Travel photography: what gear to bring and what to leave home

The best travel camera is one you actually carry all day. Heavy bags lead to tired shoulders and missed photos.

A versatile kit

• One body: a compact camera like the Sony α6700 or a full-frame body if image quality is the priority.
• One zoom: an all-in-one like the Sony 18-135mm covers landscapes to street details.
• One fast prime: a 35mm or 50mm for low light and portraits.
• Extras: spare batteries, memory cards, a small tripod like the PIXI EVO, a cleaning cloth.

What to leave behind

Huge telephotos, multiple bodies and studio lights rarely earn their weight unless you have a specific plan, such as birding in Celestún.

Rent at your destination

Renting lenses and specialty gear locally saves airline weight limits and theft risk. In Mérida, you can pick up a telephoto for the flamingo tour or a gimbal for a hacienda video, then return it.

Protect and back up

Use a discreet bag, carry cameras on the plane, and back up photos nightly to a laptop, phone or cloud.

Climate

Yucatán’s heat and humidity call for silica gel packs in your bag and acclimatizing gear before shooting.