The right gear for every purpose

Photography has come a long way since its early days, and now photographers have a huge range of choices available to them when it comes to the extra add-ons that can help them extend and expand on their creative abilities.

Many professional photographers use similar digital cameras in the Canon EOS 1 series or EOS 5 series, but it’s the lenses, accessories and add-ons that will be specific to each photographer based on the kind of work they do. Here’s a guide to what professional photographers in different fields say about what’s in their camera bag.





LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY





Landscape photography is serious outdoor business, and photographers need durable equipment to help them brave Mother Nature. Jackie Ranken is a landscape photographer who runs the Queenstown Centre for Creative Photography with her husband Mike Langford, and is known for her stunning black and white landscape shots. She loves the ultra-wide zoom EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens, which works well in low light, has extremely fast autofocus, and is weather resistant. Mike’s trusty super telephoto EF 300mm f/4L IS USM lens allows him to take close up shots, even from a long distance, with its long range and outstanding image stabilising system.





REPORTAGE PHOTOGRAPHY





Reportage photographers capture poignant images of war zones, dangerous regions and stories of human strength, struggle and survival. Stephen Dupont is one of the country’s most well-renowned reportage photographers. As he travels the world and finds himself in very volatile environments where he needs to move quickly, he needs something light with the extra ability to shoot video, and opts for something lightweight such as the Canon 5D Mark II. "I travel to extreme places and the camera is very reliable," he says. He’s also a big fan of compact digital cameras, and keeps his Canon G12 compact camera with him at all times.





PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY





Taking people’s portraits is an intimate art which requires the right tools to get up close and personal. Graham Monro is one of the country’s best wedding and portrait photographers who’s been using Canon gear for over 27 years. He opts for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II ("I have 4 of these," he says) due to its lightweight and easy-to-carry body, which makes it perfect for carrying around at weddings or getting the precision of a portrait shot. For lenses, he loves the EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro, which is lightweight and allows for beautiful background blur and dreamy, detailed portraits.





TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY





Everyone loves taking photos of their travels, but professional travel photographers take things to the next level. Often involved in commercial work for tourism companies, travel photographers must get the perfect shot every time, so they need the reliable equipment to do so. Pros opt for top-of-the-range professional models of EOS digital SLR cameras. Travel photographer Chris McLennan also loves lenses such as the Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye for super wide landscapes and superb special-effect shots.





SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY





Jumping in to the excitement head first, sports photographers need high-speed lenses and good quality equipment to literally capture all the action. Mark Horsburgh, a professional motorsport photographer, needs something as specialised as the super telephoto EF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM lens, which he says he uses about 70% of the time when shooting.





ADVERTISING PHOTOGRAPHY





When you think advertising photography, you may think standing around in a studio all day, but you wouldn’t be entirely correct – advertising photography can be extreme, with photographers shooting on-location for things like tourism companies or car manufacturers. Automotive photographer Urs Buhlman frequently finds himself in harsh conditions, so needs something durable. He loves the EF 135mm f/2.0 L USM lens for its superb image quality, even to the very edges of the photo.