What I use to make my images
I love shooting with a fairly low-cost kit that gives me the best bang-for-buck in terms of quality. To that end, I've used Canon APS-C equipment for over a decade with mostly EF-S lenses. Here's what my equipment looks like today:
MAIN KIT
Canon R7: Canon's current top APS-C mirrorless camera is excellent. Its 15fps burst speed alongside the incredible autofocus system enables me to get more keepers with birds in flight. Its dynamic range is noticeably better than my older Canon 7d2, which is great for landscapes. I've had to work around a few issues (shutter shock being the most significant), but for $2000AUD you can't get anything else this good. I use the RF-EF adapter with control ring to mount all my EF and EF-S lenses.
EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM: My main birding lens. Its image quality is amazing and it's fairly light for what it is. I managed to get a lucky deal on the used market, and my copy is flawless. I've had prior experience with the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM, though found it didn't get the full fps with my R7. A great lens in all other respects though. I also used to have the EF 300mm f/4L IS USM which wasn't quite long enough for the birding I do, and the original EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM which lagged behind the primes in image quality. If I'm going really lightweight, I use my EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM instead.
EF Extender 1.4x III: This plays really nicely with the 100-400ii. While you lose a stop of light and the AF slows down a touch, you also get more pixels on the bird. The extender also enables the R7 to more fully resolve the quality of the 100-400ii; there is barely any sharpness drop.
EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM: A budget wide-angle lens which punches way above its weight. Most of my 'salient object in the foreground' landscapes are taken with this lens. It's no good for low light situations, of course, because of its narrow variable aperture. But with enough light (anything between the two 'blue hours'), it's stupendous.
Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM Art: I used to have the Sigma 35 f1.4, but found its autofocus inconsistent on my Canon 7dii. I sold it after a few years and never looked again at Sigma lenses until upgrading to the Canon R7. The mirrorless AF technology now means focus is bang on almost all the time, meaning Sigma lenses are back on the table. I picked up the 18-35 for $400AUD and only had to repair the shattered piece of plastic covering the focus distance scale, which cost $20. Bargain! And as many know, its performance is nothing short of legendary.
EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro: Another used purchase I'm proud of ($275AUD... seeing a theme here?). With the R7's IBIS, the much more expensive version of this lens with IS is much less enticing; this one without IS delivers almost exactly the same image quality. I don't do a heap of macro shots, but I like having the 100 f2.8 in my bag for when the occasion presents itself. It also doubles as a handy portrait lens for family events.
EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM: Unfortunately the RF-EF adapter just about doubles the size of this tiny lens, but it's still a lightweight and compact-ish package which delivers good quality and AF performance. I use it mostly for short outings where I'm not planning to shoot any particular subjects, and where I expect to be carrying my camera the whole time.
DJI Mavic 2 Pro Drone: I'm still learning to use it well, but the image and video quality from the Mavic 2 Pro is surprisingly excellent. It's also fun to fly (as my nieces and nephews have discovered too!) and can get some unique shots.
NISI v7 Pro 100mm Filter System: I invested quite heavily in a NISI filter system some years ago when I was shooting with my Canon 7dii, which had paltry dynamic range. The R7 is better by about one-and-a-half stops, which reduces the need for GND filters in high dynamic range landscape settings. However, I still love to get the image right in-camera as much as possible. Also, landscape photography for me is a fairly contemplative process - so being able to slow down, watch the light, and adjust my filters accordingly is still really satisfying. I currently have the following filters: 2 stop hard GND, 3 stop hard GND, 3 stop soft GND, 4 stop reverse GND, 4 stop medium GND, 6 stop ND, Circular polarising. Of these, the 3 stop hard and 4 stop reverse get the most use.
ACCESSORIES
Leofoto LS-365C Tripod: Useful for bird photography with an attached Neewer Gimbal Head GM101 on a Sunwayfoto levelling base. The Leofoto is exceptionally stable for landscapes in windy areas as well, for which I use the Sirui K-30x ball head.
Sirui T-025x Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod with C-10 Ball Head: My cheap but effective travel tripod. It has a hook to help weigh itself down in windy conditions. I almost forget I'm carrying it most of the time (it's less than 1kg!).
Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AW II: Fits everything and the kitchen sink. For longer trips, I load it up with the R7, 100-400ii, 1.4iii extender, 10-18, 18-35, 100 macro, drone with controller and spare batteries, all my NISI filters, my tripod, iPad Pro 12.9" and a drink bottle. It holds it all like a champ, and the weight distributes well on my back thanks to the hip strap.
Lowepro Sling Passport: For shorter trips which only require a lens or two. It's held up for over a decade without skipping a beat.
Lowepro Flipside Sport 15L AW: My lightweight birding backpack. It'll fit the R7, 100-400ii with extender attached, 100 f2.8 and another lens if needed. Either of my tripods slots easily into the side strapping. The weather cover has saved my bacon plenty of times, especially given the R7 is not fully weather sealed.
Canon Speedlite 580EX II x2: Used for macro photography every now and then.
Kenko Extension Tubes: To further shorten my 100 f2.8's focus distance when required.
Peak Design Capture Clip v3: I keep this attached to my bag or to my belt for taking quick shots, especially in wildlife situations. Makes holding my camera a bit safer without interrupting use too much.
Kingston Canvas React 128GB + 64GB: The best balance of value and performance for the R7, in my opinion. The buffer clears super quick between bursts; much better than my older Sandisk cards.
SOFTWARE
Capture One 23: Expensive but worth it. The dynamic range performance alone is miles ahead of Lightroom when using Canon cameras, and the RAW images give you a nice starting point. Surprisingly, it's also faster than Lightroom in my experience. My workflow is usually: (1) Import into Capture One; (2) Process key images using DxO PureRaw 3; (3) Edit in Capture One; (4) Add any glow/light painting/etc in Photoshop. No need for HDR given the R7's excellent sensor.
Adobe Photoshop 2023: Goes without saying. I only really use it for light painting or adding a subtle Orton effect. Everything else can be done in Capture One.
DxO PureRaw 3: If magic exists, here it is. Somehow this program takes away at least three stops of noise, while also sharpening my images a bit and dealing with distortion/vignetting/CA better than anything else. It's slow on my Macbook Pro 2020 (intel version), but that's fine for me as a hobbyist. I just choose my favourite images from a trip, load them up in PureRaw, and let it do its thing in the background.