I generally travel with one camera and 2 lenses to keep most of my  bases covered ..which ones I take generally depends on where I am going, and what kind of trip I’m going on … ie if its a trip to Africa and it involves a Safari, or birdwatching then one of my lenses will include the longest zoom lens I have. If I’m going on a hiking trip then I’m going to take the smallest and lightest of my lenses and or cameras

 There is a well known saying that goes ..”the best camera to have, is the one you have on you” and that’s why I always travel with the smallest setup  I have as I like to keep the camera with me at all times

I find this especially great for street photography, as it allows me to be more of a fly on the wall and capture that unique moment without alerting those around me. Another reason is that in certain areas of a city or in some countries you can become a bit of a target when walking around with a big camera and a bag of lenses etc. so a smaller camera or your phone is the way to go in those situations. 

There are a variety of Travel Photo Genres – from Landscape, to Street, Interiors & Architectural, Action, Food and even Macro Shots ….and this is where different cameras or lenses each play a unique role in capturing that special image. If your trip involves surfing or skiing or snowboarding or being in a desert with a lot of sand blowing around, then you’ll want to take a weatherproof camera along, or get a weatherproof case for your camera.

CAMERAS … some options for Travel Photography

As there are hundreds of DSLR and Mirrorless camera’s out there with interchangeable lenses, offering countless options for any situation, …. all capable of taking great images due to their larger sensors and excellent optics .. I’ve decided to not feature these as there are just too many to mention ..and if you want to go that route of a larger camera with a variety of lenses then there are tons of sites offering extensive reviews on most.

I have used a variety of cameras over the years for my travels incl various Sony Mirrorless cameras, but have recently switched to Fujifilm for my travel photography –  but still use Sony Cameras for my other work –  but for this site I have decided to rather concentrate on some of my favourite and industry recommended smaller cameras that are well suited to Travel Photo Enthusiasts as many of you will not want to invest in more expensive cameras with a variety of lenses.

Also ..one cannot ignore the fact that many of the newer top of the line Phones now offer Cameras that give great results due to technological advancements  ….and in some cases they will do as good a job as many of the smaller cameras available, and in some instances are better at low light photography than most of the smaller cameras due to “computational photography”.. … so these phones have a definite role to play in Travel Photography – and because of that,  the cameras mentioned below all offer something that the phones do not have – be it larger sensors, better optics and autofocus systems, or more zoom options etc

The cameras below are listed in random order as each camera has its strong points which might help you decide on which one is for you – should you be in the market for a new one.

Panasonic DC-LX100 II 

Not quite pocketable but still easy to carry around, this large 17 MP four thirds sensor has a 24 – 75 mm equivalent F1 – F2.8 Leica Lens – a nice feature is that you can switch to different aspect ratios of 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 and 1:1 on the lens – even though not all of the sensor size is utilized with the cropping options, image quality is excellent and better than some others out there in lower light situations due to its fast lens – meaning you can shoot hand held images in lower light situations without having to boost the ISO. Video is also pretty good, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you like taking action and sports shots as its focus tracking system is not as good as some of the other cameras out there.

Fuji X100 series 

This is fixed 35 mm equivalent F2 lens camera with a  large APS-C sensor.  Fantastic camera and image quality, but not for everyone, its a Photographers camera and retro in the sense that it is best used with you being in control, compared to other cameras that thrive more on their Auto settings. Those of you who have shot film at some or other point will love its Film simulation modes.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII

…a  true pocket Rocket with a 1 inch sensor and a 24 – 200mm equivalent lens with a max aperture of F2.8 – 4.5 which should meet most of your needs.  It has the best auto focus system of any compact camera available and will track a moving subjects eye better than 95% of pro cameras out there – all this technology comes at a price – overall great image and video quality. You can shoot RAW or Jpg, 4K video etc and the shooting options are endless.

This camera is small and can easily slip out our fingers so I recommend purchasing an aftermarket grip which can be attached to the body. If you have large hands and fingers this camera might also not be the best for you. The earlier versions of this camera are still available at a lesser price but none offer this advanced focus system.

Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II

Like the Sony above, another new kid on the block that’s also pocketable and has a 1″ sensor. It has a 24 – 120 mm equivalent F1.8 – 2.8 lens – so a bit shorter zoom than the Sony but with the faster aperture range its a bit better in low light. Great image and video quality.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100

Although not new, this is another great pocketable 20 MP 1″ sensor camera which has a 25 – 250mm equivalent F2.8 -5.9 Leica Lens capable of very good images and video. The small Sonyand Canon  has a faster lenses so will perform better in lower light but you get a bit more reach with this camera – so if you dont do that much low light shooting then this is a great option.

Sony Cybershot RX10 IV

For those of you looking for a fixed lens camera with a longer reach with excellent subject tracking …which is great for wildlife, bird watching and action photography this Sony will not disappoint – This 20 MP 1″ sensor  DSLR – like camera is not small but it has an incredible 24 – 600mm equivalent F2.4 – 4 zoom lens that is very highly rated for its sharpness at both ends. To get a quality lens of this focal length on a 1″ sensor camera that is the size of a DSLR camera is quite a feat when you realize that a pro 600mm lens used by the pros for sport and wildlife on a DSLR can be about 17″ long. So if your travels include wildlife or bird watching or sports this camera is unmatched as an all in one package – it also offers great Video and very good image stabilization. Again its not cheap camera,  but compared to the cost of a pro 600mm telephoto lens which can cost over $15000  its a bargain

 SeaLife DC2000

This the only waterproof compact camera presently on the market that has  a 1″-type sensor so I would recommend it above any of the others if you want to use the camera for action water sports, diving, swimming etc. It has fast 31mm equiv. F1.8 lens, which is to your benefit with subdued underwater lighting conditions and you can take it down to down to 18m or 60ft,  and with the included housing you can take it down even further to  60m or 200ft. The camera itself is also shockproof to 1.5m or 5ft, and freezeproof down to -18°C or 0°F on land, and 0.5°C or 33°F underwater.

TRIPODS

If you intend doing any landscape or cityscape photos in low light and you want to get super sharp photos I suggest you also take a  “travel” tripod with you on your trip. Its also handy if you want pictures or videos of yourself whilst travelling alone.  As mentioned before the new phones do a pretty good job at low light photography in some instances,  but they will not give you the flexibility of getting more from your shot as you would get by shooting an image at a low iso and slow shutter speed using a tripod…. as that will give you a file with much more information where you can pull out more deatails from shaded or highlighted areas etc.

There are quite a few travel tripods out there that are lighter and smaller than their big brothers which are generally the ones you see so much of in the stores.

A few pointers when choosing the right  travel tripod for you are

1. Weight of the tripod (Carbon Fibre is lighter than Aluminum, ..yet will hold the same weight & weight of your camera ..if youre using a larger DSLR or mirrorless camera you want to be sure the tripod is capable of holding that weight ..so check the specs.
2. Size of the tripod – there are some great ones that will fold down to under 15″ and are easy to slip into your backpack or over your shoulder using the carry bag. Obviously the smaller it is the easier it is to cart around
3. Features – Tripod Head & Feet …most come with either a ball head or a plate style clip on head to manipulate your camera  …I have opted for a ball head especially when using my RX100 vii, basically because it is smaller and lighter and also I do not have to remove the plate everytime I change batteries. A good Travel Tripod will usually come with spiked feet which can be handy when out shooting on rough terrain.
4. Price – Obviously you have to consider your budget and how often you will be using it.I personally use 2 Travel tripos – one being a Manfroto and the other is a Joby GorillaPod which has flexible legs allowing it to not only stand in awkward areas, but also allows itself to be attached to many objects with its wrap around legs.