Best Cameras for Travel Photography of 2024

BEST FOR: THE PRAGMATIC MINIMALIST

This lightweight and affordable camera is compact enough to fit into your pocket. It is for those who prefer to travel with minimal gear but want better image quality than most smartphone cameras can provide. 

Despite its size, the Canon Powershot SX740 still manages to provide a 4K high-definition video resolution and a great zoom range of 960mm. This allows you to capture high-quality videos and take great photos of distant subjects. Plus, it has a 180-degree-tilting LCD screen that’s perfect for selfies.

On top of combining great image quality with small dimensions, the Canon Powershot SX740  has a great additional feature: Hybrid Auto mode. It automatically captures a 2-second video before each photo (similar to an iPhone’s Live Photo feature) and creates a compilation at the end of the month. Thus, you get a nice montage of your travel memories to go along with your photos.

BEST FOR: THE ASPIRING PHOTOGRAPHER

Despite being a mirrorless camera, the Panasonic Lumix G7 looks like a small DSLR. It provides plenty of manual control with its 16 buttons, 4 dials, and 2 switches. This makes it a powerful but affordable introductory camera for those who want to improve their photography skills.

Even better, it has a versatile touchscreen that DSLR cameras do not. In addition to the touchscreen display, it also has an electronic viewfinder (EVF)  with an eye sensor that switches the preview display from the screen to the EVF. This allows for more precise framing and shows realistic subtleties of lighting.

This camera has several focus and shooting settings for any situation, but what makes the Panasonic Lumix G7 unique is its 4K Photo mode. This function extracts individual high-quality photos from Ultra HD video recorded at 30 frames per second to capture each split-second moment.

BEST FOR: THE MACRO MANIAC

Have you dreamed of capturing that drop of dew or that ant that’s crawling on a leaf, but your phone or camera could never get it right? If your pictures of small objects always come out too blurry or too grainy, the Nikon Coolpix P1000 is for you. Equipped with an impressive 3000mm superzoom comparable to a telescope, it provides the most powerful range available in compact cameras. It also provides a staggering 4K Ultra HD video resolution. Not only can you capture a floating speck of dust, but you can explore the moon and observe wildlife from miles away.

Zooms are usually vulnerable to shakiness and noise, but the P1000 uses a sensitive Dual Detect technology to stabilize images. It is very lightweight, and has a Vari-angle LCD screen, letting you express from any angle, even the most inconvenient.

BEST FOR: THE AVID ADVENTURER

This small waterproof camera is great for any feat you can imagine, up to 10 meters underwater. Because it is action-oriented, it harbors HyperSmooth video stabilization smart enough to predict your movements and counteract camera shake. 

Another impressive feature of this GoPro is the 16-command voice control. You can take photos and record videos while skydiving or riding a mountain bike without worrying about holding your camera. Simply say, “GoPro, take a photo,” and it will follow your command. The camera does everything for you, optimizing its settings for HDR (high-dynamic-range imaging), tone, and noise automatically. Also, it has an intelligent Face Detect feature fit for perfect Instagram travel selfies.

Of course, you can turn your video into an action-packed timelapse to save storage space, or into a dramatic slow-motion for more details. Whether it’s surfing, underwater photography, or any other activity, the camera will capture 4K videos at 60 frames per second. This action camera also allows for live streaming directly to Facebook Live, so you can share your experiences just as they happen.

BEST FOR: THE EXTREME SPORTS ENTHUSIAST

With a sturdy casing that can withstand 100 kg of pressure and can be harmlessly dropped from 2 meters, the Olympus Tough TG-5 is virtually unbreakable. You can go on a photography trip in the winter with this camera as well, as it’s freezeproof up to -10°C (14°F). 

Furthermore, you can easily take it diving, as it also functions flawlessly 15 meters underwater, and can go down to 45 meters with an additional case (sold separately). Even if you accidentally hit your Olympus on a rock, it will hold up to your needs without smashing instantly like most point and shoot cameras. And if you happen to get lost, the camera has a built-in GPS so you can find your way back home with minimal effort.

As this camera is built to be both portable and travel-oriented, it can be charged on-the-go with a micro-USB. This means that it is compatible with a laptop or a phone battery. TG-5 shoots in RAW format, which is great for outdoor photography. Aside from many presets, it offers several advanced focus settings, face detection, and focus-stacking for an increased depth of field.

BEST FOR: ENTRY-LEVEL PHOTOGRAPHERS

This camera is a compact DSLR that is perfect for beginners, as it provides all the functions you’d expect from a semi-professional camera while being affordable. The Nikon D3500 will teach you the basics and more while not wrecking your budget. It includes a Guide Mode for entry-level users that breaks down technical terms into everyday descriptive language. 

The Nikon D3500 has an impressive battery life, lasting up to 1550 shots. This camera uses an internal motor for quiet and fast autofocus. You can shoot in RAW format, but if you want to shoot in JPEG, the camera will lift dark shadows to automatically produce images with realistic colors and rich contrasts.

BEST FOR: THE DANGER LOVER

This is a camera for true adventurers that love exploring in extreme conditions. It is built to resist harsh impact, water, cold, and dust. It is crushproof up to 100 kg and able to withstand a fall from 1.6 meters (~5 ft). For your diving feats, it can function up to 45 feet underwater and for your Siberian expeditions, it can withstand temperatures as low as -10°C (14°F). The camera is sturdy enough to accompany you wherever you go, from mountains to oceans. 

The camera boasts a number of useful settings to go along with its physical capabilities. In the underwater mode, it adds red tones to make colors look more saturated In dark conditions, it manages to keep noise (image fuzziness) to a minimum thanks to the wide aperture. With its outdoor viewing setting, the screen will adapt to light conditions so you can get the best look at the photos you take on the camera screen itself.

BEST FOR: THE ARTISTICALLY-INCLINED

Made from a magnesium alloy, X-T20 offers a sleek and stylish retro look bound to inspire. True to its history, it has various film simulation modes, such as the elegant Classic Chrome that adds extra effects to your photos. The camera also has a unique randomized pixel array to produce more organic and nuanced colors. Its multiple exposure feature allows you to shoot two consecutive photos, overlaying them. This opens many possibilities to express your creativity. 

X-T20 has an impressive continuous shooting rate of 8 frames per second and a high-resolution electronic viewfinder. If a single shot is not enough, the camera offers an Interval Timer shooting mode that records an infinite number of consecutive images with 1 second to 24-hour intervals. Additionally, the X-T20 performs exceptionally in low light conditions — star trails are just waiting to be captured!

BEST FOR: THE VERSATILITY SEEKER

The Sony A7R III is a semi-professional mirrorless camera engineered for both indoor and outdoor photography. It has an anti-flicker mode, which combats the inconsistencies of indoor artificial lighting by suppressing exposure and employing specific white balance characteristics. For portrait shooting, it offers a handy Eye Focus mode that tracks your subject’s eyes tracking movement.

The A7R II is a great choice for wildlife photography. It has a silent shooting mode, so you won’t scare away any shy deer or sly predators. Plus, the 425 contrast autofocus points help maintain a clear focus on unpredictably moving subjects like birds. The image stabilization system makes this camera effective for long-distance shooting, macro photography, nighttime frames, and even filming.

With the Sony A7R III long photography sessions are no longer an issue thanks to the large battery and micro-USB charging slots. Additionally, you will have plenty of storage with 2 media slots for SD or MS cards.

BEST FOR: THE TECH-SAVVY PRO-SHOOTER

Because of its advanced processor, the Canon 5D Mark IV offers a staggering light sensitivity of ISO 50-102,400, resulting in unbeatable low-light performance. Its sensor has face and flicker detection features, resulting in intelligent exposure of each image. With its Dual Pixel autofocus technology, this camera provides a smooth shift of focus on moving objects and fast focus of still images, letting you get pro-level results.

Unsurprisingly, the Canon 5D Mark IV offers 4K high-definition video capabilities. An additional 4K Frame Grab feature is included that lets you pull still images from video footage to capture fleeting moments that burst shooting may miss. The camera is also compatible with 3 satellite navigation systems – GLONASS, GPS, and Michibiki. This, along with a dust and weather-proof design, makes the Canon 5D Mark IV a perfect camera even in harsh outdoor conditions.