Aloha! My name is Vince Lim (@vincelimphoto), a Hawaii-based landscape, travel, and lifestyle photographer. I was born and raised on the islands and I spend most of my time enjoying the beautiful scenery Hawaii has to offer. I’m part of the Sony Alpha Imaging Collective, and I wanted to take the time to share what I carry around on a day-to-day basis. The gear in my bag is constantly changing depending on what I am trying to capture, but I find myself typically by the water or in the mountains.

Vince Lim's Sony Alpha kit for landscape, travel & lifestyle photography

Photographer Vince Lim of the Alpha Collective shares the one Sony Alpha camera that’s perfect for what he shoots and the two Sony lenses he always packs in his bag.

Camera

Sony Alpha 7R IV: My camera body is the Sony Alpha 7R IV, and it’s perfect for what I shoot.  The dynamic range and image quality is truly unmatched, and I've been shooting on it for nearly two years. The high megapixels allow me the flexibility to crop in on an image, and gives me peace of mind knowing that my images can be blown up on a big print without issue.

Photo by Vince Lim. Sony Alpha 7R IV. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master. 1-sec., f/2.8, ISO 100

Lenses

Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master: The lens I use nearly two-thrids of the time is the 24-70mm f/2.8 GM.  This lens is seriously the jack of all trades for me, and I hardly find myself in a situation where I need to use something else. I find it to be a great lens for travel because it’s wide enough to capture landscapes. In the 35-50mm focal length, this lens is ideal for lifestyle photos, and at 70mm, the compression makes for amazing portraits.

Photo by Vince Lim. Sony Alpha 7R IV. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/800-sec., f/2.8, ISO 100

Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master: The Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master lens is my recent purchase and has to be the most fun to use. There’s something about the 35mm focal length that makes it so great for everyday use, and the small form factor is such a plus. I really don’t know how Sony made a lens so sharp in this size but this might be my favorite Sony lens ever.  

Accessories

Underwater Camera Housing: As someone who grew up in Hawaii surrounded by the ocean, I easily fell in love with underwater photography. Shooting in the water is so peaceful and it's such a unique world down there. I feel like taking underwater photos helps me to stand out amongst other photographers because there are only a few doing it. My favorite subject to capture are the Hawaii spinner dolphins that frequent the islands.  

Filters: Filters are essential to shooting landscapes and shooting next to the water. I always have a polarizer when I’m by the ocean to cut down on the glare, and it's typically something you can’t correct in post processing. I use drop in filters to properly expose the bright sky with the foreground in my landscape photos.

Sony TOUGH Memory Cards: I love to use the Sony TOUGH memory cards because they read/write speeds are so quick. Having fast cards is so important because of the big file sizes from the Alpha 7R IV.

Photo by Vince Lim. Sony Alpha 7R IV. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/400-sec., f/5.6, ISO 125

External Battery Pack: I’ll always pack an external battery pack, especially when traveling because you might not have the opportunity to charge your gear when you are out and about.  

Rocket Blower: A rocket blower is something every photographer needs. Every once in a while, dust will get on the sensor and lens elements, and the rocket blower is ideal for getting rid of sensor dust. Don’t ever try to blow dust off your sensor/lenses with your mouth!

Sony WF-1000XM4 Noise-Canceling Headphones: I love listening to music or a podcast when I’m out shooting or traveling. These are the best noise cancelling earbuds on the market without question. The fit is perfect, the sound quality is amazing, and the ability to switch between noise cancellation and hearing ambient sounds is what makes the WF-1000XM4 the best on the market.