Photography gear is always improving. There are new tools coming out almost daily that can help you make better photographs or videos. This page contains my gear recommendations based on my personal experience.
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Mark’s Gear and Recommended Products
Camera Bodies
Lenses
Tripod
- Manfrotto MT055XPRO3 055 Aluminium 3-Section Tripod with Horizontal Column
- Manfrotto MH057M0-Q5 057 Magnesium Ball Head with Q5 Quick Release
- Manfrotto MVH502A 502 Video Head
Filters
Lee Filters 4X4″ Digital SLR Starter Filter Kit
Bags
Portable Flash Kit
- Westcott 2001 43-Inch Optical White Satin Collapsible Umbrella
- Hot Shoe Umbrella Holder
- Yongnuo YN 560 III
- Manfrotto 5001B 74-Inch Nano Stand
- PocketWizard PlusX Wireless Radio Flash Remote Trigger
Studio Strobe Kit
I use the Alien Bees B400 from Paul C Buff. They are inexpensive, durable, and reliable. They also have several packages available depending on your needs.
Backdrop
Other Popular Photography Gear
When spending your hard-earned cash on photography gear it can be helpful to see what products are the most popular. Using the “wisdom of the masses” you can get a pretty good feel of the best cameras, lenses, accessories on the market. The following list is uses the most popular photography gear sales data from amazon.
Popular DSLR Cameras
- Nikon D3300
- Canon EOS Rebel T5
- Nikon D750
- Nikon D5500
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
- Nikon D3400
- Canon EOS Rebel SL1
- Canon EOS 80D
- Nikon D810
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III
- Canon EOS Rebel T6i
- Nikon D500
- Canon Rebel XTi
Popular Canon Lenses
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens
- Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens
- Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens
- Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Standard Zoom Lens
- Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens
- Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens
- Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM Medium Telephoto Lens
- Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens
- Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM Telephoto Zoom Lens
- Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom Lens
Popular Nikon Lenses
- Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G Lens
- Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G Lens
- Nikon AF FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D Lens
- Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-200MM f/4-5.6G ED Vibration Reduction II Zoom Lens
- Nikon AF FX NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G Fixed Lens
- Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G Vibration Reduction II Zoom Lens
- Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR AF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens
- Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED Vibration Reduction Zoom Lens
- Nikon 70-300 mm f/4-5.6G Zoom Lens
- Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED Vibration Reduction Zoom Lens
Popular Off-Brand Lenses
- Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM FLD Large Aperture Standard Zoom Lens
- Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 Art DC HSM Lens for Canon
- YONGNUO YN50mm F1.8 Standard Prime Lens
- Tamron Auto Focus 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Di LD Macro Zoom Lens
- Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM ELD SLD Aspherical Super Wide Angle Lens
- Rokinon FE14M-C 14mm F2.8 Ultra Wide Lens
- Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X116 Pro DX II Digital Zoom Lens
- Sigma 35mm F1.4 ART DG HSM Lens
- Rokinon HD8M-C 8mm f/3.5 HD Fisheye Lens
- Tamron SP 70-200MM F/2.8 DI VC USD Telephoto Zoom Lens
- Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM Lens
- Sony 50mm f/1.8 SAM DT Lens
- SMC Pentax FA 50mm f/1.4
Popular Mirrorless Cameras
- Sony Alpha a6000
- Sony Alpha a5000
- Panasonic LUMIX DMC-G7KK
- Sony Alpha a6500
- Sony Alpha a6300
- Panasonic LUMIX DMC-G85MK
- Sony a7R II
- Fujifilm X-T1
- Fujifilm X-T10
- Sony Alpha a7II
- Sony Alpha a7S
- Sony a7
- Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GH4K
- Fujifilm X-Pro2
- Samsung NX3000
- Panasonic LUMIX GX85
- Olympus OM-D E-M10
- Olympus E-PL7
- Fujifilm X-E1
Popular Photography Accessories
- LensPEN Lens Cleaning System
- Opteka Hot Shoe Two Axis Double Bubble Spirit Level for Digital and Film Cameras
- Giottos AA1900 Rocket Air Blaster Large
- Tiffen 52mm UV Protection Filter
- Mennon Set of 2 Gray Card’s size 6″x8″ and 8″x10″, 18% Gray / 92% White
- Adorama Filter Wrench. Set of 2. Fits 46-58mm Filters
- Opteka RC-4 Wireless Remote Control for Canon EOS Digital SLRs
- Interfit Strobies Small On Camera Diffuser
- Neewer 43-inch / 110cm 5-in-1 Collapsible Multi-Disc Light Reflector with Bag – Translucent, Silver, Gold, White and Black
- Kingston 4 GB Class 4 SDHC Flash Memory Card SD4/4GB
- LimoStudio Photo Video Studio 10Ft Adjustable Muslin Background Backdrop Support System Stand, AGG1112
- Lowepro SlingShot 202 AW
Popular Photography Books
- Tony Northrup’s DSLR Book: How to Create Stunning Digital Photography
- Understanding Exposure, Fourth Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera
- Adobe Lightroom 6 / CC Video Book: Training for Photographers
- The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC Book for Digital Photographers
- Mastering Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO and Exposure: How They Interact and Affect Each Other
- The Digital Photography Book: Part 1
- Studio Anywhere: A Photographer’s Guide to Shooting in Unconventional Locations
- Digital SLR Photography All-in-One For Dummies
- Picture Perfect Lighting: An Innovative Lighting System for Photographing People
- Food Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots