Beginner Hiking Photography Gear Guide

beginner hiking photography gear guide

Over the last few years, I have had so many people ask me why I take my heavy cameras hiking and backpacking. They tell me that I just need to “live in the moment and take in the scenery”. For me and countless other outdoor photographers, capturing the outdoor scene I’m experiencing is living in the moment. While I have upgraded my camera more than once, I still believe I had a great starting setup to get into hiking photography. Below is my entire entry-level beginner hiking photography gear kit and guide.

Entry-Level Camera Body- DSLR vs. Mirrorless

DSLR vs. Mirrorless- one of the great photography debates. Some photographers are die-hard fans of one or the other and will argue about it passionately. Having shot with both I feel I can give my opinion on the matter, but honestly, you could do hours of research into this. The bottom line is that a good mirrorless will almost always be more expensive than a similar quality DSLR. And the price increase extends to the glass too. Mirrorless lenses tend to be more expensive than DSLR lenses.

Crop Frame vs. Full Frame

The other term you will hear a lot in beginner photography is crop sensors vs. full-frame sensors. With cameras, you can get as technical as you want but essentially a full-frame sensor will let in more light than a crop sensor, allowing you to take sharper images and shoot in lower light. There is of course a huge price jump between a crop and a full-frame camera, so most beginners start with a crop sensor, and decide if they want to upgrade later.

My Recommendation

My recommendation is to start with a crop sensor DSLR and invest in at least one or two higher quality lenses than what the camera comes with. This will get you the most for your money and let you start shooting. This is what I did and I don’t regret it one bit. You can start with a full frame but it will have many features you don’t need starting out, and if you plan to take most pictures in broad daylight a crop sensor will work just fine. Similarly, you can get a camera body and decent DSLR lens for the price of most mirrorless cameras, and the lens is just as or more important than the body.

The one main drawback to starting with a DSLR over a mirrorless is the weight. While a DSLR is going to be cheaper than a similar performing mirrorless camera it will also be heavier. That’s the price for affordability though, and I never had much of an issue hiking with my entry-level DSLR. When I upgraded to the full-frame DSLR is when I noticed a significant addition to the weight before switching to mirrorless.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

Camera Body- Nikon d3500

I used one of the predecessors to this body for years, the d3300. Nikon’s entry-level DSLR series has been highly ranked for years as having some of the best entry-level cameras around. They are high-performing and relatively affordable compared to much of the DSLR market out there.

To cut down costs, even more, look into buying used or refurbished gear. I’ve used MBP and KEH to buy most of my camera bodies used and have received excellent products as advertised both times for hundreds less than a new camera body.

Other Beginner Hiking Cameras:

  • Canon Rebel T7– The Rebel T7 (also known as the EOS 2000D) is Canon’s entry level DSLR and the main competition to the d3500.
  • Sony A6400 A mirrorless option. Sony makes great mirrorless cameras, which are lighter, but more expensive to take hiking.

Lens

The lens you use on your camera will affect your photos just as much as the body of your camera. I shudder a little thinking about the months I spent using just the kit lens that came with the camera. The kit lens is fine if you just want to take some snapshots or memories but to really start improving your photography you will need to invest in some lenses.

Not all of the lenses recommended below are necessary the day you get your camera. I would pick one or two that sound like the best fit for the photography you are interested in and expand from there.

What Your Eye Sees- 35mm

35mm photo

A 35mm is a great prime lens choice. Prime means it has a fixed focal length, so you can’t zoom in and out but have to manually walk closer or farther from your subject. Having a fixed focal length means that you can have a faster lens with a wider aperture for a cheaper price. A wide aperture is what will give you that dreamy, blurred look in the background, isolating your subject. In outdoors photography, this is great for portraits and close-ups of details such as flowers and ferns.

There are several prime lenses to choose from but 35mm is close to what your eye naturally sees. I prefer this for hiking and outdoors since it is easier to capture more of the beauty the way you are seeing it.

Nikon AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G Lens

Other Beginner 35mm Lens

Wide Angle

wide angle hiking photo with beginner hiking photography gear

Wide-angle lenses typically range from 16mm to 24mm. Lenses with a wide-angle are essential to getting those expansive mountain views shots. Lots of stunning landscape photos you have seen were likely taken with a wide-angle lens.

Nikon AF-S DX 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5

Other Beginner Wide Angle Lens

The Zoom

telephoto hiking photo

Telephoto lenses let you zoom way into faraway objects. These are great for wildlife photography and also to capture details in landscapes. You can also stand far away from your desired subject, such as a person, and zoom in on them compressing the landscape behind them. This is how photographers can make a mountain look huge behind a hiker. A telephoto is one of my favorite lenses and can allow you to create some really unique compositions.

Nikon DX 70-300 f/4.5-6.3

Other Beginner Telephoto Lens

Kit Upgrade

This is the one lens I didn’t buy for my beginner photography set up but I wish I would have. It is the first lens I bought when I upgraded my camera body and I don’t regret it one bit. With a medium focal length range such as 24mm to 70mm, you can capture a little bit of everything with a much better aperture than your kit lens. As a substitute, I carried around my telephoto, wide-angle, 35 mm, and kit lens when this lens can shoot probably 90% of what I want to capture most days.

Sigma for Nikon DX 17-50mm f/2.8

Other Beginner Standard Zoom Lens

Accessories

Below are optional accessories that can make the world of hiking photography a little bit easier. If you are just starting out on a budget you can get by with just a camera and lens, and build up your kit with this gear as you go.

Extra Batteries

If you tend to take long hikes, travel for days without access to an outlet, or often forget to charge your camera batteries, then an investment in some extra batteries will be a lifesaver.

I’ve found one battery can usually last a day and a half of heavy use from sunrise to sunset. I usually carry two extra batteries with me at all times but only need them on a long backpacking or camping trip. Also, keep in mind your battery will die faster in the cold if you hike in cold and windy locations!

Tripod

My tripod was the best photography investment I’ve made hands down. I chose mine because it is made from aluminum, which is nice and light to take hiking. Keep in mind this is still heavy. It is 3.4 lbs which is alright for a day hike (and a bit much for a long, difficult hike), but I don’t take it backpacking due to its weight. You can go lighter with a carbon fiber tripod, but that will double or triple your cost.

A tripod is necessary if you solo hike and want pictures of yourself (and are too awkward to ask strangers to take your photo like me) or if you are taking long exposure sunrise or sunset photos. For a day hike with full sunlight, a heavy tripod won’t have much use.

GEEKOTO Tripod

Smaller Tripod

On a long hike or daylight hike, I always take my mini tripod! You just can’t predict if your morning hike will have a beautiful lake reflection that requires a long exposure, or you will see a perfect overlook to take a timed self-portrait at. Small tripods are also great to take long exposure waterfall photos at!

Joby Gorillapod

Poloraizer

Speaking of waterfalls, a polarizer is a must if you plan on capturing waterfalls! Polarizers work like sunglasses and help to cut out reflections. This means they can really add dimension to your photos with water such as waterfalls, lakes, and snow.

Circular Polarizer

ND Filter

A neutral density (or ND) filter, like a polarizer screws onto the end of your lens. They adjust the amount of light that is let into your camera, allowing you to take longer exposures and capture more detail in your photos.

Adjustable ND Filter

SD Cards

An SD Card could be listed as a necessity rather than optional as you need one to take any photos. Chances are you have an SD card lying around somewhere in your house. That is really all you need to start taking hiking photos, but if you are taking long trips, it is worth the investment to get a high-quality card with large memory. Remember: your SD cards store all your photos, so if go with a less trustworthy brand you may lose all your photos and memories!

128 GB SD Card

Camera Clip

Some hikers love these, some hikers hate them. Camera clips can be attached to your bag straps to give you easy access to your camera while hiking!

Peak Design Camera Clip

Lightroom

Honestly, this is more of a necessity than optional. There is free or cheaper editing software, but most photographers swear by Lightroom. Lightroom is an Adobe software that allows you to edit your RAW photos. Editing is where you can really develop your personal style of photography, and can completely transform your photos!

Lens Cloth

I was hesitant to include this because it seems so obvious, but I know I don’t use my lens cloth nearly as often as I should. Here’s your reminder to keep your lens clean of spots and your photos crisp!

Lens Cloths 6 Pack

External Hard Drive

You’ll know you need an external hard drive when your computer starts yelling at you that it’s out of space every time you start it up! This finally started catching up to me this year, and rather than delete the old photos I bought the hard drive below. It is cheap, reliable, and it will take a while to fill up 1 TB!

1 TB Seagate Hard Drive

Fun Extras

Remote Shutter

If you want to take solo hiking photos or clear long exposures, it is worth it to invest in a remote shutter. This allows you to manually take the photo without touching the camera. Alternatively, you can set your camera on a timer to avoid camera shake or to give you time to jump into the frame.

Nikon or Canon Remote Shutter

Camera Cubes

If you store your camera in your backpack and want some extra peace of mind, a camera cube can be a great way to protect your gear! I also often wrap my camera in my puffy jacket in my bag.

Peak Design Camera Cubes

Camera Bag

The last piece of gear on my list is also one with so many options! I used to hike with a dedicated camera bag but found that it was getting cumbersome and heavy on long hikes. I recently switched to just using my daypack for local hikes, and so far haven’t had much of an issue. On long road trips, I do still prefer to have my camera bag to keep all my gear in one place!

Camera Bag

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