Sony Artisan Tony Gale is an award-winning portrait photographer, and when he’s not in the studio, you can find him on the road. An avid traveler, Gale has been to all 50 states, and no matter where he goes you’ll find him with his camera gear. “What goes into my bag varies a great deal depending on the project,” he explains. “This group of gear is a general travel kit to cover a lot of different opportunities that might come along when on the road.” Keep reading as he shares the Sony Alpha cameras, Sony lenses and more you’ll find in his kit for travel photography.
Product Preview – In This Article You’ll Find:
–Sony Alpha 9 III
–Sony Alpha 7CR
–Sony 16-35mm f/4 G PZ
–Sony 40mm f/2.5 G
–Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master
–Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II
–Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master
–Sony 2x Teleconverter
–Sony NPA-MQZ1K Multi Battery Adapter Kit
–Sony TOUGH Cards
Cameras
Sony Alpha 9 III: This camera is magic! With the global shutter, 120fps in RAW and pre-capture it is fantastic when I am traveling and hoping to see animals, birds and my two-year-old daughter! The global shutter allows for flash at any shutter speed and a silent shutter with no rolling shutter, or banding. The 120fps is great for fast moving or unpredictable subjects, and with pre-capture it becomes an even more powerful tool. It is absolutely incredible what Sony has created with this camera.
My daughter on her little balance bike. I used flash to get better light, but the shallow depth of field helps separate her from the background. Photo by Tony Gale. Sony Alpha 9 III. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/250-sec., f/2.8, ISO 250
I love using the Sony Alpha 9 III for portraits with flash since I am able to shoot with a shallow depth of field while using the shutter speed to bring down the ambient, something that couldn’t be done in the same way before the global shutter. In the past I have missed so many photos of birds, just waiting for them to do something and then pressing the shutter too late, but with the pre-capture I get photos I never would have been able to do before.
Photo by Tony Gale. Sony Alpha 9 III. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/2000-sec., f/2.8, ISO 400
Sony Alpha 7CR: A great travel camera. It is very small and light, especially for a full-frame camera. When I am walking around and don’t want to carry much, the Sony Alpha 7CR is perfect. If my camera stays in the bag (or hotel room) it doesn’t do me any good. This is in my hand with a wrist strap as I explore. Plus the 61mp is huge and allows for giant prints or tons of cropping while maintaining fantastic image quality. As a walking-around travel camera, it can’t be beat. When you pair it with the Sony compact lenses, it is even better. Because it is so compact, it is almost always with me and I don’t have to regret not bringing a camera along when I see something I want to photograph.
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Photo by Tony Gale. Sony Alpha 7CR. Sony 40mm f/2.5 G. 1/15-sec., f/2.5, ISO 640
I made this portrait at the Sony Kando Trip in Utah in 2023. The Sony Alpha 7CR was announced their and I had the opportunity to use it for a bit. I was hooked. Such a great compact camera. Plus the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II is so great. Photo by Tony Gale. Sony Alpha 7CR. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/160-sec., f/9, ISO 640
Lenses
Sony 16-35mm f/4 G PZ: This lens is great for landscapes and tight city streets. It is small and light and when traveling that has a huge impact as there is only so much room. Despite the small size the image quality and auto focus are great. I use it primarily for landscape and cityscape photos often at 16mm. The drama that a wide-angle lens adds to a scene can be very fun.
Taken near Shibuya Station in Tokyo. The 16-35mm really helps get the expanse of the crowd. Photo by Tony Gale. Sony Alpha 7CR. Sony 16-35mm f/4 G PZ. 10-sec., f/22, ISO 100
Sony 40mm f/2.5 G: The 40mm compact prime is on my Sony Alpha 7CR most of the time. It is a tiny, sharp lens that pairs well with the small size of the camera. I like that it splits the difference between wide and normal and find it very versatile. Because the Sony Alpha 7CR and Sony 40mm f/2.5 G are with me most of the time, I am able to capture photos that before I would have missed without a camera.
I took this out of the window of a moving taxi in New York City. The 40mm being just a little bit wide on the Sony Alpha 7CR is a great focal length. Always in my bag, so when I get an idea like this, it is easy to make happen. Photo by Tony Gale. Sony Alpha 7CR. Sony 40mm f/2.5 G. 1/2-sec., f/22, ISO 50
Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master: This lens is a low-light beast. It's crazy sharp, even wide open. It is great for lowlight and night photography. I use it for portraits, travel, low light – you name it. 50mm lenses are classic for a reason.
Photographed at f/2 handheld in Times Square using only available light. The 50mm f/1.2 G Master is really great in low light environments. Photo by Tony Gale. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 50mm f/1.2 G Master. 1/400-sec., f/2, ISO 400
Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II: A great general purpose, do-it-all lens. I think almost every working professional has a 24-70mm. The Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II is super sharp and both smaller and lighter than its predecessor. It’s one of the lenses I use the most because it is very versatile when I need to react quickly. I can go wide to 24mm, I can go tight at 70mm, and anywhere in between. Plus the 2.8 aperture works well with low light and to isolate the subject from the background.
I took this portrait on the streets of New York City with the Sony Alpha 9 III and Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. We didn’t have a lot of time because we didn’t want to block traffic, so the super-fast focus and overall responsiveness of the a9III really made it happen. Photo by Tony Gale. Sony Alpha 9 III. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/1250-sec., f/2.8, ISO 250
Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master: This lens has tons of reach and is super sharp. Whether photographing animals, birds or landscapes it is a great lens. I also use it for landscape sometimes, the compression I can get with that long zoom can really make things interesting.
The pre-capture in the Sony Alpha 9 III makes photo like this possible for me. I have tried to do this many times over the years and always missed the photo until this camera. Plus the reach of the 100-400mm is fantastic. Photo by Tony Gale. Sony Alpha 9 III. Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/2500-sec., f/5.6, ISO 6400
Sony 2x Teleconverter: When I need more reach, I pair the Sony 2x Teleconverter with the Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master to get even more. It’s a great combination, with even more compression for some very cool effects.
I love the compression I can get with the 2x Teleconverter and the Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. It really accentuates the feeling of the city by making it feel like everything is on top of each other. It reminds me of photos I have seen form the 1970s and 1980s. Photo by Tony Gale. Sony Alpha 9 III. Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master + 2x TC.. 1/800-sec., f/11, ISO 1600
Accessories
Sony NPA-MQZ1K Multi Battery Adapter Kit: One of the great under-rated Sony accessories. I can charge four batteries at once, which is huge when in a hotel room with limited plugs. Plus when you buy it, it comes with two extra batteries!
Sony TOUGH Cards: One place to never risk compromise is on memory cards. I use Sony TOUGH cards, both SD and CFExpress Type A.
Photo by Tony Gale. Sony Alpha 7CR. Sony 40mm f/2.5 G. 1/15-sec., f/2.5, ISO 640
Color Checker Passport: Accurate consistent color is very important to me. This makes that easy.
Pixel Pocket Pocket: You can never have too many memory cards, and I can put ten in here.
See more of Tony Gale’s work on his Alpha Universe Profile and on Instagram @tonygalephoto.
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