Gear

People often ask what gear I use. Although my setup changes depending on the situation, here are the most common pieces of equipment and accessories I use.

Cameras:
Nikon Z7
Fujifilm X-T4 – Absolute powerhouse. Highly recommended if you’re looking for something smaller and don’t mind the crop sensor.
Insta360 One X2 – A powerful 360° action cam.
Sony RX100 series – High-end, compact “throw it in the bag and go” cameras that don’t skimp on features and are great if you have a “photo emergency” but don’t have anything bigger on hand. I have used the MKII and the MKVI, but the MKVII (linked to) is currently the only one with a must-have mic jack.

Lenses:
Tamron 150-600mm G2 – Great telephoto at a fair price. Huge improvement over the original version.
Tamron 35-150mm – My go-to when covering protests or other events.
Fujifilm 16-80mm – Approx. 24-120mm equivalent, this small, versatile lens is incredibly convenient. Also available bundled with the Fujifilm X-T4 camera.

Bags and camera slings:
MindShift Gear FirstLight 20L DSLR & Laptop Backpack (Charcoal) – Comfortable and durable. Includes a rainsleeve.
Cotton SlingBelt and bucket system – Highly recommended! Transfers camera weight to your hips when not using it, while keeping it in easy reach. Saves your neck and shoulders. High quality.

Accessories:
Ulanzi camera/phone cage – A robust metal “cage”/camera case which makes attaching tripods, microphones, lights, and other accessories easy. Does a great job protecting the phone if you drop it. Mine is for the 11 Pro Max, but they make them for a host of different models.
Smallrig Camera Cage – A must-have for mounting accessories. Helps with holding the camera, too. (Link goes to the Fuji X-T4 version: make sure you choose the right model for your camera)
OP/TECH Rainsleeve – Clear covers to protect your camera from the elements.
Ulanzi ST-03 Metal Smart Phone Mount – Used to mount a cellphone to a camera’s hotshoe mount. Handy if you are shooting stills but want to record backup video.

Audio:
Rode VideoMic Pro+ – Powerful shotgun mic. The standard microphone I use when doing live coverage.
Comica CVM-V30 shotgun mic – A budget shotgun mic that delivers surprising audio quality given its low cost.
Rode Reporter – Quality omnidirectional interview microphone. Recommended to pair with the Newsshooter Kit.
Rode RODELink Newsshooter – A wireless system for pairing with the Rode Reporter.
Zoom H1n Handy Recorder – External audio recorder which works well as a backup, or paired with the Rode Newsshooter kit + Rode Reporter microphone.


Tripods, monopods, etc.:
iFootage Cobra 2 Strike monopod – Not as compact as other monopods, but it rapidly and conveniently extends by twisting rather than fiddling with individual segments. Durable.
Acouto Extension Rod – a telescopic “selfie stick” which I use to mount my phone via the threads on the phone’s camera cage when covering events. Extends quickly and easily to get above the crowd, and makes holding the phone easy