Tom Bricker’s Camera Bag for Disney (2023)
Want to know what’s in my camera bag for 2023 and beyond? This post shares the Nikon lenses, mirrorless camera, and DSLR that I use at Walt Disney World. Once an annual “tradition” this time of year in response to reader questions, this post is back for the first time in three years. It comes as I made the first major changes to my lineup in that span and we just completed our first long international trip in that time.
It’s actually been so long that the overwhelming majority of you are probably no longer here for the photos…or even know that I am a photographer. I’d be lying if I said inquiries about my camera bag were still common–they probably don’t crack the top 100 of questions we are asked by readers.
For those of you who are newer to the site, once upon a time, this started as something of a photography blog. Along with trip reports, ‘photos of the day’ were the primary focus of this site. Camera and lens reviews were incredibly common, too. Things have changed a lot since then–commentary, news, and planning advice have become more prominent. Nevertheless, I do still put a lot of time and effort into photography.
Not to wax poetic too much, but the evolution of the site has also changed my approach to photography…sort of. I still take just as many photos as ever, it’s that I seldom do anything with 99.5% of them. (This is one of the hallmarks of a middle-aged photographer, or so I’ve heard.) I used to return from a trip and immediately begin organizing and post-processing, excited to post my favorites on Flickr, Smugmug, or Instagram.
I haven’t posted anything on any of those places in years, in part because two of them are dead (more or less) and the other has mutated into something unrecognizable and scary to me. I long ago stopped learning about new post-processing techniques, and while I’m incredibly envious of the talented photographers I follow who have kept up with the latest techniques, I have no desire to return to the days of spending hours per day editing photos.
For me, the enjoyment is in the ritual of photography itself. I love getting up before sunrise, running around at sunset chasing that fleeting light, or staying until the bitter end of the night in Magic Kingdom as the park clears out. I don’t particularly know why, but I find peace in the photography process, and more connected to the world around me. (I cannot say the same about editing photos–I already spend too much sitting at the computer.)
During our recent trip to Japan, I spent hours photographing temples, was the last one out of Tokyo Disneyland numerous nights, and found myself sprinting around Hakone as I chased a photo of the moonset over Mount Fuji. A lot of effort and lost sleep went into photos that no one aside from me will ever see. I have zero regrets. Racing around taking photos is when I feel most alive, and I’ve returned from the trip reenergized despite the serious sleep deprivation.
Standing on the shore of Lake Ashi, freezing waiting for sunrise, it was just me and the fishermen. I realized we have a lot in common…perhaps I should trade the camera for a fishing pole?! I could do most of the same things I do now, but be productive in the process! (If only I could fish in Magic Kingdom without being asked to leave the park.) But I digress.
Getting back to the point, I once again went mirrorless this year. For those keeping score at home, this is the third time I’ve switched to a mirrorless camera, with the change not “sticking” before. (In my defense, the second time I made the change, the intention was to use the mirrorless camera as a secondary option for ‘gear-light’ days. I continued to do exactly that, using that Sony up until this summer.)
This time, I did more research and extensively tested out mirrorless gear, a process that began last year. I finally made the plunge several months ago, buying a Nikon mirrorless camera, several lenses, and an adapter. I waited until now–after a lengthy trip with extended, exclusive use of the mirrorless camera–before sharing just in case I changed my mind again.
To be sure, I don’t completely love mirrorless. I still prefer the optical viewfinder and feel of my Nikon D850, but there are a number of undeniable upsides to the mirrorless system, from features to autofocus improvements to the lens lineup. There’s also the reality that camera manufacturers aren’t really focusing on DSLRs anymore.
Size and weight are also big ones, especially as the doctors tell me I’m not getting any younger, and the 25-pound DSLR camera bag I used to carry is just too much now. Suffice to say, I’m “happy enough” with mirrorless and hope it continues to evolve.
Anyway, thanks for indulging me with this long and rambling preface. Now let’s dig into what’s actually inside my camera bag for this year and 2023. (To really show the range of the camera sensors, lenses, and stabilization, none of these photos were shot while using a tripod.)
Nikon Z 7II – In many important regards, including dynamic range, high ISO performance, and color depth, this is the best camera I’ve ever used. It also has in-body stabilization, exceptional autofocus, and a range of features that are unique to the mirrorless system. Even after using it for months, I continue to discover new capabilities of the camera that wow me.
For me, one of the critical qualities is the Nikon layout and interface. It’s very similar to my beloved Nikon D850 in this regard, and while a matter of personal preference, the camera is a great ‘fit’ in my hands and my muscle memory from the Nikon DSLRs mostly transfers over.
As noted above, I still don’t love the viewfinder. However, I recognize this as mostly a “me problem” and likely will take time to overcome as I’m so used to the optical viewfinder. (Now I know how film diehards felt at the advent of the digital era.) When viewed objectively, the Nikon Z 7II is far and away the best camera I’ve ever used. I like it more with each passing day, and suspect that’ll become truer as I unlock its full potential and continue getting more comfortable shooting with it.
Nikon 14-30mm f/4 – This lens is a big reason why I opted to take the plunge with Nikon’s mirrorless in the first place. While Sony has an exceptional 12-24mm and Nikon’s 14-24mm is still the gold standard, I wanted my most-used lens to be lighter and smaller. After doing a ton of research and field-testing all three, this was my pick.
I’ve owned over a dozen different ultra wide angle lenses over the years, and the Nikon 14-30mm is the most well-rounded of the bunch. In addition to its size, this lens is seriously sharp and the ‘long’ end of the zoom range is good enough for regular field of view photos.
It’s definitely not the best overall ultra wide angle on the market, and the f/4 aperture makes it a poor option for dark rides (but not necessarily low light, thanks to the Nikon Z 7II’s IBIS), but it’s far and away my most-used lens, and one that delivers for me in a wide variety of settings. If I were a more creative photographer or still willing to lug around 25 pounds of lenses, I’d pick something different; as it stands, I’m very satisfied with the Nikon 14-30mm.
Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR – When assembling a light mirrorless camera bag, “compromise” is the name of the game. This superzoom is the stereotypical ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ lens…or is it?!
In assembling my camera bag, I decided to exercise restraint and not buy the flagship Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8. I tested that lens and absolutely loved it, but not the size and weight. That narrowed my decision down to this or the Nikon 24-120mm f/4. Aside from the aperture, I found the Nikon 24-200mm edged out that lens in every regard. I was shocked. Prior to this, I was using the Sony 24-240mm, and this lens absolutely blows that out of the water.
Suffice to say, the Nikon Z 24-200mm outperforms its superzoom stereotypes in just about every regard. It’s shockingly sharp, distortion is minimal, and autofocus is relatively snappy. Obviously, compromise still comes with the territory–it’s not as good as any of the individual lenses it would replace. But as a superzoom? It’s unparalleled.
Nikon Z 40mm f/2 – One of my ‘mandates’ when going mirrorless was assembling a lightweight camera bag. This lens advanced that purpose, with good optical performance at a reasonable price and a best-in-class weight. It delivers shallow depth of field and sufficient speed to work well on dark rides or in other low light handheld scenarios. If I so desire, this gives me a trio of lenses I can take to Walt Disney World or Disneyland in a small and super-light camera bag. Mission accomplished, right?
Not exactly. While this lens is perfectly fine and furthers that ‘mission,’ it also leaves me with a camera bag without much personality. To be sure, I use it when wanting to keep things simple (you’ve already seen dozens of food photos taken with this lens over the last few months–it’s great for being less conspicuous at restaurants!) but most of the time, I choose the next option.
Sigma 35mm f/1.4 – The first Sigma Art lens is still the best. The bokeh is beautiful & buttery, the lens is insanely sharp, and the photos have a distinct “look” to them that pops straight out of camera. I cannot articulate what makes this lens special, but it has a certain je ne sais quoi that I’ve never found in any other prime lens.
It’s also the perfect focal length for walk-around shooting if you’re going to be using a prime, and is insanely good for dark ride photography, with snappy autofocus and that wide open f/1.4 aperture. I find myself reaching for the Sigma 35mm Art lens almost as much as my ultra-wide. I can’t say enough positive things about this lens, and it’s one of the few lenses that I think belongs in every full frame photographer’s camera bag irrespective of their style and what they shoot.
I’ve had this lens since it was released almost a decade ago, and despite trying many similar lenses during that time, have never found anything that comes close to its unique quality. At this point, I’ve given up. No prime lens is ever going to top this one for me. Here’s my full review of the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens from back in 2013.
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII – I love everything about this lens besides its weight and size, which is like saying I love Hummers minus their mileage. Those are not minor asterisks, they’re pretty major! While making such an effort to cut size and weight from my new mirrorless lense, I continue to carry this around quite often. Which sometimes makes me question why I didn’t buy the Nikon 14-24mm and take the hit on size and weight there?
With that said, I only carry this lens about 25% of the time or less, whereas the Nikon 14-30mm literally never leaves my bag. It’s great for detail-oriented photography at Disney, parades, and its versatility is surprisingly strong. On the days it comes out with me, I really go crazy using it, pushing the creative uses for what might seem like a limited lens.
If Nikon ever gets around to releasing a Nikon Z 70-200mm f/4, I’ll consider “downgrading” to that, but I’m apprehensive about adding another slow lens to my bag. Probably better off sticking with fantastic beast a quarter of the time!
Nikon 85mm f/1.8 – This lens ends up in my camera bag about 50% of the time, exclusively on days when I don’t carry the Nikon 70-200mm (it’s always an either/or situation with these two lenses). The upsides to this lens are that it’s faster and lighter, but I don’t like it nearly as much.
Perhaps I’m expecting too much from this budget prime lens based on my experiences with the Sigma Art line, but it just doesn’t have personality. It performs exactly how you’d expect on paper–it’s perfectly sharp, bokeh is decent, as is the autofocus. But somehow, it just seems lacking. Maybe someday I’ll upgrade to the Z version, which I’ve heard has considerable character and better performance.
Rokinon 12mm Fisheye – When I first started in photography, the fisheye lens was my signature style. I used it more than just about any other lens, which, in retrospect was way too much. Much like overcooked HDR, I now look back at my photos that gratuitously and unnecessarily use the fisheye and wonder, what was I thinking? (This is also part of the reason why I haven’t bothered with new post-processing techniques. What’s popular and “looks good” now won’t necessarily age well.)
This cheap and small manual focus Rokinon fisheye is more than sufficient for my now pretty limited use of fisheye. I really enjoy its sunburst, but honestly, wish they were even more over-the-top. If you’re going to use a fisheye, might as well go all-out! Regardless, I’d recommend spending as little money as possible on a fisheye lens (this fits the bill there), or not buying one at all.
Nikon Mount Adapter FTZ II – For years, I resisted mount adapters, telling myself (and others) that I’d fully commit to a system and buy/sell lenses accordingly. That was before selling, buying, selling, and rebuying DSLR gear. It was also before knowing that Sigma would never (seemingly?) make its Art lineup for the Nikon Z mount.
As a result, I use this a lot. The balance is odd with both the Sigma 35mm and Nikon 70-200mm, but that’s not really the fault of the adapter. Nevertheless, it definitely “feels” better with the Nikon 85mm f/1.8.
Nikon D850 — I still love this camera, and even after going mirrorless, would probably buy its successor if Nikon ever releases another DSLR in this line. As a landscape photographer who prefers the optical viewfinder, the Nikon D850 is flawless in every important regard from autofocus to resolution to dynamic range.
For now, this is relegated to my “backup” camera. I still took it with us to Japan in case the Nikon Z 7II got stolen by a monkey or destroyed by a deer (these are not jokes), but didn’t use the camera at all. Similarly, I haven’t used it at Walt Disney World since moving to the Nikon mirrorless system. When I use the D850 now, I find myself fumbling a bit with the controls–something that never happened while I was shooting with the Sony a7 III–because I’ve now fully moved over to the Nikon Z 7II.
LowePro Flipside 300 AW III – The move to mirrorless also allowed me to trade down camera bags. Previously, I was using the LowePro’s Turtle in a Half Shell, which is easily the dorkiest camera bag on the market (quite the feat if you’ve seen just how dorky camera bags can look), as it looks like a turtle that went to a military surplus store.
By contrast, this bag is excellent. It’s not stylish, but it looks a bit more normal and has space for everything I carry–including a laptop–and can serve as my personal item when flying. I do wish the outside pouch had a bit more room and better organizational pouches, but it’s still way better than looking like a tactical terrapin.
If you do want to purchase new photography equipment, we recommend the following trusted & authorized retailers. Buying via these referral links from these retailers helps support this blog, and doesn’t cost you a thing:
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If you want more in-depth reviews of a broader selection of equipment, the best place to start is Tom’s Ultimate Disney Parks Photography Guide, which covers a variety of topics from links to tutorials, tips, and tricks to recommendations for point & shoots, DSLRs, lenses, and more. (Many of these are pretty old and haven’t been updated in a while, but the underlying ideas and principles still apply.)
Your Thoughts
What do you think of the gear in my camera bag? Have you taken the mirrorless plunge? Sony, Nikon, or something else? What’s in your camera bag? If you use any of these cameras or lenses, what do you think of them? Any questions? Hearing feedback from other photographers is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
More photography articles, please! Especially anything tutorial or gear related. I have kinda outgrown Understanding Exposure (thanks for that recommendation!), but always appreciate your insight into the hobby. Although I no longer carry gear in the parks, since I focus more on the family and less on the photography, you and Bryan are always whispering in my head on how to compose a better shot. Now I just need to pull that trigger on that Sony A6600!
My first good look at the Nikon Z cameras was at, of all places, the Nikon Museum in Tokyo. The company seems to have done a fine job of the big transition. I’m a casual photographer with a small pile of Olympus/OM System equipment. It’s worked well for travel.
Your photos are simply gorgeous. I started reading your work all those years ago when Epbot told her readers to head on over to your blog because it was crafted by an extremely talented photographer with great Disney tips.
One quick question: what do you estimate your full camera bag usually weighs (given that you often leave out some of those lenses)? We have a family member who is getting ready to retire and loved photography. I’m thinking rekindling his interest in the art form could be a good idea.
It can weigh as little as around 10 pounds now.
Depending upon their level of seriousness and desire to ‘hassle’ with multiple lenses, the best way to get them started might be with something like the Sony RX100 line. The newest models are pricey, but you can find older used versions that are still exceptional cameras. It’s a good way to give them control over depth of field and other artistic elements in a small package. From there, they can decide whether they want to go deeper.
Thank you so much for the advice! I will look into that one (but jumping off from one of your links so you get the credit.)
Thank you for bringing this back! Always one of my favorite articles and helps me build out my bag too. Actually using your articles helped me build my bag to start with! Thanks again!
Long-time reader and photography enthusiast (Panasonic GX85). I’ve always enjoyed your photos, but have more questions about composition and lighting than the gear. Much of what I’m learning about photography suggests it’s the former that’s more important than the latter, and your use of light and your compositions are excellent!
Composition and lighting are absolutely much more important than gear. You can take great photos with a phone or point & shoot if you know what you’re doing.
With the exception of situations when I need to write about a specific experience (and thus need accompanying images), I don’t even take photos if the lighting is poor. There have been full days when we visit the parks and my camera never leaves my bag. Knowing when and how to take photos is so much important than having a “good camera” or lenses. They’re just nice tools that help get the job done.
No one ever says Hemingway was a great writer because he bought the best pencils. Don’t know why photography is treated any differently. (For this reason, complementing a photographer’s camera is usually construed as an insult. I don’t really care, but MANY photographers take great offense.)
All of the Tokyo pics are stunning. Looking forward to a trip report!
Also patiently waiting for a Japan Trip Report!
You might be waiting for a while! I’m playing catch-up on stuff at WDW and DLR, and likely will be for the next few weeks.
I’ll definitely be doing posts about Super Nintendo World and the Tokyo Disneyland expansion here, plus masking ‘rules’ in Japan on TravelCaffeine.com. Not sure what else yet, but open to requests! (No promises, though.)
Been following for more than a decade (since the ISO 5571 days) and happy to see this post make a comeback. I still have a Tamron 17-50 as my main lens per your previous recommendation from before. And even though I haven’t been to the parks since 2019–and consequently haven’t really touched my camera–you still serve as an inspiration whenever I lug my D7000 around.
I know nothing about photography. I can’t get over how good my shots are with my Samsung Galaxy. Before my phone I considered it a good photo if I didn’t cut off heads or feet.
I’ve told you you should do a coffee table book. Your pictures are very impressive and though it’s your writing style that truly makes your blog the best your photos are icing on the cake.
I think the biggest compliment for any photographer though is when you can spot their style like an Ansel Adams, Man Ray, Diane Arbus, Elliot Erwitt, William Wegman, Annie Liebowitz, Maec Adamus, Richard Avedon.
A few years ago when I first started reading and following your blog I picked up the Color Companion to the Unofficial Guide to WDW, I had no clue there was a connection between you and the Unofficial Guide people but when I saw Color Companion ‘s firework photos I just knew they were yours. Sure enough I was right. Your Disney photographic work is incredible.
Before this blog, I worked at TouringPlans and am still friends with Guy, Len, and others there and at Unofficial Guide. I still provide them with photos from time to time, and they’ve given me useful data and other things. I like plenty of other sites, but that’s the other “best” Disney one IMO.
As for your photos getting better, that probably has less to do with the Samsung Galaxy and more to do with you. While phones have made tremendous strides in the last few years, you’re the one composing photos! Don’t sell yourself short. 🙂
I am so happy to see a return of photography posts!
Variable aperture zooms get a bad rap. Last year I added the Fuji 55-200 f/3.5-4.8 to my bag and that lens is a joy to use with lovely character. I never knew I could enjoy using a zoom so much.
If I were to ever go full-frame at this point it would probably be Nikon Z, but I am happily still using my X-T20 and X-E1 as a backup.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading a photo kit update. I’ve been rocking my Sony A6000 with a growing bag of lenses for about 6 years now and I can very much relate to the “love the photography, hate the editing” process. I have multiple trips in backlog and I still haven’t processed my husbands photos from Japan in 2019… Oops!
Are you doing a writeup on your recent trip to Japan? We followed your other blog for all sorts of Japan tips plus this one for Tokyo Disney when we honeymooned there. I’m curious how Airbnb is now if you used it. We used it for Kyoto and downtown Tokyo in 2019 and it was the best decision for us.
We used several Airbnbs in Japan this time, and all were exceptional. Highly recommended!
I’m enjoying reading your article. Been a Nikon fan since the 70’s and nw using the Z6 ii, Z7 is just too big and heavy for my old hands.
I just wish you and included the details of your photos (where, lens and exposure info)
Keep it up
I’m debating running with a Sony A7iv with the Tamron 20-40mm and 50-400mm.
The photography on your pieces is one of the things that really sets your Disney coverage apart, so it is fun to get a peek at your kit.
I was shooting Nikon full frame for years, but switched to Fuji mirrorless as did a number of people as it looked like Nikon was never going to come up with a mirrorless camera system. While the Fuji lenses are comparable, I do miss the full frame look, and am tempted to switch back now Nikon finally has competitive cameras.
The only thing stopping me is the Fuji ergonomics: actual physical knobs, dials, and switches so you can control everything without looking at a screen. My D-series Nikon relied so much on screens and programmable proprietary buttons that you really had to preprogram settings for various scenarios and then rehearse switching between presets.
But thanks for including such great photographs in your work—. I greatly enjoy your efforts.
I also miss the Nikon D850 ergonomics and physical buttons, but the smaller form-factor makes that difficult. I’ve managed to re-program (most of) what I want, but it’s still a work in progress.
I tried a Fuji mirrorless several years ago, but wasn’t really feeling it. Admittedly, I barely gave it a chance and this was several years ago, so I’m not going to pretend that I think Nikon is “better” than Fuji. I’ve heard great things from plenty of people.
Tom, thanks so much for sharing! I’ve always loved your photos on the site. I use a Sony mirrorless, and too committed on lenses to swap. For a light travel day in the parks, I also started using my iPhone with an adaptor lens case from Moment and two or three of the Moment lenses, including some anamorphic lenses. Thanks again!
Shame on me for not taking the time to enjoy the magic in your photos. My daughter is a third year photography student and we read your posts for advise and commentary… I can’t wait for her to see this post and will forever see your post from a new angle Thank you for sharing
For those of us that have been here a long time, this was a great post and I enjoy reading about the photography. I’m also amused that I was ahead of the times with my response to fisheye! 🙂
A friend of mine is a D850 shooter that recently moved to Nikon mirrorless and he’s quite happy (though he shoots a lot of birds so his lenses tend to be longer than yours). I haven’t tried one, and will probably stick to my Canon 5D until it dies. It’s good enough for me. I also still use Flickr for photo storage; I’m a dinosaur.
Last comment – nice photos for the article (I still miss the days you could click them to open full screen). My favorite is probably the Beast’s castle from Japan. I hope there is a Travelcaffeine post coming after your recent trip!
I don’t understand hardly anything you wrote but still found it interesting. Someday I’d like to learn how to take good nighttime pictures.
I’ve been a fan of yours from when you used to post on sites like disboards.com . You were still in school at the time. That was way before you even started this blog. ☺️Thank you for sharing what’s in your bag. I’m like you, a Nikon diehard and have a lot of the pro heavy lenses. I’ve been wanting to switch to mirror less but this is just a hobby for me, and I’m finding much less time to lug around the camera gear; like you, also because it’s so dang heavy. My hubby keeps telling me to sell it before it loses any more of its value.
I like that Nikon has an adapter so that our old legacy lenses can still be used.
Thanks, Tom!
This was a lovely update for us old timers readers of the blog! Thank you!
I just wanted to drop in and say that I’ve been reading the blog for 9-10 years now (wow!), and it was really your photography coverage that sucked me in! I’ve dabbled in photography, but finally sold all my gear this summer. If you bring back your photography posts, I might start getting FOMO and have to reinvest – probably in mirrorless this time! Thanks for the post!