Scott Howes (@scotthowes) is a photographer, videographer and storyteller who is always up for travel and adventure. Originally from England and now living in New Zealand, Howes sets out to capture breathtaking scenes from raging waterfalls, towering mountains, breezy beaches and more. Howes’ use of symmetry and shadows makes his images stand out and gives them a look of graphic style. We connected with Howes to learn more about the gear he uses, from his Sony cameras to the five G Master lenses in his kit to ensure he’s always covered. Keep reading as Howes shares what you’ll find as he sets out to create dynamic travel and adventure photos and video.

Product Preview – In This Article You’ll Find:
–Sony Alpha 7 IV
–Sony ZV-E1
–Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master
–Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master
–Sony 24-70mm II f/2.8 G Master
–Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master
–Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master

Cameras

Sony Alpha 7 IV: Being a hybrid shooter, the Alpha 7 IV ticks all the boxes for my needs. It’s my workhorse and being able to switch from photo to video in an instant is great for being in the field. Being a hybrid shooter, the Alpha 7 IV is so perfect for my needs. It’s my workhorse and being able to switch easily between photo to video in an instance is great for being in the field. Having a camera that is this powerful for both photo and video takes the stress out of carrying two camera bodies with as I know the Alpha 7 IV will deliver high quality photo and video.

Photo by Scott Howes. Sony Alpha 7 IV. Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/200-sec., f/11, ISO 100

Sony ZV-E1: I recently just purchased the ZV-E1 as I felt the need for a second body for video. It’s compact, lightweight and ridiculously powerful. You can shoot a bunch of crazy frame rates at 4K, shooting 4K 50fps uncropped is great as the Alpha 7 IV features a 1.5x crop when shooting 4K 50. You can shoot in S-log3 with S-Gamut Cine and also embed luts into the camera. All of these things really keep my footage constant between both models. It also shares the same batteries and lenses as my Alpha 7 IV and the built in microphone and stabilization options are perfect for run and gun shooting although I try not to use these unless I’m forced to.

Lenses

Sony 24-70mm II f/2.8 G Master: The GOAT! I absolutely adore this lens, it ticks all the boxes for me that It rarely leaves my camera. The focal lengths are so flexible and it is incredibly sharp that it’s glued to my camera the majority of the time. I’d say that the sharpness is up there with my 24mm prime lens. It's that good. Whether it’s multi-day hikes or commercial photo and video work this lens is with me at all times.

Photo by Scott Howes. Sony Alpha 7 IV. Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master II. 1/800-sec., f/4, ISO 100

Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master: This lens is a luxury for me. I find myself using it quite a bit for video nowadays, but every time I use it, I’m reminded of how good it is. The 24mm focal length is just perfect.

Photo by Scott Howes. Sony Alpha 7 III. Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/25-sec., f/1.4, ISO 250

Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master: This wide angle zoom is an incredible lens with great focal range. It’s a great lens that I like to use when talking to the camera for video and for capturing a variety of landscapes.

Photo by Scott Howes. Sony Alpha 7 IV. Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 G Master. 1/250-sec., f/2.8, ISO 100

Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master: Another luxury item. I recently loaned this lens for a trip to Japan and fell in love with it. It's crazy sharp and I love how discreet it is for its focal length. I find myself using it a lot for commercial work and product photography.

Photo by Scott Howes. Sony Alpha 7 IV. Sony 85mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/1250-sec., f/2.5, ISO 100

Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master: I love shooting those detailed shots and having the ability to shoot at 400mm is a no brainer for me. This lens is crazy sharp that nothing comes close to it. Albeit being quite weighty, it’s always in my bag no matter the situation.

Photo by Scott Howes. Sony Alpha 7 IV. Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 G Master. 1/250-sec., f/5.6, ISO 160

Accessories

Peak Design Capture Clip: The best accessory I own. It clips the camera to your shoulder strap when hiking.

Peak Design Travel Tripod: This tripod is exactly what it says, its light and stable meaning it can be strapped to the side of my bag with ease. I tend not to use it much but situations like taking timelapses or solo missions it comes in great.

Peak Design Strap: The release system is super quick to attach and detach when needing a strap or not. It also means I can quickly switch between my different cameras.

Shimoda Designs v2 35L & Shimoda Designs Action x50L (not pictured): The 35L is my go-to daily bag. It has a removable core unit to make sure your gear is stored in one place securely. The 50L is my overnight hiking bag. It's huge and comes with some great features such as an ice ax holder – both are super durable and water-repellent.

Photo by Scott Howes. Sony Alpha 7 III. Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/25-sec., f/1.4, ISO 250

Lacie Hard Drives: These rugged hard drives are great for being on the road, fast & durable.

Freewell 2-5 stop ND Filter: Necessary for video

Tiffin Black Pro Mist Diffusion Filter: I use this a lot on my video work to soften highlights and overall contrast.

Cable Bag: Filled with everything under the sun, from all my leads, spare SD cards & cleaning equipment.  

Drone: It’s a great size and a powerful piece of kit, a great storytelling tool.

Headtorch: For hiking when going to shoot sunrise or heading home after sunset. Also, for those overnight hikes in backcountry huts. Nothing worse than forgetting this and having to hike in the dark.

Swiss Army Knife: This thing has come in so handy over the years, it never leaves my bag, unless going through an airport, I’ve done that once before…

Extra SD Cards & Batteries: Always important to have extra of these.

Cleaning Cloth, Air Blowers & Lens Pen: For keeping my gear clean.

See more of Scott Howes’ work on Instagram @scotthowes.