Your smartphone can record your partying and culinary adventures pretty well, as well as selfies and portraits of the people you meet along the way. However, a smartphone won’t be that much use to you on safari, taking part in extreme sports, or capturing sweeping landscapes. A camera will give you all this, but with much better image quality.
Here are the best travel cameras available today.
Q: Which Type of Camera Is Best for Travel?
Although you can achieve excellent results with smartphones, a mirrorless camera is an undoubted upgrade. Although the smartphone is more slimline and lightweight, mirrorless cameras have versatile lenses, better features, and bigger sensors while still being transportable.
Meanwhile, the 20MP 1-inch Stacked CMOS sensor and versatile 24-200mm zoom lens provide superior image quality even when you push up the ISO. Alongside a first-rate autofocus system, an excellent image stabilizer, and an incredible 90fps continuous-shooting mode, you will capture those once-in-a-lifetime travel moments just about every time.
However, with its adjustable lens, this camera isn’t only limited to capturing the animal kingdom. Photographing everyday moments, such as exotic dishes or unique moments while people watching, is also easy, and shooting landscapes with rich dynamic ranges is a treat.
The Sony RX100 VII is also an excellent option for travel vloggers. The 4K video captures are among the best you can find in a compact camera, and useful features such as the large articulating flip-screen are a blessing.
Despite all this and other features, like a pop-up flash and an EVF, Sony has still managed to keep this mirrorless camera incredibly lightweight, small, and easily packable.
It is an SLR-style, mirrorless camera, and thanks to its plastic body, it packs away easily and is remarkably lightweight. Additionally, the Micro Four Thirds sensor effectively doubles the focal length of any lens you use. There are many compatible and compact lenses available for this camera, so packing a couple of different ones in your luggage is a viable option.
With fast, responsive autofocus and 15fps continuous shooting, you can easily keep up with a rapidly-moving subject, such as a running animal or your child playing in the sea. A simple dial on the top of the camera selects different shooting modes, from where you can also control the aperture, shutter speed, and exposure compensation. The frosting on the cake is the excellent 5-axis image stabilizer that helps to achieve eye-catching shots in dim light while using low shutter speeds.
It can capture pretty good videos in 4K at 30fps, too. It’s great for vlogging, but the lack of microphone input may dissuade you. However, if you just want to shoot some short videos and take some high-quality stills, this is the camera for you.
But for now, setting the aperture or shutter speed will need to give way to capturing splendid in-the-moment videos of you catching that huge wave or fearlessly boarding off-piste.
It captures all the glory in 5K at 60fps, or you can make fluid slo-mo movies in 4K at 120fps. The first-rate Hypersmooth 4.0 image stabilization and the excellent horizon leveler will make your videos all the more thrilling and professional. However, it’s also an ideal companion for capturing low-level activities such as cycling around the city or even just wandering through attractive local markets.
On the downside, the battery life isn’t particularly great, and overheating can become an issue when making long videos. GoPro claims the Enduro battery you can purchase separately gives the camera significantly longer battery life and better cold-weather performance. This option is something that skiers and boarders may want to consider.
It’s waterproof, dustproof, shockproof, crushproof, childproof… just about anything-proof. It’s the perfect camera for around-the-world backpackers who might subject it to a range of environments. Anyone traveling with children who want them to learn about photography while being safe in the knowledge that the camera will survive any accidents will also love this beast.
Curious kids can easily educate themselves on entomology or ocean life while on vacation with the four macro shooting modes and the outstanding Microscope Control Mode that gives an impressive 44x display magnification. The wide-angle f/2 lens also performs well in low light, and the three white-balance modes provide vivid color and fine detail.
However, the image resolution is only 12MP. It’s plenty for regular prints, but if you want to exceed poster size, you may want to consider a camera with better resolution.
It also features a compact and easily-packable body that is great for anyone going on hiking adventures. These adventures can include anywhere but the coldest of biomes because the camera is weather sealed. It is also dustproof, so you can confidently document desert trekking or safaris. Also, thanks to the excellent battery life, you won’t need to worry about how long your day of hiking lasts. Your camera will have power and be available for the entire day.
You can capture mountain vistas and glacial lakes in high dynamic range and detail even at higher ISO settings. Excellent dusk shots of that foreboding peak will feature a good scope of contrast and look superior in quality. Thanks to the first-rate in-body image stabilization, one of the best autofocus systems on the market, and 11fps continuous shooting, it’s also an ideal choice for wildlife photography.
There is a significant range of impressive lenses available for this camera, enabling you to choose the best ones for your adventures.
Capturing those travel moments can be done instantly, thanks to this camera’s excellent autofocus and tracking. However, the 24-70mm lens won’t be able to capture those moments from afar. You will need to be closer to your subject for wildlife photography than you would with other cameras with longer focal lengths.
It’s great for street photography and making city tour video diaries. These can be done after sunset, too, thanks to the camera’s good low-light performance. The bright f/1.8 aperture and SteadyShot image stabilization work well together to give excellent results.
All-in-all, it can be considered an excellent two-in-one camera for those who like to divide their time between making videos and taking still photos, but it is a standout for vloggers.
Just about all types of travel photography, from sweeping landscapes to candid portraits, is possible with the right lens, and there are a plethora of those available. Despite the excellent autofocus, the tracking doesn’t seem to work consistently well with fast-moving subjects. Therefore, wildlife enthusiasts may feel a little let-down.
It looks beautiful; it has a wonderful retro design. It even has a nostalgic-looking pop-up flash. However, with its array of dials and manual controls, beginners stepping away from their smartphones may initially feel a little overwhelmed.
Despite being small and lightweight, it’s not a compact camera. Once the lens is attached, it isn’t easy to fit it into a jacket pocket, and a camera bag may be the best answer. However, why would you want to hide away a camera that looks this cool?
On the downside, there isn’t any in-body image stabilization to help with shooting in low-light situations. This omission won’t be a problem if you mainly shoot in the daytime or use a small tripod to aid with nighttime shots.
Simple point-and-shoots are also a good option for traveling. However, they focus more on being light and compact, which compromises a bit on image quality.
With a DSLR camera, you will get better battery life and image quality. However, they are heavier and bulkier.
Q: What Should I Look for in a Travel Camera?
Weight will be a significant factor, especially if you are a long-term traveler. If you opt for a mirrorless or DSLR camera, you will probably be looking at taking external lenses along, which will add to the bulk.
However, a point-and-shoot compact camera with a built-in lens can still give excellent image quality while taking up less room in your luggage.
If your travels predominantly feature one type of photography, then you will need a camera with features suitable to that genre. For example, wildlife photography will require a camera with good focal length and excellent autofocus and tracking features.
However, if you like to take low-light shots, you need to consider the aperture range, ISO range, and in-body image stabilizer.
