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I get A LOT of questions about the equipment I use, so I decided to create a blog post listing my current gear for food photography ranging from my camera and lenses to my studio lights and travel bags. I’ll keep this post updated as I add new “must-have” items to the list. You can also check out my Amazon Store.

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Note: This post was updated in August 2020. I shoot Nikon and all the gear I list is compatible with Nikon. Make sure the gear you consider purchasing is compatible with your camera brand and model.

MY CURRENT GEAR FOR FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

My Camera

Nikon D750

I currently shoot with the Nikon D750. This camera is a power horse and my current go-to camera that I use for all my shoots. Before I bought it, I was deciding between getting the Nikon D750 or the Nikon D810. I rented both camera bodies and didn’t really see a difference in my images, so budget was the deciding factor for me at the time.

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TIP: I rent cameras and lenses through borrowlenses.com.

My Lenses

50mm 1.8

This lens is one of the first lenses that I used on my starter camera and I still use it today as a professional food photographer. It is a solid prime lens and is super lightweight and easy to work with. I highly recommend this lens to newer photographers who want a high quality lens for an affordable price. Be sure to get the brand compatible with your camera.

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NIKON 35mm 1.4

This is the lens I use most often. It’s a beautiful, full frame, prime lens that is super sharp and versatile for all kinds of food shots from overhead to angled and straight on.

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NIKON 105mm 2.8

This is my macro lens that lets me get up close to those wonderful food and drink details. I use this lens interchangeably with my 35mm 1.4 a lot.

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NIKON 14-24mm 2.8

This is a great ultra wide angle zoom lens. I use this lens when I’m on location to capture beautiful interior or exterior shots for my clients. It is a great lens for landscapes as well.

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NIKON 24-70mm 2.8

This is the most recent lens that I bought to have in my lineup. It’s a really nice zoom lens that lets me get up close or further away without having to move myself or my tripod. A lot of photographers prefer prime lenses over zoom lenses because the sharpness tends to be better on primes. However, I can confirm this zoom lens is beautifully sharp and is next on my list to buy.

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READ MORE ABOUT: My Favorite Lenses for Food Photography

My Studio Lights

STROBES

PAUL C. BUFF STROBES (MODEL x1600)

UMBRELLAS

SOFT BOXES

I have two of these powerful strobes with two different types of modifiers (soft boxes and umbrellas). I use these lights at my home studio and bring them with me on location when needed.

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CONTINUOUS LIGHTS

GENARAY MONOBRIGHT DAYLIGHT LED

SOFT BOX FOR GENARAY

GODOX SL SERIES SLB60W

DIFFUSOR AND GRIDS FOR GODOX

SOFTBOX WITH GRID

LARGE DIFFUSORS

Although I use my strobes most often, I love my continuous lights for stills, stop motion or video. If video is on your radar, continuous lighting will be a necessity over strobes.

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NIKON SPEED LIGHT WITH TRIGGER

SPEED LIGHT SOFT BOX KIT

I started my transition from natural light to studio lights with a speed light and a small soft box. They helped me practice artificial lighting before diving into the bigger, more powerful lights. I keeping them around for shooting in smaller spaces.

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POCKET WIZARDS PLUS X

Pocket Wizards have been a total game changer for me and my strobe lights. They allow my camera and strobes (or speed lights) to talk to each other wirelessly without having to use a sync cable from the lights to the camera. Fewer cables are always a good thing. You might need these adaptors to connect the pocket wizard cables to your strobes. If you are shooting with continuous lighting, you won’t need pocket wizards.

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LIGHT MODIFIERS

WHITE FOAM BOARD

BLACK FOAM BOARD

DISC REFLECTORS

LARGE DIFFUSORS

A photographer can never have too many light modifiers and diffusors. Am I right? 😉

My Tripods

MANFROTTO TRIPOD WITH BALL HEAD

I use the Manfrotto in my home studio and on location. I have the Photek Tipod Extension Arm that allows my camera to reach further across the table for overhead shots. It’s sturdy, but travels well and works great in smaller spaces.

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OBEN CT-3561

Along with the Manfrotto, I also have the Oben CT-3561 , which is super lightweight for easy travel. If that one isn’t available this one is similar. It’s a great tripod for a smaller space, but not quite as sturdy as the Manfrotto listed above. A cool feature is that the legs flip upside down and allow you to shoot overhead shots without needing an extension arm. However, the Photek Tipod Extension Arm works on this tripod as well.

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OVERHEAD SHOTS

Personally, I don’t like dealing with tripod legs or extension arms for overhead shots, so I use this overhead setup in my home studio and on location, which results in beautiful overhead shots every time. It also allows me to use the Manfrotto tripod for my angled and straight on shots, so I’m ready for both types of shots on set.

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BACKUP BATTERIES

I always have additional fully charged Nikon camera batteries at the ready in my home studio and in my camera bag when I’m on location. You never know when your camera battery will run out of juice, so it’s good to be prepared.

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SD CARDS

I always have extra SD cards on hand. While I do shoot tethered a lot (connected to my computer), this is a “peace of mind” thing for me to have on hand when I need them. I also have a few of these tethering cables.

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TIP: Check out more equipment in my Amazon Store.

Travel Bags for Cameras & Lenses

VANGUARD CAMERA BACKPACK (55T)

Last year I purchased the Vanguard Camera Backpack to haul my camera and lenses and I absolutely love it. It’s great for local travel as well as long distance travel.

The ALTA 55T is the largest size you can get that will still fit in the overhead bins on airplanes. I like to keep my camera and lenses with me, if I can. It fits all of my lenses, my camera body, my 13″ laptop along with several other compartments for extra batteries, chargers, cables, etc.

One of my favorite things about this is that it has four wheels to make it super easy to pull along with you. It even swivels! You can also wear the Vanguard as a backpack, if you want, but I find it’s much easier to just pull along with me like a typical carryon.

Other backpack reco’s include:

ONA CAMPS BAY CAMERA AND LAPTOP BACKPACK

VANGUARD ALTA SKY 45D CAMERA BACKPACK

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Travel Bag for Lighting Equipment

NEEWER PROFESSIONAL CAMERA TROLLEY CASE

I use the Neewer Professional Camera Trolley Case for my studio lights. It’s very secure, rolls easily with the wheels and also comes with a lock for the zippers for extra security. Although I just purchased this travel case last year, I have traveled to both Colorado and Florida for different shoots and it held up really well. It fits both of my studio lights, light stands and modifiers and I still have extra room for additional items, if needed.

Happy shooting!

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TIP: Check out more equipment in my Amazon Store.

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This post contains affiliate links which means if you click or make a purchase through my site, I might make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only promote products that I actually use and support. 

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All images ©Regan Baroni 2020.