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All Our Photo & Video Gear

Nikki Wynn

Nikki Wynn

— 11 min read
All Our Photo & Video Gear

After more than a decade of full-time travel and documentation (gulp), we’re pretty picky about our gear. And our camera needs are directly tied to our shooting style and lifestyle. Let me explain…

FILMING & PHOTOGRAPHING BOAT LIFE

We’re adventure travelers who live on a floating home that sails across oceans and we travel to some of the most remote places on earth. In other words, our needs are unique…but who’s aren’t?!?

We don’t consider ourselves cinematic videographers. We’re documentarians. We capture life as it happens, (guerilla-style) in the moment (not setting up perfectly styled moments).

The ongoing presence of water, sand, sun, and salt is an absolutely brutal environment. Not to mention the wind, which is a never-ending audio nightmare.

From land to sea, our camera and editing gear needs to be rugged enough to survive the adventure, yet compact enough to fit in our backpacks.

We buy the best gear we can afford, but not necessarily always the ‘best’ gear on the market. After all, we’re not working for National Geographic (but maybe one day).

CAMERAS

SONY FX3

This full-frame camera is relatively small and yet so powerful. It takes beautiful photos, videos, and the autofocus is hard to beat. Its a beast in low light and has a built in fan to keep it from overheating in the tropics! It’s our numero uno and is our best camera.

We also purchased the FX30 as a backup & second camera. I keep a long zoom on this body and the crop sensor helps extend the reach of telephoto lenses. Also the color science is the same as the FX3, which makes matching colors so much easier than a different line (i.e. a7, zv, etc).

dji mavic 3 drone

DJI MAVIC 3

Incredible quality, simple color grading from d-Log with the DJI LUT, and smooth gimbal movements. But most importantly plenty of speed to fight the wind and keep up with our boat while sailing or the dinghy when exploring. We always get the ‘FLY MORE’ combo because 1 battery is never enough. (We opted for the non-Cine version because we don’t need ProRes, the massive files would just clog up our workflow.)

DJI AIR 3

The goldilocks of drones. It boasts most of the features found on the Mavic, but weighs less, costs less and flies just as long. As always we upgrade to the fly more combo, added ND filters and the upgraded RC2 remote. We’ve just added the DJI Air to our kit and we’ll see if it ultimately replaces our Mavic.

DJI MINI 3 PRO

It packs a lot of punch in a tiny (and affordable) package. The size & weight make it easy to carry and the performance is surprisingly good. How about sailing shots…will I fly this while underway? No way! Terra firma or anchor only. Trying to land our powerful Mavic on the boat while moving at a slow 4 knots already gives me a mild panic attack. While the mini is a zippy drone, the higher the wind, the less stability and control it has. If you are looking to get shots while sailing or kiteboarding, this is not the drone for you. Go for the Mavic or Air.

nikki wynn holding sony pocket camera

Sony RX100VII

Best pocket-sized point and shoot with A MIC JACK and affordable underwater housing. It produces amazing quality video/photo for its size, has a lens that zooms super far and a flip-up screen so it’s easy to snap a selfie or vlog.

SONY ZV SERIES

These cameras are a simplified version aimed at social media video creators. Unlike the RX100, these cameras have a vlogger-friendly fully articulating touchscreen display and a quick background defocus function. From point and shoot with the ZV-1 II to the more advanced full-frame Alpha ZV-E1 (its like a baby a7s). They’re great for someone that doesn’t like to fuss with too many manual settings but still wants some creative options (AKA Nikki).

LENSES

SONY 20 F1.8 G

20mm is the perfect lens for vlogging, selfies and capturing in cramped spaces. I researched off-brand lenses that are 20%-50% less expensive, I looked at zoom lenses, but none can beat the performance of this lens. Specifically corner distortion, pin cushioning, edge light fall off, and chromatic aberrations. Plus it’s lightweight so it’s easy to take on a hike.

SONY 24 F1.4 GM

A beautiful prime lens great for that added buttery bokeh, wide enough for landscapes, and a great low light lens (hello starry nights). TYI the “GM” means its Sony’s highest quality glass. This is the first fixed lens we purchased but I’m using it less because it’s not quite wide enough for run and gun filming.

SONY 16-35 F2.8 GM

This lens allows us to get those wide-angle shots in small spaces (like our boat). It’s sharp all the way to the edges which set it a notch above most wide-angle zooms.

SONY 24-70MM F2.8 GM II

This is the best overall lens. It’s what we have on the camera 70% of the time. The new II version focuses even faster and is slightly sharper.

SONY FE 24-105MM F4 G OSS

Not quite as sharp as the 24-70 GM but it does have built in lens stabilizers and a little extra reach. This is the lens I use mostly for hiking or on the APS-C FX30.

FILTERS

VIDEO ND FILTERS 82MM

Coming from a photography background I kept trying to buy ND+PL filters for video. It just doesn’t seem to work! So I’ve dropped the polarizer and kept the ND which allows me to use the 180-degree rule to set my shutter speed to double my fps. When we upgraded to the fx3 I can set my shutter speed of 1/48 when filming at 24fps. PERFECT! PolarPro makes great filters but I found another brand called NiSi that I like just as much and costs (a little) less. I always purchase the 82mm size so it fits any lens, and I use step-up rings for my smaller lenses. I carry a 3-stop ND8 and a 6-stop ND64.

ND16+PL FILTER 82MM

For Landscape Photography I use an ND+PL. The ND allows me to use a lower shutter speed for capturing movement in water, you know those creamy waterfall shots. A must if you’re shooting outdoors in full sun or near water. PolarPro is expensive but the glass is sharp, don’t go budget when you buy filters it can reduce the quality of an expensive lenses like the ones recommended above.

CIRCULAR POLARIZER

For Action Photography I use a non-ND polarizer to cut the glare off water, glass and punch up the sky. I love the look a good polarizer gives to an image.

STEP-UP RING 67-82

I like to buy the biggest filter possible and use step-up rings. A bigger filter is better and multiple step-up rings are way more affordable than lots of filters.

ACTION CAMERAS

DJI OSMO ACTION 4

We’ve just ordered this camera for our kit. Going back to the rectangular ‘action camera’ format this camera keeps the magnetic mount that we love so much and adds a huge 1/1.3″ sensor. Better low light performance, 10-bit D Log M for enhanced color control, 160 min battery, Dual Touch Screens, Removeable Lens, it truly is the best Action Camera on the market.

INSTA360 ONE RS 1″ LEICA

For those unique perspectives and hard to capture all in one frame shots. The “One RS” has the Leica lens and I feel it’s worth the extra expense for the quality and sharpness upgrade. Only downside it’s not as splashproof. If you want a more versatile version that’s waterproof go for the affordable Insta360 X3. For any 360 camera, I will warn you they capture a lot of footage and editing can be a beast if you don’t plan!

AUDIO

SONY ECM-B1M

The Absolute BEST shotgun microphone you can buy for run-and-gun filming. Seriously, it’s an amazing little mic that quickly selects between wide and narrow recording (only works if you have an mi hot shoe found on Sony cameras). If you’re using a compact Sony camera you might consider the smaller ECM-B10

DJI MIC

Brilliant in high winds and works perfectly for Voice Over. Connects directly to the DJI Action Camera for clear audio in extreme conditions and works with most any camera or smart phone through the mic jack, usb-c or iPhone plug. You can capture audio directly to the mic as a backup, this is especially helpful in loud situations like filming at the HH Factory.

RODE VIDMIC PRO+ (BACKUP MIC)

The go-to shotgun mic for most vloggers, it’s a solid choice and the “+” version turns on when you power on the camera helping to reduce the missed audio issues of the previous version of this mic.

BAGS

jason wynn with photography backpack at beach

WANDRD PRVKE 21 BACKPACK 21L

This is our newest bag and is our go-to for outdoor adventures. Rugged, water-resistant, rolltop, and comfortable.

PEAK DESIGN EVERYDAY BACKPACK 20L

This a smart-looking, well-designed all-around backpack for photo/video, travel, as an overnight bag, or just touring around the city.

nikki wynn with ona camera bag

ONA BRIXTON MESSENGER BAG

Gender-neutral bag for when we don’t want to haul around a backpack. Fits enough camera gear for the day plus a safe spot for the iPad. Durable, water-resistant canvas and I love the double pockets in the front.

ACCESSORIES

wynns action cameras

COLORCHECKER

HIGH-SPEED CARD READER

HIGH SPEED CF EXPRESS TYPE A CARDS

Best for Sony a7S and FX

HIGH SPEED SD CARDS

MICRO SD CARDS

SONY Z BATTERY (BUY AT LEAST 2 EXTRA)

For Sony a7 and FX

SONY NP BATTERY (BUY AT LEAST 2 EXTRA)

For the RX100

ON-CAMERA LED VIDEO LIGHT

PEAK DESIGN SLIDE LITE STRAP

TRIPODS & GIMBAL

MANFROTTO BEFREE VIDEO TRIPOD

GORILLAPOD 3K PRO

You must buy the “PRO” version if you want it to last

RAM MOUNT TWIST-LOCK SUCTION

AFFORDABLE VLOGGING CAMERA

I’ve shot with these cameras and lenses, but I don’t own them. If you want a compact, affordable alternative to the full-frame Sony a7 series you should check out the a6 series and lenses. Gimbal sensor plus stabilized lenses make it great for vlogging. And since they are lightweight they are easier for travel.

SONY A6700

SONY E 16-55MM F2.8 G

SONY E 70-350MM F4.5-6.3 G OSS

Not Your Average Office (tour & work routine)
We’re showing you a side of life we never have, our floating office and work routine. What doesn’t work and why, what programs we use, who does what, and a rundown on all our gear.
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