I wanted to put a post together that goes over what I use to get my landscape images. While I do list the exact gear I shoot with, I don’t want this post to make is seem like that portion is critical. It’s far more important to get out there with what you do have -vs- spend too much time online lusting over the gear you don’t have. Landscape photography is all about spending time outside finding the right locations then shooting them with the right light.
here’s a list of what exactly I’m currently shooting with:
- canon 5D mark III (upgraded from a 5D mark II which upgraded from a 5D “classic”)
- canon 16-35mm II L (upgraded from a 17-40mm L)
- canon 70-300mm L IS (upgraded from a tamron 70-300 VC)
- Induro CT-313 carbon fiber tripod
- Arca Swiss P0 head
- Really Right Stuff B2 AS II lever clamp
- camera bag of some sort (I prefer backpacks these days)
- Lee filter holder (links to all my filters are here)
- Lee CP
- Lee 2 & 3 stop hard GND
- Lee 1 stop soft GND, HiTech 2 stop soft, cokin 3 stop soft (don’t use them enough to upgrade to all Lees yet)
- Vello Shutterboss Timer remote
- Waders
- headlamp/flashlight
- Vibrating alarm clock watch
- The photographer’s Ephemeris
- Tide, weather and sunrise/sunset info
- transportation
- friends!
The first part of that list is pretty gear intensive. Let me start off by saying if landscapes was ALL I was going to shoot, I wouldn’t have the setup I have above. It’s overkill. You can get great image with a digital rebel camera IMHO. Landscapes are far more about getting out and knowing how to setup than what you’re setting up. I would say you “need” interchangeable lenses to do what I do. Primarily because I shoot wide angle most of the time, and camera’s w/o interchangeable lenses typically don’t offer wide angle lenses. The other issue with non interchangeable cameras is they tend to have smaller lenses that either can’t take filters at all or it’s tough, and it’s also harder to work with grads with the smaller lenses since the transitions cover the entire lens. This isn’t to say you can’t work with a P&S or similar small camera. They’re great for carrying less, but personally I want to use filters and I want to have control over focal length choices, so I prefer a DSLR or at least an EVIL setup.
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Once you get past the gear aspect, the most important aspect of landscape photography is putting in the effort, both time and energy to getting the shots. I spend countless hours scouring both flickr and google to find new locations. You can use sites like my own location guide here on BJP.com or something like lighthousesofri.com (another one of my sites) as well if they’re in your area. But if not flickr is a great resource as are google’s own maps. Just look for interesting areas around you then figure out how to get there legally.
From there, find a resource that will tell you the conditional information you need. This includes sunrise times and directions (the photographer’s ephemeris is what I use on my desktop, then LightTrac on my iPhone) as well as tide (I use the magic seaweed there) and weather. I will say I don’t listen to the weather reports though… It seems they’re not right that often, and even when they are it scares more people out of shooting what turns out to be epic sunrises or sunset. I’ll shoot in anything short of a downpour, and even then I’ll usually just go into the woods and find a nice waterfall. Perfectly clear mornings are actually my least favorite for landscapes, I LOVE dramatic clouds…
The last few things on my list are very basic items. An alarm, a light, waders and a camera bag. The alarm is crucial. Sunrises come every morning very early and it’s tough to wake up. I use a vibrating alarm clock watch as it wakes me up very well but more importantly it doesn’t wake up my wife. This is the one I have. I also have a petzl headlamp. I also have neoprene chest waders with stocking feel. I went with stocking feet because they pack much smaller so I take them with me everywhere. I put them on inside my normal boots then just dry my boots when I get home when I need to use them. I have several friends with waders with boots on the ends and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen them leave them at home or in the car because of their size and regret that decision later. I bring a pair of crocs with me in case I’ve used them and need dry shoes for the ride home. Camera bag wise, use what you like. I’ve reviewed a ton of bags here on this site, currently I’m still using my f-stop loka (almost a year later, that should tell you something) but really, backpacks are where it’s at for getting off the beaten path. They just keep everything out of your way better. I’ve since been using my thinktank retro 7 for a few things (only because I’m working on a review) and it’s quickly shown me how much better backpacks are for landscaping. Transportation should be pretty obvious, you need to get “there” somehow. And finally, friends… Why? Because if you’re shooting with someone it will motivate you to get up to shoot even when the weather seems crappy. You can complain to someone or ask for help when needed. You can both keep each other awake as needed as well. The final benefit of shooting with someone is you have another layer of security in terms of getting help and someone knowing where you are. I always bring a cell phone (and I’ve turned on the tracking on mine so my wife can fine me/it) and I tell people where I’m going. But having someone else there is a big help in case you get hurt or need any sort of help. We go on NSOP outings all the time with groups and it’s a ton of fun as well!
That pretty well covers what it takes to get some great landscape photos. Please don’t obsess about the gear, the other things I shoot, weddings, sports etc all dictate the camer I’ve chosen, not landscape photography. Landscaping is much more about getting out there and enjoying your surroundings rather than the gear you use. Get out there and have fun! If you’d like to shoot with me, join NSOP or drop me a note via the contact form above. I also offer workshops.
Hi Ben,
thanks for sharing your insights with us !
You’ve made me think twice about photo backpacks, which I considered pretty much cobblers to date. I will also remove my useless center column from my tripod as well.
What has made your mind up to go for the 5D3 ?
My impression is, very expensive and said-to-be weathersealed, but apart from the initial hype, there is actually very little improvement over the 5D2 in landscape photography. I can be wrong. Personally, I’d rather spend my money on lenses or travel, but that’s just me.
BTW I’ve tried your 10-22-EF-conversion trick with my sample from 2010, but the rubber back won’t come off ? Maybe Canon changed something in later series…
Kind regards,
Peter 🙂
Peter,
for the 5Diii, I don’t only shoot landscapes. So the higher ISOs and AF were huge reasons for me to upgrade as well as the FPS boost. The dual card slots has also been very nice now that I have it, I can second shoot an entire wedding w/o swapping cards now! For landscaping I use manual focus anyway so there’s nothing new there, but I have seen more details in my landscapes since switching. I also switched to the 16-35II at the same time though, and the 5D3 required another upgrade to LR4, so I’m unsure where the detail increase can be credited to, but I’m loving the three new upgrades. As for the 10-22, I’m not sure what to tell you w/o seeing your lens in person. I pulled mine out as you can see in that video, but either they changed something or you’re not pulling hard enough, but if it’s #1 and you try #2 bad things could happen so it’s tricky…
Good Luck!
Ben
Hi Ben,
Can you put the RRS clamp directly on to the P0 ? Or you did out something like a adapter ?
Thanks
I think I needed the bushing they include with the P0, but nothing other than that.
Hi Ben,
I’ve been getting more and more into long exposures of flowing water, but there’s always alot of junk in the creeks/rivers.
You mention waders in the video. What brand are you using? I looked up some on amazon, and some of the stocking foot waders got extremely bad reviews.
Thanks
Arvin,
I’m using dogwood canyon waders with the neoprene booties. I went into bass pro shops without any brands in mind because I don’t know them. I wanted breathable and I realized quickly I wanted something with neoprene booties over the massive boots. This is what fit and worked best. Also realize landscape photogs won’t spend as much time in waders as fishermen so some of the complaints in the reviews won’t really apply to us, but you don’t want leaks!
Good Luck!
Ben
Hey Ben,
I am looking for a new ball head, and you seem to really love the Arca Swiss P0. My only hesitation is that I hear some people saying that with heavier setups, it doesn’t work too well. My heaviest setup is a Nikon D700 with the 70-200 2.8 lens. With this, would there be any kind of droop or issues with very long star trail exposures? Right now it is between this and the Kirk BH-3. I currently own a Manfrotto 496RC2 and my issues with it are the “settling” problem it has when I tighten the clamp (it droops a bit after I adjust, which means I have to compensate for it when composing), the knobs annoy me, and it overall isn’t the sturdiest head. I want to upgrade, but if I do I want the difference to be significant. My final questions are, would the AS P0 be a dramatic difference? And if the P0 had multiple knobs like every other ball head would you still be swooning over it?
Thanks!
-Nick
Nick,
The reason I like the p0 is because it DOESN’T have all the knobs. Shooting landscapes I’m often out in the early morning in the dark, I need my setup to work for me as easily as possible. I can’t tell you how many times I had to rotate my old head (an arcatech GV2) around once I setup the tripod with it pointed the wrong way. This required finding the pan knob, unlocking it, rotating it, then re-locking it all before I could start to use the head with the camera to compose. Switch to the P0 and the only know I touch allows me to do that rotation and start composing all at once… So that alone is worth it for me. As for droop, I doubt you’ll have it. I have a 5Diii with a 70-300L which is only slightly lighter than your setup and it’s fine. Using a ball head at long FLs isn’t ideal, a geared head REALLY works well for that, but if you want a ball head the P0 seems to be up to the task. I’d say get one from someplace like B&H where there’s no issues returning it if it’s not doing what you want. Test it out for a week and make sure it’s OK. But I’d bet it is and I KNOW it’s a lot better than the manfrotto you have now.
Good Luck!
Ben
Ben,
I went ahead with your advice and bought the Arca Swiss P0 from Adorama, and I couldn’t be happier. It is better than I expected it to be. I never thought one could get excited about a ball head. Thanks for the great reviews, keep it up. Adorama made money off of you.
-Nick
Nick,
Glad you like it. It’s one of those things where it just gets out of my way as I shoot and I really enjoy mine as well.
Ben
I’ve been researching a new tripod head, and ran across your review of the Arca-Swiss PO on the B&H website. You spoke of an RRS lever clamp, and I am wondering what this is and why you need to use it. Another reviewer mentioned copying your system, and also spoke about using an M6 screw (and possibly loctite) to attach it. Would appreciate it if you could clear up my confusion, as this head sounds like one I ought to consider.
However, you spoke here on your blog as though you prefer a geared head, saying “if you want a ball head the PO seems to be up to the task”. Yet I am under the impression that a geared head is not as versatile.
My needs include photographing wildlife (deer, foxes, birds) as well as landscapes, people, later on macro. I am a novice, trying to understand what people are talking about while trying to make a better choice than I made on my first tripod head!
Thank you..
Susan,
sorry about the confusion. The RRS clamp is an arca compatible clamp I use in order to be able to use my RRS L-bracket for my camera. Here’s a good explanation about why you’d want to do that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObtvZYtcVOw
(excuse the audio, it’s one of my first video reviews).
As for the geared head comment, I use both a geared head and my p0. My P0 is my normal go to head. I use the geared head only for architectural work where I need to get everything perfectly level and straight. It’s big, it’s heavy, it’s expensive, it’s slow and it’s a pain in the butt to use… But it’s better for that one task. So I keep them each on their own center columns and swap them out as needed depending on what I’m shooting. I LOVE my p0, but the geared head makes arch work a bit easier at times so it’s worth the hassles there.
Good Luck!
Ben
Hi Ben, I found my way here via your reviews of the Oben tripods and Arca-Swiss Monoball P0 (well, comparison with the Acratech GV). I’m pretty close to getting the Induro and Monoball combination that you had in that review, unless you’ve since found enhancements to your gear list. I’m open to recommendations as I finally upgrade the all important tripod and head. 🙂 I have a few questions for you that will help before I take the plunge!
Induro tripod CT-313: I’m 5’10” – eye level is about 66 inches, and the Induro, center column down (I’d get the short column and leave it down), is 62.6 inches without a ballhead and camera. I assume I’ll appreciate the extra height at times, but mostly will be shooting eye level on down to close to ground level. In short, is the 313 too tall for me?
Tripod question 2: The CT-314 folds down to a more compact size, and of course has 4 segments per leg. People have told me that 3 segments is more stable. Is that true? Other than that, the two tripods are very similar in max height with center column down. The 314 is slightly taller and .1 pound heavier (The comparable Oben, the cc-2491, is quite a bit lighter)
Monoball P0 question: I do a fair bit of night landscape photography – sometimes in vertical. I have an L-bracket on my camera, but I often just use the notch in my current ballhead to go to 90 degrees. When you do this with the monoball, do you have any worries that the tripod might vibrate more, or even fall over in the wind?
Thanks! Looking forward to checking out your forum and workshops!
Best,
Robert
Robert,
Thanks for the kind words!
1) 5’10” and a 313… Seems it’s a bit taller than you need. BUT! That’s not really a bad thing as long as you don’t mind the weight. You don’t have to use that extra length so it’s never a bad thing until you stop using it because “it’s too heavy”.
2) When I originally reviewed my 313 I would have gone off about how 3 locks/4 sections is far too many. I’ve since added a smaller travel tripod for when I’m flying with family that is a 3 lock 4 section tripod and I’ve gotten used to the extra set of locks. They no longer bother me. What you need to consider here is two main things. A 314 will weight more AND have a skinnier (less stable) bottom section. But it’s a trade off as it packs smaller. You’ll have to weigh (!!!) those options and decide on your own which is more worth it. But I will say I’m using my travel tripod more than I should because it’s so much smaller and lighter than my CT313… If I’m getting paid it’s always the 313 though.
3) I always use the L-bracket but in testing some cameras w/o one you can use the p0’s notch if you have to. With a CT313 or 314 there’s ZERO worries with it tipping over. I doubt you’d see any more vibrations either as it’s such a solid setup… But there’s no added chance it’d tip over in the wind. Induro uses a wider angle on their legs than most making them VERY stable. As long as you’ve leveled it before use it’d have to be insanely windy to tip one over. Windy enough you’d never get a stable shot anyway…
Good Luck!
Ben
Thanks again, Ben!
Your words carry a lot of weight 😉 and I hope that I’ll be able to carry some (weight) as well, since I’m getting pretty close to pressing “buy” on the 313 as well. Most of my landscape shots are within a few miles of the car… so I should be able to handle the trade-off pretty well. I’ve heard great things about the Oben 2491, which has gotten some enthusiastic reviews from backpackers with high expectations. Still, it seems like the Induro, particularly the 313, would be a more reliable all around performer.
Best,
Robert
Robert,
Checking the page for the oben it looks to be almost identical to the induro CT314. Without seeing one I can’t speak for it’s quality but I wouldn’t shy away from it either. The oben tripods I tested were nice but they were all different versions from what I want. Had they been I might have switched. The one nice difference between that oben (and say the CT314) is that it’s shorter when closed but the trade is that you’re forced to use 50% more locks each time you want to go all the way up. As I mentioned earlier my travel tripod is now a 3 lock 4 section setup and I’ve adjusted. 3 locks is fine but I won’t deal with 4 locks/5 sections personally (the first travel setup I got had that, I returned it for a setup with less sections).
Good Luck! I think either way with those choices you’ll be very happy.
Ben
Hi Ben,
I thought I’d add a little info / feedback that I got on the Oben 2491 from David Kingham since his original great review. This might help others who are analyzing all of these difficult choices. In short, he’s moved on to a Feisol 2441T, and checking that out as a travel tripod, since the Oben couldn’t quite stand up to the heavy strain he puts on his gear. David is a heavy-duty hiker /backpacker, and puts the tripod through intense use in all sorts of weather, submerged, etc. Sounds like the Oben is a fantastic tripod, but that your mileage may vary depending on how hard you use it.
Thanks again for your advice!
Robert
Hi. A fan from New Zealand. A very helpful review, thank you. You’ve inspired me to order an Arca Swiss p0. I have questions regarding your backpack. Which ICU do you use? In the vid it looks like you have two small size ICUs. What is the model – in the vid you say it’s an Satori and in the text you say it’s a Loca? Thanks.
Steven,
Thanks for the kind words. That review is a few years old at this point… I still have an f-stop bag but it’s now the satori EXP in blue. I’ve got the large shallow insert which gives me plenty of room for my current camera (and is the same size I had with the 5Ds). Tripod is still the same and I still have and love the P0! The current camera setup is a sony a7rii with their 16-35mm (love) and 24-240mm (don’t love, terrible sun stars which is an issue for me with architecture and lighthouses, looking to upgrade/replace with a native 70-300). Another new bag to consider is the lowepro whistler series as it might be easier to get. I’ve been checking them out and will try one on at photo expo in NYC later this month. I also use an incase DSLR pro backpack when I don’t need a hip belt and want a more stealth looking bag.
Good Luck!
Ben
Great info Ben! After looking at this and other reviews of Arca Swiss P0 I think I’m going to get it! My only question is that I’ve seen different comments about having to remove a screw or something and that the way the are manufactured recently it is becoming more difficult. I’m just getting into landscape photography and all this is sort of confusing to me. I have a Canon 5D Mark III. If I get the P0, this L Plate http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/B5D3-LB-L-Plate-for-5D-Mark-III and this leaver release clamp http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/B2-AS-II-M6-Lever-release-clamp. Will this setup work and will it require some sort of modification and could it be done by someone who doesn’t know what they are doing :)?
Sorry, just saw this today (Merry Christmas if you celebrate it!). You need to be able to use a socket but that’s all it took for me. I forget the size but if you google it their answer is correct. Remove the screw to get their clamp off and you can get the RRS clamp on with their m6 screw I believe. I’m loving mine setup that way.
Good Luck!
Ben