My Photo/Video Gear Kit for 2026

Gear
Written By Matej Sefcik

Now that 2026 is upon us, I thought it would be a good time to tell you about all the gear I’ll be going into the new year with (of course, things are subject to change throughout the year barring any new gear announcements, brand collaborations, etc). I’ll also list some pieces of gear that I’ll potentially be buying in 2026.

(All underlined titles are Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I receive a kickback at no extra cost to you. If you do purchase, thank you for the support.)

CAMERAS

Sony a7IV (main digital camera)

The a7IV has been my main digital photo and video camera since November ‘23. This camera does everything I need it to and at the time, I felt it was the best hybrid camera you could get for the money. I’ll be starting the year with this camera, but I am going to be buying the new a7V sometime in the next couple of months.

Sony a7III (backup digital camera)

I’ve had the a7III for many years now, but ever since getting the a7IV, this one took a backseat. It’s still an amazing camera, but at the moment I only use it if I need to run a 2-camera setup for an event. It’s also what I shoot real estate photos on because it can pair with an off-brand remote trigger (the a7IV can’t). If I needed to use this camera for photos currently, I wouldn’t mind. The autofocus is definitely not as good as the a7IV, but it still gets the job done.

Leica M6 Classic (main rangefinder film camera)

I bought the M6 in October of this year, and this is a camera that I’ll probably have for the rest of my life. I’m not saying I won’t add some other 35mm cameras to my kit, but one of the reasons I got this was because I wanted a “forever” camera — and this one will likely be the one.

Canon Canonet QL17 GIII (backup beginner rangefinder film camera)

I’ve had my Canonet since August ‘24 and it doesn’t get much use nowadays, but it’s still a fun little camera to have. It has a fixed 40mm f/1.7 lens and a shutter speed that tops out at 1/500, so it’s not great for every scenario, but I really enjoyed using it for the first few months after buying it.

Nikkormat FTn (SLR film camera)

This was my first ever film camera, and I actually used it pretty recently on my trips to France/Switzerland and Wyoming this past summer. It’s pretty heavy and a bit bulkier than my M6, but it’s such a reliable camera and built like a tank. I (kinda) broke the rewind knob in August but I think it’s working okay now, but honestly I might consider picking up one of the newer Nikon F cameras in case I ever feel like using an SLR over a rangefinder.

Olympus mju (point and shoot film camera)

I wish I could say I’ve had no issues with this camera but I’d be lying if I did. The autofocus is very hit or miss, and I’m not the only one who has dealt with this issue. I also believe there is corrosion in the battery compartment because I’ve had batteries die while sitting in the camera, even though it was turned off. I wouldn’t really recommend this one, which sucks because it’s so small and fun to use. I want to replace it with a different point and shoot sometime in the future, but that’s not exactly my top priority.

DJI Osmo Action 4 (action/POV camera)

I don’t exactly do any action sports, so this camera serves as my camera for POV videos. It’s pretty good, it connects to my DJI Mic 2 transmitter, and the battery life is decent. DJI just recently released the Action 6 which apparently is pretty good, so if I feel compelled, I might upgrade eventually.

DJI Osmo Pocket 3 (POV/vlog camera)

When it comes to filming POV videos of myself taking photos, I still prefer the Action 4, but the Pocket 3 has a better sensor and it’s a bit more suited for vlogging. I don’t really use this camera a ton, but you can get some really nice footage out of it when used in the right scenarios.

Potential camera purchases for 2026: Sony a7V (99% likely), Lomo MC-A (75% likely), Konica Hexar RF (15% likely), Nikon FM3a (10% likely)

LENSES

Sony 24-50mm f/2.8 G (Sony E-mount)

I bought this lens in Japan earlier this year and it quickly became my main lens for street photography/video. It kind of replaced my Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 (and I say kind of because the focal range isn’t as versatile). When I’m traveling, this is on my Sony 90% of the time, but usually comes off when I start shooting at night because of the maximum f/2.8 aperture. The compact size at 50mm is my favorite thing about this lens. The one thing I’m kind of missing is the longer range for filming video, but for photo, it’s almost perfect.

Sigma 35mm f/1.2 DG II (Sony E-mount)

Although this lens is bigger/heavier than what I typically prefer, it is the fastest lens I own and it is amazing for low-light environments. It’s sharp, weather-sealed, and just a very premium lens in general.

Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN (Sony E-mount)

I’ve had this lens for a few years and it’s still amazing to this day. I don’t shoot with long focal lengths like this too often, but occasionally I will bring it out with me and it’s a great piece of glass for the price.

Sigma 16-28mm f/2.8 DG DN (Sony E-mount)

This lens is my wide angle zoom, but I never use it for any of my street photography — only for any commercial/event work when a wide angle is necessary.

Sony 50mm f/2.5 G (Sony E-mount)

This is a very compact and solid 50mm lens. It isn’t the best for low-light scenarios, but if I want a compact 50mm lens, this is what I’d bring with me.

Samyang AF 35mm f/1.8 (Sony E-mount)

This used to be my most used lens for almost 2 years, but it’s been dealing with some autofocus issues so I haven’t touched it since early this year. However, this is a very budget-friendly lens and I’ve taken some of my favorite photos with it over the past few years. The AF issue can be fixed, but only via a firmware update with a specific lens station that Samyang sells, which I don’t have. If I decide to buy the lens station in order to install the firmware, I’ll probably use this lens a bit more.

TTArtisan AF 75mm f/2 (Sony E-mount)

TTArtisan sent me this lens early in the year and I don’t use it much, but honestly this is a pretty decent lens, and it’s dirt cheap. It’s pretty fast at f/2, compact, and the build is a nice all-metal build. The autofocus and optical quality isn’t exactly up there with Sony or Sigma, but it’s also a fraction of the price. I made a Youtube video about it (click here to watch) and wrote a blog as well (click here).

TTArtisan AF 40mm f/2 (Sony E-mount)

Once again, TTArtisan sent me this lens in the summer and I brought it with me to France. This is a very compact and pretty fast lens, and most of what I said about the 75mm above apply to this lens. It has some pretty strong vignetting at f/2, and 40mm is a bit of a weird focal length for me personally so I typically don’t reach for it as much. If you want to know more, I wrote a blog about it (click here to read).

Viltrox AF 28mm f/4.5 (Sony E-mount)

This pancake lens is extremely tiny (it almost just looks like a body cap). It costs under $100 so you get what you pay for, but I almost never reach for this lens. Vignetting is strong, autofocus isn’t great, and it has a starburst effect. A fun experimental lens, but nothing more. If you want to know more, I wrote a blog about it (click here to read).

Voigtlander Color-Skopar 35mm f/2.5 MC (Leica M-mount)

This was the first m-mount lens I bought when I got my first m-mount rangefinder, and it is still my main lens for the M6. It’s a really compact and affordable lens with some pretty solid optical quality. I do plan to replace this with a faster 35mm lens in the future.

TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4 ASPH (Leica M-mount)

TTArtisan sent me this lens when I got my M6 and I’ve used it quite a bit. The build quality is really nice and for a fraction of the price of the Leica Summilux f/1.4, it’s a good budget lens if you’re getting into the M-mount system. The lens isn’t coated, so I do run into some issues with flaring, so I do plan to get a different 50mm lens in the future but for now, this will do the job. If you want to know more, I wrote a blog about it (click here to read).

Nikon Nikkor-S Auto 35mm f2.8 (Nikon F-mount)

This lens came with my Nikkormat FTn. It’s an older lens, but it’s budget-friendly and reliable — that’s all I can say.

Nikon Ai Nikkor 50mm F/1.8 (Nikon F-mount)

Same thing as the 50mm. You get a more shallow depth of field at f/1.8, and it’s also smaller than the 35mm. I’ve never had any issues with these lenses.

Potential lens purchases for 2026: Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 II MC (75% likely), Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1.5 Aspherical II MC (75% likely), Sigma 35mm f/2 DG DN (50% likely)

OTHER GEAR

Backpacks

Sling bags

Lens filters

Lens adapters

Camera straps

Favorite 35mm Film Stocks

  • Cinestill 800T

  • Fuji 400

  • Kodak Gold 200

  • Kodak Portra 800

  • Kodak Portra 400

Tripods

Camera Mounts

SD Cards/Hard Drives

Computer

  • Apple Macbook Pro 14” M4 Pro | 24GB Memory | 1TB SSD

Software/subscriptions

  • Adobe Lightroom Classic (photo editing)

  • Adobe Premiere Pro (video editing)

  • Adobe Photoshop (graphics/text)

  • Musicbed (royalty-free music)

  • Squarespace (website host)

  • Dropbox (online file storage/file transfer)

Matej Sefcik
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My Favorite Photos of 2025