I am fairly new to my travel blogging journey and am still finding out what works best for myself, while learning along the way. Each creator has their own preferences and suggestions, so I recommend doing some research into different types of equipment used by different creators.
This post contains mainly the equipment I use, as well a apps and some other suggestions. Keep in mind that you don’t need all of these items to start off writing blogs or vlogging. These items can be purchases along your journey or as investments. Let me know in the comments if there are any other handy apps or items I should add to this list!
Majority of these items can be found in my online shop.
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning that if you click through & make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Camera Gear
If you are new to the blogging or vlogging scene, I would just like the express that you do not need all of this camera gear to start off with! With the quality of smartphone cameras these days, you can easily start off with your phone. If fact, most of my first photos featured on my Instagram (and on this blog) were taken by my iphone 11! I still use my phone to record some vlogs for Youtube when I cannot be bothered whipping out my camera.
Camera
You will need some sort of camera if you wish to take photos for your blog (which I recommend you do!). As mentioned before you don’t need DSLR or mirrorless camera to take incredible photos, just use what you have handy. I personally use a Panasonic Lumix G95 mirrorless camera. What I like about this camera is it is very easy to use, great for beginners and has heaps of features and is compact. I’d suggest starting off with your phone and moving up to a camera, when you are ready to make the investment.
Lenses
Lenses will come later along your blogging/vlogging journey. Being very new to photography, I won’t recommend what lens you should get, as there are plenty of blogs out there that describe each type of lens in detail. I personally use two lenses. The Panasonic Lumix G vario 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 (which comes with the camera body above) and a Panasonic Lumix G Vario 35-100mm f2.8 micro 4/3 zoom lens. I use my zoom lens to take majority of my portrait and landscape photos. I do recommend investing in one of these lens as it can take your photos to a new level, even if you do not have much photography knowledge. I’ve attached a few examples of the different lens I use.
Microphone
The audio quality on both cameras and smartphones is pretty good, however if you want it to be a bit clearer, a microphone is needed. I recommend getting a small microphone so it’s easy to travel with. I use the RODE VMICRO with the furry windshield for when I am travelling and the RODE VMGRode VideoMic GO for when I am doing voice overs on my videos.
Underwater Camera
I love having an underwater camera, as I enjoy a lot of water based activities. It also comes in handy when I am hiking or four wheel driving. Without a doubt the best underwater cameras on the market are GoPros. I have just recently upgraded my GoPro 5 to the GoPro 10 and am very excited to use it! The camera quality on the 5 is pretty good (as well as newer models), but I just thought it was time for an upgrade.
I have heard some bad reviews about some electrical errors on the GoPro 9, so I would recommend looking further into this if this is the model you are looking to purchase.
For accessories I have the floaty stick, extendable stick, Dome and GoPro waterproof housing.
Drone
This is not a necessity! A drone is a great way to add different shots and perspectives to your blog and vlogs. Also if you are a solo traveller, it is a great way to get video footage or pictures without a tripod or another persons help. A drone is an investment and is definitely not needed to start off a blog or vlog. Currently, I use the DJI Mavic Pro Platinum, which is a bit of an oldie nowadays but works just fine! I will be upgrade to the DJI Mavic 3 very soon. I recommend a DJI drone as they are easy to use and have great quality.
Tripod
A tripod is always handy to have when shooting content for your blog or vlog. I recommend looking into a travel tripod as they are light and fold up relatively small for easy transport. I have the SIRUI AM-005 travel tripod and have been using this for the last couple months with no issues. What I like about this tripod is it folds up to 34 cms when packed and can extend up to 132 cm, which is great for getting those angles. This item is essential is you are a solo traveller like myself. If you’d like to find out how I take all my travel photos on my solo adventures, you can read my blog here.
Memory Cards and Batteries
It is recommend that you get more than 1 battery and a memory card with a lot of space. I don’t know about you guys but I take a lot of pictures at my shoots and it takes up alot of space! I always use Sandisk Extreme Pro memory cards with 512G and I have 3 camera, drone and GoPro Batteries.
External Hard drive
It’s very important to backup your content, especially while travelling! There is nothing worse then your computer crashing or something being stolen, losing all your hard work! I have the LaCie Rugged Mini Portable drive, 5TB. Never had a problem with these hard drives and what I love about them is they are shock, rain and pressure resistant. Great for travelling.
Apps
This is a list of Apps that I use for all my behind the scenes editing and that I have found useful during my blogging/vlogging journey. There are also a few apps added to this list that are handy for content creators.
Lightroom
Lightroom is the best photo editing software in my opinion. I use this to edit all my instagram and blog photos using my own presents (keep an eye out, preset shop coming soon!). I have the paid version, but you can easily use the free version to start off with. This app is available on smartphones and desktop.
CapCut
This is the app I used to edit all my videos of my instagram and tiktok. It’s very easy to use and creates professional looking videos. This app is free to use and has heaps of features on it. Unlike similar apps, you don’t need to pay to get a watermark taken off your videos.
Preview
This is an app that allows you to preview and layout your instagram feed prior to posting. I personally like to design the look of my instagram feed, as I believe it does make an impact to how your profile or brand looks. This isn’t necessary and alot of people have stepped back from designing the layout of their feeds as it is debatable if it matters or not. Each to their own! This app is completely free, all you need to do is log in to your instagram.
Quik
A photo and video editing app for GoPro footage. There are some free features on this app, however you will need to subscribe in order to make the most of the app. You can use this app to direct transfer your GoPro photos and videos to your phone, as well as edit using filters/color correction and much more.
Wondershare Filmora
This is the current app I use to edit all my Youtube Videos on my microsoft computer, and it does a wonderful job! Very easy to use and has heaps of features. You will need to purchases this app to get the most from it, although there is a free version with limited features. It cost me $140 AUD. This app can also be used on Apple computers.
Apple Final Cut Pro
If you are a Mac user, this i the best video editing software for your computer. I am not currently a Mac user, although I plan on buying one very soon, so I cannot comment on how good it is. I have heard impressive things and know this is the go to softwares for most content creators who use Macbooks. This software will set you back $500 AUD with a once off purchase.
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