All The Photography Gear I Use And Love

I get a lot of questions on what gear I use. I’ve spent countless hours researching phones, cameras, and accessories and I’m really happy with the gear I have. These are all the products that I use and love and hope this helps you out on your photography journey 🙂 As always, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

Phone

iPhone

I started Little Miss Ottawa with my iPhone 5, my first smartphone ever! I now have the iPhone Xs from TELUS. It’s a powerful phone with an amazing phone camera. I did look into other phones before getting the this iPhone but the camera quality, video quality and connectivity with my other Apple products made me stay. I would definitely recommend this phone. I recommend getting high storage, its a game changer! TELUS also has peace of mind plans so that no matter where you are, you’re never missing a moment worrying about data. This show was taken with my previous iPhone X. You can also now get the iPhone 11 at TELUS. 

Phone Plan with Telus

I’m sure you can tell from social that I’m a huge TELUS fan. They have great plans and they’re also Canada’s fastest network. I was all across Canada this year and was always connected. It sure comes in handy when you’re trying to upload updates from Gatineau Park or Peggy’s Cove! They also have great roaming options for when you’re abroad and I used when I was in Central America. I love their app that you can download on your photo to keep up to date on your data usage and plan. You can check out their phones/plans here. Check out their Peace of Mind plans with endless data here.

iPhone Case

The only downside of an iPhone, in my opinion, is the cost. I always invest in a good case to ensure my phone is protected. I have two phone cases:

Lifeproof Case

In my opinion, a Lifeproof Case is the best case you can get for your phone. They’ll protect from drops, water, etc. It’s come in handy too…like that time I dropped my phone in water the first week I had it. Since the case was on it was totally fine. It’s saved my phone from countless drops everywhere from Santorini, El Salvador and more! If there are ever any problems with the case they’ll send you a new one! My go-to colour is black. It might not be the most attractive case but it will protect your phone and that’s all that matters to me.

Otterbox

As much as I love Lifeproof Cases, I find the photo quality isn’t as good through the case. That’s why I use Otterbox as my second case. It has multi-layer protection and protects your phone from drops, dust and screen scratches. Buy the Otterbox Case and make sure to also get tempered glass to protect the screen. This is the case that is currently on my phone. I recently got a new otterbox from TELUS that has popsocket built in! When pushed down you get a smooth back but when pulled out you’ll get some extra grip on your phone! Most people think they’re for selfies but I actually get it for extra grip on my phone. You can see all their iPhone cases here.

Camera

Canon Rebel t6s

The Canon Rebel T6s was my first DSLR camera. This camera has a special place in my heart. It accompanied me on so many adventures around Ottawa and the world. It’s still in great shape and will now be given a second life with my sister. For anyone wondering what camera to start with, I highly recommend the Canon Rebel T6s. It’s a great price, light, easy to use, has wifi (so you can instantly download photos to your phone or shoot remotely). I recommend buying the body and lenses separately (as opposed to a bundle) so that you can invest in higher quality lenses.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Lens

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Lens is an affordable lens that takes crisp photos. I would recommend this as a first lens for anyone. If I could only take one lens (and on most trips I did), it would be this one. You can’t zoom in/out with this lens but the more you zoom the less quality you’ll have in your shot anyways. It also comes at a great price, you can check the latest prices here. This is a great shot for everything from landscapes to portraits. I took this shot with this lens:

Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6

The Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 was my second Canon lens, best used for close-ups and high-quality zoom shots. I used it mostly for wildlife shots. If you’re looking to shoot wildlife or subjects in the distance this is a great, affordable lens. Check prices here. I took this shot with this lens:

Sony Alpha A7 III

I’m excited to announce I recently upgraded to the Sony A7 III. This camera is mirrorless and packs a lot of punch. I switched to mirrorless because you’re able to get a high-performing camera that isn’t bulky. Since I’ll be carrying it around a lot I need a camera that’s lightweight but still powerful. This camera is full frame so I’m able to get a wider shot. This camera is light, has wifi, you can pre-program your favourite settings, 5 axis stabilization (to smooth out camera shake/clearer shot), high battery capacity, high image quality/sharpness, 4k video capture and more. I read plenty of articles, watched videos and spoke to friends about possible choices and this was the camera that stood out the most to me. I’m looking forward to taking this camera on all my new adventures. I bought the body and lenses separately. 

Tamron 28-75 f2.8

The Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 is the first lens I bought for my Sony A7 III.  It’s significantly cheaper on Amazon than I paid in-store (oops). This lens spans wide-angle to portrait length so it’s perfect for a variety of shots. You have control over depth of field and enhanced low-light performance. This photo was taken with this lens:

Lens Filter

I always get a lens filter. If I’m spending so much on a lens, I’m going to spend that extra bit to make sure its protected. A lens filter keeps the front of your lens protected from dust, dirt, smears, and scratches.

Second Battery

Always buy a second battery! You never know when your current battery will die and you don’t want to miss a shot. There have also been times when I’m traveling and I won’t be able to recharge my batteries for a few days. It’s always good to have a backup. Here’s the Canon Rebel T6s battery (and cheaper than I paid in-store) and the Sony A7 III battery.  

Tripod

Tripods are a great way to ensure steady shots, especially for low-light and long exposure shots. I have this 62″ Professional Aluminum Tripod. It’s lightweight, comes with a carrying bag, and has plenty of variations of you can use it (shown on their Amazon page here).

SD Cards

Just like batteries, it’s always good to have a couple. I always have one in my camera, one in my camera bag. The Sony A7 III has two SD card slots too! I usually buy 32 GB or 64 GB cards.

Camera Bag

I always have a separate camera bag for my camera. This Vanguard BIIN 14 bag is what I used for my Canon Rebel T6s with 50mm lens. Its how I carried my camera everywhere from across Canada, Europe, Central America and more! It had a pocket inside for my extra battery and SD Card and just enough room to fit my camera and still keep everything light on my shoulders. I’m still searching for a camera case for my Sony A7 III, I’ll update this post as soon as I’ve found one. I’m thinking of going with Vanguard again.  

Hard Drive

These are essential for backing up your work. I have hard drives and cloud-based storage so that I have multiple copies of my work in case something happened. The hard-drive I use is this 2 TB G-Drive. It’s for a USB port so if you have a Mac with a USB-C port like mine, I’d recommend getting this hard drive. This hard drive is fast and is able to store a lot of content. It’s also compatible with my Mac. If you use a PC computer make sure you get a compatible hard drive.

I hope you love the products I recommend just as much as I do! As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission from qualifying purchases. There is no extra cost for you 🙂