The Most Essential Equipment for Landscape Photography

You might have heard the saying, ‘It’s not about the gear but the photographer behind it.’

This statement is, in many ways, correct, but it is no secret that professional photographers rely on having the best possible equipment. The hard truth is that some techniques aren’t possible without specific equipment. At least not if you want to maintain a high quality in your images.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the essential equipment for landscape photography along with some recommendations to the specific brands and models.

#1 The Camera and Lenses

Obviously, it’s hard to be a photographer without having a camera. Exactly what camera you need will depend on the purpose of your photography and how your images are used; a smartphone camera is good enough if you just want to upload images on Instagram.

The best cameras and lenses for landscape photography is a vast topic with many opinions, but let me break down some important pointers you should remember when choosing your next camera:

#1 Beginner photographers should avoid buying the most expensive gear.

You do not need it! The most important thing as a beginner is to learn how to operate the camera, use the fundamental settings, and understand compositional practices.

#2 The differences between entry-level and expensive cameras aren’t essential for most.

While the price difference can be enormous, the hard truth is that the differences between entry-level and professional cameras are microscopic for most users. Don’t get me wrong; a professional camera is much more advanced and the quality is significantly better. However, for most people’s purposes, the differences won’t be noticed.

If you’re into ‘regular’ landscape photography and don’t do much more than post your images online, there’s no need to spend the money on an expensive camera. It’s first when you start printing your photos in large formats that you’ll see a noticeable difference between the two.

It’s also worth mentioning that more expensive cameras handle higher ISO values better, meaning they’re more suitable for night photography.

#3 Spend your money on quality lenses.

If you’re determined to spend money on camera gear, I highly recommend investing in quality lenses. Their expected lifetime is a lot longer than that of a camera, and it’s quite likely that you keep quality lenses when updating to a new camera.

Recommendations: 

Professional: Nikon Z7II / Nikon Z 14-24mm f/2.8 / Nikon Z 70-200mm f/4 / Nikon Z 100-400mm

Entry-level: Nikon Z 50II Kit w/16-50mm and 50-250mm

#2 A Quality Tripod

A solid tripod is my number one recommendation besides the camera and lens. This is something you should have strapped to your backpack already from day one.

While I use the tripod less today than I did a few years ago, it’s still an essential tool that allows me to achieve certain techniques and high-quality and razor-sharp images.

The tripod is something you should invest a few extra dollars into. Do yourself a favor and avoid the $30 tripods found in most electronic shops. In the long run, these will cause more problems (and cost more money) than getting a higher quality one right away.

Trust me. I’ve learned that the hard way!

When I first started photography, I chose to save money and went for a low-end option from the local electronic shop. It didn’t take more than a few weeks until it broke. Cheap tripods are not made to be used for nature and outdoor photography, especially in harsh conditions.

In addition to breaking easily, cheap tripods are more challenging to keep steady when used in wind or elements such as rivers and seascapes. This unsteadiness leads to an undesired camera shake and a lack of sharpness in your photos.

Keep in mind that the tripod and ballhead you choose need to be strong enough to carry your camera and biggest lens. An expensive but lightweight tripod might not be strong enough to carry a full-frame camera, a top-notch lens with filters attached.

You don’t need to go for the most expensive models but, in this case, you do pay for quality.

Recommendations: 

Budget: Sirui AM 324
Professional: LeoFoto LN-364C / Gitzo Series 3 Mountaineering GT3542L

#3 Filters to Improve Your Photography

Many tools and types of gear may sound nice and useful, but in reality, they’re not much more than money-making machines for certain companies. Filters are not in that category. They are considered to be essential equipment for landscape photography.

You certainly don’t need them for every shot you take, but it’s no hiding that many images can benefit it.

Recommended Reading: Ultimate Guide to Long Exposure Photography

There are many types of filters for landscape photography but there are in particular three you should have in your backpack:

• a circular polarizer
• graduated neutral density filters
• neutral density filters

A Circular Polarizer filter increases contrast and removes unwanted shine from water or reflecting elements. They are great to use during the daytime to ‘make the sky pop’ but also during late evenings.

Neutral Density Filters allow you to use a longer shutter speed than you otherwise could achieve. These filters are darkened glass placed in front of the lens, reducing the amount of light reaching the sensor. You’ve probably seen more than a few images with silky soft water and stretched clouds. These effects are some of what you can achieve by using Neutral Density Filters.

Graduated Neutral Density Filters are the third type of filter popular amongst landscape photographers. Unlike the regular Neutral Density filters, these are transparent at the bottom and gradually darkened above the middle. This is a great way to balance out scenes with a big contrast between the sky and landscape. In other words, using these filters you no longer have to worry about a blown out sky or underexposed foreground!

Recommendations:

NiSi 100mm Starter Kit / 6 Stop ND / 10 Stop ND / Reverse GND / GND / B+W Circular Polarizer

#4 A Remote Shutter Release

We previously discussed how using a tripod helps reduce camera shake to capture sharper images. If you combine this with the use of a remote shutter release, your images can go from “sharp” to “out-of-this-world-sharp”.

Hey, we all need a little exaggeration in our life!

It’s not a joke though. When you’re using semi-slow shutter speeds and have the camera mounted on a tripod, it’s hard to avoid causing some vibration by pressing the shutter button on the camera. Using a remote shutter removes this factor and allows the camera to be completely still when the image is taken.

The good news is that you don’t need to spend lots of money on it. A simple $10 option will do the job. That being said, the more expensive models typically have a fair amount of additional features that might come in handy from time to time.

Recommendations: 

The type of remote shutter release you should purchase depends on your camera. Different cameras have different mounts, so make sure that the one you choose fits your camera. You can browse through Amazon’s offerings here to find one that suits your need. It’s also possible to use a shutter release such as the MIOPS Smart to control the camera from your phone.

#5 An L-Bracket

The fifth piece of essential equipment for landscape photography is one that I can’t imagine being without, an L-Bracket.

This is a piece of equipment that’s used by the majority of professional landscape photographers but, for some reason, it’s also one that’s rarely talked about.

An L-Bracket is best described as an L-shaped piece of metal that’s mounted to your camera. This is used instead of a regular tripod plate and works very similarly. The main difference is that you can quickly switch from shooting horizontally to vertically without moving or adjusting the tripod itself.

This has many benefits, but the two most important are that you don’t risk the tripod being unbalanced when tilting to vertical alignment and that you can keep the same compositional center point. Another benefit is that it can, to some degree, help protect the camera if dropped.

You don’t need to purchase the most expensive L-bracket, but there are a couple of things you should keep in mind:

• Avoid plastic models as these tend to break easier
• Avoid universal models. Get one that’s made for your specific camera body. If that doesn’t exist, ensure the universal version has good access to the battery compartment.

#6 Cleaning Equipment for the Camera

Ok. You probably imagined something more exotic and exciting than cleaning equipment… I get it! It’s far from the most exciting, but every photographer needs it.

Here’s the camera cleaning tools you need:

• Lens Cleaner Spray (I use this one from Zeiss)
• Pre-Moisturized Wipes (I use this 200-pack from Zeiss)
• Microfiber Cloths (I love these from MagicFiber)
• Sensor cleaning kit (I use these from Photographic Solutions – make sure you get the right size for your sensor)
• AirBlower (I use this from FocusFoto)

There are several reasons why camera maintenance should be a part of your routine. Most importantly, it helps extend their lifetime, but it also gives you dust-free images. This can save you a lot of post-processing work. Trust me when I say it’s not fun to spend hours cloning out dust spots and smudges from your photos.

Cleaning your camera’s sensor might sound scary, but it’s not nearly as complicated as you think. If you’re uncomfortable doing it yourself, I highly recommend sending your camera to a lab or photo store to be cleaned at least once a year.

You also need to clean the lenses regularly. I always have microfiber cloths and pre-moisturized lens wipes in the camera bag. These are extremely useful for outdoor photographers and help keep those front elements free from smudges and dust spots.

#8 A Properly Calibrated Monitor

Last but certainly not least, a monitor is one of the most important tools for a landscape photographer. But it’s not just the monitor itself that’s essential. It needs to be properly calibrated.

Uncalibrated monitors mean that the colors and contrast of your images can look different on different platforms. If you like to print your photography, you’ll most likely find that the printed and digital versions look pretty unlike. I’ll never forget the first time I sent a photo to be printed at a lab. My beautiful blue photo came back purple! I was so frustrated with the lab until I learned it was my fault for using an uncalibrated monitor.

Even professional monitors should be calibrated regularly. I use a BenQ SW321C monitor and the SpyderXPro from Datacolor for calibrating. Calibrating the monitor is quick and easy and is something I do approximately once every month.

Conclusion

I want to briefly get back to the quote with which I began this article: It’s not about the gear but the photographer behind it.

There is a lot of truth to this statement, as the real recipe behind consistently capturing beautiful images is to learn the fundamentals of photography. This basic knowledge and understanding makes you a successful photographer, not the price tag of the equipment.

The main benefit of having better and more advanced equipment lays in the additional creative possibilities they offer. Yet, without the fundamental knowledge, you aren’t able to fully take advantage of these possibilities.

Just like a painter can create stunning art with only two colors, a photographer can capture good images with just a smartphone. However, creative options become limited.

What do you consider to be the most essential equipment in your camera bag? Are there any specific brands or products you’re extra satisfied with? Let us know in a comment below!

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