Chris Burkard says that sometimes getting ready for the shoot is half the battle – but there are a few pieces of gear that the adventure photographer always has in his bag.
In a quirky video series for Sony Alpha’s YouTube Channel, Burkard kits out a new photographer as if he’s building a character inside of a video game. The humorous short starts with weather-appropriate clothing, including closed-toed shoes, a puffer jacket, and a rain shell oversized enough to tuck a camera inside in the event of a downpour.
Burkard is a Sony Artisan of Imagery and, naturally, as part of Sony’s ambassador program, the photographer isn’t shy about sharing what gear he uses. He’s previously shared kits that include three mirrorless cameras along with a compact camera and several lenses. But the video shares some insight into what kit Burkard would build for a more streamlined setup, along with what lens is always in his bag, and what lens is his favorite.
The lens that Burkard says is "always in my bag" is a 24-70mm f/2.8 workhorse zoom – more specifically, he uses Sony’s second generation of the workhorse, the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II. The second generation improves the workhorse lens’ handling with a lighter design and more robust weather-sealing, while also improving sharpness and reducing chromatic aberration.
His favorite lens, however, is even wider than that workhorse: the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM II. DCW Reviews Editor Gareth Bevan noted that the second-generation lens isn’t just lighter and more compact than the original, but is also sharper, with noticeable improvements in distortion and vignetting.
Beyond those two favorites, the streamlined kit that Burkard builds finishes what’s commonly referred to as the “holy trinity” of lenses, adding the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II to the trio of zooms in the kit.
Burkard chooses just one prime lens for the streamlined kit: the Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM, which he says he grabs for night photography and a shallower depth of field than the f/2.8 zooms.
As for the camera body, Burkard builds the kit around the Sony A7R V, which the photographer calls his “high-resolution workhorse for shooting landscapes in the field.” While Sony now has the newly launched A7R VI, the A7R V remains available at a lower price point than the latest model.
The video is part of a new Sony and Burkard video collab, Inside, Out There, a series of short videos that’s about “learning to see the world with more intention.”
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For more insight, browse the best Sony E-Mount lenses or the best Sony cameras.
