Gear Kit For A One Man Traveling Documentary Film Crew

Date: March 19, 2018

Bob Krist is the ultimate traveling documentary filmmaker.

A freelance photojournalist for National Geographic Traveler, the Smithsonian and many others, he is the envy of all adventure travel filmmaker wannabes! He travels the world capturing the stories of people, places and cultures across the globe using beautiful cinematic style storytelling.

We caught up with Bob in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico where he is in the middle of shooting a series of short cultural documentaries.

Krist works primarily as a one man film crew and was kind enough to share his "ultimate one man documentary film crew" gear kit.

Related:

Shooting As A One-Person Film Crew

Documentary Crew Roles

See more of Bob Krist's videos on Vimeo

Bob Krist's Gear List For A One Man Traveling Documentary Film Crew

CAMERAS

Sony Cyber-Shot RX10 IV (with 24-600mm lens)
Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 IV
Sony a6500 Mirrorless Digital Camera
Sony 4K Action Cam

LENSES

Sony 35mm f/1.8 Prime Fixed Lens
Sony 85mm f/1.8 Sony AF (not shown in video)
Sony 16-70mm F4 Tessar Lens
Sigma 16mm F/1.4 Lens
Sony 10-18mm Ultra-Wide Zoom (for the a6500)
XUME Lens adapters (for easy click on, click off of lens filters)

Bob Krist's set up with the Sony a6500

TRIPOD/MONO-POD

OBEN Tripod (with Velbon FHD 52Q fluid head + quick release plate)
Smatree Q3 Telescoping Selfie Stick with Tripod Stand

LIGHTING

YONGNUO YN900 Pro LED Video Light/ LED Studio Lamp

MICS/AUDIO

Saramonic Pre-Amp/Mixer
Sony Zoom Directional Mic (on camera mic)
Movo VXR10 Universal Video Mic
Tripod Boom Mic Stand

SPECIALTY GEAR

DJI Osmo Pocket Gimbal (Added new in 2019)
Pilotfly C45 Gimble
Drone - Mavic Pro took a dive in water :-( and will be replaced by DJI Mavic Air
Sony CLM-V55 5-Inch Portable LCD Monitor
CAMVATE Half Cage
Lowepro Messenger 250 Camera Bag

Bob Krist shooting in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (2018)

About Bob Krist

Bob Krist is a lifelong freelance photojournalist who recently transitioned from photography into filmmaking with a focus on creating gorgeously shot cinematic travel and cultural documentaries.

He works regularly on assignment for magazines such as National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian, and Islands. These assignments have taken him to all seven continents and have won awards in the Pictures of the Year, Communication Arts, and World Press Photo competitions. During his work, he has been stranded on a glacier in Iceland, nearly run down by charging bulls in southern India, and knighted with a cutlass during a Trinidad voodoo ceremony.

He won the title of “Travel Photographer of the Year” from the Society of American Travel Writers in 1994, 2007, and 2008.

An accomplished writer as well as a photographer, Bob is a contributing editor at both National Geographic Traveler and Outdoor Photographer, where he writes a travel photography column. He is the author of 12 books including In Tuscany (Broadway Books, NY) which spent a month on the New York Times bestseller list.

He lectures in Washington DC as part of the ongoing “Live at the National Geographic” series. He teaches photo workshops for the Maine and Santa Fe Photo Workshops, National Geographic Expeditions, and Linblad Expeditions.

A former professional actor, Bob hosted Nature’s Best Photography, a 13-part series for National Wildlife Productions on the Outdoor Life Network, and Photography Close Up, one of Cablevision’s “MagRack” series. Currently, he can be seen as the host of the PBS special Restoration Stories.

Bob lives in New Hope, Pennsylvania, with his wife Peggy. They are the parents of three sons, Matthew, Brian, and Jonathan.

Learn More About Bob Krist:

bobkrist.com

Bob Krist on Vimeo

Learn from Bob Krist in his online course: Fundamentals of Travel Photography hosted by The Great Courses Plus.