10 Best Micro Four Thirds Travel Photos By Me Rick!

Travel photography and micro four thirds cameras – a perfect combination

What are the 10 best micro four thirds travel photography photos taken by me? In this post I will share these 10 images with you and tell you where I took the photos, the camera settings I used, the gear I used and also what I was thinking when I took the photos. These really are 10 of my best travel photography images which I am rather proud of (even if I do say so myself).

Who am I?

For those of you who don’t know me I am Rick McEvoy, a photographer and travel website creator based in the south of England. I specialise in architectural, landscape and travel photography.

I have been using Canon DSLRs for years, but this year took the plunge and invested in a micro four thirds camera.

What is a micro four thirds camera?

Micro four thirds cameras are smaller than DSLRs. The sensor is smaller too, but they pack a real punch with their image quality.

What micro four thirds camera do I own?

I started off with an Olympus OM-D EM10 Mk 2 which I took to instantly. So much so that I bought its big brother, the Olympus OM-D EM5 Mk 2, which is now my go to camera for travel photography.

Why not a DSLR?

I noticed last year in Greece that I was leaving my camera in the hotel, or in the boot of the car, and taking more photos with my iPhone than usual.

Basically I was getting fed up with my DSLR.

So when I got back from that trip I started looking into alternatives. I spent a long time looking into this and ended up with the Olympus OM-D EM5 Mk 2. I will add links to the posts about all of this at the end of this blog post – I want to get into the 10 photos right now.

Where were these photos taken?

On one of my favourite Greek Islands, Rhodes. They were all taken on this trip earlier on this year, the first time I had got to use the camera properly.

A quick word on the camera settings

All the photos were taken with my Olympus OM-D EM5 Mk 2 and Olympus 12-40mm F2.8 Pro lens.

All the photos were taken using the auto bracketing feature on the camera, where three images are taken at the same time (with different exposures) which I merged together in Lightroom to create a master image which I edited.

So when I say shutter speed in the descriptions below I am referring to the first shot.

I had not learnt how to use the camera properly to be completely honest, so I used Auto ISO for the first time ever, and put the camera into my go to mode, Aperture Priority. I set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed.

All the photos were taken on a tripod, so this works just fine for me.

OK – let’s get onto the 10 photos

Photo 1 - Scooter at sunrise in Lindos on the Greek Island of Rhodes

Scooter at sunrise in Lindos on the Greek Island of Rhodes

Location

About 5 minutes from the main beach in Lindos.

Something interesting about the photo

I was walking along the back path after a not so stunning sunrise slightly spoiled by clouds when I came across this scooter parked by a building.

Everything clicked into place and I got this shot which I absolutely love.

It just goes to prove the point that you should just get out there and take photos – do not wait for perfect conditions as you never know what you will find.

Camera settings

• Focal length 17mm

• Aperture F8

• Shutter 1/4000th second

• ISO 200

Photo 2 - Tree at sunrise on Rhodes Greece by Rick McEvoy

Tree at sunrise on Rhodes Greece

Location

On the top of the hills above Navarone Bay on the outskirts of Pefkos.

Something interesting about the photo

This is what greeted me when I got over the brow of the hill from the place where I had parked my car. I couldn’t risk going any further up the rough gravel road leaving me a bit of a walk!

So hot and sweaty before I had even got my camera out, and late as the sun was just about to appear, I stumbled upon this scene which I had to stop and photograph!

Camera settings

• Focal length 17mm

• Aperture F8

• Shutter 1/60th second

• ISO 500

Photo 3 - Sun and tree at sunrise on Rhodes

Sun and tree at sunrise on Rhodes

Location

The hills above Navarone Bay – the same location as the previous photo but this is in portrait format for Pinterest.

Something interesting about the photo

I wanted to get a portrait version which works better for Pinterest, so having taken the first shot I moved and adjusted the focal length to get this shot.

No this is not just a crop of the previous image – I really do thing about this stuff!

And one more thing here – I used an aperture of F22 to get the starburst effect in the photo which is exactly what I was after.

And I love the effect even though I had not tried this before with this camera and lens combo.

Camera settings

• Focal length 32mm

• Aperture F22

• Shutter 1/1600th second

• ISO 200

Photo 4 - The Acropolis of Rhodes at sunrise

The Acropolis of Rhodes at sunrise

Location

The top of the hills above Navarone Bay looking towards the Acropolis of Rhodes.

Something interesting about the photo

This was the first photo taken with the 40-150mm lens. Not bad is it? I had done with the sunrise, so decided to have a play with this telephoto lens and see what I could get.

And I got this which I really like.

It is very unusual for me to actually use a telephoto lens, so this makes a very welcome change.

And as for the sharpness and image quality? Looks fine to me!

Camera settings

• Focal length 89mm

• Aperture F8

• Shutter 1/100th second

• ISO 200

Photo 5 - Sunrise from Prophet Elias Church Pefkos

Sunrise from Prophet Elias Church Pefkos

Location

Taken from the Prophet Elias Church on top of the hill above Pefkos.

Something interesting about the photo

This is one of my favourite sunrise locations. And in this shot I wanted to convey the height and depth of the scene, which I think I have done pretty well. I know I have cropped off the top of the sun but hey I am only human!

Camera settings

• Focal length 26mm

• Aperture F11

• Shutter 1/200th second

• ISO 200

Photo 6 - Rock pools at sunrise on Navarone Bay

Rock pools at sunrise on Navarone Bay

Location

The beach at Navarone Bay.

Something interesting about the photo

I was walking back from my sunrise shoot and started looking at reflections in rock pools.

And this is when I took full advantage of the fully articulated screen and held the camera just above the rock pool to get this ultra-low angle view. Using the touch screen I could focus and take the image.

And I could actually see the screen even in this super bright and contrasty scene – quite incredible really.

Yes I love the touchscreen on this little wonder.

Camera settings

• Focal length 12mm

• Aperture F13

• Shutter 1/160th second

• ISO 200

Photo 7 - Tree 2 at sunrise on Rhodes Greece

Tree 2 at sunrise on Rhodes Greece

Location

Back on top of the hill overlooking Navarone Bay

Something interesting about the photo

This is the tree that you can see as you drive from Lindos to Lardos on top of the hill. I have looked at that tree many many times, and finally got to meet it personally.

And yes after that morning every time I made my favourite drive on Rhodes I looked up at that very tree and smiled to myself.

Camera settings

• Focal length 21mm

• Aperture F16

• Shutter 1/320th second

• ISO 200

Photo 8 - Boat at sunrise, Lindos, Rhodes

Boat at sunrise, Lindos, Rhodes

Location

The main beach in Lindos. At the far end there is a small jetty which is used for daytrips to various places.

And for me to take photos from.

Something interesting about the photo

This morning the sunrise was not great, as there was a band of low cloud on the horizon, so I had to find something different to photograph.

So I walked around the beach and thought about my favourite jetty. And there was a boat there which was most excellent – there aren’t always boats moored on this particular jetty, so I had my focal point for this image, with a couple of ropes too!

Camera settings

• Focal length 12mm

• Aperture F22

• Shutter 1/640th second

• ISO 200

Photo 9 - Windswept Tree At Sunrise Rhodes Greece

Windswept Tree At Sunrise Rhodes Greece

Location

On top of the cliffs overlooking Navarone Bay

Something interesting about the photo

This was the photo I took on the way back to the car. I was hanging out by now, having drunk all my water. I liked trees that have been sculpted and formed by the weather like this tree.

I left the lens flare in this photo as it seems to balance out the image nicely, and we all know that the sun causes these things to happen so why not?

I again used F22 to get that wonderful effect on the sun – I was not sure how the 7-14mm lens would be doing this, but I am loving the effect I get.

Camera settings

• Focal length 18mm

• Aperture F22

• Shutter 1/640th second

• ISO 200

Photo 10 - Greek Flag At Sunrise

Greek Flag At Sunrise

Location

Back at the site of the Prophet Elias Church on top of the hill in Pefkos

Something interesting about the photo

I love this shot. I thought I would save the best till last for once.

This is the Greek flag and the photo of the landscape just before the sun illuminates a new day on the wonderful Greek Island of Rhodes.

I have taken a video of this scene which you can view on my YouTube channel.

This photo tells the story of sunrise in Greece – I love to be able to tell a story in a single image.

Camera settings

• Focal length 12mm

• Aperture F8

• Shutter 1/100th second

• ISO 200

A word on my Olympus OM-D EM5 Mk 2.

I wrote a post last week which tells you a lot about my new camera and what I think of it. You can read the post here Is The Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2 The Best Travel Photography Camera?

Do you want one of these cameras?

And if you are interested in buying one of these little wonders here are Amazon affiliate links – if you buy anything having used one of theses links I get a small commission.

Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2

Olympus 12-40mm F2.8 Pro lens

And the two together

Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2 and Olympus 12-40mm F 2.8 Pro Lens

Further reading

I have written a few other posts about micro four thirds photography, which are these.

Micro Four Thirds Explained – A Beginners Guide

Micro Four Thirds - Small Cameras For Travelling

My Micro Four Thirds Travel Kit – Travelling Light In Style

Professional photographers who use micro four thirds - really?

And the video for this blog post will be published tomorrow on my YouTube Channel.

How to follow me

If you want to keep up with everything I am doing you can do the following

Subscribe to my blog from the box on my home page

Subscribe to my YouTube channels

Rick McEvoy Photography

Paxos Travel Guide

And also follow me on Pinterest

These are the main outlets for my online content at the moment.

Summary

I hope that you found this post interesting, and next week I will continue the theme by writing about my best travel photos taken with the Olympus OM-D EM10 Mk 2! Well why not? There is some good stuff in there.

And then after that I might treat myself to an on-location post and video.

Rick McEvoy ABIPP – Photographer, writer, website creator

#microfourthirdstravelphotography #rickmcevoyphotography #olympusem5 #olympuscamera #microfourthirds

Is The Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2 The Best Travel Photography Camera?

Last week I wrote a post about how to choose a camera, having chosen a new travel photography camera for myself, the Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2.

So is the Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2 the best travel photography camera? I think that it is, and this post I will tell you why I think so and what I like about the the EM5 Mk 2. I will also tell you about the post “how to choose a camera”, and how I applied this thought process to buying the EM5 Mk 2. And I will share some of the photos taken of this wonderful little bundle of photographic cleverness.

The Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2 is my travel photography camera of choice.

More on the photos taken with the Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2 later in this post.

Whats in this blog post?

In this post I will tell you who I am, what the 31 things were that I wanted in a new camera, if I got them in the Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2 or not, and my views on my new camera. And I will answer the question at the end as well. Ok I did so at the beginning, but this will be a fuller answer!

Sorry – I nearly forgot – I will include a sprinkling of photos of my Olympus camera - more on the images I have taken later.

Here it is.

Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2 on location in Rhodes Greece

OK – are you with me? Let’s get to it!

Who am I?

If you don’t know me hi, I’m Rick McEvoy, an architectural, landscape and travel photographer. I am a professionally qualified photographer, being an Associate of the British Institute of Professional Photography (ABIPP).

I have been using full frame Canon DSLRs for years now, but have recently dived into micro four thirds photography Olympus cameras and lenses.

I have three websites, this one, Paxos Travel Guide and Photos of Santorini.

So you will see how important travel photography is to me!

Check out my work on my main website Rick McEvoy Photography – I have three portfolio pages, all of the images on these pages have been taken using my Canon DSLRs.

This will change next time I update the pages, as I use the Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2 more and more for my travel photography work, and the odd commercial architectural commission.

Which leads me nicely back to the subject.

Is The Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2 The Best Travel Photography Camera?

That is the question I will answer, but first, lets go back to the blog post last week.

Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2 on location in Rhodes Greece

How To Choose A Camera

Last week I wrote a blog post titled “How to choose a camera – 31 practical things for you to consider”.

This was based on an older post, and formed the basis of the thought process that led me to buy the Olympus camera.

Here are the 31 things that were important to me on my new camera – did I get them with the Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2?

1 - Smaller and lighter than my Canon 6D with lenses

The camera body is certainly smaller and lighter, even more so with the 12-42mm pancake lens. But throw on the lovely but not so small 7-14mm lens and it becomes more of a lump.

A smaller lump granted but hardly pocket-sized!

2 – In-camera HDR

Well it turns out that it does have in-camera HDR. The camera takes four photos at different exposures and creates a single RAW file.

I did not know this until I was researching some of the finer points of this post.

I am very excited by this, so much so that I can forgive the lack of GPS. Almost.

3 – GPS

No GPS. And this does not please me. So the workaround is that I take a photo on my iPhone and add the locational data in Lightroom. I know I can do this, I have just not had time to do this yet.

And to be fair on every shoot I take photos and videos with my iPhone.

4 – Wi-Fi

Yes. Built in Wi-Fi with the Olympus Image Share app on my iPhone. All I have done is connect this, but I will give this a go on my next trip.

5 – Connectivity as good as an iPhone

Time will tell once I have given the app a go.

6 – The functionality of an iPhone

Erm no. To be honest no. The menus are fine and as logical as the ones on my Canon cameras but no revolution here.

7 – Connectivity to my iPhone

I will see about this.

8 – In camera image processing

Not like I was thinking no. But that might just be me! Lets forget that one.

9 – Fully articulated screen

Yes. For the first time ever and I love it.  I need to get used to moving with the screen at a jaunty angle – I think I have some personal co-ordination issues to get over!!

As with all these things practise will make perfect.

But yes and this makes me so happy.

10 – A screen I can actually see in normal light and also in direct Greek sunshine

On my trip to Rhodes the screen was much clearer so yes to this. It is a small screen but much brighter and clearer.

11 – Touch screen with full functionality

Touch screen with some functionality yes. I will work on this and let you know how I get on in my next update, but the one thing that I did want was to be able to touch the screen and focus and take a photo, which happily I can do with this camera.

12 – Ergonomics that make it a pleasure to use

OK. I have to be honest here. Not really. The camera is so small how could it be?

My Canon 6D is bigger with an excellent grip, plus the fact I have been using it exclusively for years make it virtually an extension of my hand!

This needs a lot of time but might get there.

And a grip might help.

13 – Simple logical menu system

The menu system is just fine.

14 - 4K video with high quality audio recording

Yes. And with 5 axis image stabilisation movie recording greatness is surely only a matter of time!!

There is a high bit rate of 77Mbps too. Whatever that means?

Can anyone tell me?

This is another thing I am excited to try out.

15 – Excellent Vlogging/ recording capabilities

See above – the combination of the video capture with the fully articulating touchscreen make this look like an excellent prospect.

With one exception.

I like to record me taking photos with my camera - I will either have to stick with doing this on my iPhone or buy another EM5!

And I need to sort out a microphone.

16 – Smaller cheaper lenses offering the similar image quality

Yes. I think so anyway. I tend to use the 7-14mm lens which is hardly cheap or small. I  have also used the 40-150mm lens which is just that and the 12-42mm pancake lens which is tiny.

I need to get a couple more small lenses and see how these perform.

17 – High quality sensor

Yep image quality is excellent. I used the EM5 on an architectural shoot alongside my Canon 6D to see how it performed. I issued the photos taken with the EM5 to my client (a regular client as well) who did not notice any difference.

18 – Excellent low light performance

Looks pretty good to me but looking forward to much more testing once I know how to use it properly (ie not use Auto ISO which I am loving too by the way)..

19 – Stuff like time lapse, long exposure and other good stuff etc built-in

Yes! How exciting.

I have not used this yet but the EM5 (which is what I will call it from now on) does have a 40M high res feature – the camera captures 8 shots and merges them into one.

And even better news – this feature can create a RAW file.

The high res bit is interesting, and now the camera comes with focus stacking, which I cannot wait to try out. I was going to buy a piece of kit just for this so happy with this.

And it also has a bleach bypass filter, which “adds a warm, mysterious atmosphere to every kind of scene. At the same time it highlights the metallic surfaces of cars, machines and more.”

OK – lets give this a go as well.

This is what I was after – stuff to play around with.

Happy again, and the fact that focus stacking and bleach bypass are new features provided through firmware updates is even better. Now that is so good and something I have never had with Canon.

20 – A sensor that does not need cleaning

No. Does such a thing exist? I do not think so.

21 – Interchangeable lenses

Yes. Of course.

22 – Tilt Shift capability

No. Am I bothered? Not any more, as I sold my tilt shift lens some time ago as I never used it. This paid for the camera!

23 – Ultra-wide angle lenses

There is a 7-14mm lens which I am currently lusting after/ trying to blag. That would give me 14mm full frame equivalent. I am excited to try this lens.

This is wider than any lens I have ever had before which is an exciting prospect.

Watch out eBay sellers!

24 – Bespoke programming

I have not found this yet. But there are function buttons that look like they are programmable.

25 – RAW Capture

Yes. I would not have bought the EM5 if it did not have this.

26 – EVF

Sorry. EVF = electronic viewfinder.

Yes. I tried this out on every trip to the airport and love it. And I love the fact that I can look at the images that I have taken in the viewfinder. Although I have to say that I am still finding this confusing!

The only problem now is that I have nothing to do when I am at the airport shopping. Will probably end up buying flip flops on my next trip.

27 – Computational photography

Yep there is some good stuff in this camera.

• High res

• Bleach bypass

• Focus stacking

• HDR

28 – Focussing in the dark

I have not properly tested this yet.

29 – Weather sealing

Yes to both the EM5 and the 12-40mm lens. Which is good considering where I take my photos.

30 – And the ability to output straight from the camera

Erm not sure yet but  think that I might be able to do that with the app.

31 – Shiny new loveliness

Yes. Of course. And it is shiny and lovely.

I bought the black body – should I have got the shiny silver metal one?

That was the list I created some time ago.

Not bad going Olympus – I have managed to get all the things I needed apart from GPS.

What are my thoughts on my new camera?

Well I love it. I really enjoy carrying it around with me.

Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2 on location in Rhodes Greece

This is what I specifically like about my Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2

1 - Image quality

I was worried about this. Would I be happy with the image quality after all those years using full frame Canon DSLRs and Canon L series lenses.

I needn’t have worried – the image quality is excellent.

2 - Taking photos with the camera

I enjoy taking personal and travel photos again. Some of this is because it is novel, shiny and new.

But it is also because this camera is a pleasure to use.

3 - The fully articulated touchscreen

I really like and value this. This is a game changer for me, something that I will use all the time. I take photos from unusual angles on every shoot, and this screen will help me with this.

And I will also be able to use the EM5 for videos of myself. I just need to look into the audio.

Absolutely loving it!

4 - The 12-40mm lens

This is a solid chunk of a lens. It has a lovely feel to it. And the image quality is excellent.

I really like this lens.

5 - The 40-150mm lens

A very light lens, which takes some getting used to. And considering its effective focal length of 80-300mm very small and light indeed.

I do worry about the durability of these lenses, which feel rather fragile.

Lets see how they get on with me!

6 - The 12-42mm pancake lens

Tiny tiny lens that I got this photo with.

I have not used this lens that much but it really is tiny. It is currently attached to my EM10 which is stored in the glove box of my car when I am out and about,

7 - The size of the camera

It is smaller than a DSLR, and is easier to hold in one hand. Add the 7-14mm lens though and it is not that small a combo but still smaller and lighter.

8 - The price of new lenses

A lot cheaper than Canon lenses, the 12-40mm F2.8 Pro is available at the time of writing for £899.00 from Wex Photo and Video. That is not too bad a price for such a lens with a maximum aperture of F2.8.

9 - The fact I can fit it in my glove box if I want to

And I do. Well my EM10 which I bought first with the 12-42mm lens.

10 – I can take photos using the touchscreen

I love this. I can touch the screen and the camera will focus where I touch the screen and take the photo. I assume it meters there as well.

I know – I need to look into this a bit more.

11 – New features

It is wonderful that that new features are being added in firmware updates. That is like getting a new camera, and is very encouraging for the future.

12 – The 5 axis image stabilisation.

I know that the camera has this – I just need to play with this and see just how good it is.

I could have titled this post 10 (ok 12, and if you read on actually 13) reasons why I love my micro four thirds Olympus camera.

But that sounds a bit click baity.

But a post for another time.

What do I not like about the EM5?

No GPS

This is a shame for me. As I said I have a workround but this is an additional process that I did not want to have to add to my workflow.

Not as much computational stuff – or is there?

Yes there is more than I thought which is excellent news. I found that out in the writing of this post so no negatives here.

The hand grip is a bit small

So basically I need to buy a grip, but not one that is going to make it too bulky. The last thing that I want to do is chuck a load of accessories onto the camera and make it big and bulky – sort of defeats the point of it.

What about my architectural photography?

Well. As you will have realised I have just found out about some features that I did not know about.

RAW HDR image capture, HIGH res RAW image capture – things that I will can for commercial work. Of course for now I will try these things alongside my Canon 6D but exciting propositions these are!

I have kept my Canon 6D and essential lenses for now, which will remain my commercial photography workhorses, although for how long I am not sure now.

The more I learn the more I want to make the jump fully to micro four thirds.

What gear am I going to get for my new camera?

I have to have the 7-14mm lens.

This will make the 12-40mm lens sort of redundant. I do not need the F2.8 for the photography I do, all that has done is make the lens bigger and heavier.

I am going to get some small, cheaper lenses and give them a go

And a grip to help with my clumsy hands.

And I have a universal L bracket with Arca Swiss plate for my new travel tripod, the 3 Legged Thing Corey.

And there is my Olympus OMD EM10 Mk2

I nearly forgot about this even smaller camera. Now this does live in my glove box, with the pancake lens fitted.

I used this combo to take one of my favourite winter photos in a long time, which you can see above.

OK – so Is The Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2 The Best Travel Photography Camera?

Yes. I think it is. It has lots of exciting features that I am looking forward to learning properly.

The image quality is excellent, it the camera is small, lightweight and a pleasure to use. And it is packed with excellent features that will help me to take better photos. If features do not do that they are unnecessary distractions to me.

At the end of the day all that matters to me is the photos that I create. OK if the camera is a pleasure to use as well then that is a bonus.

Which the Olympus OM-D EM5 Mk 2 is.

Check out my website where you will find 12 photos taken on my trip to Rhodes Greece. This was the first foreign trip I have been on without my Canon DSLR and lenses ever.

And I did not miss them to be honest.

And also check out the video that accompanies this post on my YouTube channel.

Do you want to buy the camera or the lens?

If you fancy buying either the camera body and/ or lens here are Amazon links to both - these are affiliate links so if you buy either/ both item(s) using these links I get a small commission - you do not pay extra, it just comes off Amazon’s profits (which I am sure they can afford!).

Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2

Olympus 12-40mm F2.8 Pro lens

And the two together

Olympus OMD EM5 Mk2 and Olympus 12-40mm F 2.8 Pro Lens

Further reading

I have written a few posts about my journey into micro four thirds photography – here they are

Micro Four Thirds Explained – A Beginners Guide

Micro Four Thirds - Small Cameras For Travelling

My Micro Four Thirds Travel Kit – Travelling Light In Style

Professional photographers who use micro four thirds - really?

Talking of further reading I am going to read this book.

and get to know my camera properly. I recommend that you do the same with your camera, whatever it is.

Summary

That is enough gear talk for now. Next week I am going to write about my 5 favourite micro four thirds travel photography images.

And I will come back to my micro four thirds Olympus camera later on this year.

I know this photo of me is with a Canon camera - I don’t have a picture of me yet with my Olympus camera but as soon as I do I will replace it I promise!

Rick McEvoy - Travel Photographer

#travelphotographer #travelphotography #microfourthirds #olympusem5

25 Really useful Photography Accessories Costing Less Than £20/ $25/ €22.32

Photography can be an expensive business. But it does not have to be all the time!

Here are 25 really useful photography accessories costing less than £20. See, photography accessories do not have to be expensive, and in this little lot are some absolute gems of bits of cheap kit that I use to help me create my images, videos and online content. And some stuff that I am going to buy.

Before I go on, I need to tell you something.

I have added a link to the Amazon page where you can buy all these bits of kit. These links are all Amazon Affiliate Links – if you buy any of these products using one of these links I get a small commission, but you do not pay any more - Amazon just makes a little bit less which seems fair to me!

And one further thing - the product descriptions are taken from the particular product pages on Amazon.

Now that is out of the way let’s get straight into the list.

1 – Photo Studio Tent With Lights!

Yes I bought a photo studio tent for a product photography shoot. I had to photograph coloured corner caps for a customisable table for a client. I had never done this before so having made two bad goes at it I bit the bullet and bought this little gem of a piece of kit. It cost me £19.99, but at the time of writing is going for the amazing price of £8.99!

Here are a couple of photos that I took using this tent.

Product Photography at home by Rick McEvoy

Product Photography at home by Rick McEvoy

And here is the link to the tent on Amazon.

Photo Studio Tent, Mini Foldable Photography Studio Portable Light Box Kit with LED Light, LED Light Tent (22.6cmx23x24cm)+ Two Backgrounds (White and Black), Shoot Amazing Pictures Like a Pro by EDIFON

Oh go on then - here is the tent in action!

2 – Manfrotto Pixi tripod

I use one of these for my travel photography. I have been on foreign trips and only taken this as my tripod. I have used it to take long exposure images using my Canon 6D and Canon 17-40mm lens which were perfectly sharp. And it is even better with my mirrorless cameras, the Olympus OM-D EM5 Mk 2 and EM10Mk 2.

Here it is!

And the cost for this little marvel?

£17.99!

I know – ridiculous.

Manfrotto PIXI Mini Tripod with Handgrip for Compact System Cameras, Black

I did not know or think that this could also be used as a hand-grip until I saw the full description writing this post.

3 – Op Tech Wrist strap

Optech Wrist Strap - photo from Amazon website

I hate camera neck straps. I used one for years until I realised that there is another way, wrist straps. There are other clever things too that slide and do all sorts, but less is more for me. And less means less bulk filling up my bag.

I like having my camera in my right hand with the security of a wrist strap just in case I lose my grip.

I use wrist straps on my Canon 6D and also my Olympus OM-D EM5 Mk 2 and Olympus EM10 Mk 2 mirrorless cameras.

And the price- £8.99!

OP/TECH 6701062 SLR Wrist Strap – Black

4 – Lastolite Grey Card

Why do I need a grey card? Simple – to get a good white balance. In difficult lighting conditions all I do is plonk this in the scene in a logical place. Then I take another photo without it and when I get back to my office to edit the photos I use this as my grey point for custom white balance.

Works a treat in Lightroom and I can copy and paste the correct white balance to as many photos as I want to.

All for £19 and very little space in my camera bag.

Lastolite by Manfrotto LL LR1250 Ezybalance Grey Card - 30 cm, Grey/White

5 – Pec Pads

Pec Pad - photo from Amazon

These excellent disposable cleaning cloths are what I use to clean my lenses and anything else that needs a delicate clean.

Used with the next item this is 50% of my day-to-day photography gear cleaning stuff.

These packs last a surprisingly long time too!

You get 100 of these for £17.99 – an absolute bargain!

Photographic Solutions 10x10cm Pec Pad (Pack of 100)

6 – Eclipse Lens Cleaning Solution

Eclipse Lens Cleaning Solution - photo from Amazon

The other half of my day-to-day camera cleaning kit is this stuff. Two drops on a Pec Pad and off you go cleaning stuff for fun, in particular the most delicate front and rear lens elements.

You can use this stuff to clean your camera sensor, which I have not done since I had a bit of a problem many years ago.

These bottles seem to last forever.

£16.98 including free delivery!!

Photographic Solutions Eclipse Lens and CCD Cleaning Fluid

And I also buy a small bottle for travel use.

7 – Head Torch

Yep this is me wearing my head torch. Dead handy to have in my camera bag for a few essential uses.

First one is getting to where I want to be for sunrise if it is super dark out there.

And once I am there, whilst I can use my camera with my eyes closed I do need help changing my camera lenses – not only that but also finding them in my bag.

Less than a tenner too!!

Xiancai USB Rechargeable LED Head Torch, Super Bright LED Headlamps, White & Red LED, 5 Modes, Best Head Lights for Camping, Hiking, Jogging, Running Fishing, Kids

8 – Micro fibre towel

Photo from Amazon

Micro fibre towels are so useful. What do I use them for?

Protecting my camera in light rain is one use, not that there is that much rain in Greece!

I also use them to clean down my camera body and lens, removing sea salt and general coastal debris.

They are also useful providing extra grip if my hands are particularly sweaty.

And I have used one as an improvised hat on a particularly sunny day.

And finally they act as padding in my camera bag when I am travelling.

So much for so little.

£6.46 for a pack of 10 400mm x 400mm cloths. Another bargain.

Lint Free Microfibre Exel Super Magic Cleaning Cloths For Polishing, Washing, Waxing And Dusting. Cleaning Accessories, Blue (Pack of 10)

Filter wrench - photo from Amazon

9 – Filter wrench

A handy thing to have just in case a filter gets stuck. This has happened to me in the past, I once could not get a filter off as it was so hot I just could not grip the filter to remove it. Of course the cloth above would help, but for an investment of £2.47 (for two) I always have one of these in my bag just in case.

Doradus 48-58mm/62-82mm Kood Filter Wrench Spanner Camera Lens Filter Removal Tool Black

Photo from Amazon website

10 – Hot Shoe bubble level

My cameras have spirit levels built into them. That is all well and good. But there is a problem. Sometime I cannot see the LCD screen, especially when I have placed my camera down low and cannot get down to it.

I know that the accuracy might not be 100%, but I do know that it gets me close enough that I only have to make minor adjustments after.

And for less than £3 it is more useful than a coffee.

TRIXES Professional Camera Spirit Level Flashbulb Flashlight Hot Shoe Cover for DSLR

11 – Filter step up/ down rings

Filter step up ring - photo from Amazon

I have a 77mm circular polarising filter. It cost me £100. It fits my Canon 24-105mm lens, and also my Canon 17-40mm lens.

My new Olympus 12-40mm F2.8 Pro lens has a filter thread of 62mm.

So what I need is a step up ring from 62mm to 77mm. And how much will this cost me?

£6.11 for this neat item.

Ares Photography 62mm to 77mm Step-Up Lens Adapter Ring for Filters, Made of CNC Machined Metal with Matte Black Electroplated Finish

Taking this a step further. My Lee Big Stopper filter and holder cost me nearly £200. It comes with a 77mm ring. I can use the adaptor above to add this filter to my Olympus lens.

Sweet. I said gear does not have to cost a fortune – this adaptor costing less then £7 has saved me hundreds of pounds.

12 – Vertical grip for my Olympus OM-D EM5 Mk 2

I am used to a Canon 6D, which has an excellent hand grip which I use all the time. When I bought my smaller Olympus camera I struggled with the smaller grip to be honest, so wanted something that I could grip more easily.

And this is the first thing that I tried, and it worked a treat.

This is the most expensive item in this post, costing a princely £19.99! And as a bonus it is also an L Bracket, with Arca Swiss compatible plates on the bottom and the side, which I use all the time.

What is not to love for less than £20??

QR Vertical Shoot L Bracket Plate With Hand Grip For Olympus OM-D E-M5 EM5 Mark II

13 – How Do I Do That in Lightroom Classic? Book by Scott Kelby.

How Do I Do That In Lightroom - photo from Amazon

This is a book I can recommend from the biggest selling author of books on Lightroom and Photoshop - Scott Kelby. I do not have this book, as I have been using Lightroom since it first came out, and am happy with my knowledge of Lightroom.

Currently for sale on Amazon for £17.74.

How Do I Do That in Lightroom Classic?

But having said that, Photoshop is a struggle for me. So I do have this book.

14 – How Do I Do That in Photoshop?

Here it is on my bookshelf. And yes there are quite a few other books written by Scott Kelby on there.

This book is great, as it explains one thing on a page, telling you how to do it. Nice and simple and has helped me many times work out quickly how to do something in Photoshop.

Currently for sale on Amazon for £15.98

How Do I Do That in Photoshop?: The Quickest Ways to Do the Things You Want to Do, Right Now!

15 -  Hurricane blower

What do I use this for? Blowing the dust off my sensors. I don’t clean my sensors myself, but I do get rid of the big bits using one of these things. And I use it to blow stuff from the lens mounts and anywhere else on my camera.

I have the Giottos one that costs £13.47 at the time of writing. There are other cheaper ones available though that do the same thing.

Giottos GTAA1900 Rocket Air Blower - Black

16 - Waterproof Phone Case 

I have an iPhone XS. It is water resistant to a depth of 2 metres for 30 minutes. But is has never seen water.

I want to do underwater videos using my iPhone, and also take those cool photos half under the water and half above the water.

So I bought this case.

I used it once, to protect my phone on the beach, but I have not been brave enough yet to actually use it underwater with my phone in it.

 I have however tested it in the bath and it was fine!

How much? £5.99. I know. And how much is an iPhone? £949!

Waterproof Phone Case YOSH IPX8 Watertight Sealed Underwater Waterproof Phone Cases Pouch Bag Dry Bag with Lanyard for iPhone X XR XS 8 7 6s Plus Samsung S10 S9 S8 Huawei P30 P20 Mate20 Pro up to 6.1

17 – Spare rear lens and body caps

These are must have accessories. If you lose one of these spares are needed. They are small, weigh nothing, cheap and protect two of the most important parts of a camera, the exposed rear lens element and the camera sensor.

And they also serve another purpose.

When I travel I separate my lens and camera body – this means they take up less room.

And to do this I need these two bits of plastic.

Cheap but invaluable!

And don’t worry if they are made by your camera manufacturer – they all fit just fine and after all are only pieces of plastic!

You can get these for Canon cameras for £4.25

JJC L-R1 Rear Lens and Camera Body Cap Cover for Canon EOS & EF/EF-S Lens – Black

And for Olympus these cost £6.99

Fotover Micro 4/3 Body Cap and Lens Rear Cap Cover Replacement Set for Olympus/Panasonic M4/3 Cameras and Lens,2 Sets

18 – Memory card holder

I take one of these with me in my camera bag wherever I go.

Actually I have two of these which I take with me. One is yellow, and holds my empty memory cards, and the other is red, and holds memory cards with photos on. On a trip I keep the red case in the room safe, and at the end of every day I put that days memory card n the red case. I put a new card in the camera for the next day.

This means that if I drop my bag off the side of a cliff all I will have lost is that days photos. And as my gear is all insured I am covered.

I am very fussy about how I look after my memory cards, which are very important to me.

Each of these costs £8.99 from Amazon.

Beeway® Tough Water Shock Resistant Protector Memory Card Carrying Case Holder 24 Slots for SD SDHC SDXC and Micro SD TF with Storage Bag & Carabiner

19 – Memory card holder

Memory card case - photo from Amazon

Yes, I have another card holder. When I get back from my trip, or indeed from a days shoot, I store used memory cards in this soft wallet which lives in my desk drawer. I import the images into Lightroom, and then put the card in this wallet until I have completed a physical back up of my hard drive to my off-site hard drive, which I do every month.

And this costs less than a fiver – actually £4.69

Memory Card Carrying Case - Suitable for SDHC and SD Cards - 8 Pages and 22 Slots - ECO-FUSED Microfiber Cleaning Cloth Included (Black)

20 – New SD Memory card

SC card - photo from Amazon

I have a lot of memory cards. As you will see above I only use one card per day, so for a two-week trip I could need 14 cards. Ok on a two week trip I will probably use a card for a couple of days, but I still need a lot of cards.

And I do not use emormous cards that hold thousands of photos.

No, I like to use smaller cards and change them every day/ couple of days.

This reduces the chances of a card failure, and also of losing images as I explained before.

I also rotate my memory cards, and replace them every couple of years.

So I am about to buy a few of these and bin the older cards that I have.

These are £18.99 each, and plenty big enough for my needs.

SanDisk Extreme 64GB SDXC Memory Card up to 150MB/s, Class 10, U3, V30

21 – Phone tripod holder

This is currently living on one of my tripods in my office, as I am recording weekly videos for my YouTube channel using my iPhone. A very simple piece of kit, simple but very useful.

iPhone tripod holder - photo from Amazon

There is not a lot more to say about this – it screws into my tripod head and can be mounted in landscape or portrait mode.

And it only costs £6.09!

Universal Smartphone Holder Mount Monopod Tripod Adapter of Selfie Stick with Double Screw Head for iPhone 6Plus 6, iPhone 7Plus 7 Samsung Galaxy (Screw Mount)

22 – Haofy Tripod Umbrella Holder

I do not have one of these, but this seems like a great accessory for me. When it is raining I just attach a brolley to this device fixed on my tripod and I am sorted! Time to get one ordered.

£8.99

Haofy Tripod Umbrella Holder, Outdoor Camera Tripod Umbrella Holder Clip Bracket Stand Clamp Photography Accessory

Yes - me with a brolley.

Well it had to happen at some point in my life!

 23 - THE NORTH FACE Men's Salty Dog Beanie

This photo of me I took on the top of the caldera on the wonderful Greek Island of Santorini. As featured on my website Photos of Santorini.

Yes I have a red hat. The red North Face Hat featured in my profile photo is a tad old now, so this is the one that I am replacing it with.

This new one goes for £18.95.

THE NORTH FACE Men's Salty Dog Beanie

Now for two items that are not available from Amazon – yes there are things that you have to buy from other places!!

24 - 2 month Photography Creative Cloud subscription

I know that this is a 12-month subscription, but I reckon that if you sign up for the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan currently £9.98 including VAT per month you will be happy that you did. You get Lightroom and Photoshop for less than a tenner per month.

This is the plan that I use – it gives me all that I need.

And you can trial all the Adobe stuff for free for 30 days, so for less than £20 you can have 3 months of Lightroom and Photoshop.

And having had these two simply amazing photo editing packages for three months I reckon that you will stick with this just like the rest of us!

Check out the Adobe website for more details.

https://www.adobe.com/uk/creativecloud/plans.html?promoid=6NCS7DGT&mv=other

25 - The Photographer's Ephemeris

This is a great App. This is the only App that I use on my iPhone to help me plan my sunrise photo shoots.

It tells me where the sun rises and sets, and lots in-between. I use this whenever I get to a location, find the composition I want and then I can drop a pin just in case I forget where the perfect location for a shoot was.

As I usually do this the day before I can normally manage to remember but it is great to be able to record the fact!

£9.99 on the App Store

And you can find out more about this wonderful tool at the Photographer’s Ephermis website

https://www.photoephemeris.com

It is a bit fiddly to use at first, but a bit of practise and you will be up and running and loving it just like I do.

This is a screenshot taken on the wonderful Greek Island of Rhodes. While I am on the subject of Rhodes why not check out the page all about my photos of Rhodes.

OK - that is the 25 things done - a few more bits before I finish.

What camera bag do I use?

I use a Peak Design Everyday Backpack. This costs more than £20, but I wanted to mention this as this is the bag that I put all of this good stuff in.

Here is my bag in action.

Peak Design Everyday Messenger

Currently available on Amazon for £258.99. That is the 20 litre bag. The 30 litre bag, which I am about to invest in, is £259!

And to finish off here is a photo of my Canon 6D on the Manfrotto Pixi.

Canon 6D and Manfrotto Pixi on Paxos

This photo was taken on a morning shoot working for my website Paxos Travel Guide.

That’s it.

Yes its me!

I hope that you found this post informative, and that you are inspired to get some new gear costing less than twenty quid!

You can check out the rest of my photography gear on my page called gear!

And you can now watch the accompanying video on my YouTube channel.

Rick McEvoy ABIPP - Photographer, writer, website creator

#photographyaccessories #rickmcevoyphotography #canon6d #olympusem5 #photographyaccessoriescostinglessthan£20