My Top 7 Photography Equipment on a Wallet Friendly Budget
My deserted island photography list
You know that old question “What would you need with you on a deserted island?” I want to answer that question for photography equipment but also keep it relatively cheap, and we all know how difficult that can be. Although my days of shinyitis is mostly over, these are the few that have been kept out of storage or were spared from sales page on Craigslist. I have used most of the equipment for 2+ years, so you can trust that I’m not selling you on a shoddy product. So here is a quick peek at my budget photo loadout.
#7. LensShifter Blue – Balanced Focus and Zoom Grip – $24.99
This is the perfect addition if you are interested in doing video and are looking to manually focus as you film. This made such a world of difference to easily and quickly focus and it fits on almost any lens, or at least that ones I have tried. The rubber band fits around the focus ring on the lens and you use the blue handle for a better grip and it was 100x more comfortable while shooting.
#6. Pangshi VT-1510 – Fluid Head – $35.99
The Pangshi fluid head has been a god send for shooting product photography. This tripod head allows you to smoothly move and position your camera exactly as you need it as well the benefit to shoot smooth video. The main draw back of this tripod head is that is has no vertical tilt so you cannot shoot in portrait mode, but majority of the time I shoot in landscape anyways, so I usually just keep a ball head handy if I need a wider ranger of movement.
#5. Qcute Tactical Sling Camera Bag – $23.03
I am a self proclaimed camera bag aficionado and my obsession with them is dire. But this one has been by far my favorite, simply because the amount of pockets, size, and features. This bag is perfect for a day out where you’ll only need limited supplies and you don’t want to carry around a large bag. It will only fit one lens and body with my setup, but I can fit a second lens if I’m using my mirrorless. It has around 8 pockets for batteries, sd cards, chargers, water bottle holder, and a draw string water proof cover which is perfect for a day out. For a small size and a small price, you cannot go wrong with this bag.
#4. YongNuo YN 560 III – $48.77
This has been my go to flash for the last 3 years and I have yet to have an issue with it. When paired with the YN560-TX (number #3) it has become the work horse that I never expected it to be. This flash is not only budget friendly but has enough power to do what I need it to do and with ease. Even if you prefer using the an official Nikon or Canon speedlight, I recommend picking up one of these for a backup just for the price alone.
Honorable Mention Accessories:
Godox PROPAC PB960 External Flash Power Battery Pack
Godox PB-CX PB960 PB820 Lithium Battery Pack Power Cable
#3. YongNuo Yongnuo YN560-TX Wireless Flash Controller – $36.99
This flash controller combined with the YN 560 III has saved me so much time while doing shoots. being able to control three different flashes from my camera not only saved me time but let me experiment more on a whim to get the shot I was looking for. While this system is constrained to YungNuo flashes, if you are looking for complete control on a budget then you are looking in the right place.
#2. Neewer 32 inch Octagon Soft Box for Speedlights – $28.99
The thing I like the most about the Neewer softboxes for speedlights are the versatility. Not only do they work great with speedlights, but having the option to use different lights in them (with a little ingenuity) that makes it more than worth it. It easily folds up like an umbrella for easy transportation and combined with the flash and flash controller, it makes my list as an essential item for outdoor photo shoots when some softer light is needed.
#1. Tamron A16NII SP AF 17-50mm F/2.8 – $299.99
Although this might be a bit more expensive than the rest of the items on the list, it is relatively cheap compared to other photography lenses. The Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 is pretty much my go to lens for any outing. The things I enjoy the most is the auto focus is quick, the pictures are sharp and the zoom is versatile enough for most situations. I know the “ninfty fifty” is the go to lens after you had enough fun with your kit lenses, but I recommend to spend a couple extra bucks and get this instead.
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