If you are looking for a new camera to pick up for your next travel, then this article is just for you. I have spent the last 8 years traveling the world, and I must have taken over 100,000 photos and videos with all sorts of cameras to create all the content you see on this blog.
There are tons of options out there from brands like Sony, Fuji, and Canon that keep on releasing new camera models every year, and it can be extremely intimidating and overwhelming to go through all those impossible-to-remember camera model names, mount types, formats, and brands just to find the one camera that is perfect for you.
But don't worry. To help you find the right travel camera, I have decided to narrow down all the available travel cameras into a handful of the very best cameras for travel, all divided into different categories for you to easily choose from.
Without further ado, let's take a look at all the best cameras for travel that you should buy below:
- Quick Summary: The best cameras to buy for travel
- What Makes a Camera Great For Travel?
-
10 Best Travel Cameras To Buy Right Now
- The Best Point & Shoot Camera for Travel
- The Best Action Camera for Travel
- Best 360 Camera for Travel
- The Best Action Camera for Vlogging
- The Best Budget Mirrorless Camera for Travel
- The Best Compact Mirrorless Camera for Travel
- The Best All-Around Mirrorless Camera for Travel
- The Most Advanced Mirrorless Cameras for Travel
- The Best Phone Camera for Travel
- The Best Drone for Travel
- Further Reading for Resources
Quick Summary: The best cameras to buy for travel
| Product | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Best Point & Shoot Camera
Sony RX100 M7
|
Features
|
Check PriceLearn More |
|
Best Action Camera
GoPro Hero 12 Black
|
Features
|
Check PriceLearn More |
|
Best 360 Camera
Insta360 One X4
|
Features
|
Check PriceLearn More |
|
🏅 Editor's Choice
Best for Vlogging
DJI Pocket 3
|
Features
|
Check PriceRead Our Review |
|
💰 Great Value
Best Budget
Sony a6600
|
Features
|
Check PriceLearn More |
|
Most Compact
Sony a7C II
|
Features
|
Check PriceLearn More |
|
Best All-Around
Sony a7IV
|
Features
|
Check PriceLearn More |
|
🏅 Editor's Choice
Best for Photos
Sony a7R V
|
Features
|
Check PriceRead Our Review |
|
Best For Video
Sony a7S3
|
Features
|
Check PriceLearn More |
|
Best Phone Camera
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
|
Features
|
Check PriceLearn More |
|
Best Travel Drone
DJI Mini 4 Pro
|
Features
|
Check PriceLearn More |
What Makes a Camera Great For Travel?
Image Quality
One of the most important things you should look for in a travel camera is the quality of its sensor. When you are traveling, you will encounter all sorts of climates and environments with countless uncontrollable variables that can affect your photos, such as poor lighting conditions, messy backgrounds, and fast-moving subjects. Therefore, when planning to buy a new travel camera, make sure it can handle all of that well.
One specification we can use to determine the image quality is to look at the size of the sensor the camera has. Is it a full-frame sensor (very large), an APS-C sensor (large), a Micro 4/3 sensor (slightly large), or a one-inch sensor (medium)? Basically, the larger the sensor, the better the photos will be, as it will allow you to produce sharper images when shooting in low-light.
The next question to ask is how many megapixels does the camera produce? Usually, you should expect a good dedicated travel camera to produce at least 20+ megapixels or above and around 12 megapixels for phones and action cameras. As long as it is in this range, the camera should be a good candidate for our pick.
For video capabilities, one thing to look out for is the ability to shoot 4K videos, which is the standard resolution nowadays, and you should expect your travel camera to have at least this feature. I would not recommend anything lower than that for future proofing.
There are many other specifications to look out for when it comes to image quality, but these are the basic criteria we can use to help pick the best travel camera for you.
Size and Weight
Next up is the size and weight of both the camera and the lenses, which are one of the most important factors when it comes to picking a travel camera. Since you will be traveling around with the camera and carrying it over your shoulder most of the time, the size and weight of the camera has to be light and compact enough for you to haul them around all day.
One of the main factors that determine the size and weight of a camera is the sensor size, which will affect the size and weight of the camera. Basically, the bigger the sensor the camera has, the larger and heavier it will be.
Not to mention the lenses you will have to carry when you are traveling, which is probably the majority of the weight of your backpack. A high-quality lens for a full-frame camera can be extremely heavy to carry, which can be a turn-off for many, whereas lenses built for smaller sensors like the APS-C and Micro 4/3 cameras are more compact and easier to carry around.
Basically, it all comes down to striking a good balance between your needs, the sensor size, and the weight when it comes to picking the best travel cameras for you to buy, and that is what we will be discussing in this guide.
Versatility
Last but not least is the versatility of the camera you want to buy. Cameras nowadays can be exceptionally great at many different things at once. Long gone are the days when you have to carry a dedicated camera for photos and a camcorder for videos when you travel.
Now, you can find many cameras that can do both very well, allowing us to shoot amazing photos and capture stunning videos when we travel. This is perfect for this day and age, where photos and videos are two of the main mediums we use to share our travels with one another (Instagram, Tik-Tok, etc.).
The best camera for travel should have a set of features that give us versatility and allow us to capture both still images and videos well enough for us to utilize and share them with our loved ones.
With these three components, I have selected the very best travel cameras for you to choose from below, all divided into six categories as follows:
10 Best Travel Cameras To Buy Right Now
1. The Best Point & Shoot Camera for Travel
Good things do come in small packages. The Sony RX100 M7 is proof of that. This tiny camera is one of the best pocket-sized cameras you can get if you are a beginner and looking for a camera that works right out of the box without having to worry about which lens to buy.
The Sony RX100 M7 comes with a built-in 24-200mm zoom lens that covers a wide range of focal lengths that you will ever need for travel. Since the lens is built-in, you no longer have to worry about which lens to pick with the camera, making it one of the easiest and most accessible cameras you can buy.
The Sony RX100 M7 shoots excellent 20.1-megapixel images, has built-in optical stabilization, can shoot sharp 4K videos up to 960fps slow-motion with reduced resolution, and it has the top-of-the-class autofocus system, all in a package that fits right into your pants pocket.
Packed with so many features, the Sony RX100 M7 is hands down the best point-and-shoot camera you can get right now. It is not a cheap camera, with the retail price at 999 USD, but you are definitely getting your money's worth with it. If you are looking for your first travel camera to help you learn the ropes of travel photography, this is the camera for you.
2. The Best Action Camera for Travel
For action cameras, you just can't beat the GoPro Hero 12 Black. GoPro has been making action cameras for over a decade now, and they continue to iterate and innovate with useful features and better optics. Their latest camera, the GoPro Hero 12 Black, is the best one yet.
The GoPro Hero 12 Black comes with the usual features you can expect from an action camera, such as a well-built quality and a waterproof body. However, it goes beyond that by attaching a camera with the capability to shoot 27-megapixel photos, record 4K resolution video at 120 FPS, provide buttery smooth stabilization with the new and improved Hypersmooth 6.0 technology, improved battery life, HDR capability, and more.
It also has a front-facing screen that allows you to see and compose yourself when you are shooting, which is essential in this day and age. Best of all, the new action camera still works with all the old GoPro accessories that flooded the market when GoPro went mainstream several years back, so you have access to all the cool accessories other action cameras don't.
If you are an adventurer who likes to do extreme sports such as skiing, hiking, and jumping off cliffs, and you are in the market for a camera that can handle your extreme lifestyle, the GoPro Hero 12 Black is the best action camera you can get.
3. Best 360 Camera for Travel
Insta360 One X4 is one of my new favorite 360 cameras out there. In fact, the company Insta360 is starting to become one of my favorite camera producers in the market as they continue to innovate and come up with better-suited action cameras that are well-designed, packed with features, and produce excellent images, and one of those cameras is this Insta360 One X4.
The Insta360 One X4 is the fourth edition of their first foray into the 360/action camera market. It comes with a unique, easy-to-hold form factor, capable of capturing 8K 360° HDR videos/photos, top-of-the-class stabilization, and best of all, the invisible selfie stick that will allow you to capture a video of yourself doing awesome things without the visible selfie stick in your footage.
The Insta360 One X4 is clever enough to detect the selfie stick and automatically remove it from the footage, giving you a beautiful video that looks like it was captured by a drone flying around you. The camera offers new and unique ways to capture yourself that GoPro is unable to do. Plus, it has a new battery that can last up to 135 minutes of shooting, waterproof up to 10 meters, and a ton of new AI features to make your life much easier.
If you are a solo traveler and would like to capture yourself doing epic things on your travels or if you simply want to easily capture your surroundings without having to fiddle with your camera on site, then the Insta360 One X4 is the best travel camera for you. The price starts at 499.99 USD, and you can buy one at a discounted price using the link below.
4. The Best Action Camera for Vlogging
If you are looking for a vlogging camera with excellent features, great value, and easy to set up, I highly recommend you check out the DJI Pocket 3. It is one of the smallest setups we have here with very little to no barrier to entry.
The DJI Pocket 3 uses a 1-inch sensor, which is bigger than most action cameras and phones, allowing you to shoot in smooth footage even in low light. It comes with a mechanical gimbal which allows you to shoot smoothly as you walk. Not even the big cameras can do this without a cumbersome setup. It also has the Active Tracking 6 feature that will keep you in frame no matter where you move or how you hold your camera, which is a great feature for solo content creators.
If you choose the Creator Combo version, you will also get a wireless mic, a tripod, and a wide-angle filter which makes vlogging so much easier. You do not have to set it up before your shoot like the other cameras on this list. With the DJI Pocket 3, you can just grab and go.
If you are looking for a vlogging camera that is easy to travel with, discrete, and extremely capable, the DJI Pocket 3 is one of the best vlogging cameras you can get right now. Hit the link below and check out the price:
5. The Best Budget Mirrorless Camera for Travel
If you are a photography enthusiast and are looking for a more advanced yet affordable mirrorless camera than the Sony RX100 M7 or GoPro Hero 10 Black, the Sony a6600 is the best option for you.
I used to recommend the Sony a6400 but ever since Sony released the new flagship camera, the Sony a6700, the a6600 has seen a significant price drop to almost the same price point as the Sony a6400 once was at around 999 USD, which make it a steal.
The Sony a6600 has the same set of features the Sony a6400 has and some more. Features like image stabilization, a flip-up screen, and bigger batteries will greatly improve your experience with the camera opening you up to more opportunities in both lens selections and the ability to shoot in varying conditions.
Since the Sony a6600 has an APS-C cropped sensor, the camera is much more compact than traditional DSLRs and full-frame cameras, making it less of a hassle to carry around while traveling. Heck, the Sony a6600 is even smaller than other APS-C cameras from different manufacturers, making it one of the best compact mirrorless cameras you can buy.
If you are looking for a camera that is highly capable, has the flexibility of the interchangeable lens system that the RX100 and GoPro Hero lack, and a camera that will allow you to grow as a photographer without breaking the bank, the Sony 6600 is the best value camera for you.
6. The Best Compact Mirrorless Camera for Travel
As I mentioned earlier, striking the balance between image quality and size and weight is the most important factor to consider when it comes to buying a travel camera. One of the best cameras that comes in a lightweight and compact body, almost the same size as the Sony a6600 previously mentioned but doesn't sacrifice its sensor size, is the Sony a7CII.
The Sony a7CII is one of the smallest full-frame cameras available on the market right now. It has almost the same size as the Sony a6600 but comes with all the features of an advanced full-frame camera like the Sony a7IV and more, with its 33 megapixels sensor, the ability to record extremely sharp 4K videos (downsized from 6K) in 60p, and has an AI-powered autofocus system that even the Sony a7IV doesn't have.
Basically, the Sony a7CII is a highly capable full-frame camera that comes in an APS-C-sized body. It ticks all the boxes of criteria we are looking for in a travel camera with exceptional image quality, a small size, and a lightweight body, and allows you to shoot excellent photos and videos, making it one of the most versatile travel cameras you can buy.
If you are looking for one of the most compact but advanced travel cameras to take with you on your next trip, the Sony a7C II is the one to get. The retail price is around $2,199 USD, but Amazon often has discounts on the model, so be sure to check it out with the link below.
7. The Best All-Around Mirrorless Camera for Travel
If you are the type of person who enjoys taking photos as much as shooting videos while traveling like I do, and you are looking for the best camera that can do both really well, you can't go wrong with the Sony a7IV. It is the newest addition to the Sony a7 lineup and comes with features like a best-in-class autofocus system, the ability to shoot 33 mp photos, 4K 60p 10-bit 4:2:2 videos with 7K oversampling, and the long-awaited 4K 120fps (in crop mode). This allows you to slow down your videos without losing image quality.
It also retains its great low-light capability as its predecessors while being able to cram in all the amazing features from more expensive models like the Sony a7RIV and a7SIII. If you are looking for a camera that will allow you to do both photos and videos really well, the Sony a7IV is one of the best cameras you can get right now. Hit the link below to see if there are any discounts running at the moment.
8. The Most Advanced Mirrorless Cameras for Travel
If you are looking for the best-in-class camera that specializes in photography and money is no object for you, the Sony a7RV is the best camera you can buy, period.
Priced at 2,998 USD, the Sony a7RV comes packed with a whopping 61 megapixels. That is a maximum resolution of 9504 x 6336! It also features an AI-powered autofocus system, improved processing power, extended battery life, and dual SD card support. All in all, it offers better everything.
Nothing comes close to this camera, not even the best full-frame cameras from other competitors. So, if you are looking for the most advanced mirrorless camera out there for your travels and do not mind carrying heavy loads, the Sony a7RV is the one to get. Hit the link below to check the latest price.
If you are more into videography and do not really need the photo-centric capability and all those megapixels from the Sony a7R IV, the Sony a7S III is one of the best video-centric mirrorless cameras you can get right now.
Priced at 3,498 USD, the Sony a7S III is one of the best filmmaking powerhouses out there. The "S" stands for sensitivity, and the camera really delivers on that front with an ISO range from 80 to a whopping 102,400! Yup, a handheld camera that can shoot in the dark, making it the most versatile consumer filmmaking camera out there.
With its 12.1-megapixel full-frame sensor, the Sony a7S III may not be as great of a photography camera as the Sony a7R IV. However, with a smaller sensor, it offers better quality video and more packed features than anyone could ever need.
You can shoot 4K 60 FPS uncropped videos with 10-bit 4:2:2 internal capture, and you can even go up to 4K 120 FPS for those crispy slow-motion videos. Additionally, there is no recording limit with this camera, unlike other video-centric cameras from competing brands.
It is highly reliable, comes with a more user-friendly menu system, and has just a ton of video-centric features that will help you capture your travel in a way that no other camera can do. If you are looking for a great video camera, the Sony a7S III is the one to get.
9. The Best Phone Camera for Travel
If you are not interested in carrying another camera with you when you travel and are looking for a smartphone capable of taking excellent photos, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is still the one to beat.
Apple continues to knock it out of the park with its camera offerings on the iPhone, and this latest iPhone model comes with three dedicated cameras for ultra-wide-angle photos, wide-angle photos, and telephoto, making it one of the most versatile mobile cameras you can get for your travel.
Not to mention the 5 times optical zoom, the ability to shoot RAW photos, and an extremely capable computational photography technology that allows you to capture clear night images with such a small sensor.
Advanced computational photography technology is what makes the iPhone 15 Pro Max stand out from the rest of the cameras listed here. None of the cameras here have computational photography technology as advanced as the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the technology can do wonderful things to your photos shot from such a small sensor.
For those of you who do not want to haul around another camera while traveling and are looking for the one piece of technology that can do it all, from navigation and internet access to photography and filmmaking, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is as close as it gets to being the only tool you will ever need to help accommodate your travel.
10. The Best Drone for Travel
If you are looking for a travel camera to shoot aerial shots of places you are visiting, you can't go wrong with the DJI Mini 4 Pro, the successor of the highly popular DJI Mini 3 travel drone. This version comes with a set of pro features that the DJI Mini 3 lacks, such as the omni-direction object avoidance and tracking system. It retains its best advantage, the weight of less than 250 grams, which allows you to bypass most drone registration laws and fly without having to register.
With the DJI Mini 4 Pro, you can shoot 48 MP RAW photos as well as 4K/60fps HDR video and even 4K/120fps for slow-motion shots. It has a true vertical mode which if you are an avid Instagram and TikTok user, you are going to love it. It also comes with a new and improved transmission range allowing you to control the drone as far as 20 km whereas the DJI Mini 3 can only go at 10 km.
You also have the choice to pick between a regular battery, which has a flight time of 34 minutes, or an intelligent battery, which has a flight time of over 45 minutes (with a weight slightly exceeding 250 grams), which is pretty impressive.
Combining all of these features with its new active tracking and object avoidance system, you have yourself one of the best, if not the perfect travel drones you can buy right now. If you are looking for a lightweight and compact drone, the DJI Mini 4 Pro is the best drone to buy. Hit the link below to check the latest price.
Want to take your photography game to the next level? Here are some resources to help you upgrade your work and photography gear:
Further Reading for Resources
Looking for more articles to help you with your travel, whether it be camera gear or clothing? Here is a collection of articles you might like:
- Ever wondered what a full-time travel blogger like myself carries in my camera bag? Check out: What's In My Camera Bag in 2025?
- For the best hybrid travel camera to buy, the Sony a7R V with its 61-megapixel sensor and video capabilities is hard to beat. Check out my review here: A Traveler's Review: The Sony a7R V Camera
- If you are looking for a secondary camera to vlog or help you with time-consuming processes like timelapse, you might want to check this out: A Traveler's Review: DJI Osmo Pocket 3.
- Looking for the very best travel full-frame camera to buy for your next trip? How about the Sony a7C, the smallest full-frame camera with EVF in the world! Check out my review: A Traveler's Review: The Sony a7C Camera
- Bought a new camera and not sure what camera accessories to buy? Check out: 14 BEST Sony Camera Accessories You Should Buy.
- Looking for a good-looking and functional camera strap to buy? You are going to love the Langly Tactical, Premium Leather, and Paracord camera straps. Check out my review here: A Traveler's Review: Langly Camera Straps.
- Want to start a YouTube channel and looking to buy new cameras for travel vlogging? Check out: 8 Best Cameras For Travel Vlogging to Buy.
- If you are looking for a great camera accessory to help improve your travel photography skills, check out: 14 BEST Sony Camera Accessories You Should Buy.
- GoPro is good and all, but did you know that there are many other GoPro alternatives that are better and cheaper? Here are the 8 Best GoPro Alternatives You Should Buy in 2025.
- For more travel drone options, be sure to check out the 8 Best Drones For Travel To Buy In 2025.
- For more resources like this, visit my Resources page.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.