The Ultimate Gear for Impactful Product Photography: Inside Ross Floyd’s Camera Bag
A few months ago, Aaron and PHLEARN teamed up with Ross Floyd to create a super in-depth tutorial called the Ultimate Guide to Product Photography. It was a great collaboration and a great time for all! Not only did Ross break down the steps of how to light objects to make them look their best and really grab the viewer’s attention, he also offered up some seriously useful tips on how to build a successful business and get referrals that count.
Now, we get the chance to take a look inside Ross’ camera bag to see what equipment he prefers to use for professional product photos. This gear has gotten him through more than a decade of product shoots and over 70,000 professional images.
Can you explain your photography specialty in your own words?
Ross
I tell the story of people who create, and the objects, spaces and experiences they create. This encompasses a variety of disciplines – product, interiors, architecture and environmental portrait photography. Recently, I have been working more in motion and video capture.
How do you go about deciding which gear is essential to your work?
Ross
First, I decide what I want to accomplish for a given project, then I look for the tools that will get me the result. I actually own a small amount of gear given the variety of work that I do. I find it’s easier to rent specialty equipment, or equipment to supplement my kit when I need to.
CAMERAS
Canon 5D Mark IV
30.4 MP full-frame CMOS sensor, Up to 7.0 frames per second continuous shooting speed, 4K video recording
Fujifilm X100F
24.3MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS III Sensor, Hybrid Optical and Electronic Viewfinder, Full HD 1080p Video Recording
The Canon 5D Mark IV is my main daily shooter; it is a good cross section of resolution and dynamic range. I use the video functions as a sort of sketch pad. When I want to make a higher quality video, I am able to add my lens kit to a larger cinema camera and get a similar look.
My Fuji x100F is like a sketch pad, easy to carry and I travel with it often. It’s much more discreet than the Canon.
I really love working with Phaseone IQ series, but mostly rent when I need that level of detail and image quality. So for now, I do not have one in my bag.
LENSES
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II
Aperture Range: f/2.8 to f/22, Ultrasonic Motor AF System, Weather-Sealed Construction
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
70-200 mm focal length, inner focusing system with USM and full-time manual focus option
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L
Aperture Range: f/1.2 to f/16, EF-Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format, Super Spectra Coating
Canon 35mm F1.4L
Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/22, Blue Spectrum Refractive Optics Element
I use all Canon glass: 24-70mm L, 70-200mm L, 50mm L, 35mm L. Like a lot of the gear I use, I know that when I pick these up, they are just going to work every time. When I was just starting out, I only had the first two zooms, and they covered 90 percent of what I was shooting.
LIGHTING
Profoto B1X 500 AirTTL
Profoto B1X 500 AirTTL Flash Head with 500Ws adjustable in 1/10 f-stop increments over a 9 f-stop power range
I have all Profoto lighting. I have used it for years and it is always rock solid. I built a three-light kit with a D1 and two B1s. Even as a still-life shooter, there sometimes aren’t that many outlets in the warehouses and other places I am shooting in, so having that battery power is necessary.
BAG
I use my Tenba DNA messenger every day. It’s super versatile whether I am carrying gear or not.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
WACOM TABLET!! Peak Design neck straps, Giottos Rocket Blower, Think Tank organizing pouches, Think Tank bungees, Manfrotto tripod, Tether Tools cables, Inovativ DigiPlate.
Be sure to check out the PHLEARN tutorial with Ross to master your product and still-life photography. You can also read our interview with Ross to learn more about the photographer and find out how he spent seven years shooting over 10,000 images a year.
