best travel camera for photography

On the go? Then you need to be carrying your camera! But what’s the best travel camera to use when you’re on an adventure? This article will discuss some of the top choices, their pros and cons, and how you can make your own decision on what’s right for you.

You’ll also find an in-depth review of one of the top travel cameras so that you can compare before making your choice.

What makes a good travel camera

As we all know, there are thousands of cameras to choose from. So which is best? Let’s look at what makes a good travel camera. When it comes to image quality, you have a couple options:

You can either opt for an advanced DSLR or mirrorless system with interchangeable lenses (a good choice if you want to learn about aperture and shutter speed) or get a smaller point-and-shoot digital compact with a fixed lens.

Many amateur photographers believe that a point-and-shoot camera will be enough to capture their memories from their travels. But traveling is all about images, and a cheap point-and-shoot simply won’t do.

Instead, you need to get yourself a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera—they are much more versatile and useful in low-light situations than most point-and-shoots. While they can be expensive, entry-level DSLRs are easy on your wallet.

With that said, there are many things to consider when purchasing one—not only of your budget but also of your intended uses—before you start looking at which ones match your needs best.

What to consider before buying your next travel camera

if you’re an adventure seeker, planning a trip to one of America’s national parks is high on your bucket list. So, too, is making sure that you bring back stunning photos from your journey. Having a great camera can help you capture those breathtaking scenes (and yes—awesome selfies).

But what makes a great travel cam? There are many factors that go into choosing just the right point-and-shoot or DSLR; here are some things to consider

The features of your new digital camera will likely have a large effect on your purchase price. A great number of today’s cameras are quite reasonably priced; however, many come loaded with extra frills that could double or triple their list price.

If you’re getting your first digital camera, you’ll probably want to keep your purchase in line with your budget, meaning don’t buy a feature-laden model when you really only need a basic one.

Don’t get bogged down by questions about megapixels and other technical specifications either—these things matter little in relation to how well and easily you use your new equipment.

1. Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is one of my favorite mirrorless cameras, and it's a great choice if you're looking to buy a new camera. I love that it has all of Olympus' best technologies (5-axis image stabilization, beautiful viewfinder), but also comes with a compact form factor.

Most mirrorless cameras suffer in photo quality when they try to be compact; they either have too small an imaging sensor or aren't able to achieve shallow depth of field without sacrificing image quality. 

But thanks to its combination of larger sensor size and micro four-thirds lens mount (which allows you to use lenses from many older film SLRs), Olympus has been able to make great-looking photos with their mirrorless designs.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is a great option for traveling photographers thanks to its 4K video, microSD card slot, and ability to shoot at 20 frames per second. Photographers can store images onto SD cards.

When traveling long distances from electrical outlets, use 4K video to create cinematic masterpieces in-camera, and capture fast action at high speeds. There’s also a splashproof design in case of rain or near water.

Yes, it’s expensive, but you get what you pay for: great image quality and super-fast focusing thanks to a fast f/2.8 lens that has a 60mm focal length equivalent.

Not only does it take great pictures, but videos are crisp and of high quality. It’s also fairly small; you can easily fit it in your purse or carry-on bag if you want to shoot while on vacation.

2. Fujifilm X-S10

The Fujifilm X-S10 is a great choice if you are looking to capture those special moments without breaking your bank. The Fujifilm X-S10 has a 16.4-megapixel resolution and includes a 3-inch LCD screen.

This allows you to preview any images as well as a very strong in-camera image stabilization system which is extremely important when it comes to taking pictures with cameras of lesser quality. It also comes with HD video capabilities at 1080 pixels and 24 frames per second.

So you can now record those precious moments when they happen, rather than waiting until you get home or back to your computer. With its built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery that will allow up to 400 shots before having to recharge it.

Traveling with a camera is a lot more fun when you have one that’s portable and stylish. The Fujifilm X-S10 delivers just that, allowing you to take both high-quality photos and stunning videos on your travels.

It’s waterproof, shockproof, and can survive drops of up to 5 feet. All in all, it has features ideal for those who love their adventures—and want to capture them in detail.

Some photographers don’t like to lug around their heavy pro cameras on vacation, which is where super-portable point-and-shoot models come in.

The Fujifilm X-S10, available from Amazon and other online retailers, offers a great set of features at a very reasonable price point. Best of all? It’s waterproof up to 10 feet.

3. Nikon Z fc

This can seem like a complicated topic, especially if you don’t know what to look for. To make things simple, however, there are two key features that all serious photographers should be looking at when they want to purchase a new camera.

The first feature is sensor size and the second is lens selection. Sensor size is easy to understand; basically, it refers to how big each pixel on your camera’s sensor will be. A larger sensor will result in larger pixels which generally means better pictures in low light and more detail overall.

Also an interchangeable lens model, Nikon’s latest flagship camera is a professional tool designed with versatility in mind. The Z6 comes with a fixed 24-70mm f/4 optic and is capable of capturing full-frame 4K video.

(among other features) which makes it great for both stills and video. It has 121 autofocus points to make snapping portraits easier than ever.

Full-frame cameras are large, expensive, and offer an exceptional image quality. They’re also very bulky and heavy, which can make them difficult to carry with you on trips.

A full-frame camera is great for professional use but not for vacationers. If you want to take high-quality photos on your trip without sacrificing weight or space, Nikon’s Z series of mirrorless cameras are a great choice.

4. Sony ZV-E10

While I don’t always recommend single-lens reflex cameras (SLRs) to casual photographers, they are an excellent choice for travelers. SLRs let you change lenses, so you can match your gear to what you’re shooting and get better results.

The ZV-E10 is one of Sony’s top-selling cameras and it’s very popular with budget photographers because it offers a lot of features at a low price point. If money is tight but you still want something that performs well, look no further than Sony's ZV-E10.

Features include a high resolution 4 x zoom lens with wide-angle capability, built-in flash, panorama mode, and 3D capture capabilities as well as HD movie recording.

Some of our favorite cameras are a bit pricey, but not if you know where to look. Amazon has amazing discounts on older models that have been discontinued and refurbished by authorized dealers.

You can also find models from other stores at closeout prices. Be sure to check out reputable sites like AdoramaRentzJ&R when looking for great deals on high-quality cameras.

The best travelers are ones who can capture every moment as it unfolds—and nothing allows you to relive those memories like a great set of photos.

It’s best to have a powerful and fast lens that’s equally adept at capturing landscapes, close-ups, and distant vistas; an easy-to-use model that’s lightweight and compact; and a clear LCD screen so you can quickly review your shots.

5. Panasonic Lumix G100

The Panasonic Lumix G100 is a cheap and compact digital camera that’s been out of production since 2010. But, it doesn’t make any sense to pay $200+ more on new versions of cameras when you can have great photo quality in something so small.

It also comes with an anti-shake mode, manual controls, and easy-to-use automatic modes. If you’re into photography at all but don’t want to spend too much money on a fancy DSLR, buy one of these little cameras!

It’s totally worth it for a cheap vacation or day trip around town. The two lenses that come with it are super useful as well. You can zoom in from afar without having to move too much!

The Panasonic Lumix G100 is well-liked by professional photographers and novice enthusiasts alike. It’s compact and easy to carry, but still has a high-quality lens and a powerful optical zoom with lots of manual controls for fine-tuning your images.

It also has one of the best screen displays of any point-and-shoot, making it easier to frame your shots before you snap them. Plus, it’s pretty affordable!

The G100 is a mirrorless camera, which means it has no viewfinder; instead, it uses an LCD screen to display a real-time image. Despite its small size (4.1 x 2.6 x 1 inch).

You can take some great photos with 12MP capability. It also has a lot of flexibility with different settings and modes depending on what kind of photo you want to take.

6. Panasonic Lumix TZ200/ZS200

If you want to capture clear, high-quality photos of your next trip abroad, then consider investing in a good travel camera. The Panasonic Lumix TZ200/ZS200 is one of our favorite point-and-shoot cameras.

Because it's designed to make it easy to take great photos without worrying about fiddling with multiple settings. This model offers automatic scene recognition, plus it records 4K video and has built-in Wi-Fi and NFC for sharing images.

You can also shoot up to 6 fps with its 24-megapixel sensor. It also comes with a 2.3 LCD touchscreen that flips out from behind a protective cover and provides eye-level viewing, which makes taking selfies easier than ever!

The Lumix TZ200/ZS200 is a true travel camera in that it’s lightweight, waterproof (to 15 feet), and can withstand dust, splashes of water, and drops from up to 5 feet.

It also has a built-in electronic viewfinder and touchscreen capabilities—ideal for shooting in bright sunlight or when it’s too dark to use an LCD screen.

The Panasonic Lumix TZ200/ZS200 is a mid-range superzoom with a 20x optical zoom, up to 10fps burst shooting, and 4K video recording.

It’s also splashproof, dustproof, and freezeproof down to -10 degrees Celsius. The TZ200/ZS200 is good for taking pictures of landscapes, capturing distant detail, or getting in close to capture details of wildlife.

7. Sony ZV-1

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-ZV1 is a stylish, inexpensive digicam that takes bright, colorful photos. And since it has enough manual controls to be useful to experienced photographers, it can serve as a good starter camera as well.

It offers 3.2 megapixels of resolution, an 8x optical zoom lens with a maximum aperture of f/3.5, and a 4x digital zoom feature. Image quality was quite good, with accurate color and solid exposure in most situations.

The ZV-1 is a great beginner’s point-and-shoot camera. It has all of the bells and whistles of more advanced cameras at an entry-level price.

This Sony is really easy to use and will provide stunning shots in any environment. The zoom lens on top offers 10x optical zoom which allows you to capture distant objects with ease, while also allowing you to focus on close-up shots as well.

It’s lightweight and portable, so it fits easily into a backpack. It has 32GB of internal memory and an external memory card slot, so you don’t have to carry around a ton of SD cards.

It has 20.1 megapixels, which is excellent for shooting 1080p video in addition to taking gorgeous still shots. Plus, it has Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS tracking, and touch screen functionality.

We aren’t going to travel with it, a friend told me. He was referring to his new Panasonic 4K video recorder. I scoffed at him, saying he should have bought a Sony ZV-1. Sony? It’s too expensive, he replied. Panasonic is cheaper and just as good. Don’t you want to save money?

8. Olympus Tough TG-6

The Olympus Tough TG-6 is a waterproof, shockproof, and freezeproof camera that takes a 4K video and comes in black, silver, and pink. The LCD screen on the back is touch-sensitive. It's also a lightweight option at 10 ounces.

While it does lack some of the features you'll find on a more advanced DSLR like Canon's Rebel series, it shoots stunning pictures and 1080p HD video—and you can take it with you when many cameras would stay home.

The Olympus Tough TG-6 is an excellent waterproof and shockproof camera that can go from point-and-shoot to manual with a simple turn of a knob.

With built-in WiFi and NFC, it's easy to share your photos. Best of all, it fits in almost any pocket, so you'll always have it handy. The 8x zoom lens offers a superzoom range and f/2.0 aperture for crystal clear low-light shots.

It's tough enough to withstand harsh environments (IPX8 waterproof up to 100 ft., freezeproof down to 14 degrees F) and comes with built-in GPS if you want geotagged photos.

The Olympus Tough TG-6 is a compact, rugged little camera that’s waterproof to 50 feet. It’s dustproof, crushproof, and freezeproof down to 14 degrees F, so it can handle the most extreme conditions you might encounter while on a trip.

It features a 12-megapixel sensor with a 5x optical zoom lens. The TG-6 also boasts an articulating LCD screen that flips out from behind solid metal covers—there are no glass surfaces to get scratched or broken.

A durable, full-featured travel camera that looks great, feels good in your hand, and has easy-to-use manual controls. It’s compact enough to easily fit in a backpack or purse and perfect for anyone who travels a lot and wants to capture memories with their friends and family.