11 of the Best Cameras for
Travel Photography

There are few pairings that go together as perfectly as travel and photography.

Peanut butter and jelly. Virtue and Moir. Macaroni and cheese. M&… well, the other M’s.

Whether you’re trekking from fjord to fjord in Iceland, sipping your way across Burgundian vineyards or soaking up stunning views from atop the Great Wall, photography offers a way to make permanent the all too fleeting transcendence of travel.

Of course, you can’t capture the moment if you don’t have the right camera. Unfortunately, there are probably more cameras on the market than there are countries in the world, which can make choosing the perfect one for your trip somewhat overwhelming.

That’s where we come in. In this post, we’ve rounded up our favourite cameras for capturing your trip. Scroll down to find out how to take the best shots.

The Best Cameras for Travel Photography

DSLRs

DSLRs (Digital cameras with a Single Lens and a Reflex mirror) are, essentially, the kings of the camera world.

If you want to capture your trip in high resolution and have the ability to customize each shot, these are the cameras for you.

Canon EOS 6D Mark II

What we love about the Canon EOS 6D Mark II is that it delivers a full-feature DSLR in a compact frame—which is essential for travel. Its 26.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor and DIGIC 7 Image Processor make it great for all lighting situations (including those hard-to-capture mornings and low-light magic hours, when the sun settles over the landscape just so).

But fortunately for the budding photog, the 6D Mark II’s superior performance isn’t limited to stills. It can shoot full HD 60p video, allowing you to not just capture not just your trip’s mood, but its movement.

Canon describes their camera as, ” a winning combination of advanced features in a portable package that’s as fun as it is powerful,” and we’re inclined to agree.

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Nikon D850

Nikon dubs the D850 as “quite possibly the most impressive, well-rounded DSLR yet,” and this camera makes a strong case.

The D850 boasts incredible resolution, allowing photographers to capture 45.7 megapixel images, and offers a number of features travel photographers will love, including sensor design, autofocus, long battery life (perfect for all the time you’ll be spending out on the road), focus shift capability and more.

As Tech Radar put it in their 5-star review: “high resolution meets high speed.” So if you’re looking for a camera whose standards are as high as yours, look no further.

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Panasonic Lumix FZ1000

Panasonic’s Lumix combines true-to-life, ultra-high-resolution 4K video recording capability with the ability to switch easily between video and still imagery, allowing you a ton of flexibility.

It boasts Panasonic’s super-fast Lumix focusing technology and comes paired with a Bright Leica DC 25-400mm lens, created especially for the Lumix DMC-FZ1000.

The lens’s F2.8-4.0 brightness resists blurring (even when shooting telephoto shots), helping you capture crisp, clean images every time.

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Canon EOS Rebel T7i

Canon’s Rebel series packs a lot of punch in a relatively small package, and the Rebel T7i punches above its weight in a lot of categories.

Its optical viewfinder allows you to nab that perfect shot with almost no lag time between what you see and what you shoot.

With an ISO that goes up to 256000, you can capture photos in low light with minimal blur, and built-in WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity makes sharing your shots a breeze.

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Nikon D3300

Nikon’s D3300 can take 24.2-megapixel photos and shoot 1080p Full HD videos.

In both modes, it captures vibrant colours and crisp details and allows you to shoot with a softly blurred background that makes the subject in your foreground (say, your fellow traveller against a gorgeous backdrop?) really pop.

Even with the included AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II zoom lens, the D3300 is small, lightweight and easy to use, making it a great DSLR for travel.

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Canon Rebel SL1

This is Canon’s smallest and lightest DSLR, which makes it an excellent option for travellers/photographers who want to take high quality shots of their trip while still packing light.

This camera was essentially designed to be a stepping for those who want something of a higher calibre than their smartphone, but who haven’t used a DSLR before.

It shoots crisp, high-quality images, captures HD video, and has a three-inch touchscreen monitor for reviewing your shots.

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Point and Shoot and Mirrorless

If you’re looking for a camera that’s a cut above your smartphone, but you don’t need all the bells and whistles of a DSLR, here are some of our favourite options.

Leica Q

In addition to being one of the sexiest point-and-shoot cameras on the market, the Leica Q is also one of the best.

It offers the fastest lens speed in its class, allowing you to capture the best moments of your trip the very second they happen.

It can produce stunning images, even when lighting conditions are less than ideal, and is compact enough to easily fit in a small purse (or, our personal preference, a handlebar bag).

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Canon PowerShot SX720

Canon’s PowerShot SX720 has an impressive 40x optical zoom that lets you capture everything from close-up portraits (perfect for selfies) to far-off landscapes (perfect for the breathtaking vistas you’ll be drinking in on trip).

It has built-in WiFi, allowing you to instantly upload your photos to the cloud, and shoots full HD 1080p video.

We also love the Story Highlights function, which compiles everything you shot that day into a slideshow, automatically creating a mini-highlight reel of your day.

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Sony RX100 III

One of Sony’s best point and shoots, the RX100 III combines 20.1 MP1 image quality with an electronic viewfinder, bright ZEISS lens and (of course) compact size.

Sony bills the RX100 III as being “crafted for serious photographers on the go,” but there’s still a lot to if you’re the sort of traveller who’s more “on the go” and less “serious photographer.”

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Olympus PEN-F

One of the most beautifully crafted cameras ever made, the Olympus PEN-F captures amazing shots while boasting a vintage design that’s sleek and sophisticated.

It boasts sensor technology and in-body image stabilization that helps ensure your trip will be capture in razor-sharp images with high resolution.

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SONY A6500

The a6500 is almost like a hybrid between a DSLR and a point and shoot.

Like a DSLR, it allows you to shoot professional-looking shots while being small and compact like most point and shoots.

It offers touchscreen control and image stabilization that helps you shoot steadier, clearer still shots and video.

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