We have a photographer on staff, and if you ask him, he will answer that anything else then a full frame DSLR will not do. Honestly, travelling with a DSLR is not practical, and the kit may set you back far more than the holiday and break your back too.
To help you chose which camera to pack, we listed the types of cameras you could use with pros and cons, as well as our recommendations.
Mobile phones and tablets
Nearly everyone has one, and it may be enough, except it does not have an optical zoom, those that do are not great at it. If you do not intend to photograph wildlife, it probably will be sufficient.
- You probably have one
- Geotags your photos
- Share your photos straight away
- No optical zoom for wildlife
- Everything in focus
- Bad in low light
Compact cameras
Often the most affordable camera on today’s market, they generally do not have the zoom capabilities and versatilities of bridge cameras. Some are specialised, to go underwater or rugged for example and others give near SLR quality images, these are commonly called range finders and are expensive.
- Very light
- Pocket-sized
- Some have a fair zoom range
- Some have specialised use
- The good ones are pricey
- The cheap ones may not be much better than your mobile phone
- Most are all plastic
Bridge Cameras
These cameras are often, affordable, light and offer a compact yet versatile solution for travelling. It is an ideal choice to take scenery and catch far away wildlife in a single package.
- Affordable
- Compact
- Wide zoom range from 20mm to 1365mm* (or up to 65x optical zoom) on some models
- High frame per second
- From 720p to 4K video
- Some models with NFC and Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to transfer your images to your tablet or phone
- Swivel or tilt screens on most models
- Not as flexible as a mirrorless or DSLR
- May lack low light abilities
- Can be difficult to handle and frame subject when fully extended
- Some models have no viewfinder
- Uses an electronic viewfinder
- Plastic construction
Mirrorless
A recent addition to camera technologies, it provides a lighter, more compact version of the DSLR and is often as good. Mirrorless cameras offer interchangeable lenses and high-quality sensors and images.
- Light
- Versatile given you have lenses suited for the occasion
- High-quality images
- NFC with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi in most models
- Download to your phone and share
- Fast shutter speeds
- Rapid frame rates
- Offers the same range of creativity as an equivalent DSLR
- HD to 4K video
- Most are solidly constructed
- Touch screens on some models
- Swivel or tilt screens on most models
- Need more than one lens
- Can be expensive
- Some manufacturers do not have a wide choice of lenses
- Most are all plastic
- Can get heavy and cumbersome
- Some models lack a viewfinder
- Electronic viewfinder
- Sometimes slow to focus
DSLR
Like the Mirrorless cameras, it offers incredible flexibility. With a mature technology derived from the 35mm film-based SLR, it provides reliability and excellent image reproduction. It is bulkier and more substantial than the others; it can be very cumbersome to travel with particularly when you need to take various lenses with you.
- With the right lenses very versatile
- Image reproduction
- A wide range of lense
- Mature technology
- Fast shutter speeds
- Low f-stop and depth of field
- Professional grade lenses
- Expensive
- Heavy
- Cumbersome
Summary
We like the bridge cameras to travel with; they are convenient, do a good enough job for most and will not break the bank or your back. If we have a choice without the financial constraints, we would opt for a midrange mirrorless and about 3 lenses to cover from 10mm to at least 200mm at f/4 or lower, depending on the system giving us between effective 15mm to 300mm on APC (Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Sony) and 20-400mm on MFT (Olympus, Panasonic).
When all is said, the best camera is without a doubt the one you have with you.
*All lens lengths are in 35mm full frame film equivalent.
** All cameras makes notes in alphabetical order to avoid favouritism and have a cheap and an expensive model for your reference.