My Approach to Gear in 2025
As a travel photographer, I’m constantly assessing whether my kit still fits my creative needs. Compounded by the fact I have to lug my kit between airports, train stations, hotels, city streets, and out in the field, I’m selective about what I take with me on trips and assignments. After summarizing my kit, I’ll dive into a few gear-centric topics. Full disclosure, I’m not sponsored by any of these brands - I use and invest in the systems and tools that work best for me.
In this blog post, I’ll cover:
A written overview of my kit, visually highlighted on my Gear page
Why I’m not changing my kit much in 2025, fighting gear creep & the urge to switch systems
New gear I’m excited about & how it furthers my creative goals
What I want to invest in next & why
Overview of my Kit
I’ve been using Fujifilm cameras since 2022. The Fuji journey began with the X-T4 & X-S10 for my “A” and “B” bodies as well as the SIGMA 18-50mm f/2.8, 56mm f/1.4, and Fuji XF 35mm f/2. Since then, I’ve traded in the X-T4 for the X-T5, added the X100V, and picked up the SIGMA 10-18mm f/2.8 for wide angle and the Fuji XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 for a long telephoto. Other tools I use to capture photos and videos include the iPhone 15 Pro Max, DJI Osmo Pocket 3, and the DJI Mini 4 Pro Drone.
To properly transport and organize my gear, I have a few different bags. My main camera/laptop bag is the Peak Design Everyday Backpack 20L V2. The main bag is complemented by two more sling-style bags: an Arc’teryx messenger and a Uniqlo shoulder bag. Between these three bags, I use a Peak Design Camera Cube V2 Small to make a quick access setup for my X-T5, X100V, and a spare lens I plan to use that day. Other lenses and the X-S10 backup body are wrapped in Domke padded wraps. A lightweight setup for me would be the Arc or Uniqlo sling with the Cube inside, otherwise the Cube is packed into one half of the Backpack, leaving another half for more kit.
When I’m on the go, I’ll keep the camera I’m actively using on either a Peak Design Slide Lite, Leash, or Wrist Cuff, depending on the situation. If I need both hands free, I might clip a camera to my backpack using the Peak Design Capture Clip system. When I need a tripod, depending on the scene and available space, I’ll use either the Manfrotto Pixi Mini or the Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod. I keep a few filters handy to protect my lenses, reduce glare, bring down exposure, or create a mist effect - depending on what I’m trying to create. Other than the PolarPro Everyday Filter for the X100V, I use a K&F concept magnetic system for all of my other lenses, which includes UV, ND, CPL, and Mist Filters. For recording audio, I use the DJI Mic (1st Gen.) kit with the 2 TX and 1 RX. Finally, to keep track of my odds-and-ends, misc. accessories, cables, and SD cards, I have a cable organizer from Amazon, the Peak Design Tech Pouch Small, and an SD card case from JJC.
Why I’m Not Changing Much in 2025
I know it’s pretty cliche to say “less is more”, but this mantra rings true for me this year. After traveling for almost six months last year, flying over eighty thousand miles, walking four million steps, and taking thousands of photos, I had ample opportunity to test the setups that got me results and were comfortable to carry. Based on my Lightroom data from 2024, I could see which kit was used on images that I actually edited, posted, or delivered to clients. Anecdotally, I can recall situations where I reached for certain tools over others, as well as situations where pieces of the kit stayed in the hotel or even back at home for the duration of a trip. Most importantly though, I’ve reflected on which areas of my kit were weaker, and since invested in tools to improve my creative capabilities.
Fighting “Gear Creep” and the temptation to “Switch Systems”
Thanks to the increasing prevalence of social media in our daily lives, there’s been an exploding interest in content creation, photography, and videography, directly resulting in folks looking to buy camera gear. It feels like every major camera or imaging company is releasing new tech at a breakneck pace. While most of these products are “evolutionary” rather than “revolutionary” it can still be tempting to pick up the latest and greatest. Even if it won’t make a huge impact on your workflow or the images you create, the itch to upgrade can be hard to ignore. I know the feeling well, especially since I use two cameras released in 2020 and one from 2022. However, the more time I spend studying the settings of my current gear, learning new photography techniques, traveling to new places, improving my editing workflow, refining my colors, and overall just enjoying the gear I’m grateful to have, that “gear creep” tends to fade.
Alongside gear creep, there’s been a lot of photographers and creatives on social media discussing switching systems (e.g. selling all Fujifilm or Nikon gear and moving to Sony or Canon, vice versa, etc.). As a Fujifilm user, I hear a lot about this! For some, the lack of industry-leading autofocus on Fujifilm cameras does aversely affect their workflow, results, and therefore, their businesses or enjoyment. For pros, I’m talking specifically about people who shoot fast-moving subjects like sports, street scenes with a lot of activity, or dynamic portraits. Then for hobbyists, there’s plenty of people who would rather have a camera that can intelligently focus for them. Alongside autofocus, there’s folks debating Full Frame versus APS-C. While there’s merit to the benefits of full frame sensors, and I’ve generally enjoyed testing cameras like the Canon R6 and Sony A7RIV, I don’t personally feel like it would help me create images that I can’t with my current kit.
Here’s what I love about my current setup:
Lightweight bodies and lenses with good overall construction. My “Made in Japan” X100V in particular is rock-solid.
Great image quality, especially on the X-T5’s 40MP sensor. The 26MP files are easy to enlarge with super-resolution tools in Lightroom. De-noise software is incredible in 2025.
Fujifilm color science. I’ve cut my editing time down immensely over the years thanks to great base colors.
Cost-effective. The bodies and lenses are all a fraction of Full-Frame prices. Also, great 3rd party lens selection.
Retro styling & attractive, yet practical. Although cameras are tools, it helps when you enjoy using them. This directly results in carrying them more often, leading you to create more images. The more images you create, the more opportunity to improve.
Spark Creativity + Increase Dependability with New Gear
As I mentioned before, I’ve invested in a few pieces of new kit for 2025 to up my creativity and capabilities. The two major ones are:
Adding the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. This year, I want to do more behind the scenes or vlogging, especially to document my travels. I’ve done some basic testing and color-grading in Davinci Resolve, and so far, I’m impressed what you can do with this little camera.
Replacing the 7Artisans 12mm f/2.8 manual focus lens with the SIGMA 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN AF lens. I’ve taken some really fun images on the 7Artisans, and at $150 USD, it’s a great value. But the focusing is fickle, even with focus peaking turned on, and the IQ is a noticeable step down from my SIGMA and Fuji glass. I’m really excited to shoot the SIGMA 10-18 this year, as I continue to explore more minimal compositions. The wide angle lens will help me isolate subjects in situations where you need to be close up, as well as highlight subjects in vast landscapes.
What’s Next: Potential Investments
I have my eye on a few upgrades that would enhance my workflow. Some of these would be pretty expensive, so I’ve already started budgeting and prioritizing which I’d go for first.
Investing in a larger camera bag. The Peak Design 20L is great, but just a little small for traveling with all of my gear in one bag through airports. I think something like Shimoda Designs 25L Urban Explore or Explore V2 could be a good option, with their camera cubes.
Interesting lenses. I’m always looking for ways to make my work stand out, and certain lenses can open creative doors. Other than my new wide angle lens, it would be fun to try an ultrawide or fisheye. Lightweight pancake lenses also intrigue me.
New laptop. I’m currently using the 2021 MacBook Pro 14 (M1 Pro, 16GB RAM). While most of the time the fan doesn’t even turn on when I’m in Lightroom Classic or Photoshop, I want to do more video this year, and I know the technical demands are much higher. My plan is to start with what I have and find the limits before looking at the new MacBooks.
NAS storage system. I’m currently doing most of my work off of Samsung T7 4TB Rugged SSDs, which are plenty fast and reliable. But my data volume skyrocketed in 2024 and with more video on the horizon, I know I’ll need some serious storage.
Are there other gear related things you want to hear about? Are you fighting gear creep or the urge to switch systems this year? What are you looking to change in your 2025 camera bag? Send me a DM on Instagram or Email me with any thoughts! My inboxes are always open.
Thanks for reading! Be well, and see you in the next post.
