What Kind of Camera Should I Bring on a Trip

As an amateur photographer who likes to travel, I am asked by many people what kind of camera should they take on a trip? My opinion has evolved over time. A couple of quick questions for the traveler usually dictates my response… what kind of vacation are you planning and what are your expectations for photographs?

If someone is going on a safari to see the great migration in Africa then will need a different camera set up from someone who is traveling with their family a Caribbean island. For the Africa trip, I would have to recommend you go with the best camera like a Canon EOS R5along with a series of lens. For the Caribbean trip, you do not need to go that way, you can explore a DSL Camera, GoPro and your Phone.

Here is my thought process. The photos for the trip to Africa will be a once in the lifetime trip and you will be on a safari which permits you to large and heavy camera equipment. Time to take advantage of this opportunity.

For most other trips, size, weight and quality of photos come into play. As an aside, if you are doing water sports (including snow), you need a totally waterproof camera and video which is why a GoPro is a nice to have addition to the options. It also does not take up a lot of room or weigh that much.

With the ever developing quality of the phone cameras, you can be in the position of taking relatively high quality photos with your phone and not sacrificing any additional space in your bag. I have used my camera phone exclusively on my last 5 trips and the photos are incredible. No complaints.

If you want the option to take a lighter and smaller camera, there are many options and I would suggest the Canon R10. It is small and weighs less than a pound (without the lens). The quality of the photos will be better than a phone camera especially at night, involving sports and a few other instances.

The real question for you is what kind of trade off do you want to make when you travel? Is the photo quality the most important concern or is it the convenience of carrying your phone?

As to the point and shoot cameras that are offered, I would recommend that you stay away from them. The quality difference between these cameras and the phone cameras are not that significant and there is a big difference between a DSLR camera and a point and shoot. This type of camera fails on both sides of the coin.

For anyone wondering, the convenience factor tends to win out on most trips for me. So absent a once in a lifetime trip, I would go with my phone camera and maybe bring the GoPro.