What’s in René’s Camera Bag?
The South of France Edition
When René packs for a photography workshop, he likes to keep things practical. His goal is simple: cover a wide range of scenes without carrying too much or changing lenses all the time.
For our South of France adventure, that means being ready for lavender fields, landscapes, village scenes, white Camargue horses, black bulls, and those little unexpected moments that always happen on a good photography trip.
Camera Bodies
René will be bringing two Sony camera bodies:
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Sony A7RII
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Sony A7RIV (Here)
Having two bodies gives him flexibility, especially when the light changes quickly or when switching between wide landscapes and wildlife-style action.
Main Lenses
For landscapes, René expects to use his Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM (Here). This is perfect for wide Provence views, lavender fields, dramatic skies, and beautiful countryside scenes.
For the Camargue horses and bulls, he will bring the Sony FE 100-400mm GM OSS (Here). This gives him the reach he needs when photographing animals from a safe and respectful distance.
Other Lenses in the Bag
René is also bringing:
His favourite travel setup is to cover everything from around 16mm or 24mm up to 200mm or 400mm, ideally with just a couple of lenses. Less lens changing, more shooting. A very sensible plan, especially when there is dust, sea spray, or action happening in front of you.
The Bag
René uses a Lowepro Vertex 300 AW camera bag (Here), which gives him enough room for his camera bodies, lenses, filters, cards, batteries, and the essentials he needs for a long day out.
Tripods and Support
For support, René is bringing his Peak Design aluminium travel tripod (Here).
He is also packing a Caruba plate and Sirui ballhead, which gives him a lighter option in situations where a full tripod may not be possible or allowed.
Filters
René will bring his Kase magnetic filter set (Here), including:
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CPL
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ND8
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ND64
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ND1000
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Neutral Light
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R-MCUV
This gives him creative control for bright light, reflections, long exposures, and those soft, polished landscape moments.
Memory Cards and Backup
René is very well prepared when it comes to storage. He is bringing:
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12 x 64GB SanDisk SD cards (Here)
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4 x 256GB SanDisk SD cards (Here)
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2 Lexar SSD drives (here)
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1 laptop
That should be enough for a few photos of lavender. Maybe even six or seven.
Batteries and Charging
For power, René is bringing:
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2 batteries for his Sony A7RIV (Here)
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5 batteries for his Sony A7RII
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2 Hähnel Cube 2 charging cubes (Here)
Batteries, memory cards, and a tripod are the basics René always wants in his backpack. Without those, the best lens in the world will not help much.
Small Accessories
René always brings a headlight (Here) and a torch (Here). Simple, useful, and very easy to forget until you really need one.
The One Piece of Gear He Would Not Travel Without
René’s must-have setup is his Sony A7RIV with the 24-105mm lens.
It is a great all-round combination for travel, landscapes, details, portraits, and those everyday workshop moments that happen between the main shoots.
René’s Simple Gear Tip
Bring a cloth for cleaning your lens.
It sounds small, but it is a brilliant tip for this trip. In the lavender fields, dust can easily get onto your lens. Near the sea, small water drops can appear quickly. A simple cleaning cloth can save a lot of photos.
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Final Thought
René’s packing style is all about balance. He wants enough gear to cover different situations, but not so much that the bag becomes a burden.
Wide landscapes, distant horses, village details, golden light, and maybe even a small drone flight where it is allowed. He is ready for Provence, and yes, the happiness and humour are packed too.
