Tomer Negrin is a Eugene, Oregon-based photographer whose work spans wildlife, landscapes, cityscapes and street photography. For this edition of What’s In My Bag, he shares the versatile Sony kit he uses to document the Pacific Northwest – from expansive vistas and intimate natural details to distant wildlife encounters.
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Howdy friends, I’m a phot-… software developer based smack dab in the middle of the glorious Pacific Northwest. Living in Eugene, OR, the opportunities I have to photograph the outdoors are better than I could've ever dreamed growing up in St. Louis, MO. Truthfully, I'm a wildlife and landscape photographer at heart, but I really do love it all. Cityscapes, portraits, street – you name it – and I’ll happily grab my bag and go. I have my favorites, but at the end of the day, photography is how I process the world around me and I never let myself miss an opportunity to document an experience.
Photo by Tomer Negrin.
Naturally, my gear reflects that love for variety. Through multiple iterations, I've put together a kit that prioritizes versatility without sacrificing efficiency, giving me the freedom to capture everything from sweeping landscapes to the tiniest details of a distant subject. And of course, the lenses are only part of the arsenal. From the bag itself, down to the little odds and ends, every item serves a purpose in my adventures.
Shop This Kit:
–Camera: Alpha 7R V
–Lenses: 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master II, 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G
Camera
Alpha 7R V:
At the heart of my kit is the Alpha 7R V, and boy, do I love shooting with this camera. With a whopping 61 megapixels of resolution, incredible autofocus, and a body built to shoot comfortably with, it's a camera that makes the experience of photography every bit as enjoyable as the photos themselves.
Photo by Tomer Negrin. Alpha 7R V. 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/3-sec., f/4.5, ISO 800.
Now, 61 megapixels isn't without its compromises. Those enormous RAW files demand a fair bit of storage and processing power, and the pursuit of such high resolution does come with a few performance trade-offs. But for the kind of photography I enjoy, those are compromises I'm more than happy to make.
Photo by Tomer Negrin. Alpha 7R V. 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G. f/11. 1/1600-sec., f/11, ISO 250
What really keeps me on this camera is the freedom it affords me, both in the field and behind the computer. That abundance of resolution gives me an incredible amount of flexibility when it comes time to edit. Whether I'm cropping in on a distant subject, fine-tuning a composition, or preparing an image for a large print, there's just so much information to work with, and it handles colors beautifully.
Photo by Tomer Negrin. Alpha 7R V. 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G. 1/1250-sec., f/6.3, ISO 2000
Pair that with a camera that's genuinely a joy to operate, and I've found myself with a tool that rarely leaves me wanting more. The fully articulating screen lets me shoot all kinds of weird angles that would normally be a lot of guesswork without, and the camera’s impeccable autofocus helps me keep up with even the trickiest subjects. I’ve had three camera bodies since starting my photography journey nine years ago and I can easily say that the Alpha 7R V has provided me with the single greatest boost in quality for my workflow and the end results.
Lenses
16–35mm f/2.8 G Master II:
Starting at the wide end of my kit is the 16–35mm f/2.8 G Master II, and what an incredible piece of glass this is. When it comes to capturing the grandeur of the landscapes I'm fortunate enough to explore, this lens is an absolute treasure.
Photo by Tomer Negrin. Alpha 7R V. 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1-sec., f/22, ISO 50
The sharpness is impeccable, and the optical quality gives me so much to work with when photographing those expansive scenes where every little detail matters. From sweeping mountain vistas to quiet waterfalls and dramatic coastlines, I love the ability to preserve the scale of a scene without sacrificing the finer details that give it character.
Photo by Tomer Negrin. Alpha 7R V. 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/80-sec., f/11, ISO 640
There's something particularly satisfying about the focal range of 16-35mm because at its widest, it’s perfect for landscapes, letting me take in the entirety of a scene with very minimal distortion, but at its tightest, 35mm is just right for environmental portraits and street photography. Paired with the resolution of the Alpha 7R V, this lens is an absolute powerhouse for the wider compositions I love to capture.
Photo by Tomer Negrin. Alpha 7R V. 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/25-sec., f/11, ISO 1600
200–600mm f/5.6–6.3 G:
When the subject is a little farther away, out comes the 200–600mm. Naturally, wildlife photography is a big reason this lens has earned its place in my bag. The incredible reach and sharpness allow me to capture distant subjects in remarkable detail without disturbing their natural behavior, but wildlife is only half the fun!
Photo by Tomer Negrin. Alpha 7R V. 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3. 1/800-sec., f/11, ISO 1250
I absolutely love using this lens for distant landscapes. The compression at 600mm can give mountain ranges, rolling hills, and layers of atmosphere an entirely different character. Sometimes the most compelling composition isn't the grand vista, but a tiny slice of it that might otherwise go unnoticed. And this lens gives me the freedom to find it.
Photo by Tomer Negrin. Alpha 7R V. 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G. 1/640-sec., f/6.3, ISO 1250
Accessories
Topo Designs Global 30L Travel Bag: A tad unconventional as a photography bag, but my prior one was stolen so until I replace it, I’ve been using this backpack instead and honestly it’s been doing me a great service. Lots of space and easy to access pockets.
Photo by Tomer Negrin. Alpha 7R V. 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G. 1/250-sec., f/6.3, ISO 800
Laptop: Hard to believe this old beast is still kicking with everything I’ve put it through, but this laptop still comes with me everywhere I go and is the workhorse behind all my editing workflow. It’ll be a sad day when this titan dies out on me.
Travel Organizer Pouch: Nothing too fancy here, just a nice little pouch for my SD cards, lens wipes, microfiber cloths, and other lens cleaning accessories all in one easy to reach place.
Photo by Tomer Negrin. Alpha 7R V. 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G. 1/1250-sec., f/6.3, ISO 200
K&F CONCEPT X-Series 68" Carbon Fiber Camera Tripod: Okay, going to toot the Alpha 7R V’s horn a bit here, but my tripod has become more of a nice to have, than a need lately. With the next level IBIS in the Alpha 7R V, I usually get by shooting everything handheld, but for the occasional waterfall long exposure or astrophotography, having this lightweight, sturdy tripod on hand is still quite helpful.
Photo by Tomer Negrin. Alpha 7R V. 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3. f/6.3. 1/1000-sec. ISO 800.
External SSD: These drives are a huge plus to have on the go. The blazing fast transfer speeds give me the freedom to quickly dump my shots and free up my SD cards for more uninterrupted shooting when I’m on the go.
Photo by Tomer Negrin. Alpha 7R V. 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/5000-sec., f/2.8, ISO 200
Waterproof Camera Cover: Living in the Pacific Northwest means rain, rain, and more rain, so one thing I’m always sure to keep on me is this waterproof cover. Particularly for winter coast adventures where the subject is the storms themselves, this cover comes in super handy at keeping my gear safe and dry while my body is soaking from head to toe.
Photo by Tomer Negrin. Alpha 7R V. 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G. 1/400-sec., f/6.3, ISO 400
Promaster Dual Battery Charger: Can’t forget the basics. Having a dual bay battery charger is a huge savior when I’m on the go, so I never find myself running out of juice in the middle of a hike/shoot.
See more of Tomer Negrin's work on Instagram @moretomthantom.
See what's in the bags of more of your favorite creators at alphauniverse.com/wimb.
