Finding the best photographic camera to take with you while traveling is a complicated and constantly-evolving problem. We want modest, compact, high megapixel, long battery life, something that tin can become from a wide-angle to super-telephoto zoom. Oh, and we want it to all fit in our pocket! Information technology'southward a never-ending claiming to find better and better gear in a smaller and smaller package. Thankfully the technology is getting more advanced and providing usa with more than of these options, letting us get much more than capability out of something really small and close to pocket-sized.

travel photography cameras
OLYMPUS DIGITAL Camera

Equally a long time shooter, I have endemic several DSLRs, mirrorless systems, large & medium format cameras, and countless pocket / adventure / meaty Point & Shoot cameras. And if yous're anything like me when you travel, you wantto bring them all. But if you really value your travel, adventure, and holiday memories, you'll want to invest in a proper travel camera to be sure yous are able to capture each and every feel perfectly then you can share and savor them for years to come!

Best Travel Photography Cameras SLR Lounge

What Makes The All-time Camera For Travel Photography?

Only similar Matthew recently stated in his Best Mural Photography Camera post, the best camera for travel photography isn't necessarily the best pick for all types of photography. Some of the more advanced and special features or specs are less important, while others are more of import when choosing something for travel. Large cameras like the Canon 1D MkIV, Nikon D5, or Sony A9 II might be "flagship" cameras that are fantabulous choices for professional photography, but at that place are better-suited, (and more than affordable!), cameras for you lot to bring with you on your travels that'll deliver a high-quality paradigm in a much smaller package.

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Basically, when traveling, yous may not need a super-high-speed camera with a massive megapixel count and an astonishing autofocus system. What you definitely need is something minor, lightweight, that gives you manual control, has a decent megapixel size, has a adept zoom or small interchangeable lenses, can shoot in RAW, and tin survive in the elements. Why the concluding i? Well, who knows where you're photographic camera will be? The farthermost arid and dry out heats of a desert? Or the wet raining and humid areas of the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland or Newfoundland? No matter what you'll want to have something that has some decent weather condition sealing or optional cases to protect your system from the elements.

To assist make this search a trivial easier we've compiled a few different lists of cameras you tin trust to deliver the performance and features that are perfect for your travel photography needs. Remember, these are just lists; for more information about the strengths and weaknesses of a specific camera, read our review(southward) of that camera!

[Related Reading: five Useful Photography Travel Tips From A Pro]

What Features To Look For In A Good Travel Photography Camera

The best travel photographic camera is one that combines portability, epitome quality, versatility, ease of utilise, and obviously, the toll. The nigh important thing about a travel camera is information technology doesn't go in the fashion of you enjoying your gamble, only it still needs to be able to capture groovy images and provide you with a lasting retention. The big thing is we need to define what we really need out of the camera. What are our needs in a travel camera? Are you looking for something waterproof? Affordable? Interchangeable lenses or a digital zoom? Something that can exercise brilliant landscapes too equally do practiced video Vlogging?

Best Camera for Travel Photography Matt Saville

Let'south talk over some of the key features you should be enlightened of when picking a travel photographic camera

  1. Price – Obviously the price betoken is important. We want something that has a great quality, but doesn't price a fortune. Depending on how much yous want out of your travel camera the toll can range pretty significantly, simply we'll endeavor to proceed our list rather consequent
  2. Portability– While we may want the control and quality of a giant DSLR with a bag total of lenses, the ideal camera for travel photography is small, lightweight, and can still pack a punch in the quality of its images.
  3. Megapixels – A large megapixel system with a large full-frame sensor will give y'all a higher detail image, allowing y'all to crop in more without reducing much quality.
  4. Weatherproofing – This ane is pretty of import. In your travels, you may end up in a desert, a snow-packed mountain, or in the middle of a rainstorm. And then you'll desire a organisation that tin can stand upwards to the elements, provide some protection confronting dust and moisture. Maybe y'all're because something that tin can go underwater? In which case you'd want to either buy a watertight case, or a system that is waterproof already.Whoops ARches NP In Winter
  5. User-friendly – On a travel camera, you want something that is quick and easy to utilize, merely still has the ability to manually control all the camera settings and so y'all can punch in the exact settings to get the perfect shot in different conditions.
  6. RAW – RAW files save the images without whatever contour data (equally opposed to most JPG captures), but it provides you with a larger file, containing much more data letting you have way more control over your final edits.
    Consider shooting RAW for scenes like this (with Loftier Dynamic Range).

    Bonus Tip: To save retentiveness card space, you might also consider switching dorsum and along from RAW to JPEG, using RAW for the scenes and moments that require more than data, such every bit scenes with high dynamic range, and sticking to JPEG for images that will probable require less flexibility in editing.

  7. Wifi / Bluetooth – Some cameras have the ability to create their ain wifi network and/or bluetooth connections, assuasive yous to upload and transfer your images (raw and/or .jpg) instantly to your smartphone or computer. This is incredibly handy if you need to share an image to social media and you don't have easy admission to your reckoner. Technically speaking, if you had plenty memory cards, you may exist able to go your entire trip without uploading to your figurer and yet share images while on the movement!
  8. Stabilization – some cameras can provide a stabilization feature to compensate for handshaking or slower shutter speeds to assistance you capture sharper images in low-light situations.
  9. Video – Most cameras now come with the capability to at to the lowest degree capture 1080p video, some fifty-fifty tin can do 4k, or systems like the new Catechism R5 can capture 8K! Probable, particularly for full general travel purposes, this is much more than yous'd ever need, and if y'all pick something upwards that tin can shoot in 4k or more, the cost will probable besides be college. Too, if you lot're doing some Vlogging on your adventures, yous'll desire to look for a photographic camera that has a screen that tin can flip and tilt so you tin can see yourself while shooting.
  10. Interchangeable Lenses vs Zoom– This will exist a big gene in what you choose. Do you lot want to carry around boosted lenses? Some that will have a much wider aperture and incredible focal length, giving you the perfect lens for each situation for the trade-off of more than things to carry. Or, find a organization like the new Nikon P950 which has a zoom lens with a heed-boggling range —
    • Additionally on this signal, if you choose a system with a fixed lens, you'll want to find something that has a "lower" f cease (f/i.4 – iv) ideally, to permit you get the virtually out of its lens in a low light situation.
  11. Battery Life & USB Charging – When yous travel around the globe, it'due south corking to accept a camera with long-lasting bombardment life. However, inevitably, finding the correct power outlet adapter and/or charger can be tricky. Luckily, some cameras at present allow you lot to charge the battery by connecting it (the camera) directly to a USB, so that you don't have to worry about finding the right outlet adapter! Merely think that USB charging can exist a lot slower than directly battery charging on a traditional charger, and plan accordingly.
  12. Backups and Recovery –  Taking regular backup of photos is a must. You will never know when your photos can go missing on your SD card from accidentally deleting the carte du jour or from bill of fare damage.  If that happens, exist certain to try and recover missing photos from SD bill of fare such as Remo Software (or other similar programs) before giving up and calling git a loss.

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Permit's Await At The Best Cameras For Travel Photography

To be clear, these cameras we are list are based on reviews and summit-selling photographic camera trends around the globe. These recommendations are based on our ain, and our peers' experiences with them. These cameras are for those who want more out of their images than what yous tin can simply capture with your average smartphone. Basically, these are all systems we'd recommend to our friends and family to take when them on their travels.

Travel Photography Best Cameras

These cameras all have some pros & cons when compared to each other, but each and every ane of them are fantastic travel cameras in their own right. Let's dive into the list and then break them up into separate sections.

  • Sony a6400
  • Fuji XF10
  • Canon Powershot G9X Marker II
  • Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III
  • Fuji 10-T200 or X-T100
  • Ricoh GRIII
  • Sony RX100 VII
  • Leica Q2
  • Panasonic Lumix GX85
  • Nikon P950 (Super zoom)
  • Panasonic Lumix DC-TS7 (Waterproof)
  • GoPro Hero8 (Waterproof)
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A Rare Snowfall Solar day in Red Rock Canyon, Nevada.

All-time Travel Cameras On A Budget

Travel Photography tips lin and jirsa slr lounge
Photo Credit: Lin & Jirsa Photography

Okay and so nosotros've got a great list of cameras that are options for you to take on vacation, but you lot want to continue the spend to a minimum. Lets figure out which cameras provide some incredible features only won't pause your bank!

  • Fujifilm XF10 – $499.95
  • Canon Powershot G9 X Mark 2 – $429.95
  • Olympus OM-D East-M10 Mark III – $499
  • Fujifilm Ten-T100 – $499
  • Panasonic Lumix GX85 – $497.99
  • Panasonic Lumix DC-TS7 – $197.99
  • GoPro Hero8 – $449

As luck would have it, pretty much 1/2 of our list of the best cameras for travel photography autumn into the Under $500 category, making them all an incredible bang for the cadet! Each of these cameras volition provide you with the power to capture in RAW format (except the GoPro), along with a plethora of other features including timers, weather sealing to varying degrees, interchangeable or zoom lens options, and with cameras like the Panasonic DC-TS7 and GoPro, completely waterproof.

All-time Cameras for Travel Photography with Interchangeable Lenses

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The professional person photographers out there, as much equally we'll mutter about wanting to have something small and easy to hide in our pockets, nosotros'll still always love and savour the ability to change out the lenses on our photographic camera to get as much control out of our shots every bit possible. So here are the cameras on our Best Cameras for Travel Photography that have interchangeable lenses

  • Sony A6400 – $1298
  • Fuji X-T200 – $799.95 / Ten-T100 – $499
  • Panasonic Lumix GX85 – $497.99
  • Olympus OM-D Eastward-M10 Mark Iii – $499

These systems are all great, have a decent level of weather sealing, and all take a HUGE library of lenses available to choose from when deciding on what you actually want to bring with you on your travels. If you're a perfectionist, you lot can make full your bags with prime lenses that have super sharp capabilities, or you can become the generalist route and find some incredible zoom-range lenses (ie the Sony a6400 has an 18-135mm f/3.5-v.six lens that tin can cover practically any scenario you'd encounter while traveling.)

Best Cameras for Travel Photography with a Fixed Lens

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If you're looking for something a little more than on the convenient side for your travels, you'll likely be looking for something that has a fixed lens (prime number or zoom), making your only tough decision being "how to frame your shot." These cameras nosotros've found will assist brand capturing your memories on the road a breeze.

  • Leica Q2 – $four,995
  • Panasonic Lumix DC-TS7 – $197.99
  • GoPro Hero8 – $449
  • Canon Powershot G9 X Marking Ii – $429.95
  • Fujifilm XF10 – $499.95
  • Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII – $1,298
  • Nikon COOLPIX P950 – $796.95
  • Ricoh GR III – $899.95

While the Leica Q2 is definitely on the "luxury" side of things, each of these fixed lens cameras are incredible options for you to bring with you on vacation. The Ricoh is one of the meridian rated cameras for candid/street photos on the market in its class, while the new NIkon P950 has an absolutely insane focal range of 24-2000mm! Yous tin can quite literally shoot the moon with information technology!

Nikon P950 24 2000mm super telephoto zoom lens wildlife photography
Nikon P950 24 2000mm super telephoto zoom lens wildlife photography

Best Cameras for Travel Photography that are Waterproof

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If you're anything like me, y'all're going to want to get swimming (weather permitting), or still caput out to take photos when it'due south pouring pelting & snow. And so information technology's important that you take a camera with keen weather sealing that'southward designed to have on the elements, or in a few cases, go directly in and under some water! While about of the cameras on this list accept pretty great weather proofing/seals, but 2 are designed to specifically go into the water with you. So if you think you lot'll be capturing some images in and effectually the water, these are the rigs for you!

  • GoPro Hero8 – $449
  • Panasonic Lumix DC-TS7 – $197.99

The GoPro's are pretty bang-up cameras that can do a ton of things, but in terms of a professional images they are somewhat limited. Which is why nosotros also recommend the Panasonic Lumix DC-TS7. These guys can shoot in 4k or full Hard disk drive video (similar the new GoPro), but at a focal range a piddling less "Action camera" feeling, an ISO range of 80-6400(extended), AF Tracking, and can shoot in RAW!

Best All Round Travel Photographic camera

Best Cameras for Travel Photography 6

At the stop of the day, there are a ton of factors to consider, and personal choices to brand. But after a ton of sales information, reviews, and peer research, i camera keeps coming up on the top of the list of professional photographers favorite camera, and the best for travel photography. And that is currently the Sony a6400!

Sony a6400The Mirrorless APS-C camera from Sony is a 24.2 megapixel camera body that weighs just around 1lb (slightly more or less depending on what lens you have attached), and is among the best selling mirrorless cameras in history! Sony has had a 6000 series camera release every few years lately, and each one includes some pretty impressive upgrades over the last generation. the 6400 boasts a much improved build quality, with a rotating touch screen (perfect for vloggers), and an absolutely insane autofocus system which includes Real-time Eye AF (including animals), and tracking for moving objects!

The a6400 volition also shoot 4k video, 11fps stills (RAW),  has a great motorcar-white balance system and an iso range that'southward absolutely stellar, letting you get some great shots regardless of your lighting conditions. Plus, it has a ton of automatic shooting modes as well as full manual control for those who desire to completely command every element of their shot!

While the Sony a6400 costs a little more than than some of the other all-time cameras for travel photography on this list, ($1298 with the 18-135mm lens), at that place are and then many features, controls, and benefits to this photographic camera that brand information technology a perfect choice that'll serve you for ages in your travel photography, while saving you a ton of space and weight in your bags! It truly is one of the best APS-C sensor cameras available and definitely deserves a slot on your travel handbag.

Determination

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Nosotros'll update this list if new cameras come out that are optimal for travel photography! Also, call back, even if you don't see your camera on this list, you can still go out and create cute photos with any camera!

(This list was last updated in 2021)