Introduction
'What's in your bag?' is one of the most commonly asked questions of many photographers and vloggers who share their content online. For the Beyond Visuals team, what's in our bag depends very much on which member you ask. For this reason we'll be asking each member of the team to give a breakdown of their most commonly used products and a brief reason as to why they have chosen to include this kit in their bag. We hope that by giving you some insight into why we have chosen the equipment we work with, you can make more informed purchase decisions that will take your photography beyond visuals. So let's start with the drone master himself - what's in your bag, John?
Drone of choice - DJI Mavic 2 Pro
JH: 'I favor the Mavic 2 Pro because of photo quality and advanced flight functions, like hyperlapse and points of interest. The flight time and range of the drone are both great for capturing amazing shots.'
Drone Accessories - 6 batteries, Polar Pro Case and GND filters, and an entire shopful of SD cards
JH: 'I spend a lot of time flying, so having additional DJI batteries is essential to maximize air time. I also tend to switch out SD cards in between flights just in case, so usually carry 4/5 spare cards. For sunrises and sunsets where the sky exposure changes, I use Polar Pro/FreeWell GNDs to ensure that I maintain proper exposure. All of this can fit nicely into a Polar Pro Mavic 2 bag.'
Camera of choice - Sony A7R3
JH: 'For regular photography Sony is my brand of choice - the A7R3 is compact and light, but produces high-quality images with great dynamic range. With 42MP and great battery life, this is a camera that is incredibly versatile, producing great results.'
Favourite lens: 24-70 F2.8 GM
JH: 'The Sony 24-70 G Master is my most used lens out of the Sony holy trinity, mostly because it covers such a wide range for different shoots and environments. I can use this to get timelapses of a cityscape, or zoom in on a particular feature. Out of all the lenses I carry in my bag, this is probably the one I use most often.'
Pocket cam - DJI Osmo Pocket, Insta 360
JH: 'Small, compact and easy to set up - I usually have my Osmo capturing time lapses whilst I use my A7R3 or drone. The fact that the Osmo can create such good quality time lapses in such a small form factor is the reason why I always have it in my bag. I also use insta360 one X to capture 360 degree travelling video where no angle and moment will be missed!'
Tripod of choice - Leofoto LX-254CT+XB-32
JH: 'Lightweight and compact tripods are a must for me, and because I have a lot of things to set up I don't want to spend a lot of time sorting it out. I've used my Leofoto tripod for a while and it's relatively lightweight, sturdy and quick to set up.'
Lighting - Lumecube Complete Set
JH: 'Lumecube is a very versatile lighting set, but my main use is for light painting in combination with a drone. With the right set of filters and gels you can produce some amazing results.'
John (like the rest of the Beyond Visuals team) has a tendency to update his kit frequently, so visit our blog for updates to see what new additions we've made to our bag. Next up for a kit list breakdown, see what Martin carries around with him in the next kit list post.
The Beyond Visuals Team 