The Best Cameras for Travel
It seems as if everyone that travels has a packing list that includes at least one digital camera, and sometimes even a video camera as well. Some travelers prefer to travel with P&S (point-and-shoot) cameras with built in video, and some tend to go for the newer model DSLR’s with built in video recording.
The one thing I’ve noticed is that everyone across the board seems to have their own personal preference to which camera they couldn’t live without on the road.
Below you’ll find a list of the different types of cameras that people travel with these days. Which type of camera do you prefer to carry with you?
P&S Cameras
Point & Shoot cameras like the Canon Powershot SD960IS are probably the most commonly spotted types of cameras on the road. The best part about point and shoot cameras these days is that if you invest your money in a decent Canon or Nikon, you’re likely to be able to produce very high quality photos from it. This all depends on your “eye” for photography of course. I, personally prefer to shoot with a Digital SLR but on my last trip I took along two Canon PowerShot SD960IS
Having the ability to film your vacation in pure high definition video makes traveling even more enjoyable. Most point and shoot cameras these days have built in HD video (usually 720p), and sometimes even 1080p on newer models.
Shooting and editing HD videos used to be a complete nightmare! Now a days it’s slowly becoming easier and easier to work with due to higher spec computers, and professional video editing software like Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10
Traveling with a point and shoot camera has many benefits but one of the biggest benefits is that you’re able to easily conceal your camera quickly when you enter some of those sketchy areas by simply dropping your compact camera in your pocket and picking up the pace if needed. Another benefit to traveling with P&S cameras is that you can usually find great deals on waterproof cases which will protect your camera from water damage when snorkeling, diving, and even from dirt and dust when traveling to the desert and other overly dirty areas. I picked up a Canon WP-DC32 Waterproof Case
D-SLR Cameras
I can’t say enough about Digital SLR cameras especially the newer models. I’ve traveled with the Canon Digital Rebel XSi
My friends Nathan & Sofia from AsWeTravel.com are currently traveling the world while filming their travel video series with a T2i and they can’t get enough of it. Just watching their videos makes me want to pack up my new T2i and hit the road!
In saying that, traveling with a DSLR can prove to be difficult for a few reasons. Firstly they’re big and clunky. Secondly, you usually need to carry around at least two different lenses if not more. Let’s say you purchase a new DSLR with a kit lens (18-55mm for example). Well, if you want to zoom in a little bit for a photo of that colorfully dressed Peruvian women selling watermelons across the road you’re going to have a pretty tough time doing so with a kit lens. That is unless you want to approach her and ask her if you can take her photo. If you don’t have the courage to do so then this is where having additional lenses comes in handy. A lens like the 55-250mm will work perfectly for this type of situation. The problem is that once you start getting into purchasing multiple lenses not only does the weight of your camera gear go up but your wallet starts to shrink pretty quickly as well.
A couple years ago you’d never see a DSLR that was capable of recording HD video. Now a days it’s becoming more and more common. This is a great thing because once again like a P&S, you can now document your next trip with photos and video!
Video Cameras
Some travelers choose to keep their Photography and Videography separate. It seems that travelers tend to go with a DSLR plus a stand alone video camera, or a P&S and a stand alone video camera. Jason and Aracely from TwoBackpackers.com decided to shoot their latest trip with a Canon Vixia Video Camera and I think that directly relates to why their videos are so crisp and clean. Of course it’s not just about what type of camera you use, it’s how you use it. As with any camera, it’s about the person behind it and in TwoBackpackers.com’s case it’s about who is editing the video as well. If you have yet to see some of their videos, head on over to their site now.
Waterproof Video Cameras
How about the GoProHD video and still camera? This video camera is well known to the extreme sports world and for a good reason. The GoPro® HD Cameras line allow you to take your camera to places you could never imagine going. Underwater, through the desert and even through the snow. This thing takes a lickin’ and keep on tickin’ according to it’s top-notch reviews and backing by some of the biggest extreme sports athletes on earth. The only traveler I know at the moment who travels with a GoPro is internet entrepreneur Darren Alff. From what I’ve seen he seems to love his GoPro. It not only allows him to take his video camera to rough and dusty places but he can also shoot some really cool wide angle photos with the GoPro’s built in wide angle lens.
Here’s where YOU come in… I want to know your thoughts and opinions on the following:
- What type of camera do you travel with?
- Are you more into documenting your trip via photography or do like to focus more on video when you travel?
- Do you find yourself a walking target when traveling with a DSLR?
- Do you or someone you know travel with a GoPro video camera? If so, feel free to tell us more about it! I’m really interested in learning more about these cameras from actual travelers who are on the road now and using one.
Feel free to fill us in on your travel camera preferences by leaving a comment below…
Great post as cameras are a huge part of documenting travel. We travel with a point and shoot (Canon S90) as well as a DSLR (Nikon D90). You are definitely right about the DSLR cost and lenses required. We carry three lenses (a prime lens 30 mm, Nikon 24-70 and a 55-300) many people don’t need all three, but we use them all regularly. For us one of the best camera purchases we made was a tripod for low light situations it is a miracle worker. If you’re interested in more information about the cameras we carry check out http://www.livingif.com/a-camera-for-t…-of-a-lifetime/
thanks for the shout out – we are LOVING the Canon 550D, but like you say sometimes it really is a hassle to put into action – fast.
We are thinking about also buying a smaller point-n-shoot camera for those quick pic moments, without having to bring ALL the gear out just for a shot. but for FILM, I don’t think much beats the Canon DSLR cameras.
I travel with a Nikon D90 DSLR, and though I travel with a few lenses, you absolutely don’t have to. The vast majority of people would be good with an 18-105mm or 18-200mm.
As for video, I’m not shooting very much because it’s too much of a bother to edit. Maybe some day!
I prefer to travel with a small point & shoot. I used to have a tiny Sony Cybershot (which I loved, except that it required too many cords & cables). Now I have a Kodak Easy Share C195 (a gift to replace my stolen Cybershot). So far, it seems perfect for me. Good quality, lots of options, and inexpensive. It also uses batteries, which I like because I don’t have to worry about traveling with a bulky powercord & plug adapter.
I focus more on my amature photography. The only time I use the video option on my P&S is to record the different accents and dialects of the country I’m visiting.
I’ve never owned a DSLR. It just too big & bulky for me, and yes, I would feel like a target.
No, I don’t know anyone with a GoPro.
I LOVE my Nikon Coolpix point & shoot. I’ve been thinking about getting an SLR for taking food pics but with decent lighting I can take some damn good food photos with the p & S.
It’s also pretty indestructible. I’ve gotten flour, oil, and water on it without any issue as well as banging it around all the time.
My photographer friends can’t believe some of the shots I’ve gotten with it, and I pretty much have no idea what I’m doing. Great little camera!
;)
I will be travelling with a Canon 550D when I leave for my RTW trip in July. I am also planning on getting a small P&S camera to take with me too.
I think for me it will be more about photography than video, especially as I’ll be travelling solo.
I hope I won’t feel like a walking target when carrying my DSLR… But if I do then that’s what the P&S is for!
I have a Panasonic Lumix GF1 DSLR that I will be traveling with in June. The camera is a little bit smaller then most DSLR’s but it’s still my biggest weight gainer in my pack. I’m looking for a good point and shoot camera for everyday quick shots.
Great post and timely as I’m debating what DSLR camera to buy…
My heart is with my D700…I take it with me where ever I go…Paris will be a photographic adventure for me and I’m looking forward to shooting the city and its details…but on the off chance I miss something, I will have my LX 5 with me for everything else…can’t wait to be there March 17th!!
Good luck in Paris. SO many photo opportunities there… Get back to us with a link to your photos if you can.
For my traveling sabbatical, I have been using my Nikon D40. I am careful to tie the strap around my arm and walk with my bag in the front in order to avoid being a target. With a trip every month for the last 18 months, my Nikon has worked great!
Nice to hear from another fellow traveler who packs a DSLR. Thanks for the feedback!
I use a Pentax D-SLR because I like printing some huge, epic-sized shots of my photos and hanging them on my wall. This is where even quality P&S cameras and their tiny image sensors will show their limitations.
Since my Pentax can use old 70s-vintage glass, I can stock up on cheap (but fully manual!) lenses that will get detail and color that no P&S’s lens and image sensor can match.
But every traveler SHOULD carry a P&S, too. There are certain times I don’t want to put my D-SLR too much in harm’s way.
Isn’t that the best!? I love printing my photos and putting them up. Ohh… the memories!
As of today I just received my new Nikon D300S in which I just graduated from a Nikon D80. I also am carrying an crappy HP point and shoot for those crazy nights and a flip HD camera with a waterproof case for those times we want to take it scuba diving or surfing. :P
I don’t mind editing footage. I went to film school to specialize in editing. :P
Nice Erica! Yeah, it’s always nice to bring along an extra P&S for those “just in case” moments. Great to hear from you again…
My current camera is a Canon Powershot S3 IS, a merge between a point and shoot and a DSLR camera. Works well for me as I had many classes of photography and love to choose my own settings in Manual mode instead of just “pointing and shooting”. It’s about the size of a DSLR. Of course, it’s not a DSLR so it works well when the light is good but when it goes dark,it can’t go over 800 of ISO sensitivity, so not so good pictures (and it’s a few years old already!)But it’s still a good camera!
If budget would permit it, I would of course prefer a DSLR and a video camera or a T2i like Sofia and Nathan. And something for underwater as well! Honnestly, I love both photography and video and would love to edit some videos, it’s been a few years since I had the chance to do it and it can be so much fun! Some moments are best captured on pictures, some on videos… I could write on that for years but will stop here! Thanks for this much interesting post:)
Looks like that S3 IS is a great camera. Anything Canon puts out is pretty much great though, right? LOL. Yeah, the T2i is an unbelievable camera. I just picked one up a couple months ago and I’m obsessed with it! Thanks for stopping by Audrey.
I was traveling witha very nice water, drop, freeze proof point & shoot. I loved it but I guess after 3 years the end was in sight. It broke o I bought a new Point & Shoot umm I bought a Panasonic Lexicon. I don’t know the rest of the details because I through the box away…lol. It seemed good & I am actually liking it a lot.
Sorry to hear Jaime! Right at the beginning of your RTW trip… that’s too bad. Glad to hear you picked up something nice. Enjoy your trip man…
Always the best content from these poridgiuos writers.
I got fed up with how my Canon P&S dealt with low light, so I bought a Canon PowerShot G11 in Japan last summer, and I’m in love with it. In terms of both features and size, it’s in between a P&S and a DSLR, which is also about where I’m at in my photography skills. I’d love a DSLR, but they’re so expensive and bulky that I’m really hesitant to go for it. I want something I can carry with me all the time, and even the G11 is a little too big sometimes.
Oooh! I hear the G11 is very nice. The only thing holding me back from picking one of those up is the lack of HD video capabilities. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve a Canon 400D and really like it. It really is gone everywhere with me in all sorts of climate and has stood up effectively. Fortunately for me, it had been the design together with the automated sensor cleansing :) This 1 seems like it could do at the same time but together with the additional bonus of video clip. Extremely good!
Excellent! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing! We’ve been traveling with our D40x, prime lens and 18-200mm. We’re upgrading to a D700 for our next upcoming trip to India.
As for P&S, I have been using Canon S300 (from many years back). Me thinks it’s time for a Lumix LX5 upgrade!
We havent ventured into video yet – maybe something for us to try out in the next year or two!
That 18-200mm must come in super handy. I hope to start doing more video as well… Look forward to seeing more of you in the future. Love your WP theme by the way.
I just purchased the Canon S95 yesterday! I’m very excited to start testing it out. I like the point and shoot cameras because I can take desecrate photos when I’m in dangerous places across South America.
Very cool. I’ve heard great things about the S95. I agree about the smaller cameras when in tough areas. I would do the same if I were you.
I used to travel with my point and shoot, solely because of size. but the photos taken were mediocre and never breath taking. it may capture the moment, but always a moment intentionally set up for the photo.
Slowly I moved away from the point and shoot and enter the DSLR field. Traveling around with my Canon 7D is the biggest pain in the behind ever. Although it may take breath taking pictures, and force you to improve your skill as a photographer while telling a natural story behind each photo. I often find myself saying “ah screw it, I don’t feel like pulling out the camera for that.”
About a year ago, I started researching for the perfect travel camera. and came across the micro 4/3 system. I now own an Olympus E-PL2, I think the E-PL3 and E-P3 are the most current models. They are way smaller and way lighter than the DSLR, equipped it with a pancake lens, it is the almost perfect travel camera imo. It takes stunning photos and it’s small enough to not become a pain.
Canon S95 and Nikon D90. Sad that they just came out with the Canon s100 which trumps the s95 in every way! =(
I can’t go without my DSLR (Nikon D300) despite the size, although I carry a small Canon P&S for simple stuff.
Current travel kit is SLR + 18-200 + 12-24 + Gorilla Pod + Hyperdrive (hard drive backup/card recovery). Last trip I threw in a Lensbaby Composer but it didn’t work out great (I think I need more practice – had trouble getting the focus on the right spot). Rarely take my off-camera flash as it’s bulky and heavy on batteries (will take it if I’m going to a wedding or something similar).
I don’t do much video – mainly because I tend not to watch it much afterwards so I don’t take a lot of it, so the lack of video on the D300 doesn’t bother me. I do take a lot of still frames though (last trip was 4740 in 5 weeks of travelling).
Having gone through multiple bags, my current bag is a Vangard UpRise 45 (previously had a Crumpler pack) – these open on the side against your back so they can’t easily be opened while you’re wearing them.
I changed to the Vangard because
(1) it’s bigger – the Crumpler was a funny curved shape and difficult to get things in
(2) there’s a side access panel, so I can swing it around and get the actual camera out without taking the whole pack off (useful when walking)
(3) there’s a second top compartment where I can throw a bottle of water etc without losing camera space
I’ve never had any hassles but have felt a bit uncomfortable in some places, generally handled it by:
(1) putting the camera away (much easier with the new bag)
(2) if that’s not possible, I clip the chest strap of the camera bag over the camera strap (my new strap is a sniper-type strap and spends it’s entire life over one shoulder anyway) and keep the camera in front of me or in my hand
Christine
We are going to be travelling with a Nikon d7000 and a small Nikon P&S camera.
I know that the d7000 is going to be a pain with all the lenses and filters and flash…but I know for sure that the photos will be worth it.
The small P&S is when we don’t feel like lugging the huge bag of gear around with us.
Nice post. I travel with a Canon 550D (thankfully, it does video also) w/ lenses but ugh- the weight… I also take a point & shoot for those quickie moments when I don’t carry my DSLR.
Am considering getting a waterproof camera too seeing as these days I go snorkeling a lot.
I used to travel with a Canon Powershot although I can’t be sure of the version. Someone broke it and I didn’t get to replace it. Loved that camera and wouldn’t mind replacing it with the better version one day. These days I usually use the camera on my Droid X which takes pretty good photos for being a cell phone camera. I also have a cheap digital
VuPoint 5MP which I bought because it has a waterproof case. It’s been great for trips like white water rafting where I want to take photos but won’t be crushed if the camera gets damaged.
I occasionally take video but I prefer photography.
I haven’t traveled with a DSLR but I would feel like a walking target with one. I live in Savannah and whenever I see people downtown with them it screams tourist. They do take great photos though. If I got into photography as more than I hobby I might see the need, but for now, I prefer the ease of use and portability of P&S cameras.
Haven’t used a GoPro but looks awesome.
Do you find yourself a walking target when traveling with a DSLR?
Do you or someone you know travel with a GoPro video camera? If so, feel free to tell us more about it! I’m really interested in learning more about these cameras from actual travelers who are on the road now and using one.
After a long search I recently bought a Canon EOS 550D and althought I am a rookie in the world of fotografy, I’m in love with this camera. She (yes it’s a she) will be my plus one for my upcomming RTW trip!
Great Travel Blog by the way! I’m enjoying every post you got.
Freek
Thanks Freek. How are you enjoying the 550D?
I just purchased the Canon S95 yesterday! They do take great photos though.
How are you liking the S95?
I sadly just parted with my Nikon D90 which I’ve had for 2 years. It’s a little bulky and obvious, so I’m making a serious sacrifice and about to head to Central America with my new Nikon s9100 that unfortunately doesn’t manually zoom, but is really handy and takes great pics and video.
Thanks for the comment Dusty.
Hey Ryan, long time no speak. Nice article. I have been trying to figure out what camera to get next. Right now its between the powershot s100 or the sony rx100. Any suggestions? Sufing in Fiji looks awesome. I have a good friend who is with the peace corps there right now.
What’s up Leif, thanks for stopping by. I have a thing for Canon so I would always recommend you go for the Canon! The S100 looks like an excellent camera. Surfing in Fiji was a lot of fun. Where you at these days?
Yea, I think its gonna be the s100, I saw it on sale on amazon for 250$. I’m back at home diggin into the blog. How about you? I was wondering if you wanted to exchange links to my second blog. Its called travel the world for fee and I hope for it to become a resource for all things free travel. I added you link here. http://www.travel-the-world-for-free.com/blog-links/