LOOKING FOR GEAR RECOMMENDATIONS? I’M HERE TO HELP
Below is a list of equipment that is in my camera bag.
I have personally tried them and can give you my recommendation from first-hand experience.
TRAVEL TRIPOD
My days of lugging around heavy tripods are over. I have switched to the Manfrotto Carbon Befree Travel Tripod and have never looked back. It is solid enough to support my Fuji XT-3 with a mid-range lens (not the zoom though) and light enough to take with me without giving it a second thought. I don’t really mind that it’s not sturdy enough for my zoom lens (55-200mm) as I mainly use this lens for handheld abstracts. Everything in life has compromises and I am happy with this choice.
TABLETOP/INDOOR TRIPOD
Manfrotto mp3-bk large pocket support. It screws into the bottom of the camera replacing the tripod head adapter and is (falsely) designed with a screw that is tightened or released with a coin. I took off the manufacturer screw and replaced it with a D Ring for easy access. I love this little tripod now. I use it to support the camera on railings when shooting indoor slow shutter images.
ND FILTERS
A few words about filters. As they do tend to be pricy, It is always recommended to purchase one filter set at the largest filter diameter available and then adjust the size to your various lenses with stepping rings. Until a few years ago, the largest filter diameter available was 77mm. In recent years more brands now offer 82mm and even 95mm!. You will notice a price hike as the filter diameter increases. Therefore, it is up to you to decide which to purchase. Mirrorless cameras tend to have smaller lens diameters than full-frame DSLRs so you might find that the 82 mm or 95 mm is unnecessary for your needs. However, if you are an avid wide-angle shooter, keep in mind that filters can create a vignette on the extremely wide focal lengths, so opting for the wider diameter can help in elevating that problem if not completely eliminate it.
ND filters come in two different types of Systems, circular filters that thread onto your lens and rectangle filters that fit into slots on a holder. To read more about the pros and cons of each System and which is right for you, please visit my blog post Which ND Filters to Buy? Part I
To read about how to understand the ND Filter strength value of each brand, please visit my blog post How to Read the Intensity of an ND Filter.
I have recently switched my gear from the tried and true B+W ND Filters to the Magnetized Kase Wolverine Filters. With the Kase filters, I don’t need to fight with threading or finding magnet adapter rings. The filters are already magnetized and not only easily attach to the lens, but also to one another for easy filter stacking to accumulate ND strength. Even though I shoot with a mirrorless camera which tends to have smaller diameter lenses, I have committed to the 95mm filters as this way, if one day in the future my camera/lenses change to a larger format, I won’t need to change my filter system. The Kase Wolverine Magnetic Circular Filter Professional ND Kit provided me with all three ND filter strengths I recommend using ( 3, 6 and 10 F-Stop) along with a magnetic cap and polarizer.
NEW!!! The Same Quality Filters with Colour Coded Rings - FINALLY!
The KW Revolution Professional ND Kit
I used to hand-paint my filter rings with nail polish so I could distinguish between my 3, 6, and 10 f-stop filters as I grab them directly from my filter bag.
Now KASE Filters have seriously revolutionized the Nd Filters!
You already have your ND Filters and don’t want to upgrade at this stage.
No problem.
Kase also sells magnetic filter rings that allow you to transform your current filters into magnetic filters! The illustration below is an example of a camera lens with a 58mm diameter and ND Filters at 82mm.
View all of the Kase Accessories
Filter Magnet Rings, Magnetized Stepping Rings, Lens Caps and more!