What gear do I use as a professional photographer?

I get a lot of questions about what type of camera and lenses I use for my work. This is because most people assume that the better the gear, the better the images will be, which is somewhat true, but there are so many other important factors involved in capturing great shots - things like lighting, composition, colour, and subject matter all play a crucial role. But that’s a story for another day. Today, I want to focus specifically on the gear I use and why I have made those choices.

Firstly, let me start by saying I’m a Canon shooter - not because I have any special allegiance to Canon as a brand, but simply because my first DSLR was a Canon 10D. Since then, I have invested in quite a few Canon lenses, so it made sense to stick with the brand unless I was really unhappy for some reason. These days, modern mirrorless cameras are exceptionally good, and it doesn’t really matter which brand you use anymore; it mostly comes down to personal preference and comfort.

The key factors to consider when choosing your gear are: Do you already own lenses from a particular brand? If so, switching can become very expensive. Are you generally happy with your current camera brand? If the answer is yes, why change something that works? Additionally, consider if weight is important to you. Some brands, like Nikon and Fuji GFX, tend to produce bigger and heavier cameras, which can be a real burden (no pun intended!) during a long day of shooting on the field.

For me personally, I already owned a substantial collection of Canon lenses, and I had been generally very satisfied with my previous Canon DSLR cameras, including the 1D, 5D, and 6D models. I really appreciate the direction Canon is taking with their latest RF lenses, which offer outstanding optical performance and innovation. This made the decision quite straightforward and easy for me to continue investing in Canon gear. So, what exactly do I carry in my camera bag on a daily basis? Here are the key items I rely on the most: 2 x Canon R7 mirrorless bodies, Canon RF 24mm f/1.4 VCM lens, Canon RF 50mm f/1.4 VCM lens, my trusty Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM lens that has served me well for over 20 years, and 2 x Canon EL-5 Speedlite flashes.

Let me first clear the air by explaining why I include cropped sensor cameras in my kit. I acquired my first Canon R7 about a year ago, and I was thoroughly impressed by all the cutting-edge mirrorless features it offers. The advanced face tracking technology is a game changer, allowing me to keep priority on my subjects with ease. Additionally, the ability to preview the exact exposure on the electronic viewfinder before taking the shot is incredible—it saves so much time and reduces uncertainty. These innovations make the R7 an invaluable tool for capturing fast-moving athletes in action with confidence and precision.

I used the Canon R7 alongside my 5-year-old Canon 6D for the first year, and it quickly became clear that we are at a point in time where pretty much any image sensor found in DSLR or mirrorless cameras made in the past decade offers impressively high quality. To put it in perspective, I could easily go out and purchase a Canon R5 Mark II, which was roughly three times the price of the R7 at the time I wrote this blog. But if I were to rate the R5’s image quality as a perfect 10 out of 10, I would confidently give the R7 a 9 out of 10. Considering the R7 costs only a third of the R5’s price, plus I really appreciate its user-friendly layout and the fact that it’s smaller and lighter, I honestly have no compelling reason to upgrade to the R5.

I did seriously consider buying the R5 and keeping the R7 as a backup camera, but that would mean learning two different camera layouts, and as a working professional, my priority is to keep things as simple and efficient as possible. Now, when I pick up either of my R7 cameras, I immediately know where every control and button is without hesitation, which is incredibly handy in real-world shooting situations. Does the crop sensor introduce more noise? Possibly under certain challenging conditions, but since I use Adobe Lightroom to denoise every single image I shoot, even at lower ISOs like 100, noise never really becomes a problem. Plus, I almost always use flash, even when shooting outdoors, so low-light situations aren’t a major issue for me. In summary, the Canon R7 is a fantastic camera, and the fact that I now own two of them has genuinely made my life much easier and more efficient in the field.

No onto the lenses. I absolutely love prime lenses and have been hooked on them ever since I bought my first one, the Canon 35mm 1.4 EFII, about three years ago. From the moment I started using it, I fell in love with its incredible clarity, the compact and lightweight design, and the impressive amount of light it lets in, all of which make a real difference in my sports photography work. Since then, I sold that original lens and upgraded to the new Canon RF 24mm and 50mm 1.4 lenses. The 24mm is quite good for wide-angle shots, but the 50mm is truly incredible and quickly became my go-to for portraits. On a crop sensor, the 50mm functions like an 80mm lens, which is perfect for capturing tight, flattering images of athletes.

One feature I can’t talk enough about is that new control ring on the front of the RF lenses - an absolute game changer for photographers like me. You can assign the control ring to any function you want, and I personally use it to adjust ISO settings quickly and effortlessly during shoots. When I’m covering indoor events, I usually set my shutter speed to 1/200 and aperture to 2.8, using a speedlite for flash. Since I always shoot in manual mode, the only exposure setting I need to tweak on the fly is ISO. Now, I can make those ISO adjustments while holding the lens, simply by turning the control ring, without ever taking my hand off the camera body. This seamless control is invaluable when I’m trying to stay fast and efficient during fast-paced sports action.

Is using prime lenses sometimes a hassle? Absolutely. I often find myself constantly switching lenses to get the perfect shot from different perspectives, which can slow me down a bit. However, the benefits far outweigh the inconvenience. As a working professional who typically carries two camera bodies, each with a lens and speedlite attached, keeping gear small and lightweight matters hugely over a long shoot day. The difference between lugging around 4kg in each hand versus just 2kg is massive over a 10-hour day. Right now, I’m eagerly awaiting the release of additional Canon RF lenses with longer focal lengths, so I can continue to expand my kit and capture even more amazing images of up-and-coming athletes.

I also still have my trusty 20-year-old Canon 70-200 IS USM lens. It’s truly been around the world with me, capturing thousands of shots over the years, but I’ve decided it’s time to retire it this year. I continue to use it for sports photography, where the 1.6x crop factor on my body gives me an effective 320mm focal length at a bright 2.8 aperture, which works really well for the football games I cover. However, the lens does fall short when it comes to overall sharpness these days, and I find myself having to apply quite a bit of sharpening during post-processing. Additionally, the lens doesn’t perform optimally with the Canon R7; pairing such an older lens with a modern mirrorless body introduces some focusing challenges. I miss quite a few shots because the subject ends up out of focus, even though the face tracking system insists the subject is locked in. I don’t see this as a fault of Canon’s autofocus technology per se - rather, it’s a clear sign that it’s time for me to move on to a newer generation of lenses. I’m really hoping Canon will release some longer focal length VCM prime lenses this year to fill this gap and improve my sports photography kit.

As for my preferred speedlite, the Canon EL-5 remains my go-to choice. I find it offers the best balance of weight, speed, and power, and it communicates seamlessly with the new mirrorless bodies. I did give one of the new Godox speedlites a try, but ultimately it frustrated me for a few key reasons. First, it would switch off at random intervals - something that’s simply unacceptable when you’re working professionally and need reliability. Second, its high-speed sync wasn’t compatible with the first curtain shutter on the R7, which I rely on about 99% of the time. And third, my nose kept accidentally touching the touchscreen on the speedlite, altering settings without me realising it. So, that’s pretty much my main kit - of course, I always carry a range of other essentials like filters, extra memory cards, tripods, and more, but I find those less critical and don’t tend to stress over them too much.

What do you think about my gear setup? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!