Vanessa Joy's Camera Gear & Studio Setup
Vanessa Joy films with a Canon EOS R5 Mark II, and lights the shot with the Profoto B10. Below is Vanessa Joy's full camera, lens, microphone and lighting setup — each item cited to a public source video or interview, with a budget-friendly alternative for every pick.
◆ Gear below reflects what Vanessa Joy has publicly disclosed (see sources). Lensbook is not affiliated with Vanessa Joy. Video embedded from YouTube — views and ad revenue remain with the creator.
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Style analysis
Vanessa shoots Canon full-frame mirrorless exclusively, pairing the high-resolution R5 Mark II with the R6 Mark II as a backup body — a two-camera system built for the unpredictability of a wedding day. Her lens kit centers on the RF 28-70mm f/2 as an all-day zoom that replaces three primes at once, anchored by the RF 85mm f/1.2 for reception portraits. Off-camera Profoto strobes appear at every wedding, reflecting a deliberate philosophy that ambient-only shooting is a liability, not an aesthetic.
Vanessa's primary shooting body as of 2024. She wrote: 'The Canon R5 Mark II has quickly become my go-to camera for both weddings and portraits.' The eye-control autofocus and 8K video make it ideal for hybrid shooting at weddings.
Source: NEW Canon R5 Mark II | the PERFECT camera for photographers?! — Vanessa Joy (2024-07-19)
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Budget pick: Canon EOS R8 ($700) — A full-frame Canon RF body at roughly a quarter of the R5 Mark II's price. You lose the in-body stabilisation and speed, but the Dual Pixel autofocus and the ability to use all the same RF lenses are intact — the right entry point into Canon's mirrorless system for a budget-conscious wedding photographer. View →
Her second body at weddings. The R6 Mark II offers the same subject-tracking AF as the R5 Mark II at a lower price point, with 40fps continuous shooting that makes it well-suited as a backup at receptions.
Source: Inside My Camera Bag | Vanessa Joy | Shotkit (2023-02-28)
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Budget pick: Canon EOS R7 ($1,200) — An APS-C body with Canon's subject-tracking autofocus and 30fps burst. The crop factor extends effective reach on telephoto lenses — useful for ceremony aisle shots — and the body costs roughly half of an R6 Mark II. View →
Vanessa's declared all-day wedding zoom. She wrote 'This lens is a BEAST!' and uses it on the R5 Mark II throughout most of a wedding day — it replaces separate 28mm, 35mm and 50mm primes at a constant f/2 throughout the range.
Source: Canon RF 28-70mm F2: Best Lens for WEDDINGS!?? (Review) — Vanessa Joy (2023-04-18)
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Budget pick: Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM ($1,099) — A more affordable all-day RF zoom. You give up two-thirds of a stop (f/4 vs f/2) and the wider maximum aperture, but gain extra reach to 105mm in a lighter, cheaper package — the standard 'workhorse zoom' recommendation for photographers transitioning to Canon RF. View →
Her go-to portrait prime. Vanessa described it as 'an incredible portrait lens!' — the f/1.2 aperture produces the razor-thin depth of field that wedding portrait clients expect, and the 85mm focal length flatters faces without distortion.
Source: Inside My Camera Bag | Vanessa Joy | Shotkit (2023-02-28)
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Budget pick: Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM ($549) — Canon's own budget 85mm in RF mount. A full three-stop slower than the f/1.2 at one-fifth of the price, but the built-in IS helps in low church light, and it doubles as a macro lens for ring detail shots — a practical two-in-one for photographers starting out in wedding work. View →
Her telephoto zoom, carried to every wedding. The 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II covers ceremony aisle shots and candids from a distance. With the EF-EOS R adapter it mounts natively on her R5 Mark II.
Source: What's Inside My Camera Bag: Wedding Photographer Vanessa Joy | Rangefinder (2021-06-17)
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Budget pick: Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 ($799) — A Sony-mount telephoto, but the closest budget analogue in the zoom-telephoto f/2.8 category. For Canon RF shooters, the native Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM at around $700 is the practical budget step-down — lighter, cheaper, and still weather-sealed. View →
lightProfoto B10confirmed
Vanessa is a Profoto Legend of Light and carries multiple B10 units to every wedding — Rangefinder reported three units in her bag. She described it as 'a super reliable and powerful strobe for weddings and portraits.' The B10's 250Ws output and battery power make it the industry standard for portable wedding flash.
Source: Inside My Camera Bag | Vanessa Joy | Shotkit (2023-02-28)
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Budget pick: Godox AD200 Pro ($289) — A 200Ws TTL pocket flash at a fraction of the Profoto's price. The AD200 Pro is the most widely recommended Profoto B10 alternative among working photographers — same off-camera wireless TTL concept, compatible with a broad ecosystem of modifiers, and small enough to fit in a camera bag. View →
lightProfoto A10confirmed
Vanessa described it as her 'go-to speed light for wedding receptions or light and easy on-location lighting.' The A10 mounts on-camera but also triggers wirelessly as part of the Profoto Air ecosystem alongside her B10s.
Source: Inside My Camera Bag | Vanessa Joy | Shotkit (2023-02-28)
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Budget pick: Godox V1 Pro ($139) — A round-head TTL speedlight with a magnetic accessory ecosystem — the closest affordable analogue to the Profoto A10's design philosophy. The built-in battery is rechargeable, recycle times are fast, and it costs one-fifth of the A10. View →