My Photo/Video Gear Kit for 2025
In 2024, I bought/acquired more gear than I ever have in previous years. It makes sense, considering I've only really been taking photography seriously since about 2021 and I didn't have a ton of money to throw at new gear in those first couple of years.
Now that 2025 is underway, I want to talk about some of the gear I'm starting the year with. It may change throughout the year barring any new gear announcements, brand collaborations, etc., but throughout the years, I've been able to acquire most of what I need for my kit, so now I'd rather put the money towards things like travel.
CAMERAS
Sony A7IV
I bought the A7IV in November '23 and it has been my main workhorse camera ever since, and it will continue to be that. The Sony A7V should be announced sometime soon, but I don't think the updated features will be worth it enough for me to need them. I have no issues with the A7IV, and it serves as a perfect hybrid camera for my photography/videography needs.
Sony A7III
The A7III was my first full-frame camera which I bought in 2020 and even though I don't use it much anymore, it is totally capable of serving as a backup photography camera to the A7IV. It may not have the AF or video specs that the A7IV does, but in terms of image quality and reliability, this camera still does a great job. Right now, it mainly serves as my main camera when I do HDR real estate photography since it can connect with my off-brand remote trigger.
Ricoh GR IIIx
The Ricoh is my EDC camera that I have no problem bringing with me anywhere I go. Between its compact size, APS-C sensor, and 40mm lens equivalent, I love using this camera on days when bringing my Sony is too much of a hassle. The build quality isn't great however, and if I want to keep it at its most compact size, I have to ditch the thumb grip and lens hood. Regardless, it's a very powerful and pocketable camera.
Leitz Minolta CL
This is a camera I bought in the last few days of 2024 to upgrade from my Canonet QL17 GIII. The QL17 was a nice introduction to shooting on a film rangefinder, but my plan for 2025 is to shoot more and be a bit more "serious" about film and I wanted a rangefinder with different lens options so I went with this one after an extensive amount of research. The body of the CL is almost the exact same as the QL17 in terms of size, and it has frame lines for 40mm, 50mm, and 90mm. After shooting it on the first day, I noticed a few quirks about it that I don't love, but they're not major at all. At the time I write this, I don't actually own a lens for it yet (I'm borrowing one currently), but I have my eye on the Voigtlander Heliar 40mm F2.8.
Nikkormat FTN
This was my first film camera and even though I had it up for sale a few weeks ago, I decided to keep it just so I can have an SLR along with a rangefinder. I have a Nikkor 50mm F1.8 and 35mm F2.8 to go with it. I'm not sure how much use I'll get out of it these days, but it's good to have in case something were to happen to my CL.
DJI Osmo Pocket 3
As much as I want to use this camera more, it has a very specific use-case. I only use this camera if I want to get BTS/POV videos and I don't have my Sony with me, which I usually do. I always need to have one hand on the camera, and the chest mount for the Pocket 3 does not seem practical so it's a bit annoying to use, and I'd rather use the Action 4 since it is more hands-free. Regardless, there are times when the Pocket 3 comes in handy and it does produce some solid video.
DJI Osmo Action 4
I don't film many POV videos, but if I want to, this camera is perfect for that because I can put it on a mount that clips onto my sling bag strap and it can also connect to my DJI Mic 2 if I want better audio. This little block of a camera may not be as comfortable to hold as the Pocket 3, but it can take more of a beating and I don't have to worry about something happening with the gimbal on the Pocket 3.
LENSES
Samyang AF 35mm F1.8 FE
This lens has been my most used prime lens since I bought it in early 2023. 35mm is probably my favorite focal length and some of the best work in my portfolio was taken on this "budget" lens. I can't recommend it enough for someone who needs a budget 35mm lens for a full-frame camera.
Tamron 28-75mm F2.8
This is my second most-used lens which mainly serves as a lens for video since I have the option to do tight/wide shots, however if I go out with the intention of shooting video and I want to switch to photo, this is solid and versatile lens for that as well. There is an updated second version of this lens but I'm still rocking with the first version and I haven't had any issues with it since I got it a few years ago. However, there is a possibility that I replace this with a different zoom lens (Sony 24-50mm F2.8) but I'm still mulling over that idea.
Sony 50mm F2.5 G
This compact G lens is the only Sony lens I own. I typically lean towards buying third-party lenses mainly due to cost, but I got this in April and it's so pleasant to shoot with. The only thing not ideal about it is the 2.5 aperture, which isn't great for using in dark environments but I knew that going in. However, I'd rather increase my ISO a bit than buy a massive/expensive lens that I'd barely shoot at F1.2. This lens would be an even better fit on more compact full-frame Sony bodies such as the A7CII and A7CR.
Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN
I've owned this lens since October '22 and I highly doubt I'll ever get rid of it. Sigma is right up there in terms of quality with the Sony G-Master lineup but for a fraction of the price. This is quite a heavy and beefy lens but that's to be expected with its 1.4 aperture. I had a stint where this lens did not come off my camera for a few months and even though I've faded away from the 85mm focal length, this lens still wows me every time I shoot with it. Maybe I'm just easily impressed.
Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 FE
I bought this lens because it was dirt cheap and I didn't want to throw a lot of money into a focal length that is a bit intimidating to me. You can only shoot this lens at F4.5 which honestly isn't as bad as it might sound, but this lens is the smallest AF lens I think I'll ever own in my life. I really have only used it a handful of times considering it is a bit more of a use-case lens, but it's a fun one to toss into my bag without having to worry that it'll take up much space.
Sigma 16-28mm F2.8 DG DN
This lens sees the least amount of use from me, but it's my widest lens I own. I mainly use it for real estate photography and have used it for some video work, but this has never come out with me for street photography. However, it is a great budget alternative to the Sony 16-35mm GM.
MICROPHONES
DJI Mic
I use this mic for basically any/all videos that have dialogue. This is the first version of these mics and I love how it comes with a small charging case that I can bring with me wherever I need.
DJI Mic 2 Transmitter
When I got the Osmo Pocket 3, the creator combo comes with one DJI Mic 2 transmitter. I use this because it can connect to my Action 4 and Pocket 3 via bluetooth and makes talking while filming videos with those cameras much better.
BAGS/BACKPACKS
Wotancraft "Pilot" Travel Camera Bag 7L
Wotancraft sent me a few things in October and this sling was one of them, which has become the main sling I use to carry my things around when I'm out shooting. The 7L size fits my Sony + 2 smaller lenses, my film camera, and other things like extra batteries, wallet, keys, airpods, ND filter, and more. It's very customizable and it also features water bottles holders on the sides, a luggage pass-through strap, and a magnetic buckle, which is my absolute favorite feature.
Peak Design Everyday Sling 3L
I've had this sling since summer '23 and I don't use it too often anymore. It currently serves as a place to keep my drone. However, there are instances where I will bring this out with me on a photo day if I'm just bringing a camera and two smaller lenses and I plan to keep the camera strapped around my neck or wrist.
Brevite Jumper Camera Backpack 18L
I didn't know I needed this backpack until Brevite sent it to me earlier over the summer. I don't typically use backpacks for daily photography, but if I'm doing a small trip where I need to bring a bit more gear than my sling can hold, this is a great option.
Wandrd Prvke Backpack 31L
I've had this backpack since February 2025 and it has come with me around the world since then. The 31L capacity fits all of the gear I need to bring with me when traveling and the roll-top also allows me to pack a spare change of clothes. This is the first generation version of this backpack (there is a newer one) but it does everything I need it to. This backpack acts as my carry-on when traveling and my Wotancraft sling acts as my personal item.
REI Co-op Trail 2 Waist Pack
This 2L fanny pack from REI is great for when I'm only bringing one camera that I can have strapped around my neck where I can use the fanny pack for things like my wallet, portable charger, keys, and airpods. My Ricoh also fits in here which makes it really good for an EDC carry pack.
CAMERA STRAPS
Wotancraft Full Leather Camera Wrist Strap
This wrist strap, paired with the Peak Design Anchor Links, is my main wrist strap for my Sony. I don't love using camera neck straps since they get in the way, and this wrist strap is very durable and reliable. Because it is leather, it is still pretty stiff and tough after many uses, but over time I expect it to soften up a bit which I'm looking forward to.
Wotancraft Full Leather Camera Neck Strap
I use this strap mainly with my film cameras. I like the length of it and I have the Cura split sings on the ends that I feel work a bit better on my film cameras. Just like the wrist strap, the leather takes a while to break in but I have full trust in this strap and it also is just really pretty.
Peak Design Slide Neck Strap
I bought this Slide strap a while ago and I wish I bought the the Slide Lite or Leash because this one is a bit too wide and gets in the way of my LCD screen when I flip it out. However, I do love the PD Anchor system so it's really easy to attach/detach the strap. It's also easily adjustable which is great.
COMPUTERS/LAPTOPS
Apple Mac Mini M2 Pro
I got this refurbished Mac Mini in 2023 and it is my main workhorse. It comes with 16GB RAM, 10-core CPU, and 16-core GPU with Apple's M2 Pro chip, and I have it hooked up to a 27-inch 4K LG Monitor. I got it with 512GB of storage which isn't that much but I usually put everything on my external SSDs anyway. For photo/video editing, this gets the job done just fine.
Apple Macbook Air M1
This laptop comes with me when I travel as well as when I don't want to be sitting at my desk. It's not exactly great for editing (small screen and overall weaker system) but I can do some light photo-editing and browse the internet/listen to music.
FILE STORAGE
Lexar 1667X 128GB SD Card
I switched over to these when I was ditching Sandisk and they're great cards. I've had no issues with them and I own about four, which are all 128GB capacity.
Samsung T7 Portable SSD 2TB
I now have 3 of these SSDs that I work off of. They're almost always plugged into my Mac Mini and I opt for the 2TB capacity because if an SSD were to corrupt, I'd rather lose 2TB of files instead of 4TB. I went with these after using Sandisk Extreme SSDs but after hearing about a lot of failures with those, these T7 drives have served me well.
WD Elements Portable External Hard Drive 5TB
I bought two of these a few months ago to serve as backups for my T7 drives. Every few months, I copy all the new files from the SSDs to these hard drives and they live in a drawer the rest of the time since I don't edit off of these, which they are not exactly meant for.
SOFTWARE/SUBSCRIPTIONS
Adobe Lightroom Classic (photo-editing program)
Adobe Premiere Pro (video-editing program)
Dehancer Pro (video color-grading plugin for Premiere Pro) - Use code MATSEF for 10% off at checkout
Adobe Photoshop (graphic/text program)
Epidemic Sound (royalty-free music)
Squarespace (website hosting)
Dropbox (file transfer)
Disclaimer: All underlined titles of gear are Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase a piece of equipment through the links, I’ll receive a small kick-back at no extra cost to you.