Mirrorless System Setup for Landscape & Nature Photography
Contrary to what this article may seem to suggest, I’m not a very gear-centric photographer. But I know many photographers are, and with regular questions about my setup, I thought it made sense to write a blog post for those of you that are curious. I am a lifelong Canon shooter with an aversion to learning new technology and proprietary menus, so I have stuck with Canon for that reason and also because I have been pleased with the performance of their products.
For transparency’s sake, I am linking the products I discuss below to the Amazon listings - should you choose to purchase any of them, I’ll gratefully earn a small commission (though you won’t pay a cent more this way) ✌️
I don’t buy gear very often at all, but I did recently upgrade most of my setup out of necessity. I had been shooting with an older DSLR, a Canon EOS 5D Mark III, which was fine when I was shooting for myself. But with my recent transition to full-time landscape and nature photography, I felt I needed to upgrade so I could be working with (and selling) maximum resolution files.
My camera body of choice is the Canon R5 Mirrorless, and I typically shoot with two. I assign Body 1 to my telephoto lenses, and Body 2 to my wider ones. The logic is that by doing this, I only need a single L-bracket on Body 2, and then mounting plates on my telephoto lenses for Body 1. I am also able to work more quickly, which allows me to respond immediately to changing conditions, sudden inspiration, etc. At 45 megapixels, the R5 is definitely a huge step up from my previous 5D MkIII in terms of resolution. I love that I can now crop to my heart’s desire in post (well, sorta). I’m still learning about the added capabilities on this camera - so focus-stacking, for example - and have only used it for a short while, so I’m not going to make declarations on these functionalities yet. I will say that I feel this is a much more delicate build than my 5D MkIII beast was, which is a shame for me because I think I’m pretty hard on my gear. It took me a couple of weeks to get used to the digital viewfinder, and I’m still adjusting to the abbreviated battery life of this system - but I’m stoked that I can continue to use allll the extra batteries I had purchased for my prior system. Thank you Canon!
So I’m going to lay this out by each camera body.
Body 1 Setup
My workhorse telephoto lens is the one lens I have yet to upgrade from my previous system - that’s the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II USM. It’s older but incredible. And incredibly heavy. This is the focal length range at which I most often interpret scenes, so this lens gets a LOT of use. And since I also love to play around with bokeh and blur, this fast lens allows me to open up and experiment with shallow depth of field. I love the image quality of this lens, but it’s probably too heavy for me. It’s a beast.
A recent addition to my kit is the Sigma 150-600mm 5-6.3 Contemporary DG OS HSM. I rented this lens before buying, and I really loved having this additional reach. It’s super sharp, too, and a huge improvement in image quality over my Canon Extender I was using before. However, it comes at a price. And that’s the weight. It’s very large, very heavy, and overall just unwieldy. It’s too heavy to carry around with all my other gear, so I typically carry this when I am car-based and not hiking up mountains. But I can really indulge my love of minimalism and abstraction with this lens. I recently used it out on the glorious dunes in White Sands National Park, and I absolutely loved the images I made with it. I recommend using your tripod for this baby, though - I can hardly hold it up, let alone still.
Since both of these telephoto lenses are EF mount and my camera is RF mount, I have a Canon EF-RF Mount Adapter on each. Which of course makes these both even heavier than they were to start with. So I am considering upgrading to a Canon RF 100-500mm in the near future.
Lastly, for these large, long lenses I have a Really Right Stuff Universal Lens Plate attached to each tripod foot (details on the tripod mount below).
Body 2 Setup
My wide angle lenses include the Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS USM. This is probably the lens I use the least, simply because of the way I see which tends to be longer. I’m an “excluder” rather than an “includer” when it comes to my aesthetic. But I definitely want to have this wider end of the spectrum represented in my kit and this is my widest angle baby currently.
One of my workhorse lenses is the Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM. I love this lens for so many reasons, but like the R5 body, I do not feel the build quality on this lens measures up to it’s EF predecessor. It’s more delicate, and I’ve already damaged the front element and so I’ll be seeking a repair on this brand new lens.
I use an L-bracket on this body to streamline the process of working with a tripod. Mine is the Really Right Stuff L-Bracket, custom designed for the R5 body. This is a critical piece of gear for me, allowing me to switch quickly and safely between horizontal and vertical orientations.
Tripod Setup
My tripod is the Induro CLT-203 Stealth carbon fiber with 3 section legs. This is admittedly under-sized for my largest lens, but I can’t stand any additional weight so I am not planning to upgrade for now. I have used Induro tripods from the start at the advice of my mentor, and have been very happy with their design, performance, and longevity.
Attached to the tripod I have the Really Right Stuff BH-40 Ball Head with Quick Release Plate. It took me a couple of years to come to terms with the cost of this ball-head. I took a long, hard gulp right before pressing the Buy Now button. But it’s fantastic - secure, smooth, completely problem-free. I’m glad I have it now, and can’t image working with any other product.
Accessories
I’m only listing the necessities here, though I do have quite a few accessories, some that would be expected, like polarizers and such, and others that are a bit more off the wall, like dresses, a prism, and more. But the meat here is my bag and my body straps.
The bag is a bespoke F-Stop Duradiamond Ajna 37L with the large pro insert. I had them customize the fit of the bag at the factory, since I am smaller and needed the ability to tighten the straps further.
Lastly, I have just bought a couple of Peak Design straps for both cameras, and am excited to have the ability to quickly detach the straps in certain (windy) conditions.
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