My $60k F1 Camera Bag!

Ever wondered what it takes to become an F1 photographer? Well it takes a lot of professional camera kit. Allow me to run you through what's inside my F1 camera bag. Everything from Canon R3 to amazing mirrorless lenses. If you want to know more about F1 photography and my F1 photography equipment make sure to watch the entire video about my camera bag review now!
Purchase a hand-signed F1 driver print here: www.kymillman.com/signed-f1-d...
Become a channel member and receive monthly free wallpapers, RAW image files after each race, Exclusive videos and discounts at my store. VIP members get even more. Click here to join - / @kymillman
See 2024 Grand Prix images live from the track on Instagram bit.ly/2P6l6PY
My digital images are available at www.prostarpics.com/
Photo Books & Merchandise available at www.kymillman.com/store/
Follow my journey as an F1 photographer here • My Journey as an F1 Ph...

[@PhillipMuchiri]

I always like it when you give negative reviews and tell people not to buy a product because you are an awesome guy and I'm a 100% sure you are saving others from unnecessary headaches.

[@KymIllman]

Don't buy LUMECUBE

[@nicolaslessard6073]

I had a good laugh with the Giovinazzi thing😂

[@ukqwerty999]

That was hilarious :)

[@dfekety]

Such a clever use of the Stream Deck!

[@KymIllman]

I have my son to thank for pushing me that way

[@dbenedict357]

One can also use Photo Mechanic to do this as well. There is a KZbinr named Mark Kerton… he has a really good video on his workflow on game day.

[@BeamCatcher]

Love your work Kym, and thanks for always being generous with how you work. Really interesting and cool to watch! 🙂

[@KymIllman]

Thanks so much!

[@riding_with_rob]

You are a LEGEND! Recently got into Photography, and a few months ago stumbled across a facebook post, started following you there and before my 3rd ever event the F1 in Melbourne town this vid pops up!! My kit is on the cheaper end and Sony but I'm building towards what you've got and what you are doing; I hope! MotoGP is my jam though! How good is that leatherman, had one since my MTB instructing days and it is still rock solid. Great advice and Tips, Thankyou!

[@lisette1580]

Very good photo information! Your knowledge is so valuable for use on also other subjects 😊 Take good care of your "priceless" gear! Thank you Kim and I wish you many unique photo's (and keeping cool & warm). It's almost a sport of it's own.

[@KymIllman]

Thank you! Will do!

[@helenshawau]

Absolutely fascinating Kym what a great video! Cheers.

[@KymIllman]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@yonasngaturi8805]

Hey Kim, great video as always! As a photographer too, i’m quite curious about how you manage and use the different cameras/lenses? You’ve got your standard/telephoto zooms as well as your primes - what situations do you use each one for and would love it if you could takes us through that change throughout the race weekend! It could possibly be a pov video/broll sequence idea with the insta360 go that you have ;) Cheers!

[@mpow3r972]

Been waiting for this video for a long while! Just bought a Cannon R10 for amateur/hire photography. Upgraded from a 7 year old Rebel and the difference with mirrorless and technology is truly night and day. I currently have a control ring adapter for my old EOS lens collection before I splurge on some of the higher quality mirrorless-specific lens. I mainly do portraits and nature/wildlife photography though. Thanks so much Kym! You helped inspire me to get back into a hobby I’ve truly loved!

[@KymIllman]

Good to hear

[@davepastern]

Surprised you went with APS-C (R10)...R10 has horrid buffer, very average high ISO performance above 3200, no IBIS and the AF performance is pretty inferior to the other R series models in the lineup...and yes, I have a R10, so I'm speaking from first hand experience.

[@mpow3r972]

@@davepastern Appreciate your feedback, but It's my first step into mirrorless. I don't shoot alot of low light. And I didn't want to drop alot of money on it at the moment, because it's just a hobby.... I'm a commercial real estate broker who works and travels regionally nearly seven days a week. I don't have a whole heck of a lot of time. When I do get time, I shoot landscapes/flowers/insect interaction with them, and sometimes I do pictures and portraits for friends and events. I literally came from a Rebel T5i so frankly anything is an improvement. Once I get the time to get back into it more I'll get a full frame/sensor R series but I'm working with my old Rebel lenses for the time being though too. It's a temporary step-up, and compact, not something I plan on sticking to long term... When I have the time to devote to it I'm going to upgrade the glass first, and get a full frame after that. Having said all that though, what would you recommend for the future?

[@davepastern]

@@mpow3r972 all good - your decision makes sense. Given what you shoot, I’d say either R8 or R6II. R8 lacks IBIS so video will need stabilising in post process. R6II has IBIS. Both share the same sensor

[@skydragon5394]

YES NEW VIDEO I WAS LITERALLY WATCHING YOUR 2023 ONE NEW EQUIPMENT VIDEO LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@acardena13]

Great video! I’ve learned to always bring an extra set of ear plugs, gloves and extra sets of sunglasses

[@bethanyc3545]

Love the peek behind the curtian, fascinating!

[@davidcoleman2868]

Love it that you're so brutally honest. 😀

[@terryrobertson8382]

It is easy to see why your Videography and Photography is second to none. Your expertise and vast array of equipment is awe inspiring. Cheers to you Kym for giving your followers such top shelf content.

[@KymIllman]

I just keep toiling away.

[@the_rocksf1148]

Thanks for the insight into your kit. Very impressive. I didn’t know anything about photography and all the intricacies but you have certainly given me enough here to be much more interested in it.

[@KymIllman]

It's all about speed of delivery for me

[@snip3d]

Perfect timing. Love seeing kit like this.

[@KymIllman]

Glad you like it!

[@user-ir8ii8su8d]

Great content Kym. Love your work and Aussiness.

[@KymIllman]

Much appreciated!

[@antonoat]

Great stuff Kym, I’d bet many have no idea how much hard work is involved in being an F1 photographer, you make it look easy! Respect 😀👍👏

[@KymIllman]

Very true!

[@burkelong4376]

Great gear tour. A place for everything and everything in its place.

[@JakeVirdenTech]

Love you videos Kym!! I really enjoyed this one, me being a hobbyist photographer and fellow Canon shooter. I am doing all my photography and KZbin work on the Canon R6MKII and absolutely love it. I really appreciate you walking us through your workflow as I am always curious how other photographers manage their photos, especially how a professional of your caliber does it. 🙂

[@KymIllman]

cheers

[@KyleByquist]

my desire for the R3 only grows after this video.. thanks for the breakdown of the kit!

[@markfitzurka9995]

This was my favorite so far. I have just about watched the whole lot of your videos and this one has been my favorite

[@KymIllman]

Thanks for that

[@Ponch_ITK]

its always a blast to see your gear and your "whats in my bag" vids much love from here in jersey! bigs ups!

[@KymIllman]

GO Jersey

[@ExhaustedNYer]

Nice Yacht Master, great video.

[@Berbatov204]

Thanks Kym, I've been waiting to see a video like this 😊

[@KymIllman]

my pleasure

[@thomasroth84]

Great video and nice insights to your gear and workflow. I‘ve sold my two 1DX II‘s to get a R3. Can’t wait for the racing season to kick off in April. A bit limited with just one camera, but I hope to get a second one for Spa 24 at the latest. It‘s a sideshow and not my main job, so I deal with it.

[@MakeTheShots]

That was a really interesting watch. I bet it’s knackering shooting an F1 race! Thanks for sharing.

[@KymIllman]

We are always keen for Sunday night to come around

[@timkeith8373]

Love your videos, Kym. It would be great if you did one on the race engineers. We always hear them but almost never see them.

[@MikeGoodwin773]

I've been doing the power board trick when travelling overseas for a few years now. Best thing!

[@Mrtmbathke]

Great episode!

[@The_Idea_of_Dream_Vision]

Learnt so much. That key word things is super dope

[@KymIllman]

And super vital for my video editor. He can source a pic of Max, on day 2 of the 2021 Abu Dhabi race in seconds.

[@DaEdge1Pro]

Mr. Kym! Thank you for all that you do! Your content week in and week is great. As a photographer myself, how or what process did you go through to get photograph F1? I would like to try and start photographing NASCAR here in the states, but I don't know where I should start.

[@KymIllman]

I applied via the FIA in 2017

[@tomasmoya6792]

Was the main editor during Tokyo 2020(one) on all sailing photography for World Sailing, agency and some other teams. Also discovered the stream deck to be used on keywords, WhatsApp groups, and different websites and places to be able to edit, tag and send as fast as possible! Amazing complements to use in limit situations of time to send best quality on its quickest situation possible! Great video True, R3 plastic eye thingy falls really easy haha

[@Ian-li2qo]

Brilliant Kym, very informative.

[@KymIllman]

CHeers

[@larcostudio]

This was a great video, love to see what's in the camera bag!

[@KymIllman]

Thanks

[@mittysmalls]

mate!!!! 13:31 has blown my mind 🤣🤣🤣 never even thought about taking a powerboard overseas so simple of an idea yet so effective haha

[@MarkBaldone]

I just got a 70-200 for my Sony A1 been starting to do photography at the Formula Drift events here in Japan. The cool thing about Japan is they don’t have professional camera rules at their events. So you can go to any event in the country and get practice. I am approaching my retirement with the U.S. military and want to make photography my primary job when I retire. Love your videos as it gives insight into the industry. My biggest hinderance is marketing. I feel like I am a fantastic photographer that can pick up any new type of photography really quick. Appreciate the videos and hope to see you on the grid one day

[@joshcullum88]

Kim, it would be really good to see some videos of how to take better pics for fans. Ie we don’t have the same access as you, so a video highlighting where we can get close enough without those massive zooms/ great photo spots that are easy to access

[@Tornado.EOS.Software]

Great video, I also have EOS R3, I constantly monitor the status of my camera, in particular, I check for errors through the Tornado EOS program

[@ashlandgunclub1000]

Years ago someone gave me a sling type camera bag, it was a game changer for quick lens changes.

[@makaylafrancis3990]

Fantastic info and explained well 👏🏻

[@KymIllman]

Cheers

[@TheBigdutchster]

Very thorough, thank you.

[@KymIllman]

Glad it was helpful!

[@fredboothmaniv6958]

Great content and great images as well around F1. Been trying to learn more on keyword process and utilizing the Stream Deck; would love a quick video of your workflow process, stream deck, macros and optimizing keyword workflow in Lightroom.

[@AnnegretdeHoop-uh8xm]

I mostley follow you on TikTok. Love the way you bring the news, ins and outs from the formula1 !! Hope you’ll continue for a long time

[@KymIllman]

It’ll come to an end one day but til then it’s full steam ahead.

[@alpabopo]

Pretty informative and great video

[@watchlover8297]

great video from a great guy and pro. Not many sports pros tell all their secrets. All the best Kym, nice one mate.

[@KymIllman]

Happy to share the way I work.

[@ellyelzinga01]

Interesting video! I am a hobby photographer myself, so it's always interesting to see what kind of gear other people use! The F/1 lens you own gives amazing bokeh! Love it!

[@KymIllman]

It's just hard to use given the manual focus.

[@ellyelzinga01]

@@KymIllmanI bet it is, I've tried manual focus on occasion but I definitely prefer autofocus. And that was a F2.8 lens, F1 is even harder. Have you ever shot F1 cars on racing speed (or even on slower speed) with it? Or do you use it for portraits only? I don't think I would manage with manual focus on fast moving objects!

[@johnqdoe]

Great job! Tough job! Cool job! A man’s job! Respect Kim!

[@KymIllman]

Thanks

[@reversal]

6:38 great to hear you are ramping up the video content Kym! Excited about your content! 👍

[@KymIllman]

Yay! Thank you!

[@geniferteal4178]

I recently got an R5 and I'm loving it. Glad you are team canon😊

[@KymIllman]

I love it!

[@HoopleHeadUSA]

I’m a bag backpack sling lover, thanks for talking about that aspect as well!

[@KymIllman]

No problem!!

[@ath3263]

Another excellent video

[@CheerleaderTW5566]

thanks for your sharing

[@KymIllman]

My pleasure

[@Robot_Overlord]

Great video

[@lochanajayarathna7239]

I used to do Cricket Photography back in my school days!!! Miss that

[@JadenWhite]

As a photographer that would like to shoot F1 one day this video was very helpful! Thank you for sharing!

[@KymIllman]

happy you watched it all

[@AutoMatters]

Kym, A motorsports photojournalist friend just forwarded a link to your KZbin video to me, thinking that I might like to see it. Wow! Deja vu. Your two cameras of choice are what I ultimately switched over to, after shooting with Nikon for 50 years. Your video is a fantastic, right-on guide to everything one needs to know to about how to shoot auto racing! I am absolutely blown away. Lately I've been wrestling with how to effectively carry my two R3 bodies with a long, heavy lens attached to each. I used to use a Cotton Carrier vest, with a 100-500mm lens attached to one of my R3 bodies on the chest receiver, and a 24-240mm short zoom on the other R3, carried by a Velcro-attached holster at my right hip, but when I replaced that lens with Canon's new, long and heavy 24-105mm F/2.8 for my wide to medium distance, low-light-capable shots, that setup no longer worked. Now I am using a combination of my Cotton Carrier vest and a Cotton Carrier belt. That works much better for walking around, climbing stairs, squeezing between fences and concrete barriers, etc. I used to use Black Rapid long ago, but switched to Cotton Carrier because it kept my cameras more secure from people hitting them and banging them into stuff. I edit my photos using Lightroom Classic with the Topaz Photo AI plug-in to easily remove noise, sharpen, etc. all at once. You are way more knowledgeable than I am about what to do with your photos after you shoot them. I could learn a lot from you. Thank you for sharing. How do I enter your contest? Jan

[@KymIllman]

Details coming up in a video next week.

[@mattferraro8493]

Awesome content as always

[@KymIllman]

Glad you think so!

[@teamredgutz399]

The R3s really are the gold standard. You always bring the best equipment.

[@ukqwerty999]

Curious to know how many use the Z9 Nikon :)

[@taurohnyt617]

​@@ukqwerty999I mean it in the same league.

[@davepastern]

@@ukqwerty999 you don't need 45mp for sports...it's overkill. 24mp is more than enough. R3 also betters the Z9 in both high ISO performance and DR. Z9 is better built imho and Nikon cares more about its users (just witness how Canon CrippleHammers and holds back firmware updates).

[@ukqwerty999]

@@davepastern Cheers, had Canon in the Film days, giving Nikon a go as they always came across as premium niche, plus almost everyone has a Sony or Canon these days

[@davepastern]

@@ukqwerty999 pick the best camera for the job, being “cool” or making decisions to swim against the crowd aren’t always good ideas. Z6ii/z7ii both have garbage AF. You really don’t need 45mp for motorsports etc.

[@josephberkeley]

Great video. Thanks for making it. I shoot the Canon R5. Great camera.

[@basedonyou3138]

Kymi the f1 driver version for photographers. Use whatever is needed to improve that efficiency time even if its a few secs.

[@FenixFavaretto]

8:01 Number 33, Kym.... Great video! (Well, now number 1)

[@grantrudgley4109]

Thanks for inspiring me, Kym

[@KymIllman]

My pleasure.

[@esphilee]

Impressive gears you have invested in, good to keep a fit body to enjoy the process. I used to keep all RAW when pixel counts of cameras were lower. But currently I take both RAW and Jpg in different card. Only fall back to RAW if I need heavy photoshop. Otherwise I just keep the JPG. Cameras today are capable of producing very good Jpg.

[@KymIllman]

I have plenty of storage so keep the good RAWs is fine.

[@carmeljordan8034]

Wow I know nothing about photography, that was mind boggling and so interesting. Definitely makes you appreciate the end product significantly more.

[@KevinNeitzel7]

Great video Kym! I use your presents at least once a shoot, if not more!

[@KymIllman]

Happy to hear that

[@glennharris]

great thanks for doing this mate

[@KymIllman]

No problem 👍

[@Diffy87]

That black rapid strap would come in handy for airshows i go to, great video and gear

[@KymIllman]

I’m giving one away soon. Keep a lookout for the giveaway video next week.

[@zakdaly1985]

Kim, tip top video. Question/thoughts on doing a video on how you got into F1 photography and how you become a F1 accredited photographer. The process of applying for you licence, the costs incurred and do you get many new photographers on the circuit with you? Many thanks zak

[@KymIllman]

I have done a video on that called “The money side of F1 photography” - www.kymillman.com/store/money-side-of-f1-photography/ it’s free for my KZbin members.

[@kennymcleish]

And a couple of nice watches too!

[@abr33zy]

The pause to remember AlphaTauri's new convoluted team name 🤣

[@villegas24]

Finally a photographer shooting a sport I actually care about.

[@nathanschneiderphoto]

Amazing video!

[@KymIllman]

Glad you think so!

[@user-zl7hs2md9q]

this guy is awesome

[@richardharper2842]

Great video Kym. A real insight into what it takes to be a great (and well organised) F1 Photographer. Can’t wait to see more info on your PRESETS! Now, where is my wallet to become a channel member? Richard. From Pommie Land.

[@KymIllman]

Find that wallet quickly pls!!

[@danielstarling4147]

Really interesting Kym

[@KymIllman]

Glad you think so!

[@Alberto_Lorenzina]

What kind of bag or backpack do you use to carry your larger lenses when travelling by plane? Thank you very much, keep up the good work!

[@DavidMossMGS]

Best F1 channel ever!

[@KymIllman]

YAY!

[@WRC-FAN]

Would love to see you shoot some photos of the World Rally Championship.

[@gerekappo]

You could glue or use gaffer tape on the eye pieces on the cameras. I had a camera that the eye cup keep falling off, never loose it, but used a little piece of gaffer tape on each side, never falled again!!

[@richardvarkonyi6046]

I love this details gear introduction as a photographer. 😍 i have just one question left: what kind of shoes do you use on the track? I think you have to walk a lot there and it can be a key element of your work.

[@KymIllman]

On running.

[@lamegaming9835]

id love to see a video of you out on track taking photos

[@KymIllman]

I can’t take video on track, our accreditation does not allow for that

[@beemerichie3037]

Love this video, shoot myself, but I use Micro 4/3 with Olympus which is now OM…. Quality I get is phenomenal…..

[@ScottTStokes]

Any chance you might dig into how you have the Stream Deck set up? I'd love to be able to do that with the sports photos I do.

[@CanonEurope]

🙌🙌🙌

[@KymIllman]

You make some amazing products!

[@CanonEurope]

@@KymIllman We try our best

[@ricardomejia]

I was amused when you said that you lose the eyecups on your R3's because I've never had an issue with mine. Literally within days of watching this video the left side of my eyecup has become detached and it's only a matter of time before it falls off! LOL

[@billybraithwaite67]

Sincerely hope canon gift you the odd lens or two, your work is outstanding & a great advert for their brand. 👏

[@KymIllman]

They don’t, but they look after me with any dramas I have

[@DinoRowan]

Would love to see an FPOV video of the Insta360 or the like on you or one of your cameras as you're shooting on track/on the grid! Day in the life video similar to your travel content. I think I've seen a few things here and there from you with it, but I'd love to see more!

[@KymIllman]

Photographers aren’t allowed to shoot Video anywhere near the track

[@HoopleHeadUSA]

Shoutout to Stream Deck! Every person I know who has one absolutely loves it

[@KymIllman]

Game changer

[@robertalmeida3180]

Kym, as always, a great video! This thought/question popped into my head while watching: With all your global travel how do you deal with or manage the vast amounts of passwords you use? You can't possibly memorize them and writing them down is not secure. Keep up the wonderful content and I look forward to the next one!

[@KymIllman]

Lastpass

[@robertalmeida3180]

Thank you !@@KymIllman

[@milanstoyakov]

@@KymIllman Hi Kym, I used to use Lastpass as well, but they have been hacked more than once in the past and they didn't disclose breaches. They are expansive and they have been hacked multiple times. Maybe think about switching to another password manager. I'm currently using Roboform.

[@montek1singh12345678]

Kym is a one man army !!!!

[@KymIllman]

And I never stop working

[@erwinkruger-haye2698]

Great video..what do you use the tilt/shift for?low shots"? An aside….do you ever get to enjoy a race, or do watch replays?😊

[@KymIllman]

The Tilt shift, I use From high Vantage points like in Monaco from building tops

[@Kayteoo]

Living the dream🙂🏎️❤️

[@alanlucas501]

Which Leatherman is that you have Kym? I have a Leatherman Wave, I carry it everywhere. It's really handy to have. Which Leatherman is your one? Thanks. Love your videos, keep it up. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@KymIllman]

That's the Arc I believe and coming up I'm giving away a $1,900 gift pack to one KZbin/Insta fan and one of the many items in it will be a Leatherman.

[@bigbrownmab189]

The stream deck is brillant

[@TrueURIELOfficial]

AWESOMEE

[@stanbrow]

Very interesting! Just fascinating for a guy who did race photography once. Never even knew there was such a thing as a F1 lens.

[@KymIllman]

There's an F/.95 lens made by Canon decades ago. I'm trying to find one

[@huskysama9240]

i saw you in DTS 😂

[@mclarenF1race]

Bloody hell Kym... 😮 you could start up your own DTS rival channel with all the uber pro, clandestine / covert kit you have!!! 😜 We look forward to 'Kym F1... Raw & Uncut!' on Prime soon lol 😆....

[@KymIllman]

Maybe one day!

[@mclarenF1race]

@@KymIllman DO IT! ❤️

[@Ralfshoemaker]

Thanks for the video Kym, So you’ve never had any trouble with the leatherman in your checked luggage?

[@KymIllman]

Never.