I’ve had one since 2012 - and it’s still going strong.
Think Tank Photo Airport International V2.0 Carry On | © Jon Norris
That’s all from me today. I’m getting ready for the 29 Palms Art Gallery Holiday Arts & Crafts Faire, which is happening tomorrow (Sunday, November 30th). I’ll be displaying (and hopefully selling) some of my landscape photography fine art prints and greeting cards.
If you’re in SoCal, please do stop by and say hello, it would be great to meet you. You’ll find the 29 Palms Art Gallery at 74055 Cottonwood Dr, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277. The fair is on from 10am to 3pm.
