Here’s the kind of gear we use to cover MWC 2017

The Mobile World Congress is the biggest mobile tech event of the year. This year, we’re going to be covering it (as usual) and we thought we’d give you guys a quick glimpse into the kind of equipment we’re bringing to cover a massive event like this.

First up, we’ve got the backpacks

While the cameras and gadgets to cover an event are important, the bags you carry the equipment in are equally important as well. When you’re going to spend all day on your feet with a bag full of heavy gear, using a poorly built bag will put unnecessary strain on your body and tire you out faster.

Greenroom136’s brand new Genesis

What I love about Greenroom136’s bags is their awesome build quality. My favourite bits are the fact that the shell of the bag is constructed out of weather resistant (and durable) 1000 denier Cordura. When you’re carrying a bag full of gadgets, weather resistance is something you definitely want.

The bag I’ll be bringing with me is their all new Genesis double strap backpack. It’s got all the necessary pockets to hold my gadgets neatly, plus a wide enough main compartment to fit my three-slot camera insert.

What’s more, it comes with a lid and compression belts (which double as a tripod holster) to keep the insides shielded from the elements.

There’s also a removable laptop sleeve that’s lined with corduroy so you can clear airport checks without too much of a fuss.

Learn more about Greenroom136’s products here.

The Targus GRID 16″ backpack 

This is Alex’s choice of backpack. Partly because he got it at a great deal, but mostly because it’s a seriously good backpack.

This pack has 32 litres of storage space broken up into two main compartments and three external stash pockets. The front main compartment has mesh and pockets for organising your small devices.

There’s also a padded hood (with a stash pocket) that clips to the front of the case. It can double as a slot to hold sunglasses too.

The best part about it is its military-grade durability. Not only will it protect your laptop from drops of up to 4ft in height, it also is weather resistant.

Further, there are aerated pads on both the straps and back padding so things don’t get sticky when the weather heats up.

Learn more about Targus’ bags here.

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The goal of this setup is to be mobile and lightweight.

Sony RX100 Mk II & Sony RX100 Mk V

For running and gunning, we went with a pair of Sony RX100s. Both shoot great video, are incredibly portable and super versatile.

The Mk V has the added benefit of 4K video while the Mk II gives more flexibility with its built-in hot shoe mount so we can strap stuff like mics and flashes to it.

Learn more here.

Sony a6300

This, on the other hand, will be our main camera. It’s got great video quality, 4K capability and amazing low-light performance.

Couple that with its portable size and manageable weight and you’ve got a seriously good video camera for mobile shoots.

Learn more.

Fujifilm X100S

For stills and photos on the show floor, I’ll be bringing the Fujifilm X100S.

With its 23mm fixed lens, it isn’t practical for close-ups, but it will serve as an excellent secondary camera for walking the floor. Plus, you really can’t beat Fujifilm’s colour reproduction.

Learn more here.

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Now for laptops and tablets — the bread and butter of our operation.

Acer Switch Alpha 12

When you’re looking for a value 2-in-1 with a detachable keyboard, there really aren’t many devices better than Acer’s Switch Alpha 12.

Not only does it come with a pretty good keyboard, it’s also completely silent because everything is cooled with a heat pipe. This model has an Intel Core i5-6200U processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. It’s also got a 12″ Quad HD display too.

Learn more here.

Lenovo Yoga Book

Ultra-portable workstation. That’s my reason for bringing the Yoga Book. It’s super light, super portable and super versatile.

What’s more, it’s got a fully backlit keyboard which is great, despite the fact that it’s capacitive and very very prone to smudges.

Learn more here.

Dell Inspiron 13 7348 2-in-1

This will be my main workstation. It’s a little on the heavy side but is fully convertible with a 13.3-inch Full HD touch panel and backlit keyboard that’s pretty comfortable to type on.

Specs include an Intel Core i5-5200U, 8GB of RAM and 500GB of SSD storage.

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Besides the main roster, here’s everything else

Two Xiaomi 20,000 mAh power banks will do most of the heavy lifting in keeping our devices charged while a Quick Charge 3.0 enabled 12,000 mAh unit from Tronsmart and Xiaomi’s new Mi Powerbank Pro 10,000 mAh will be there for quick charging emergencies.

We’ve also got a Zoom H6 for audio recording plus a lavalier setup.

Besides that, we’ll also be using a DJI Osmo Mobile with an iPhone 6s Plus for those super smooth moving shots.

Now, I wouldn’t call this the perfect setup — there certainly are some pieces of equipment that we can improve on — but the most important thing is to make the best out of what you already have. And if you know us, you’ll know that we will definitely give you the best MWC 2017 coverage.

The first events for MWC starts this weekend so keep it locked to SoyaCincau.com for all the juicy deets.