Comparison of Travel Cameras
I think a camera is one of the most important things (besides your wallet and toothbrush) that you can bring on a vacation. It’s the best way to capture and preserve your adventures. You can show off your pictures to family and friends or just keep them around to remind you of all the good times. I personally carry around a DSLR when I go on any trip. Sure it gets a little heavy, especially with all the lenses, but I don’t mind the extra bulk as I love the crisp pictures it produces allowing me to print them out for a wall canvas. That might not be your style or fit your budget which is perfectly okay, and in case you are still trying to figure that out, I have highlighted a comparison of travel cameras types along with camera terminology.
Before you buy a camera, read through all of the specs and make sure it has what you need and want! Confused by all the terminology and numbers? Let me make it a little easier.
Megapixels (MP):
Watch out for this one. In general, a higher number means better resolution (it’s actually the number of pixels the camera uses to produce an image), and most inexperienced camera consumers think they want a camera with the highest megapixels. BUT unless you’re thinking of putting your photo on a giant billboard, don’t make this number be your main driver for picking a camera. Also, the higher resolution can slow down your camera, especially the more budget friendly cameras.
Focal length (f):
This spec is in millimeters and tells you the magnification your camera can produce. The larger the focal length, the larger the objects in your image look. Often, cameras are capable of having multiple focal lengths. This is called a zoom lens and is spec’d as a ratio of the longest focal length to the shortest focal length. As an example, a lens capable of focal lengths of 20 to 200mm has a 10X zoom.
Aperture (referred to as f-stop or f-number):
This is the size of the opening that lets light in. Changing the size of the aperture changes the depth of field, which is essentially how blurry or in focus the background is.
Smaller f-stop—>Larger aperture—>Less depth of field—>Blurrier background.
Larger f-stop—>Smaller aperture—>Greater depth of field—>Sharper background.
Sensor size:
This is the size of the actual image sensor in the camera. In general, the larger the sensor, the better the photo quality. But, larger sensors usually require a larger lens and more space for electronics to support the larger sensor (bigger camera). It also usually comes with a higher price tag.
ISO:
This is the camera’s sensitivity to light. The higher the ISO is, the higher the camera’s sensitivity is (meaning you can take pictures in lower light levels). But, be cautious. Just because it has a high ISO, it could be a very noisy picture, so be sure to read the reviews on whatever camera you are looking at.
Image Stabilization (IS) :
This is an absolute must! Unless you want to tote around a tripod for even the day shots, having an IS will compensate for the shakiness in your hands. Most cameras nowadays have it, but it is still worth double checking, especially on the extremely budget friendly cameras.
Viewfinder:
For a lot of compact cameras, the LCD screen replaced the viewfinder. And, that is totally fine if you are okay with using the screen. However, a viewfinder can be helpful in seeing what the image will actually look like since the screen will have all sorts of light reflecting on it. Think about those times when the sun was so bright that you couldn’t even see what you were taking a picture of. Moreover, your LCD screen might produce a false poor picture due to the low resolution of the screen itself.
There are tons of options when buying a new camera. There’s the lazy man’s point-and-shoot”, or a fancy-schmancy DSLR, or a good ol’ phone camera. The decision is complicated to say to least if you really care about how your photos will turn out. Let me break it down for you. I will also offer some suggestions of cameras that I think are good, but once you narrow it down to the type of camera you want, you should really look at a variety of options and decide what is right for you.
Phone Camera:
Most likely you already have a phone, so if you really don’t want to carry around a camera, get a decent camera phone. A good chunk of the photos on this site are actually from an iPhone (it’s just not practical to always have our regular DSLR), and some of them are good enough to be enlarged and hang in your house. In fact, one is hanging in my grandmother’s living room! Another phone with a decent camera is the Galaxy S6 with a 16MP sensor, LED flash, and image stabilization. A word of caution: A lot of phones market how great their camera is just because of an insane amount of megapixels. Quality is not solely based on megapixels, so be sure to look over the other specs!
Who: Someone who likes to occasionally capture the moment and post on social media but doesn’t want to have the burden of carrying an actual camera.
Size: Fits in your pocket.
Quality: Varies greatly across the market, but iPhone 6 and the Galaxy S6 are the front-runners. In general, it is good for using on social media.
Go Pro:
A Go Pro isn’t really a camera so much as a video recorder, but I added it to this list because there are occasions where this works better than any of the other cameras here. Those occasions? Any time you are doing any action sport where you don’t want to also hold onto the camera such as snowboarding, skiing, or biking. It is small, so it won’t take up a lot of room, and you can strap it to your helmet or mount it to your bike. It is also shockproof and waterproof.
Who: Any outdoor enthusiast who wants to capture the experience without any hindrance.
Size: Small enough to mount onto a helmet.
Quality: Great for the value.
Budget point-and-shoot:
Want a camera, but also want to have some spare beer money for your vacation? These cameras are very easy to use and take good pictures with minimal effort, and there are some very decent budget point-and-shoots on the market. The Canon Powershot SX600 HS is solid. It has 16 megapixels (way more than you really need), an 18x optical zoom, an aperture range of F3.8 – F6.9, an ISO range of 100-3200, a 1/2.3-inch sensor, and image stabilization. It doesn’t have a viewfinder, but it does have a 3inch LCD viewing screen. Also, the lens is attached to the camera body, so you don’t need to worry about what lens to buy.
Who: Someone who wants a real camera but is on a budget and isn’t concerned with a bunch of fancy camera settings or low light conditions.
Size: Can fit in a pocket and light-weight.
Quality: Good for snapshots, social media posts, and photo albums.
Digital megazoom:
A digital megazoom camera is for those who want to take pictures of something far away and still have the camera automatically select the settings. It is for bird watchers and sports fans in the nosebleed sections. One great one on the market is the Canon PowerShot SX60 HS. It has 16.1 megapixels, a 65x optical zoom, an aperture range of F3.4 – F6.5, an ISO range of 100-3200, a 1/2.3-inch sensor, image stabilization, and electronic viewfinder, and a 3inch LCD viewing screen. Also, the lens is attached to the camera body, so you don’t need to worry about what lens to buy.
Who: Someone who wants to take pictures of objects that are far away but isn’t concerned with a bunch of fancy camera settings.
Size: Can fit in a purse.
Quality: Good for photo albums and some enlarged photos.
Mirrorless compact interchangeable lens:
These cameras have picture quality on par with some DSLRs, but they are more compact and don’t have all the manual settings. Like the name implies, the lens can be switched which offers great flexibility in taking macro, portrait, or zoomed in photos. The Sony Alpha 5100 is a great choice. It has 24 megapixels and an ISO range of 100-25,600 (for awesome low light photos). It does not have a viewfinder, but it does have a 3inch flip up LCD screen. Other specs depend on the lens.
Who: Someone who wants the picture quality of a DSLR but requires something compact and light-weight.
Size: Can fit in a purse.
Quality: Great for enlarged photos. On par with some DSLRs.
Entry level DSLR:
The digital single-lens reflex (DSLR), even the entry level one, is for enthusiasts who want full control over all settings but still have access to pre-set scene modes. In general, the entry level models have a less durable camera body that are made out of plastic, and the response speed is slower than higher end models. They also tend to have lower quality sensors and electronics. The Nikon D3300 is a top pick in this category with 24.2 megapixels CMOS DX-format sensor (one of the best in this class) and an ISO range of 100-25,600. The lens, of course, is interchangeable. I usually prefer Canon over Nikon though (just a personal preference), so I’d also recommend the Canon Rebel t5i even though it gets slightly lower marking. It has an 18 MP APS-C CMOS sensor with an ISO range of 100-25,600, but it has excellent video features with a quieter autofocus system and tilting LCD.
Who: Someone who wants full control over settings but is on a budget or is a beginner and doesn’t mind the bulkiness.
Size: Needs its own bag.
Quality: Great for enlarged photos.
Midrange DSLR:
The midrange DSLR is a step up from the entry level and typically has a more durable camera body with a better sensor and electronics. It also comes with a step up in price though. For one of the best on the market, check out the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. It has a 20.2 megapixel CMOS sensor and an ISO range of 100-16000 with awesome HD video capabilities. Like all DSLRs, the lenses come seperately.
Who: Someone who wants full control over settings and wants a step up from an entry level.
Size: Needs its own bag.
Quality: Great for enlarged photos.
Enthusist DSLR:
If you are an avid photographer looking for the best camera to travel with, maybe you can provide me with tips!!
Bonus Tip: If you are looking to save a little cash, get last year’s model.
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