The Best Cameras Option For Travelling In 2020

Traveling is truly a fun thing to do. When you travel, you are able to meet new people, explore great places and essentially try new stuff. And of course, the most enjoyable thing about traveling is the memories you make. Who wouldn’t want to capture those moments, those beautiful sceneries you were exposed to? And so, here are some of the best travel cameras you can buy to help you capture great moments on your adventures, to help you make the memories last.

What to Look for

When choosing a camera for your travels, their things which you must consider in order to make the most out of it. It’ll be easier to choose if you can determine what your needs are in the first place. Like, do you need portability? Are you after professional image quality? Are you going somewhere that would require your camera to be weatherproof? Or are you fine with a well-rounded, multipurpose model? Answering those questions would help make choosing a camera easier. Aside from your specific needs, here is some general stuff to consider when getting a camera:

Portability – when you travel, you walk a lot as you go from place to place enjoying the sights and seeking stuff to try out. Also, if your target destinations are somewhat far apart, you will surely need to board public transportation like buses, taxis and such. This means that with all that going to and fro involved in travel, a heavy, bulky camera would be difficult to carry and use. This is why you should consider models that are portable, those you can carry easily and use at any given moment.

Manual Settings – the ability to manually control all camera settings enables one to dial in the perfect shot in different situations. Also, a camera with manual control will help improve your photography skills

Megapixels – that assumption that more megapixels is better? Not always true, especially if the pixels themselves are small. Although, more megapixels on a large sensor will give you higher detail, thus allowing you to crop your image without reducing its quality.

Aperture – measured in f/numbers (f/1.4, f/2.8, f/4, etc.), this tells how better the lens will perform in low-light conditions. The lower the number, the better (and more expensive).

Zoom Range – a zoom lens would enable you to take closer shots of your subjects, like people or animals for instance. However, bigger zoom means a bulkier camera. The zoom range is a personal preference, though it would be more convenient, especially for travel, to have the option of zooming in without changing lenses.

HD/4K Video – most cameras worth their buck can shoot video in HD 1080p. There are also those that have 4K capabilities (this is only needed when you’re doing professional work though). And of course, these 4k cameras cost higher.

Wi-Fi/Bluetooth – getting a camera with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capabilities will allow you to upload your photos instantly or transfer them to your computer or smartphone. And if you don’t have access to a computer, like when in travel, you can still share your photos in social media.

Interchangeable Lenses – getting a camera with interchangeable lenses allows you to pick the perfect lens for various situations. DSLR and some mirrorless cameras have this feature.

Weatherproofing – there are some cameras which are better protected from moisture and dust than others. It would be better to get a camera that can hold up against the elements, especially if you plan on shooting in very dusty or wet environments.

RAW – in the RAW format, the image is saved without any internal modifications unlike in the JPG format. This is why advanced users prefer the RAW format, as it gives them more leeway when editing their images with software later. Not all cameras can save in this format though.

Stabilization – there are cameras/lenses which offer Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), a feature that deals with the “handshake” on slower shutter speeds, to help keep images sharp in low-light situations. There are also models that have internal sensor stabilization that helps offer good results in photography.

The Cameras

Here are some models for your consideration (in no particular order):

Panasonic TZ200

Specs:

Sensor size: one-inch
Lens: 24-360mm, f/3.3-6.4
Monitor: 3.0-inch, 1, 240k dots
Resolution: 20.1MP
Viewfinder: EVF
Video: 4K

Pros:

One-inch sensor
15x optical zoom

Cons:

Small EVF
Fixed screen

Sony RX100 VII

Specs:

Sensor size: one-inch
Lens: 20-200mm, f/2.8-4.5
Monitor: tilting, 921k-dot 3.0-inch LCD
Resolution: 20.1MP
Viewfinder: 2.35-million dot retractable finder
Video: 4K

Pros:

Ultra-high-speed shooting
Fast, high-tech AF (autofocus)
Versatile zoom range

Cons:

Fiddly EVF
Slippery finish
Small controls

Fujifilm X-T30

Specs:

Sensor: ASP-C back-illuminated X-trans CMOS 4
Lens: N/A
Monitor: 3.0-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 1,037,000 dots
Resolution: 26.1MP
Viewfinder: 2.36 million dot EVF
Video: 4K

Pros:

Great build quality
Great value for money
Good default JPEG output
Quick AF

Cons:

No in-body stabilization

Canon G5X Mark II

Specs:

Sensor size: one-inch
Lens: 5x zoom (24-120mm equivalent)
Monitor: tilting, 1040k-dot 3.0-inch TFT LCD
Resolution: 20.1MP
Viewfinder: pop-up, 2360k-dot OLED electronic viewfinder
Video: 4K

Pros:

Great size and handling
Pop-up viewfinder
Good zoom range

Cons:

Expensive

Nikon Z6

Specs:

Sensor size: full-frame
Lens: N/A (Z Mount)
Monitor: 3.2-inch tilting 2100k-dot touch-sensitive TFT LCD
Resolution: 24.5MP
Viewfinder: 0.5-inch, 3690k-dot OLED
Video: 4K

Pros:

Great handling
Small size (among full-frames)
Tilting screen
Full-frame sensor

Cons:

Overall bulky system
Limited lens availability

Nikon Z50

Specs:

Sensor size: APS-C
Lens Mount: Z
Monitor: 3.2-inch 1040k-dot tilting touchscreen
Resolution: 20.9MP
Viewfinder: 0.39-inch, 2360k-dot OLED electronic viewfinder
Video: 4K

Pros:

Great handling
Small size
Good value

Cons:

Limited native lens range

Panasonic G90

Specs:

Sensor size: four thirds
Lens Mount: micro four thirds
Monitor: 1040k-dot 3.2-inch fully-articulating touchscreen
Resolution: 20.3MP
Viewfinder: 2,360k-dot OLED EVF
Video: 4K

Pros:

Great handling
Great video features
Good native lens range

Cons:

Small sensor

Canon EOS M6 Mark II

Specs:

Sensor size: APS-C
Lens Mount: EF-M
Monitor: 3.0-inch tilting 1.04m-dot touchscreen
Resolution: 32.5MP
Viewfinder: N/A
Video: 4K

Pros:

Small size
Uncropped 4k video
High resolution sensor

Cons:

No inbuilt viewfinder

Panasonic Lumix LX100 Mark II

Specs:

Sensor size: four thirds
Lens: 24-75mm (equivalent) f/1.7-2.8
Monitor: 3.0-inch, 1240k-dot, touch-sensitive TFT LCD
Resolution: 17MP
Viewfinder: 0.38-inch, 2760k-dot Live Viewfinder
Video: 4K

Pros:

Large sensor
Small body
Touch-sensitive screen

Cons:

Screen doesn’t tilt
Just a few upgrades from its predecessor

Canon G1X Mark III

Specs:

Sensor size: APS-C
Lens: 24-72mm equivalent f/2.8-5.6 zoom lens
Monitor: 3-inch 1.04M-dot fully articulating
Resolution: 24MP
Viewfinder: 2.36M-dot electronic viewfinder
Video: 1080/60p

Pros:

DSLR-sized sensor
Vari-angle screen
Small body

Cons:

Limited zoom
Short battery life

Sony RX10 IV

Specs:

Sensor size: one-inch
Lens: 25x optical zoom, 24-600mm f/2.4-4
Monitor: 3-inch, tilting, 1,440,000-dot
Resolution: 20.1MP
Viewfinder: 0.39-inch electronic viewfinder, 2,359,296-dots
Video: 4K

Pros:

Long lens
One-inch sensor

Cons:

Expensive
Bulky

Nikon P950

Specs:

Sensor size: 1/2.3-inch
Lens: 24-200mm (83x)
Monitor: 3.2-inch 921k-dot LCD
Resolution: 16MP
Viewfinder: 0.39-inch, 2359k-dot OLED
Video: 4K

Pros:

Huge zoom range
RAW format
Full manual control
High resolution viewfinder

Cons:

Small sensor
Screen not touch-sensitive
Not good for action

Fujifilm X100F

Specs:

Sensor size: APS-C
Lens: 23mm (equivalent to 35mm) f/2.0 fixed lens
Monitor: 3-inch, 1040k-dot fixed screen
Resolution: 24.3MP
Viewfinder: hybrid optical and electronic viewfinder
Video: Full HD

Pros:

APS-C sensor
Aesthetics

Cons:

Expensive
Fixed length lens

GoPro Hero 8

Specs:

Sensor size: small
Lens: 6mm fixed lens
Monitor: 2-inch touchscreen
Resolution: 12MP
Viewfinder: N/A
Video: 4k60

Pros:

Small and lightweight
Great video stabilization
Built-in mount

Cons:

Limited use for stills

Canon SX740 HS

Specs:

Sensor size: 1/2.3-inch
Lens: 24-960mm (equivalent) f/3.3-6.9
Monitor: 3.0-inch, 922k-dot, tilting TFT LCD
Resolution: 20.3MP
Viewfinder: N/A
Video: 4K

Pros:

Huge zoom range
4K video
Simple to use

Cons:

Doesn’t shoot in RAW format
Not good for low-light conditions
Screen not touch-sensitive

Nikon D500

Specs:

Sensor size: APS-C
Lens: N/A
Monitor: 3.2-inch, 2359k-dot touch-sensitive, tilting screen
Resolution: 20.9MP
Viewfinder: 100% optical viewfinder
Video: 4K

Pros:

Great all rounder
APS-C sensor

Cons:

Heavy and bulky
Screen not fully articulating

Panasonic G9

Specs:

Sensor size: four thirds
Lens: N/A
Monitor: 3-inch, articulating, touch-sensitive TFT LCD, 1040k-dots
Resolution: 20MP
Viewfinder: OLED electronic viewfinder, 3,680k-dots
Video: 4K

Pros:

Small overall system
Excellent viewfinder

Cons:

Sensor smaller than DSLR
Large body for a CSC

Panasonic TZ100

Specs:

Sensor size: one-inch
Lens: 10x optical 25-250mm (equivalent) f/2.8-5.9
Monitor: 3-inch 1040k-dot touch-sensitive screen
Resolution: 20.1MP
Viewfinder: 0.2-inch 1160k-dot electronic viewfinder
Video: 4K

Pros:

One-inch sensor
10x optical zoom

Cons:

Small viewfinder
Less capable in lowlight

GoPro Session

Specs:

Sensor size: 1/3.2 inch (4.54 x 3.42mm)
Resolution: 10MP
Zoom: 15-30mm

Pros:

Small
Affordable
Waterproof

Cons:

Small sensor
Limited zoom
No screen

YI 4K+

Specs:

Sensor size: 1/2.3 inch (6.17 x 4.63 mm)
Resolution: 12MP
Zoom: 15-30mm

Pros:

Affordable
Similar quality to GoPro

Cons:

Basic recording experience
Unreliable tech support

And those are some of the cameras you might want to take a look at. Traveling is fun, and for sure, there will be moments and scenes that you want to capture. In such cases, a camera would be a truly indispensable tool, yes?