best travel camera for hawaii

• Tips & Tricks

The best camera gear to take on your Hawaii vacation – our picks for stunning Hawaii photos & videos

• 4 minute read

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Table of contents hide, panasonic lumix lx100 ii, dji mavic pro, google pixel phone.

It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. 😉

Actually, it’s not quite as tough as it used to be. Since our first visit to Hawaii in 2003, camera technology has come a long way. We started with a humble 2mpx compact camera and upgraded all the way up to a high-end DSLR. Recently, cameras have gotten so advanced (and so small), that I’m back down to a mirrorless camera as my main camera, supplemented by a GoPro and Mavic drone.

We are often asked what kind of cameras we recommend. I thought you might like to get an idea of what accompanies me on most trips, so you can decide if you, too, wish to get the most out of your vacation photos and videos.

The Panasonic Lumix LX100 II is my current camera of choice. I picked this up late last year after I decided that compact cameras had finally reached the amazing level of “old school” DSLRs. The Lumix LX100 II has been an awesome choice of camera. It’s so amazingly compact–as this photo next to a tin of Altoids clearly demonstrates:

Despite its portable size–perfect for travel–it has an amazingly fast medium-zoom lens and shoots stunning 4K video too! Pair it with a tripod and you’re all set! You’ll be able to capture many stunning images in Hawaii!

I bought my first one in 2013 and have upgraded three times since. They not only allow you to take action shots on land but let you capture some amazing underwater video footage too! The Hero7 is my current GoPro, and it’s one of the smallest ones yet. It, too, captures stunning 4K resolution video as well as amazing wide-angle photos. It has a tiny preview screen on the back, so there’s no guessing what’s in frame, and you can also stream it directly to your smartphone!

For those stunning underwater videos, I like to use this underwater telescopic pole :

Not only does it help you to get your GoPro closer to the reef, but it also floats–so you don’t have to worry about losing your GoPro to the ocean bed. 😉

Budget Option: If you don’t want to invest in a GoPro Hero5, then I would check out the AKASO EK7000 as a cheaper option.

It gets even better! It folds down to the size of a milk carton! How about that for a space-saver when you’re packing for Hawaii?

The Mavic Pro takes gorgeous 4K resolution video and thanks to its onboard gimbal, the movies are rock steady! It also takes some amazing photos too!

The Mavic Pro has also recently received many upgrades and additional versions. You can check them out here .

Budget Option: Honestly, don’t go too cheap when it comes to drones. You get what you pay for. With that said, I would stick with a DJI drone. This one is half the price of the Mavic .

Budget Option: Whatever camera phone you already own. Try it, and you’ll be surprised at how well it does!

When I get home, I transfer everything to my iMac and then use Adobe Lightroom for photo editing and the built-in iMovie software to create stunning videos like these:

What gear do you like to take? What questions can we answer for you?

Andy Beal provides the photos, videos, and technical support for Go Visit Hawaii--as well as the occasional post or two.

I’d come to rely exclusively on my iPhone for photos until late last year when I decided it was time to splurge on a Nikon D7200. I missed all the creative options and flexibility a SLR could provide and today’s digital SLRs are amazing. I have to admit the compact options you talk about here are very impressive.

You can certainly do a lot with an iPhone, but that D7200 is a great choice! Enjoy!

First off I must say you got some fantastic footage!!!! Did you use the Lumix G85 to shoot the lava at volcanos national park?? Amazing footage!! also where was the cave you where being guided though? Im planning my second trip to kona in august for a honeymoon. any adventure recommendations? last trip I went dolphin swimming, coral reef diving, and did an atv tour! this trip I plan on filming and taking a lot of pictures, I currently use a cannon T2i, Go pro hero 3+ ( is it worth upgrading to the 5?) and a dji phantom 3, I would love to know where you visited, the island is so large its hard to plan here

Hi Brandon,

Yes, I used the G85 for the close up lava footage. Here’s where you can walk through the lava tube – https://www.govisithawaii.com/2008/02/06/thurston-lava-tube-in-hawaii-volcanoes-national-park/

The HERO5 is very nice and the 4k option was worth the upgrade for me.

Here’s a list of all the great activities we’ve done on the Big Island – https://www.govisithawaii.com/category/big-island/big-island-activities/

Are you sure that’s not the Panasonic Lumix GX85? The G85 has a larger “dslr like” body.

Yes, good catch. We have updated it, thanks!

Great article and info. It’s been a couple of years since the original post – are you still using the same equipment? An update would be great. I’m going to Maui in a week!

We updated the post in January, but camera gear is always updating. The list is still worth considering, but if you have any questions, let me know in the comments.

Excellent article and information. It’s been a long time since the initial post – are you still utilising the same hardware? An overhaul would be extraordinary. I’m planning to go to Maui in a week!

I have not changed much since the last update. I switched back to an iPhone, but everything else is the same. Enjoy Maui!

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The Best Cameras for Hawaii

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I’ve narrowed it down to the best types of cameras for Hawaii and then to my top pick for each category. Th ere are so many different ways to do Hawaii, so pick and choose the camera gear that fits the type of vacation you’re planning.

Click on a camera category to skip ahead to that section:

A Camera Phone

Accessories

Mirrorless Camera

Which Lenses are right for you

Camera Backpack

A few quick tips…

You can rent, instead of buy. Camera equipment can be a big investment. Heads up, it might be cheaper to rent camera gear near you and bring it to Hawaii rather than renting it in Hawaii.

If you buy a new camera, GoPro, or drone, get familiar with it before you go. Some of these have a bit of a learning curve.

Be strategic about how much equipment to bring. Whether hiking the rainforest or walking through Waikiki, you’ll want to travel light.

A camera phone

Whichever one you already own. An iPhone, Google Pixel, or Samsung Galaxy are all great options for photography.

A little bit of everything — street photography, food, hiking, beach... It’s always there when you need it and easy to pull out of a pocket or backpack.

Photos and videos.

Situations with great natural lighting.

Quickly posting to social media.

Key features

Most (but maybe not all) smartphones today have the following which come in handy in Hawaii…

Compact and convenient.

Water Resistant. (Notice I said “water resistant” not “waterproof.”) Check your phone’s IP number. If it’s an IP68 or higher that means you should be fine if your phone gets splashed a little bit or falls in the pool for a second. But no phone is waterproof, so swimming with it isn’t a good idea.

Panoramas if you want to capture a wide expanse of rainforest or ocean.

Portrait Mode or Background Blur is great for travel portraits but also for food photography. (Nothing like a tropical cocktail with a blurred out background to say Aloha!)

Wide Angle or Ultra-Wide Angle Modes. You’ll want this for beach photos, crater hikes, etc. Basically anytime you want to make an expansive landscape look even more epic.

The Downside.

Camera phones don’t do great in low light, especially if you’re taking pictures of people who aren’t standing perfectly still. Things get blurry or grainy. Indoor photography can sometimes have the same issues, depending on the lighting.

They’re not waterproof. Yes, many are water resistant, but you don’t want to purposely get your phone wet (like by the pool or at the beach).

Taking lots of photos and videos drains your battery.

No optical zoom lens . Yes, you can enlarge photos by zooming in with your fingers but this is a digital zoom (not optical like with more professional cameras) so the quality goes down the more you zoom in.

Quality. If you’re just posting to social, then you’re good. But the sensors in a camera phone are much smaller than in higher end cameras (like a mirrorless). Bigger sensors can capture every little detail, which is great if you’re going to print your photos or look at them on a screen that’s bigger than your phone.

Worthwhile Accessories

Selfie Stick. Yes, selfie sticks feel super touristy. But if you’re on an epic hike, looking like a tourist is a small price to pay to capture the moment. Trying to take a selfie at the top of Koko Crater I would have killed for one. Instead, my pics barely fit us into the screen and definitely did not do justice to us being on top of a crater. This one has a remote and can double as a tripod.

Compact Phone Tripod: Great for hands free and wide angle photos. Just make sure whatever you get is compatible with your phone

Power Bank. Taking lots of photos and videos will drain your phone. An external charger is a must.

Waterproof phone pouch is great for the beach and kayaking. This one lets you still use the touchscreen on your phone, even while it’s in the case. They won’t be as crisp as taking pictures without it, but better than ruining your phone. At the very least, it’s good protection until you want to take your phone out.

An underwater phone case can turn your phone into an underwater camera.

If you really want to take your phone photography to the next level, Moment makes all kinds of camera phone lenses (wide angle, telephoto, macro, fisheye, etc.).

A couple camera phone tips:

Turn off your flash. It’s not flattering and overexposes everything.

Don’t use zoom. It’ll make things grainy and less crisp and clear. Just crop things after you take the photo.

What is it?

A super rugged and waterproof camera that’s mostly known for outdoor adventure (hiking, surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, you name it).

GoPro Hero 10 Black or you can pick up an older model ( GoPro Hero 9 Black or GoPro Hero 8 Black ) if you want to save some money. I’d opt for the sets that come with a case and extra batter.

If a GoPro is on your wishlist but the price tag is out of range, you can either rent one for your trip (and you may save money renting it at home instead of in Hawaii) or stay at a hotel that offers free GoPro rentals to guests, like Turtle Bay Resort or The Royal Hawaiian.

Action video and photography.

Outdoor adventure (hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing… )

Beach and pool. You don’t have to worry about sand or water.

Hands free footage. You can mount it to all sorts of things (kayaks, bikes, surfboards, even yourself)

Dramatic wide angles of the beach or from the top of a killer pillbox hike.

Interior and exterior moving-vehicle footage.

Timelapses.

It’s a pretty great family camera in Hawaii because you don’t have to worry about sand or getting splashed.

Super compact and lightweight.

Rugged and durable.

Waterproof and shockproof.

Quik App lets you see the images on your phone right away and share immediately

You can choose from narrow view (a little more cropped) all the way to Superwide for those sweeping views.

Continuous shooting.

Single and burst photo options.

Shoot in RAW or JPEG.

Video stabilization.

Schedule capture lets you set a time to record. So you can set it up, go to bed, and it’ll catch the sunrise for you.

Can use your phone as a remote to control it.

GoPro Subscription will back everything up for you without you having to do anything.

It’s designed for video first, camera second (but I use it for both). It still takes cool photos, but the functionality is optimized for video. For example, I ended up using the timer to take selfies using an extender.

There’s a small learning curve. Definitely break it out of the box before your trip to get familiar with it. It’s not hard. It just takes a little practice to get used to it.

Not great for low light. It’s ok, but not great.

Battery life isn’t great (especially if you’re taking lots of video). Definitely have a backup battery on hand.

Can’t zoom or adjust aperture.

I’d get the bundle that comes with the case, 2 batteries, and a memory card.

A case so you can keep things together when you throw it in your backpack.

An extra battery or two and a charger (so you don’t have to charge it in the camera).

Micro SD card. It doesn’t hurt to have an extra one if you don’t think you’ll be able to backup and delete your photos and videos each day.

Selfie stick / extender to get epic video and photo selfies. (Tip: for photo selfies on an extender, you’ll have to set the timer for a few seconds and then extend the camera out for the shot.) I got the Shorty, which was great because I could fit it in my fanny pack when I was traveling light, but I kind of wish I’d gotten a longer one, like the MAX Grip + Tripod to fit more in the picture. Both double as a tripod which comes in handy if you want to shoot timelapses. If you’re going to spend lots of time in the water, the floating extender comes in handy.

Mounts. You can buy a mount for just about anything ( surfboard , a car hood , yourself , your dog … you name it.)

Underwater Lens Filter Kit: 3 different lenses that snap onto the GoPro lens to make underwater blues and greens more vibrant. Great for snorkeling and scuba diving.

If your phone camera is the most basic camera option and the next step up is a point and shoot camera, DSLRs and Mirrorless Cameras are the next rung up. It’s like a DSLR in that you can swap out lenses and the photo quality is insane, but I prefer it over the DSLR because it’s smaller and lighter which is a huge bonus when you’re traveling. DSLRs used to be the way to go, but now mirrorless cameras have caught up in image quality, sensors, and speed. And mirrorless cameras are better for video than DSLRs.

Sony a7 IV is the cream of the crop. Sony a7 III if you want to save some cash. Both are amazing cameras and if you’re not a professional, the Sony a7 III has everything you need for about $500 less. (Pay attention when you’re buying your camera. You can get them with a kit lens which is a good starter lens or with no lens at all and then you buy the lenses you want. So when you see price variations, that’s usually why.)

Amateurs and pros alike. You can set everything to fully automatic or do everything on manual. You can use a kit lens (a basic starter lens that zooms in and out and can get the job done for most people) or invest in all kinds of specialty lenses for really specific situations.

Photo and video.

Way too many photo and video features to list them all here, but here are some of our favorites….

Full frame. That means it has a larger sensor and won’t crop the edge of your photo. Basically, you can fit more of what you’re seeing into the frame, without backing up. The bigger sensor also delivers more detail and resolution, sharper low light photos, and it does a better job creating a bokeh effect (where the background is blurred for portrait or food photography).

Smaller and lighter than DSLRs and won’t take up too much space in your luggage or backpack.

Sony’s Edge Mobile app lets you transfer images directly to your phone from your camera.

You choose whether to do things fully automatic or manually adjust aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc.

Scene selection modes automatically optimize things for the type of photo you’re taking — portrait, landscape, night, action, and even sunset or animal.

Interchangeable lenses. You can swap out lenses for different scenarios. Wide angle for sweeping landscapes, macro for food photography, and so on. (Skip ahead to Extra Lenses to see our recommendations.)

Excellent image quality and autofocus.

4k HDR video. There’s even livestreaming (with USB cord) for vloggers.

Subject Tracking lets you lock the focus on something and keep it in focus, even if it’s moving around — like a surfer or your kid playing in the sand.

Burst Mode lets you take a bunch of photos in rapid succession. This is great for action shots (when things are happening really quickly), but also portraits (when it’s easy to miss an expression). Basically you capture several photos of the same thing, one right after the other, and then have a better chance of getting the perfect shot.

It’s fast. Especially if you’re used to shooting with your phone or a point and shoot.

Timelapse is cool for capturing cityscapes, clouds moving overhead, sunsets, and more.

It has an Electronic Viewfinder (instead of an optical one). The benefit here is that it will display what you’re looking at the way the photo is going to turn out (taking into consideration lighting, shutter speed, etc) rather than just what you would see with your naked eye (like with an optical viewfinder). So you can tell right away if you need to make adjustments, even before you take the photo.

Shoot in RAW or JPEG

The Sony Imaging Edge app lets you control the camera remotely, from your phone.

These cameras don’t come cheap. You get a lot for your money, but it’s quite an investment, especially if you start buying additional lenses. DSLRs tend to be less expensive than mirrorless and are a great option if you want to save some money.

Battery life is a little less than a DSLR because it’s got to power the sensor and LCD display, viewfinder, but it’s not bad. You can carry an extra battery if you think you’ll be shooting a lot.

Not waterproof. They’re not ideal for wet conditions and you’ll have to be careful around the pool and beach. When it comes to snorkeling or taking a camera into the water, a GoPro is better equipped.

Extra Battery and a Battery Charger. The Sony A7 IV and the Sony A& III both take a NP-FZ100 battery. The camera comes with a cord to charge your battery, but it attaches to the camera itself, so you can’t use the camera while you’re charging your battery. This charger can plug into a USB so you can charge it in the car or with an external charger when you’re on the go too.

Memory Card. You may want an extra one on hand if you’re shooting a lot of videos or can’t upload your photos every night to free up space.

A Circular Polarizing Filter is a must for Hawaii. It gives you deeper, more vibrant colors. You can either remove or emphasize reflections. Take the glare off the water or show the sky and clouds reflecting in it. Make the jungle greens look more green by reducing the glare from wet leaves. You just rotate the filter until you get the look you want. If you’re photographing the ocean or the forest, you’ll want this. (Heads up that the lens reduces the amount of light coming through, so you’ll either have to increase your shutter speed or your ISO.) Here’s a guide to filter sizes for different Sony lenses.

Natural Density FIlter (ND) is good for shooting moving water in bright light or for long exposure sunsets. It reduces the amount of light coming in so you can get away with a longer shutter speed. Here’s a guide to filter sizes for different Sony lenses.

A tripod comes in handy if you’re taking any longer exposures like with waterfalls or dramatic sunsets. This one does everything you could ever want and also folds up nice and compact. This one is more affordable and portable and can work with your phone too.

Zeiss Pre-Moistened Lens Wipes are good for cleaning your camera and lenses (or phone and glasses for that matter), especially when it’s humid. After wiping them down with the wipes to get rid of any dust, you can go over it with a microfiber cloth to make sure there are no smudges.

Extra lenses

These deserved their own section. Lenses can be swapped out for different types of photography.

A quick lens crash course:

You can buy your mirrorless camera with a kit lens, which is a great starting point. It’s a 28-70mm lens that can zoom in and out. This will let you do a little bit of everything.

If you have a full frame camera, you need a full frame lens. For the Sony a7 IV or Sony a7 III, look for FE (Full-frame E-mount). An E lens, on the other hand, is compatible with Sony cameras, but not with the full-frame ones.

Prime lenses can’t be zoomed in and out. You need a zoom lens for that. Photographers like prime lenses because the image quality is even better. The downside of course is that you’re limited to one focal length, so you may need multiple lenses, whereas a zoom lens might be a little more versatile.

The lower the mm lens number, the wider it can go (think expansive landscapes where you want to fit a lot into the frame). The higher the mm, the more zoomed in it can get (like getting the close up of a bird that’s perched on a far away tree).

The smaller the mm, the smaller the size of the lens.

It’s insane (and a little overwhelming) just how many different types of lenses there are, so I narrowed it down to the ones I think are the best for travel.

50mm f/1.8 for portraits and food, but can also hold its own with landscapes and street photography.

It’s a fantastic portrait lens.

It’s small and light, so it’s a great travel lens

It can give you that bokeh effect (with the blurred out background).

It’s not a wide-angle, but you can use it for tighter landscape photos. It’ll crop out some of the scene, so you’ll just have to be more selective about what your’e shooting.

It might start to feel a little cramped in tight indoor spaces where you can’t get a little space between you and your subject.

Works well in low light, so it’s great for indoor photos, like restaurants.

35mm f/2.8 for portraits and street photography, but can also be used for landscapes and architecture. An alternative to a 50mm.

Good for intimate portraits.

While the 50mm does a great bokeh effect (blurred background), the 35mm keeps more of the background in focus.

Better for landscape and architecture than a 50mm because you can fit more in the frame. But it’s still not a wide angle lens so you won’t get as an expansive a shot as you would with a smaller mm.

Easier to use indoors than the 50mm because it’s a little less zoomed in. You can fit a little more in the frame without having to back up.

Very small and lightweight.

Good for low light.

24-70mm f/2.8 — A medium zoom lens that’s great for landscapes and architecture, but also good for portraits and macro photography (food, plants, etc.)

A great lens for rainforest hikes and expansive beaches where you want a wider angle (aka more epic) shot.

It’s a good portrait lens too.

There are lenses that are even wider (meaning they can fit even more of a landscape into the frame), but I like that this one is more versatile. You can still use it for portraits or to zoom in on far away objects. It’s a little wider than your kit lens.

A great walk around lens. One you can throw onto your camera at the beginning of a trip and not need to swap it out. If you’re only going to take one lens with you, this is a versatile one.

70-200mm f/4 — A telephoto lens that’s great for wildlife, sports, and events, but also works for portrait and landscape.

This is a good one to rent. It’s a bulky lens, so you’re not going to leave it on your camera for the whole trip, but it’s great for getting those far off shots.

It’s a telephoto lens so it’s meant to bring you closer to the action. There are lenses that can get you even more zoomed in, but they’re even pricier.

This is the lens for when you want to focus on something far off — like surfers or whales.

It’s a great portrait lens, but keep in mind that you’ll have to back up a bit from your subject. I wouldn’t buy it specifically for portraits, but it’s a nice bonus.

It puts some space between you and your subjects. You won’t be as close up as you would with a 50mm or 35mm.

It can work for landscape, but keep in mind that you won’t get the super wide angle, sweeping views. They’ll just be a little more cropped and zoomed in.

A drone is like a flying robot that you can control with a remote and take pictures and videos from the sky.

DJI Mini 2. It’s great for beginners as well as experienced photographers and videographers. It’s light enough that you don’t have to register it with the FAA (although for Hawaii, you’ll still have to register it with the FAA). It’s inexpensive by drone standards. If you’ve got a bigger budget, get the DJI Mavic Air. It’s got obstacle avoidance and sharper 48-megapixel images (vs. Mini 2’s 12-megapixel, which is still great). But know that it weighs more so you’ll have to register it with the FAA no matter where you use it in the US.

Epic aerial photos and videos. Perfect for places like Kaneohe Sandbar and Halona Beach Cove which are pretty from the ground, but breathtaking from the sky.

Compact and lightweight.

RAW images and JPEG.

Level 5 Wind Resistance means it can stay stable with winds of 19-24mph. (If you see small trees swaying, this is probably in this range.)

Still Photo Modes include panorama, sphere, 180°, and Wide-angle.

Beginner friendly Quickshot Modes take videos in different patterns for you. Rocket Mode flies straight up into the air, pointing the camera at a subject that you selected. Helix flies upward and then gradually spirals around your subject. Circle circles around your subject. Boomerang cuts an oval path back and forth around your subject. Dronie basically takes a selfie as the drone flies up and away.

Smart Return to Home brings your drone back to you.

QuickTransfer lets you download 4k videos faster.

Trimmed Download lets you select a smaller segment of footage to download. Great if you want to share something from your phone right away.

Your phone mounts to the top of the controller.

Battery lasts for about 30 minutes of flight.

No obstacle avoidance sensors. These sense obstacles and avoid collisions during drone flights.

Less automatic flight modes than other drones (like the DJI Mavic).

SD Cards. The 64 GB Samsung Pro Endurance , 128 GB Samsung Evo Plus , or 256 GB SanDisk Extreme V30 A2 are all good options.

Extra batteries. A battery gets about 30 min of flight out of it. ( DJI Mini 2 battery / DJI Mavic Air 2 battery )

Charging Hub with a USB-C port can be powered by an external battery pack. ( DJI Mini 2 charging hub / DJI Mavic Air 2 charging hub )

Good to know…

Get familiar with the drone laws in Hawaii.

Federal law requires all recreational and commercial drones in Hawaii must be registered with the FAA and affix the FAA drone registration number to your drone before you fly it.

Drones are not allowed in Hawaii state parks.

Always check whether drones are allowed. Some places, like Byodo-In Temple do not allow aerial photography.

Polaroid Camera

There are a few to choose from but I like the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11. The Instax film is cheaper to buy than the larger Polaroid film. Plus they come in fun colors. It’s pretty compact and can easily fit in your travel backpack.

Instant souvenirs to bring home.

Travel journaling.

Natural light and golden hour.

So easy to use.

Instax film comes in all kinds of colors and prints.

Selfie Mirror helps you see what you look like.

Inexpensive.

A flash for indoors or dim lighting.

Be careful around sand. It’s totally fine to take it to the beach but make sure you don’t get any sand around the lens or in the camera.

It’s sensitive to heat. You can still have lots of fun with it in Hawaii, but just be aware of how hot it is. Instax does better with heat than other Polaroids, but if it’s getting into the 90s or 100s, you should put it away.

This won’t be your sole camera. It’s more just for fun.

Film can get overexposed in bright lights.

Film in fun colors and prints.

Extra AA batteries.

A sharpie if you want to write or draw on your polaroids.

This is definitely not a “need to have” in Hawaii. It’s purely a “fun to have.”

No matter what, you want to be able to get to your camera quickly. Ideally your bag has a side pocket so you can reach in and grab it.

It should have inserts and dividers to protect your camera inside the bag. Usually you can reconfigure the dividers to fit your gear.

I like padded shoulder straps for comfort.

Best for hanging out in the city.

It doesn’t look like a camera bag. It’s a total city backpack.

The bottom half is for your camera and top half for everything else. You can fit an extra set of clothes and accessories in the main compartment.

Easy access to camera from front and side zippers.

Hidden passport pocket that’s hard to pickpocket.

Tripod holder strap on outside.

A laptop pocket fits a 16” laptop.

It comes in a bunch of different colors.

McKinnon Cube Pack 21L

Great for hiking or outdoor adventure.

Photographers freak out about this bag because it was designed by photographer Peter McKinnon.

It’s actually a cube that can be thrown in another bag or you can unzip the cube and expand it into a day bag.

Customizable dividers.

Durable and Water resistant.

PRVKE Travel Camera Backpack 21L (It comes in a 31L too.)

Removable camera cubes with adjustable dividers. You can choose how much space to use for camera gear and how much for clothes, snacks, sunscreen, etc.

Rolltop expands to give you 5 extra liters of space if you need it.

Water resistant.

Side access gets you to your camera fast.

Fleece lined tech pocket for your sunglasses, phone and other quick-access items.

Padded back panel and straps for comfort.

Hidden Passport Pocket and key clip

Laptop / tablet compartment.

SD card organization built in.

Water bottle / Tripod pocket.

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Which Camera and Lenses to Take to Hawaii?

When you’re going on vacation, you want to capture the very essence of the place you’re visiting. You want to preserve the moments in the highest quality possible. You don’t want the camera to get in the way of preserving the moment though. If you’re not a professional photographer, skip the Nikon D4s or D5! They are too much camera for you. You’re not going to want to carry a beast of a camera like that on your Hawaii vacation.

I recommend as the Ultimate Camera to Carry to Hawaii on Your Vacation:

Camera: Nikon D610

That’s the one. It is full-frame – meaning, it will give you the largest image possible, and it has 24 MP resolution. The images it produces at the highest resolution are between 20 and 30 MB in size. The images are incredibly detailed. You don’t need anything better, and because this camera is not brand new, you won’t pay the insane price I did – around $2,300 USD. Today you can find them on Amazon or B&H Photo, much cheaper. Have a look at Amazon >

I’ve been using the Nikon D610 full-frame (FX) camera for about a year now. I haven’t been disappointed with anything about it. You can take around 1,000 images with one full-charge of the battery. It has modes for all kinds of ‘dummy’ shooting – night, sports, macro, food, etc. Everything you might need if you are not sure how to set a camera manually as you traipse Hawaii’s incredible landscapes, shopping, sunset, beaches, and restaurants plus a lot more.

This camera is solid as a rock. It shoots 1080p video – giving you 1920 x 1080 resolution video which is mind-blowing, especially the blacks in the dark. There is very little difference between this camera and the top of the line Nikon in this regard. The Nikon D610 handles the blacks VERY well.

First off, consider buying some Tokina lenses for your Hawaii trip instead of all Nikon brand. In doing so, you’ll save yourself half off the price of Nikon’s overpriced and lackluster lenses. Because Nikon is who they are, they overprice their lenses to a very high degree. That said, there are still two of their lenses you should buy. More about that in a minute.

Pro quality Tokina lenses are equal or BETTER quality than Nikon lenses. You’re not paying for the name – Nikon – you’re paying for the lens build quality. Tokina is a world class company with lenses that blow the major camera manufacturers out of the water when it comes to lenses. Buy them when it makes sense and you want better build quality over cheap plastic!

Tokina SD 17-35 F/4.0 (IF) FX (AT-X PRO) Lens

This lens is absolutely amazing, and covers all your wide-angle needs with precision. This lens auto-focuses on the Nikon D610 and the metering works perfectly. The lens build is like a TANK. It’s solid as a rock. It outweighs it’s Nikon equivalent by a substantial amount. The difference between this Tokina lens and its Nikon equivalent is a WORLD of difference. There is no comparison. And, get this – you can add filters to this lens! I even use a B+W KSM nano-coated $300 circular polarizer on this lens and it works perfectly. The photos are breathtaking. HIGHLY recommended. If you’re visiting Hawaii, you need to have a camera that will melt minds. Hawaii’s landscape is Top 10 WORLDWIDE. Give it the equipment it deserves!

Some places you can go on Oahu to take photos with this lens: Makapu’u Beach, North Shore, Kaena Point, and inside any building, restaurant, mall, etc. because you can include the entire room in one shot.

This lens is just around $500 USD. I bought mine in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It has been flawless for a year. It will last twenty years if taken care of. It’s that solid.

Nikon 50 mm F/1.8 Lens

This lens is amazing, and it gets incredible reviews time after time, so, save yourself some money and grab one as soon as you see it. It’s lightweight and focuses VERY fast. You can’t beat it, so why try?

Tokina Macro 100 mm F/2.8 D (AT-X PRO)

This lens is my baby! If you haven’t shot with a true macro lens giving 1:1 size ration (true-life) then you haven’t lived. When you start exploring Hawaii, you’ll see that there are so many plants and small things to take photos of, you don’t want to miss anything. This lens adds lovely bokeh (blurring of background) and the same build quality of the wide angle lens mentioned above.

The elements of this lens sit back inside the cylinder, well protected from the elements or an easy drop.

This lens is also built like a solid tank. MUCH more solid than Nikon’s equivalent zoom, but without the vibration reduction the Nikon has, which is definitely nice to have.

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED Vibration Reduction Zoom Lens

This zoom by Nikon is super-inexpensive, and built well enough to withstand more than the average knocks. I bought mine for $400, and I see in Amazon, that’s what they’re going for now. Lenses don’t change in price much. That, and they don’t depreciate much when they’re in good shape, so think about that when you buy them.

This is a “G” lens, which means on an FX camera like you’re going to use it, you get 1.5x multiplication factor at all zoom lengths. So, 55 mm – wide open with this lens really means you’re shooting at around 83 mm. When you’re zoomed in at 300 mm on the lens, in reality it is 450 mm! You get a nice boost for the zoom. This is great for far away Hawaii subjects like birds, lizards, wild pigs, shooting boats from the top of volcanos, or whatever it is you’re shooting from far away while in the Hawaiian Islands.

Ok, let’s say you don’t want to carry six pounds of camera equipment. Which camera should you take?

What Is the Best Ultra-Portable Camera for Hawaii?

Since a vacation in Hawaii means you’ll probably be spending a lot of time in the water, why not get a waterproof camera? Every so often DPReview.com reviews the top waterproof and shockproof cameras on the market. Consistently these two brands come out on top.

NIKON AW130 and OLYMPUS TG-4

The latest iterations of these top brand waterproof cameras give waterproofing, shock-proofing, dust sealed. They have wide angle to zoom lenses built in. They are very small and don’t weigh more than 250 g. each (1/2 lb.). They can shoot 5-7 frames per second in auto mode. Batteries last for 370 shots. The flash is strong enough for night time shots close-up. Video max is 1080p with stereo microphones.

I have an older version of the Nikon AW130 called the AW100. I bought it four years ago. It has held up to remarkable stress over the years, and this new AW130 is even stronger and will hold up better.

Choose either one of these cameras – use this side-by-side comparison to help you make the choice.

So, there are my recommendations for cameras to take to Hawaii with you. If you don’t want to buy a new camera, at least make sure you bring one that is going to work for your trip. I think unless you’re a serious photographer, you might stick with one of the amazing waterproof cameras mentioned.

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Notable Mentions

Recent updates, all reviews, the 6 best travel cameras - spring 2024 reviews.

A good camera can be an indispensable travel companion, letting you capture your adventures abroad to share with friends and family. For many, the best choice for traveling will be the camera you've already got in your pocket—your smartphone. If you want to step up your photography game, however, there are plenty of great options out there. While it can be hard to narrow them down, it's important to consider things like portability, battery life, build quality, your own ergonomic preferences, and, most importantly, your budget.

We've bought over 100 cameras, and below, you'll find the best cameras for travel photography that we've tested in our lab. If you're specifically looking for a point-and-shoot camera, check out the best compact cameras for travel  instead. Or, if you're interested in capturing beautiful landscapes on your travels, the  best cameras for landscape photography might also be of interest. Travel vloggers can also look at our top vlogging picks .

Best Camera For Travel

The OM SYSTEM OM-5 is one of the best travel cameras you can get. As part of the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system, it offers a good combination of portability, ruggedness, and image quality. Though it isn't as heavy-duty as higher-end models like the OM SYSTEM OM-1 or the older Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III , it has a more compact body that makes it better for travel. Plus, it's compatible with a wide selection of portable MFT lenses that will keep the overall size of your kit down.

Beyond its compact size, the camera feels well-built, with weather-sealing for added peace of mind in adverse weather conditions. It also has an excellent five-axis in-body image stabilization (IBIS) system, which can reduce camera shake in travel vlogs or help you shoot at slower shutter speeds without a tripod. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the longest battery life, so you might have to buy a spare battery for long days on the go, but if you're looking for something small and mighty, this is an excellent travel camera for the price. If you want to save even more money, the older Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III is nearly identical and can be found for less if you buy used, though it uses an older processor and lacks some extra features like 'Live ND' mode.

See our review

Best Full Frame Camera For Travel

The Sony α7C II is the best camera for travel photography if you care about image quality. It's one of the most compact full-frame bodies on the market, proving that you don't need to sacrifice image quality for portability. While it's the largest option on this list, and full-frame lenses will inevitably take up more space, it's impressive how compact Sony made this camera while including features like IBIS and a fully articulated screen.

The α7C II's high-resolution full-frame sensor performs well in low-light environments and has plenty of dynamic range to capture a wide array of detail. The camera has a fantastic battery life and a sturdy, weather-sealed body. That said, its ergonomics leave a little to be desired, particularly when shooting through its small viewfinder. If you want to save a bit of money, check out the original  Sony α7C . The new model is more well-rounded, with better video features and a higher-resolution sensor, but the original is still excellent and costs less.

Best Mid-Range Camera For Travel

If you can do without IBIS and want something a bit more affordable, the Fujifilm X-T30 II is a great mid-range option. It uses an APS-C sensor and has a portable, lightweight body that's ideal for traveling. While it lacks more premium features like weather-sealing and advanced video specs, it's still a relatively sturdy camera, and its dedicated exposure dials give you more hands-on control over exposure settings on the fly.

Aside from having a portable exterior, the  X-T30 II  uses a high-resolution crop sensor that delivers excellent image quality straight out of the camera. Film simulation profiles make the camera a blast to shoot with and make it easy to change up the look of your photos without having to do any post-processing. On top of that, it has a decent autofocus system and a relatively long-lasting battery, making this an excellent travel camera for the price.

Best Budget Camera For Travel

If you're on a tighter budget, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is a great choice that offers a lot of value. Like the higher-end OM SYSTEM OM-5 above, it uses an MFT sensor, making for a remarkably portable camera kit with plenty of lightweight and affordable lens options. It's also a great choice for beginners, thanks to simple controls and easy-to-use creative shooting modes.

This is one of the few budget cameras to feature IBIS, so it's a good choice if you also like to shoot vlogs or videos on the side. IBIS is also helpful in low light, letting you shoot at slower shutter speeds without a tripod. However, this is still an entry-level model, so it doesn't have the greatest build quality. Its autofocus system can also be sluggish with faster subjects. If you'd prefer a camera with a more reliable autofocus system, the Canon EOS R50 is an amazing alternative and is even a bit cheaper. However, its lens options are more limited, and it's less portable overall.

Best Point-And-Shoot Camera For Travel

A premium point-and-shoot is the way to go if you need something compact but more capable than your smartphone camera. The Sony RX100 VII has been going strong for several iterations, and for good reason. This latest model uses a stacked 1-inch sensor, so image quality is very solid for its class. It's also a remarkably portable camera, so you can bring it with you wherever your travels take you, and its built-in lens has a fairly long zoom range that's great for travel snapshots of everything from landscapes to far-away subjects.

Be aware that compact cameras like this have a limited battery life, though you can always bring a spare battery or a portable battery pack to charge it on the go. The RICOH GR III is a great alternative if you want something more minimalist. It doesn't have a viewfinder, and its fixed focal length lens is less versatile than the zoom lens on the Sony. However, it has a larger APS-C sensor that delivers excellent image quality and is better suited to low-light situations. On the other hand, if you're looking for something cheaper, you can still find older generations of the RX100 on eBay and other used camera retailers.

Best Vlogging Camera For Travel

The Sony ZV-1 is a great point-and-shoot if you prefer to vlog about your travels rather than photograph them. Like the  Sony RX100 VII above, it uses a 1-inch type sensor, performing similarly when it comes to image quality and autofocus, but it has a different design, with no viewfinder and a shorter zoom range. On the flip side, it also has a fully articulated screen that makes it easy to monitor yourself while vlogging, as well as a better built-in mic, complete with a detachable windscreen to cut down on wind noise.

If you prefer a wider-angle field of view, consider getting the newer Sony ZV-1 II , which has an updated lens meant to facilitate vlogging. It performs similarly otherwise, but Sony also removed optical stabilization, and it's a bit pricier, so the original ZV-1 is a better deal overall for most travel vloggers and one of the best video cameras for travel if you need something compact.

• Fujifilm X100V: The Fujifilm X100V is a large-sensor point-and-shoot camera. It isn't nearly as portable as the Sony RX100 VII, and its fixed focal length isn't as versatile as the Sony camera's zoom lens. However, it's still relatively compact, and its larger sensor captures higher-quality images if that's a priority. Just be aware that stock shortages have made it difficult to find, and the manufacturer has since replaced it with the Fujifilm X100VI. See our review
• Nikon Z f: The Nikon Z f is an excellent full-frame option for travel, particularly if you like vintage-style cameras. It has a retro-inspired and relatively portable design, but it isn't as compact as the Sony α7C II. See our review
• Sony ZV-E1: The Sony ZV-E1 is a full-frame camera that's even more compact than the Sony α7C II. It's a great choice for high-quality travel videos, with a sensor optimized for low light. However, it lacks a viewfinder and is generally less versatile for photographers and hybrid shooters. See our review

Apr 10, 2024: We've replaced the Sony α7C with the Sony α7C II because it's more widely available and offers some advantages for video work. We also removed the Sony ZV-1 from the Notable Mentions, making it the 'Best Vlogging Camera For Travel.' Finally, we added the Nikon Z f to the Notable Mentions.

Mar 13, 2024: We've removed the 'Best Action Camera For Travel' since we've temporarily paused buying and testing action cameras.

Feb 15, 2024: Minor tweaks to text to ensure article is relevant to the current state of the market.

Jan 19, 2024: Replaced the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III with the OM SYSTEM OM-5 in the top spot, because it has better availability and performs very similarly.

Dec 21, 2023: Added mention of the OM SYSTEM OM-5 as an alternative to the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III.

Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the top travel cameras for most people, according to their needs. We factor in the price, feedback from our visitors, and availability (no cameras that are difficult to find or almost out of stock in the U.S.).

If you'd like to choose for yourself, here's the list of all of our camera reviews, ranked by their suitability for travel photography. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. There is no single perfect camera. Personal taste, preference, and shooting habits will matter more in your selection.

The best travel camera for 2024: the finest choices for your adventures

The best travel cameras for your next big trip

• Best overall
• Best-looking
• Best action cam
• Best tough camera
• Best premium compact
• Best small full-frame
• Best hybrid vlogger

Best for moving subjects

• Best superzoom

How to choose

• How we test

1. The list in brief 2. Best for most people 3. Best value 4. Best-looking 5. Best action 6. Best tough 7. Best premium compact 8. Best small full-frame 9. Best hybrid travel vlogger 10. Best for moving subjects 11. Best superzoom bridge 12. How to choose 13. How we test

Road trip or flyaway vacation, the best travel cameras let you capture incredible images of your holiday adventures. From action cameras to compact mirrorless models, we've extensively reviewed the top travel-friendly cameras and rounded up our recommendations in the expert guide below. Whatever your itinerary, this is list is your ticket to the ideal travel camera.

Based on our tests, we think the best travel camera overall is the OM System OM-5. A portable, weatherproof Micro Four Thirds model, it shoots higher quality images than a smartphone while offering the useful flexibility of interchangeable lenses.

Whatever your expectations and budget, you'll find a travel camera to fit the bill below. Our list includes some of the best mirrorless cameras , as well as some of the top compact cameras . Our expert reviewers have spent many hours testing the best options, using them in the real world to assess how well they perform when traveling. You'll find the results distilled in the list below, together with buying advice to consider when choosing a travel camera.

Tim is TechRadar's Cameras editor, with over 15 years in the photo video industry and most of those in the world of tech journalism, Tim has developed a deeply technical knowledge and practical experience with all things camera related. He’s also worked in video production with clients including Canon, and volunteers his spare time to consult a non-profit, diverse stories team based in Nairobi.

The quick list

If you don’t have time to read our full list of the best travel cameras, you can read the round-up below for a shortcut to the top options for your needs and budget. If you find one that takes your fancy, use the links to jump to our full write-up.

The best travel camera overall

Squeezing a host of features into a compact, weatherproof body that’s compatible with a range of lenses, the OM-5 is the ideal travel camera.

Read more below

The best value travel camera

With a large 1-inch sensor and useful 15x optical zoom, the Panasonic TZ200 puts smartphone-beating performance in your pocket.

The best-looking travel camera

Don’t be fooled by its lovely retro looks: the Nikon Z fc is every bit the modern travel camera, with a useful touchscreen and top image quality.

The best action camera for travel

The GoPro Hero 12 Black is the best all-round action camera available ideal for capturing your adrenaline-filled travels, with 8:9 sensor ideal for sharing travel videos to social.

The best tough travel camera

For rough and tumble travels you'll want a tough camera and they don't come much better than the OM System Tough TG-7.

The best premium compact

With a large sensor, fixed 23mm focal length, small form factor, retro design and film simulations, the X100VI is a powerful tool for street photography and documenting your travels.

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The best small full-frame camera

Combining a small form factor with a high-res 61MP sensor and fantastic autofocus, the Sony A7C R is the best full-frame camera for travel photography.

The best hybrid for travel vlogging

A capable sensor and automated settings, including a Vlogging mode, make the Fujifilm X-S20 an accessible tool for stills and video on the go.

The best for moving subjects

The compact A6700 uses AI-powered autofocus to reliably snap on to animals, insects, cars and more. The Fuji X-S20 is better for video, though.

The best superzoom camera

Even with a 1-inch sensor, the Sony RX10 IV delivers sharp stills and video, with the added versatility of a generous 24-600mm zoom range.

The best travel cameras in 2024

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the best travel cameras in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.

1. OM System OM-5

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

✅ You want a robust travel camera: Light enough to travel with but tough enough to deal with bad weather, the OM-5 is a ruggedly dependable camera. ✅ You shoot handheld a lot: The OM-5 has excellent image stabilization for stills, meaning you can cross a tripod off your packing list.

❌ You want the best image quality: Its Micro Four Thirds sensor is decent enough, but some rivals offer more pixels and better low light performance. ❌ You have large hands: Handling is surprisingly good for a small camera, but the grip is not very deep, especially for those with bigger hands.

The OM-5 is only a relatively minor update of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III , but its combination of talents make it an ideal travel camera in our book – particularly if you want the flexibility of interchangeable lenses. It shoehorns a lot of features into a compact, weatherproof body that's compatible with a wealth of equally small lenses. Most of its skills, including excellent in-body image stabilization and computational photography modes, are also designed with travelers and adventurers in mind.

Our tests found that the OM-5 delivers excellent video and stills quality for its size, helped by a stabilization system (good for 6.5-stops of compensation) that gives you a high hit-rate of keepers. We also enjoyed the high-quality feel of the camera's dials, as well as in-camera software tricks, like Live ND and in-camera focus stacking, which are ideal for macro shots or blurring skies for an ethereal effect. Less good are the fairly average EVF resolution, 4K /30p limit for video and relative limitations of its smaller sensor, but these are all acceptable trade-offs considering this camera's size and price.

Read our in-depth OM System OM-5 review

• ^ Back to the top

The best-value travel camera

2. Panasonic Lumix ZS200 / TZ200

✅ You want an all-in-one compact: You can’t beat the TZ200 for portability, but it’s also a feature-packed option with a useful zoom range and 1.0-inch sensor. ✅ You want a large zoom range: At 15x optical zoom, the TZ200 offers the versatility to shoot all sorts of subjects on your travels.

❌ You like an ergonomic grip: The Lumix TZ200 has plenty of manual controls on the metal body, but there’s not much of a grip to get your fingers around. ❌ You want a cheap camera: Its generous feature set makes the TZ200 excellent value, but its still pretty pricey for a premium compact.

With smartphones now raising the bar for point-and-shoot photography, compact cameras have to offer something special to justify their place in your travel bag. The ZS200 / TZ200 does that with its large 1-inch sensor and versatile 15x optical zoom. It might be towards the upper end of the compact camera market, but Panasonic 's travel zoom continues to offer great value.

Its large 1in sensor produces better natural image quality than most smartphones, despite the latter's advances in multi-frame processing. Our tests found colors to be nice and punchy, with the dynamic range allowing you to recover lost shadow detail with post-processing if needed. Even at 24mm, vignetting and distortion is nicely controlled. There's also a handy built-in electronic viewfinder, which makes it easier to compose images in bright light. It's still quite pricey, but this is still the best travel zoom compact camera available right now.

Read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix ZS200 / TZ200 review

3. Nikon Z fc

✅ You care about camera design: From the retro dials to the circular viewfinder, the Nikon Z fc channels classic style to fantastic effect. ✅ You like manual exposure control: Dedicated dials for ISO, shutter speed and exposure, complemented by a lens control ring, give excellent manual control.

❌ You need a wide choice of lenses: There are only a handful of Z-series kit lenses designed for the APS-C format, limiting your options for expansion. ❌ You want a rugged camera: Although it looks like the sturdy FM2, the Z fc isn’t weather-sealed, so it’s not one to take on rainy adventures.

Travel photography is all about capturing memories and Nikon’s Z fc fully embraces the concept of nostalgia: it’s a stunning homage to the 30-year-old Nikon FM2 – complete with retro styling, dimensions and dials. Despite the throwback design, it’s a very modern camera inside, sharing many of its specs with the capable Nikon Z50. While some photographers might wish for a full-frame sensor, the Z fc’s APS-C number does a stellar job of capturing stills and 4K video, aided by reliable tracking autofocus. Our tests found that its 20.9MP sensor had an excellent handle on noise, especially under ISO 800, while dynamic range was impressive.

Its vari-angle touchscreen is also a brilliant addition, making it easy to frame travel selfies – or folding away completely for a leather-back look that lets you pretend it's the Eighties. The Nikon Z fc isn’t as sturdy as the camera that inspired it (there’s no weatherproofing, for example), but it’s still a beautifully unique camera for casual use. And with dedicated dials for ISO, shutter speed and exposure, plus a customizable lens ring, it’s also an easy one to control on the go.

Read our in-depth Nikon Z fc review

4. GoPro Hero 12 Black

✅ You want a rugged travel camera: Waterproof down to 10m, the GoPro Hero 12 Black is a great choice for capturing action-packed travels. ✅ You plan to share on social: The 8:7 aspect ratio of its sensor gives you lots of flexibility to crop footage for social, including vertical videos.

❌ You plan to shoot in low light: Its 1/1.9in sensor shoots sharp footage, but it still struggles with noise handling in lower lighting conditions. ❌ You want a hybrid for stills: While the sensor can shoot 27MP stills, you’ll get a better photography experience from a standard alternative.

If you're looking for a high resolution action camera for your travels that's as comfortable shooting smooth videos as it is crisp photos, then the GoPro Hero 12 Black tops the bill. It was an underwhelming update of the Hero 11 Black, but that's not necessarily a bad thing because that camera was already highly capable. There's the same 1/1.9in sensor with versatile 8:9 aspect ratio – you can reframe footage for different social channels without sacrificing quality, and its max resolution of 5.3K/60p beats the DJI Osmo Action 4. You can capture dramatic TimeWarps at the full 5.3K resolution, shoot photo sequences as a rapid 30fps, and pull 24.7MP stills from 5.3K video.

Design-wise, there's no change to the Hero 11 Black, the two rugged models are physically identical and come with a large Enduro battery as standard, giving more time between recharges on the road. The same interface lets you tweak the user experience, with ‘Easy’ and ‘Pro’ modes to suit your skill level. Superior Horizon Lock and HyperSmooth 5.0 smarts do a remarkable job of stabilizing handheld video. Minor updates from the Hero 11 Black are mainly for pros, including flat Log color profiles, 10-bit video, and multi-channel audio capabilities. For most people however, there's little reason to upgrade or to pick the Hero 12 Black over its predecessor which could save you a little money. 

Read our in-depth hands-on GoPro Hero 12 Black review

5. OM System Tough TG-7

✅ You want a hardcore camera: With a case that’s waterproof, shockproof and freezeproof, the OM System Tough TG-7 is built to take a beating. ✅ You like a simple interface: Premium features include RAW shooting and 4K video, but the camera itself is easy to operate, even in tricky conditions.

❌ You want the best image quality: Results from the 1/2.3in sensor are fine, but the TG-7 tends to overexpose, and detail is lost at the telephoto end. ❌ You like using a viewfinder: The Tough TG-7 doesn’t have a viewfinder, and the 3-inch LCD screen has limited visibility in bright sunlight.

The biggest change in the OM System Tough TG-7 and the camera it replaces is in the name – since OM System acquired Olympus, it has wrought extremely minor upgrades to key models from the Olympus range, including the TG-6. None-the-less, we haven't seen another tough camera to better the TG-6 in that time, and so if you want the best tough camera available today, the TG-7 now tops the list. 

Tough cameras like the TG-6 are freeze-proof, shockproof and waterproof and can therefore be used in scenarios that you simply wouldn't consider with your phone or expensive camera, and for that reason the TG-7 is still one of the best travel cameras you can buy. Its industrial design feels reassuringly rugged, while large buttons make it convenient to operate beneath the waves or while wearing gloves, plus its 3-inch LCD display offers decent visibility in most conditions. 

We found image quality to be reasonable for a camera with a 1/2.3-inch sensor, with nice, rich colors – although there was a tendency to overexpose and blow out highlights. An equivalent zoom range of 25-100mm is fair, plus the inclusion of 4K video and raw shooting enhance flexibility. Its image quality might not match your phone for regular photos, but the TG-7 will allow you to be capturing extreme travel memories when you otherwise couldn't, plus there's a range of useful accessories such as a ring light for close up photography. 

Read our in-depth OM System Tough TG-7 review

6. Fujifilm X100VI

✅ You're exploring the city: With a fixed 23mm f/2 lens, Fujifilm's best autofocus, tilt screen and hybrid viewfinder, the X100V is a fantastic choice for street photography. ✅ You want a premium camera: From its retro design to its metal body, the X100V feels well-made and looks the business.

❌ You don’t want a fixed focal length: The 23mm lens is fantastic, but some users will find it limiting, especially if you value the ability to zoom. ❌ You’re on a tight budget: The X100VI is a popular but niche premium camera, and its increased price will put it out of budget for many.

We'd class the Fujifilm X100VI as a niche premium compact camera, but the range has grown in popularity since its inception in 2010 and is more popular than ever. The sixth generation model keeps the fixed 23mm f/2 lens and retro design that's been inspired by 1950s analogue cameras and despite its single focal length and no zoom it is one of the best travel cameras you can buy if it's in your price range.

The X100VI keeps all that users have grown to love about the X100-series; sharp fixed lens, large sensor, retro design, and unique hybrid viewfinder, but then builds on the X100V with a higher-resolution 40MP sensor and in-body image stabilization. The result is a significantly more versatile camera, for example the digital teleconverter can crop into the full image for 50mm (at 20MP) and 70mm (at 10MP) focal length looks, while stablization lets you shoot slower shutter speeds in low light.  

Other key improvements over the X100V include more detailed 6K video and Fujifilm's best-ever autofocus that includes advanced subject detection for photo and video. You can rely on the X100VI as a discreet everyday camera to document the world around, especially your travels, and it comes with 20 film simulation color profiles inspired by actual Fujifilm 35mm film that you can customize with recipes to develop your own style. 

Read our in-depth Fujifilm X100VI review

7. Sony A7C R

✅ You want the sharpest stills: With a 61MP full-frame sensor, you won’t get sharper travel snaps from any other camera in this list. ✅ You want a small, powerful camera: Despite the full-frame sensor inside, the A7C R is very compact and fits neatly in the hand.

❌ You value good handling: The small design has drawbacks, including a compromised viewfinder and absent AF joystick. ❌ You plan to use big lenses: Its compact proportions mean the Sony A7C R is mismatched with larger telephoto lenses.

By combining a small, travel-friendly form factor with a 61MP full frame sensor and fantastic autofocus, Sony has created arguably the ultimate travel camera. Successor to the Sony A7C – already one of our favorite travel photography tools – and announced alongside the A7C II , the A7C R fits nicely in the hand, while a flip screen and new dials offer welcome control.

Equipped with Sony’s top-grade autofocus and AI-powered subject tracking, the A7C R can cleverly and reliably track a broad range of subjects. You won’t find a better full frame sensor, either: borrowed from the A7R V , it captures stunning, pin-sharp stills in all conditions. Cropping potential is vast, and video footage is decent too.

There are trade-offs, though. In testing, we found that the A7C R’s compact proportions come with handling compromises, especially compared to the traditional design of the A7R V. The viewfinder feels small and fiddly, and we wish Sony had included an AF joystick. It’s also not a camera to pair with large telephoto lenses. But the real kicker is the cost: it’s significantly more expensive than the A7C II. That premium means it’s only a camera to consider if you need absolutely the best possible image quality on your travels.

Read our in-depth Sony A7C R review

8. Fujifilm X-S20

✅ You value longevity: The X-S20 has double the battery life of the X-S10, making it a great choice for long days of travel photography. ✅ You shoot video, too: Capturing sharp 26MP stills and 6K/30p open gate video, the Fujifilm X-S20 is a true mirrorless hybrid.

❌ You need weather proofing: Build quality of the X-S20 is good, but you’re better off with the Sony A6700 if you need a weatherproof camera. ❌ You have a limited budget: Its additional features come at the cost of a steep price hike compared to the Fujifilm X-S10, which makes it a harder sell.

Channelling everything we liked about the X-S10 – including a compact, well-balanced body – the Fujifilm X-S20 cements its position as a fantastic mirrorless cameras for travel. It handles comfortably, with simplified dials making it accessible for beginners. In testing, we found new novice-friendly features – such as a dedicated Vlogging mode – also make the X-S20 a forgiving camera for touring first-timers.

The X-S20 is blessed with a proven shooting system, utilising the same 26.1MP sensor as the X-S10 and X-T4 to produce quality stills. It also eases the way for beginners with an automatic scene detection mode, which harnesses the power of Fuji’s latest X-Processor 5 to reliably choose the correct settings. From our first impressions, it works better than the automatic subject tracking, which was a little hit and miss.

With 6K/30p 4:2:2 10-bit internal video recording also on offer, plus in-body image stabilization that worked well in testing, the Fujifilm X-S20 is a solid option for content creators on the move. The lack of weather-sealing will discourage adventurous travellers, while the price tag means it isn’t one to leave in an unattended bag. But at just 26g heavier than its predecessor, the X-S20 is a very capable all-rounder for travel.

Read our in-depth Fujifilm X-S20 review

9. Sony A6700

✅ You want a capable travel hybrid: A sharp APS-C sensor, five-axis stabilization and AI autofocus make the A6700 a great all-rounder to take on the road. ✅ You like to get hands-on: A more ergonomic grip and lots of direct-access buttons make the A6700 a nice camera to handle and use.

❌ You shoot mostly video: The A6700 can record sharp video, but there’s a heavy 1.6x crop on 4K/120p slow-mo and Active SteadyShot stabilization isn’t the best. ❌ You like simple menus: The interface on the A6700 has quite a learning curve, and it can be tricky to navigate when shooting out and about.

It's a close-run thing between the Sony A6700 and the Fujifilm X-S20 above, but if you shoot a lot of moving subjects then the Sony should be your choice. Like the Fuji, it has a 26MP APS-C sensor and comes in a compact, travel-friendly form. And like the Fuji, it's a genuine hybrid, offering decent video options to go with its stills prowess. But there are some key differences.

First, the good: the A6700 has the same AI-powered chipset as the far more expensive Sony A7R V , and this helps it deliver incredible subject tracking; seriously, this camera will lock on to humans, animals, insects, cars, trains, aircraft and more, then follow them unerringly around the frame. However, its video chops aren't as impressive as those of the Fuji. 4K 120p slow-mo footage is subjected to a heavy 1.6x crop, while the five-axis stabilization doesn't work as well when filming as it does when shooting stills. The complex menu system also leaves something to be desired.

Still, it handles well, has a great battery and would make an excellent all-rounder for your next trip - so long as you're slightly more focused on images than video.

Read our in-depth Sony A6700 review

10. Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV

✅ You like to zoom in: With a sharp, fast 24-600mm, the RX100 IV offers fantastic versatility to capture a range of subjects on your travels. ✅ You want an all-in-one option: The RX100 IV is a high-end bridge camera with a big zoom range, high-quality EVF and capable AF system.

❌ You want a small camera: While it ticks most of the boxes for travel photography, the RX100 IV is bigger and heavier than many rivals. ❌ You like a slick touchscreen: Its tilting touchscreen is a useful addition, but you can’t use it to navigate menus or swipe through images.

In terms of offering something for everybody, the RX10 IV ticks a lot of boxes. It's like having a bag full of lenses, but with the benefit of never having to change them. There's a very long zoom (going all the way from 24-600mm), while the maximum aperture is pretty wide throughout the lens. 

The RX10 IV's sensor might not be as a large as the ones you'll find on a mirrorless camera or DSLR, but Sony's 20.1MP one-inch chip proved itself to be very capable in our tests. Noise was well-controlled, and you'd have no problem making an A3 print from one of its files (particularly if you shoot at under ISO 800). 

You also get 24fps shooting, cracking 4K video quality and handling to rival a DSLR. The major downside? The high price – if your budget is tighter, don't forget about this camera's predecessor, the RX10 III .

Read our in-depth Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV review

How to choose the best travel camera for you

Picking the right travel camera can be trickier than finding affordable flights. You’ll want a shooting tool that’s compact enough to conveniently carry on your travels, yet still capable of capturing sharp stills and stable video of your jet-setting adventures.

There are a few key things to keep in mind when choosing your ideal travel camera. Among the most important is size. While pocketable compacts offer convenience, the quality of your travel snaps will be boosted by the bigger sensors of larger mirrorless models.

If your adventures are likely to involve going off the beaten track, it’s worth considering a travel camera with rugged credentials. This could be one of the best action cameras , such as the GoPro Hero 11 Black – perfect if you plan to shoot quick, slick travel clips. Or it could be a sturdy compact such as the Olympic TG-6, which is one of the best waterproof cameras .

It’s also worth thinking about what subjects you might be shooting on your trip. A long zoom range will be handy on safari , while something light and fast is better for capturing street snaps on a city break. Travel compacts, such as the Panasonic Lumix ZS200 / TZ200, usually use a zoom lens to cover a range of shooting scenarios. Interchangeable lens cameras like the Fujifilm X-T30 II can similarly offer the flexibility of both worlds, but only if you’re happy to travel with extra barrels in your backpack.

Which type of camera is best for traveling?

Travel cameras come in a range of shapes and sizes. Which style is best for you will depend on how you like to travel, what you like to shoot and how much gear you’re willing to cart around.

Travel zoom compacts such as the Panasonic Lumix ZS200 / TZ200 are pocket friendly, yet offer a broad scope for capturing a range of subjects. Thanks to generous zoom ranges, they give you the opportunity to get close to the action, or to shoot wide. The trade-off for having all of this flexibility in a compact body is generally a smaller sensor, which is less useful for shooting in low light.

If you’d like neat proportions but don’t need the versatility of a zoom lens, premium compact cameras could be worth considering. Models such as the Fujifilm X100V sacrifice zoom range in favour of larger sensors that are better at gathering light – usually a one-inch or, in the case of the X100V, an APS-C chip.

Between compacts and mirrorless cameras is where you’ll find bridge cameras. Bulkier than a standard compact, they offer more comfortable handling and a large zoom range, but without the need to carry different lenses. New bridge cameras are increasingly rare, but the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV remains a great example.

If you don’t mind traveling with multiple lenses, many of the best mirrorless cameras have been specifically designed with travel in mind. In the case of models like the OM System OM-5 , that means a portable, weatherproof body, useful image stabilization for shooting on the move, plus a versatile Micro Four Thirds sensor that balances size and performance. And with lots of different lenses to choose from, you can pack different optics depending on the type of trip you’re taking – or opt for a reliable all-round option.

Is a DSLR or mirrorless camera better for travel photography?

When it comes to travel photography, most photographers look for a balance between portability and performance. If this is the combination you’re after, mirrorless cameras will almost aways have the edge over their DSLR rivals. Mirrorless models are generally smaller and lighter than DSLRs, making them easier to wield and travel with.

Despite their more compact proportions, many of the best mirrorless travel cameras can also match or outclass DSLR cameras when it comes to image quality, as well as autofocus abilities and video features. This makes them versatile tools for shooting on the move, especially if you choose a model with in-body image stabilization for sharp handheld results. If you pick a mirrorless camera with an established lens mount system, you’ll also find no shortage of glass to pack for your trip.

That said, there are reasons why you might still want to consider a DSLR camera for travel. Some photographers prefer the chunkier ergonomic grip for which the DSLR format is famous, especially if they plan on shooting for hours on end. The best DSLR cameras also offer superlative battery life, which can be useful if your travel plans include days away from electricity.

Budget might also be a factor, especially if you’re concerned about taking an expensive camera on your travels. Older DSLR cameras can offer great value, as can second-hand mirrorless models. It’s also worth looking at our round-up of the best cheap cameras , which includes some options that are a good fit for travel photography.

• Read our in-depth DSLR vs Mirrorless comparison

How we test travel cameras

Buying a camera these days is a big investment, and travel cameras are no different – so every camera in this guide has been tested extensively by us. For travel cameras in particular, real-world tests are the most revealing way to understand a camera's performance and character, so we focus heavily on those, along with standardized tests for factors like ISO performance.

To start with, we look at the camera's design, handling and controls to get a sense of how suitable it is for life on the road, and any particular features that might be particularly useful for globe-trotters. When we take it out on a shoot, we'll use it both handheld and on a tripod to get a sense of where its strengths lie, and test its startup speed.

When it comes to performance, we use a formatted SD card and shoot in both raw and JPEG (if available). For burst shooting tests, we dial in our regular test settings (1/250 sec, ISO 200, continuous AF) and shoot a series of frames in front of a stopwatch to see if it lives up to its claimed speeds. We'll also look at how quickly the buffers clears and repeat the test for both raw and JPEG files.

In various lighting conditions, we also test the camera's different autofocus modes (including Face and Eye AF) in single point, area and continuous modes. We also shoot a range of photos of different styles (portrait, landscape, low light, macro/close-up) in raw and JPEG to get a sense of metering and its sensor's ability to handle noise and resolve fine detail.

If the camera's raw files are supported by Adobe Camera Raw, we'll also process some test images to see how we can push areas like shadow recovery. And we'll also test its ISO performance across the whole range to get a sense of the levels we'd be happy to push the camera to.

Battery life is tested in a real-world fashion, as we use the camera over the course of the day with the screen set to the default settings. Once the battery has reached zero, we'll then count the number of shots to see how it compares to the camera's CIPA rating. Finally, we test the camera's video skills by shooting some test footage at different frame-rates and resolutions, along with its companion app.

We then take everything we've learned about the camera and factor in its price to get a sense of the value-for-money it offers, before reaching our final verdict.

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Tim is the Cameras editor at TechRadar. He has enjoyed more than 15 years in the photo video industry with most of those in the world of tech journalism. During his time as Deputy Technical Editor with Amateur Photographer, as a freelancer and consequently editor at Tech Radar, Tim has developed a deeply technical knowledge and practical experience with cameras, educating others through news, reviews and features. He’s also worked in video production for Studio 44 with clients including Canon, and volunteers his spare time to consult a non-profit, diverse stories team based in Nairobi. Tim is curious, a keen creative, avid footballer and runner, and moderate flat white drinker who has lived in Kenya and believes we have much to enjoy and learn from each other. 

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The best travel camera in 2024: compact and portable cameras to take anywhere

The best travel cameras are small, lightweight, easy to use and offer a range of features – here are the ones to look at

• The Quick List ↩
• Best compact
• Best full frame
• Best hybrid
• Best for size
• Best budget
• Best waterproof
• Best action cam
• Best for 360º
• Best for vloggers
• How to choose
• How we test

The Quick List ↩ 1. Best compact 2. Best full frame 3. Best hybrid 4. Best for size 5. Best budget 6. Best waterproof 7. Best action cam 8. Best for 360º 9. Best for vloggers How to choose How we test

The best travel cameras have to do one crucial thing: be better than your phone. That means the best travel cameras need to combine compactness with image quality, advanced features with simple operation, and ideally the ability to share your holiday photos and vacation videos fast. 

Even though the best camera phones can produce great images, you just don't get the same quality as you would if shooting with one of the best point-and-shoots or best mirrorless cameras . Smartphones are restricted by smaller sensors offering lower still and video quality, reduced low light performance, and minimal control over depth of field (for those blurry backgrounds). 

We'll look at mirrorless cameras that offer better image quality and more versatility than compact systems but at the cost of increased size and weight. Compact cameras, perfect for keeping on you at all times, won't weigh you down, and are really simple to use – although they have smaller sensors and fixed lenses. And finally, action cameras that are robust cameras made for wild adventuring!

Gareth is the Reviews Editor at Digital Camera World, and the person in charge of approving all the latest camera-related tech. He never misses an opportunity to travel, or an excuse to take photos while traveling, so is best placed to judge what are the best travel cameras for all sorts of different vacations and adventures.

The Quick List

Travel cameras should be small and light, but not lacking in features for amazing photos and video. The Fujifilm X100VI ticks all of those boxes, with a diminutive size, but 40MP images and 6.2K video. And does all this while looking great, with some stunning retro charm.

Read more below ↓

Despite aging a little, the Sony A7 III still offers some features that are competitive with new models like IBIS, auto-tracking, and 4K video. Best of all, the camera is incredibly well-priced, making it the best option for traveling without worrying too much about damaging expensive kit.

The Fujifilm X-S20 is a camera for everyone, with great quality stills, but is set apart by its deceptively powerful video skills. This makes the X-S20 the perfect travel camera for any hybrid creator who is a versatile and lightweight camera, all at a price tag that won't break the bank. 

When picking the best travel camera, we're focusing on portability. If you want to fit a whole photographic kit – that's a camera and several lenses into a bag, then the dinky but mighty Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is one of the best portable cameras around.

If you want a small camera that shoots great stills and video, and cost costs the earth the Panasonic Lumix G100 is the best budget option out there for travel. There is also the slightly newer G100D, which is much the same, but with a USB-C port and upgraded EVF.

If you're planning on a coastal adventure then you need a camera that is fully waterproof and rugged enough to take on the most challenging adventures. This camera offers better stills than your average action cam, so if photos are your main priority  – the Tough TG-7 is for you.

View the full list ⇩

This is a camera that can withstand some serious adventuring, action cameras are made for extreme conditions, and the best of the bunch is the Osmo Action 4. The Osmo 4 offers an incredibly wide field of view, image stabilization, and waterproofing for action-packed vacations.

If you want to remember every little bit of your vacation, then you can't go wrong with a 360º camera to capture not what only is going on in front of you, but all around you. The Insta360 X3 is the best all-encompassing camera you can buy, best of all it is easy to slip into a pocket or bag for travel.

If you are looking for a small yet mighty all-in-one camera with quality video and audio made to go straight on social media or YouTube then the Sony ZV-E10 is the best choice. It does take decent pictures, but if you are looking for something more hybrid, check out the X-S20 above.

The best travel camera in 2024

Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.

Best compact travel camera

1. Fujifilm X100VI

Our expert review:

Specifications

Reasons to buy, reasons to avoid.

✅ You want a pocketable camera:  the Fujifilm X100VI is a very compact camera, the whole package of camera and lens are so small that you can easily slip this into a jacket or rucksack pocket. ✅ You want a camera that looks good:  The X100VI is easily one of the best-looking cameras you can buy. The stunning retro looks of old-school film cameras are matched with superb build quality.

❌ You want a range of lenses:  the lens is fixed on the X100VI, so you are stuck with the 23mm focal length, although its digital cropping modes give the illusion (but not performance) of more focal lengths ❌ You want a cheap travel camera:  the X100VI has a premium price tag, and there are options that produce a similar image quality, if you don't mind a different style of camera that is.

If you are looking for a camera for traveling, then one of the major things to look out for is something small and lightweight that can easily slip into a bag or a jacket pocket and won't be a drag to carry around for long periods – enter the Fujifilm 's X100VI.

The X100VI is a fixed-lens camera, which means that it has a single lens that can't be changed. The lens is 23mm, or equivalent to a 35mm length lens on on a full-frame camera,  a perfect length for travel photography as it is wide enough to get in landscapes and street scenes, but narrow enough for portraits and family shots. While there are converters available for the X100V to change the length of the lens, I find these have an adverse effect on image quality. The X100VI does have a trick to crop images when taking them to give the illusion of additional focal lengths. 

The X100V packs in some lovely 40MP photos, and while not the most ideal camera for video, you can get 6.2K (cropped), 4K, or HD video with slow motion reaching 240 frames per second. There is also human, animal, bird, and vehicle autofocus tracking, so you can snap away with confidence at anything you encounter on your travels. Finally, image stabilization helps cut out hand jitters in low light or shooting video, for more stable footage.

And for those who want to share travel snaps as you go, you get access to Fujifilm's awesome film simulations and custom recipes, taking some of the work out of editing, and with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity and the Fujifilm X App, you can quickly share ready to post photos and video to social from your phone.

The biggest selling point for the X100VI though has to be the design. The camera is beautiful to hold, made with premium materials, and with a wonderful hybrid optical viewfinder that shows either the real picture or how it looks through the sensor with a flick of a button. However, as a major downside for travel, the X100VI lens is not weather-sealed without an adapter – at an additional cost.

Speaking of cost, this premium camera comes at a premium price, with some similar tech available for less in other models. But for the build quality and features, I think it does a lot to justify its higher price, and if you want the best compact camera, there is none better than this.

Read our full Fujifilm X100VI review

• Back to the top ⇪

Best full frame on a budget

2. Sony A7 III

✅ You want full frame quality:  full frame cameras can produce more focus separation and are better in low light, the A7 III is the most affordable step into full frame. ✅ You want a camera to use outside of traveling:  the A7 III is a pro-level camera that is not just for travel, you can shoot brilliant photos all year round with a multitude of lenses available for different subjects.

❌ You don't want the expense of lenses:  the cost of lenses can add up, especially ones for full-frame cameras, if you want to keep costs low, choose a fixed lens camera or an option with smaller cheaper lenses. ❌ You want a small camera:  the A7 III isn't huge, but it also isn't small. With a lens attached, it is going to take up quite a bit of room in a bag, and won't be sliding in any pocket.

While the Sony A7 III might be the oldest Sony Alpha camera still being sold as new, even being replaced by a newer Sony A7 VI, it more than holds its own today. Any photographer looking for an excellent full-frame hybrid camera for traveling should seriously consider this camera as an option.

Why? Well, I don't think there is a better value full-frame camera out there, which when traveling can take some of the jeopardy out of damaging or losing your incredibly expensive kit.

It might be getting on a little, but the camera still has a very competitive 24.2MP back-illuminated image sensor, which delivers great tonal range and makes high ISO settings possible, which anyone who is shooting a lot in low light on their travels will really appreciate. A 5-axis image stabilization system also delivers less shake when shooting at night, or capturing video. 

And if you are also looking to get some video footage on your travels then the A7III has very capable 4K video, although has been surpassed by a few other models on this list which would be more suitable if video is a priority.

The A7III has a speedy and accurate 696-point AF system, and while not the latest algorithms, the A7 III also has some solid human face and eye tracking, so you can take reliably focused photos of your friends, family, or any interesting denizens you meet out on your travels. 

Whilst the A7III can be thrown a little off-balance with big pro lenses, Sony's lens range is extensive and there are many smaller primes to suit this camera perfectly for those who don't want to carry a lot while traveling. Or superzoom lenses like the Sony FE 24-240mm will empower you to capture everything from near to far.

Read our full Sony A7 III review

Best hybrid travel camera

3. Fujifilm X-S20

✅ You shoot video and photos:  the Fujifilm X-S20 is the best of both worlds, with great-looking photos and awesome video skills too! ✅ You want to balance price and features:  the X-S20 offers a lot for its price, and it is one of the best-value cameras around, you will struggle to find matching video specs at this price point.

❌ You don't really care about video:  there are other options that might suit photographers more than the X-S20 with higher megapixel counts. ❌ You might need weather resistance:  the X-S20 is not weather-sealed, so if you plan to get adventurous, a camera that can handle dust and water might be a better choice.

When I tested the Fujifilm X-S20 I was just so impressed at the amount of features that Fujifilm had managed to squeeze into its petite body – it's not just a great stills camera, it is also one of the best video cameras available, and the cherry on top, it is really well priced! For anyone looking for a hybrid camera to shoot a mix of photos and video, I think this is the best camera for any traveler right now.

Fujifilm chose not to update the X-Trans IV sensor from the X-S10, but this sensor despite its age still holds up very well today when it comes to stills. The X-S20 is also able to use Fujifilm's excellent film simulations and programmable film recipes to create ready-to-use images straight from the camera, which makes any regular social media posting that much easier.  The new X-Processor 5 also brings brand new subject recognition and tracking autofocus, making taking photos on the fly quicker and more reliable.

Despite its compact size, the X-S20 is a deceptively powerful video camera. The new processor combined with the modest resolution sensor means the X-S20 is capable of 6K video using the entire sensor (open-gate). The camera is also capable of numerous codecs and F-Log for getting in-depth with color grading. The subject recognition and tracking also carry through into videos and there are dedicated vlogging video features too.

Some might prefer the classic retro style like the X-T5 or X-T30 II, but with fewer manual dials, the X-S20 is a more user-friendly camera, with a more useful fully articulating screen than any of the X-T range. The camera is small, but handling is great with enough of a comfortable grip for long days, and the camera pairs really well with Fujifilm's small zoom and prime lenses, making traveling light with a kitted-out X-S20 a little easier. While the price is a little higher than the X-S10 that preceded it, I think the price bump is justified as this is one capable camera for traveling.

Read more: Fujifilm X-S20 review

Best travel camera for size

4. Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV

✅ You want a small system:  the whole OM Micro Four Thirds system is tiny, with small cameras and lenses, so you can take a lot more gear to cover more subjects. ✅ You want a good-looking camera:  with a cool vintage style based on Olympus's OM film cameras, the E-M10 IV looks as good as the footage it shoots.

❌ You shoot a lot in low light:  the Micro Four Thirds sensor in the E-M10 IV doesn't handle low light as well as larger sensors, not good for frequent nighttime shooters. ❌ You won't use the retro dials:  if you are looking for just fast auto controls then the dials on the top of the E-M10 IV will be largely redundant for your needs.

When picking the best travel camera, we're focusing on portability, and the dinky but mighty Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is one of the best portable cameras around if you are looking for a whole system including lenses that can easily slip into a bag. The best Olympus lenses include positively tiny optics that can go a long way for travel photography, helping you keep your kit and weight size down. So if you are the type of carry-on-only travel photographer but with big photography ambitions then this is for you.

Not only does it have an incredibly lightweight body, but the camera will look great on your travels too, with a cool retro design that harks back to Olympus's long pedigree in film cameras. The camera has tactile dial-led controls for anyone who wants to get creative with manual photography, although don't let that fool you into thinking the camera is complicated, as there are lots of automatic modes and helpful features built into the camera.

The OM-D E-M10 Mark IV uses the smaller but still powerful Micro Four Thirds sensor. This has some slight disadvantages in terms of low-light capabilities, so if you like to go out a lot at night when you travel, then a larger sensor might be better for you. 

But Micro Four Thirds does have one big advantage, it effectively doubles the focal length of any lens mounted to the camera; so a 50mm will behave like a 100mm, so if you are about to head off on safari, then this could make all the difference to getting up close to wildlife. Its snappy burst shooting, its accurate autofocus, and its impressive 4K video will also all assist you with creating amazing content. It's a terrific all-around camera. 

Read our full Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV review

Best travel camera on a budget

5. Panasonic Lumix G100

✅ You want an affordable camera:  the Lumix G100 is a great deal for the features it offers, and an affordable way to get great travel snaps. ✅ You want a range of small lenses:  there are a lot of Micro Four Thirds lenses, so there is something for every occasion, and best of all, they tend to be on the smaller side for easy travel.

❌ You want the very latest tech:  the G100 is a little on the older side and doesn't have Panasonic's latest autofocus, which puts it a little behind the competition. ❌ You want more serious creative video:  intended as a hybrid camera, there are lots of video-focused features, but the camera lacks IBIS and a headphone jack/USB-C found in rivals.

Sometimes, you just want to create quality images and video while you are traveling, but you don't want to pay a small fortune for a camera to do so, or risk carrying around an expensive camera. The Panasonic Lumix G100 is the best camera you can get for traveling that offers all the quality features you will need but at an affordable price.

The G100 is a super-small, super-cute camera with a Micro Four Thirds sensor. It is still easy to capture high-quality video and stills with simple controls, menus, and its approachable button layout. The camera can be paired with numerous dinky Micro Four Thirds lenses too, especially small pancake lenses to keep the overall size down. Micro Four Thirds also has the benefit of doubling the focal length, so 100mm becomes 200mm, so you can pair the G100 camera with telephoto lenses for capturing far away subjects like wildlife without having to carry huge lenses.

A downside though is there is some compromise for the low price, and the G100 is not the most technically advanced camera on this list, and its autofocus uses Panasonic's cruder contrast-detect technology, which is a little slower than other cameras and is notorious for "pulsing" and "hunting" during video. 

Despite this, the G100 is also a perfect camera for vloggers, with an articulating screen and ready to share footage. But while there’s an inherent risk of dumbing things down too much when creating a camera for social media creatives, Panasonic has avoided that pitfall with the Lumix G100, and this is a great camera if you're just as interested in vlogging as you are in travel photography. 

Read our full Panasonic Lumix G100 review

Best waterproof compact travel camera

6. OM System Tough TG-7

✅ You want a rugged adventure camera:  the TG-7 can certainly withstand some serious adventuring with a rugged water/dust/freeze/drop-proof build. ✅ You want a photography-first adventure camera:  the TG-7 puts photography first and foremost, offering a better experience than smaller fiddly action cameras.

❌ You want to strap the camera to things:  while action cameras have numerous accessories to strap to your sports equipment, there is far less for the bigger TG-7. ❌ You only care about video:  if you are just looking for the best rugged video camera for travel, then action cameras have you covered (see below).

Following the acquisition of Olympus's camera division, the OM System TG-7 is essentially an update to the much-loved Olympus Tough TG-6 under a new brand name. Although that camera has long been the top-regarded travel compact for adventurers who are as invested in photos as video. Action cameras might be smaller and just as hardy, but can't compete with the TG-7 for photography experience.

The TG-7 is ready for any travel adventure and is water-proof, dust-proof, crush-proof, drop-proof, and freeze-proof, so whether your hiking, climbing, swimming, or otherwise take you to the hottest deserts to the coldest tundras, the camera should come out the other side unscathed.

The TG-7 might have a relatively conservative 12MP resolution, although this helps dramatically when it comes to low-light images, as each pixel is larger allowing it to capture more light. Why is this important? Well if you are shooting in darker underwater environments, in gloomy forests, or at night, then you will get higher-quality images. 

The Touch also has RAW images, so you can get even more creative control over the final edit of your images. The camera also has a pretty incredible macro mode as well if you find some small details on your travels that you have to capture.

While it might not be up to the same standard as the best action cameras for video (see below for that), the Tough can capture decent 4K video, and will get some perfectly serviceable footage for social and YouTube of your wild adventures!

Read our full OM System Tough TG-7 review

Best action camera for travel

7. DJI Osmo Action 4

✅ You want a camera that can keep up with your travel adventures:  the Osmo 4 is hardy enough for whatever conditions you throw at it, weather-sealed and fantastic stabilized footage. ✅ You want a tiny camera:  action cameras like the Osmo 4 are great as they are so small they are effortless to travel with.

❌ You want to shoot high quality photos:  the 12MP photos from the Osmo 4 can't compete with more dedicated cameras, and the wide angle lens needs lots of corrections. ❌ You need accessories:  the market for DJI accessories isn't as big as the more famous GoPro, so if you need niche or cheaper accessories, that might be the brand to choose.

For most adventurer-creators, the Osmo Action 4 is the perfect balance of quality and price. Stabilized 4K video looks great and the camera can take a lot – not just rough and tumble but temperature extremes and it's waterproof to 16m without a case. Best of all, it has a larger image sensor than any other camera on the list, so it is better in lower light, making it more flexible.

DJI did have an interesting experiment with modular design, now seemingly abandoned, with the Action 2, but they do retain powerful magnetic mounts which can even partially survive the heat of an oven (we tried accidentally – see our full review). 

Like the more famous competition, DJI has high-quality horizon balancing and image stabilization, which has improved on the Action 3. The resolution limit is 4K, but in practice, this is the ideal resolution for action (and the limit of almost all TVs). More useful is the 120fps capability (or 240fps at 1080P).

The fact that Action 4’s isn’t interwoven with subscription software is one we wholeheartedly appreciate, too, but GoPro seem to finally growing out of this.

Read our full DJI Osmo Action 4 review

Best 360º camera for travel

8. Insta360 X3

✅ You want to capture everything:  the Insta360 X3 can capture all that goes on around you, perfect for capturing immersive travel content. ✅ You want to travel light:  the Insta360 X3 is very small and lightweight, and won't trouble your carry-on bag limits.

❌ You want a versatile camera:  the Insta360 X3 is made for one thing, and that is great 360º footage, if you want to capture more, you might need to bring a second camera. ❌ You want artistic images:  the Insta360 X3 has big 72MP images but the small sensor means they aren't as creative as a bigger camera.

There are times when handling even an action camera's wide-angle lens becomes a problem, and that's where a 360-degree action camera can step in. With two back-to-back lenses and enough smarts to eliminate a selfie stick from the footage, this almost magic camera can capture an image from a point within reach looking any direction you see fit.

I tried it with the bike attachment – which holds the camera a little way in front of the bike, over the front wheel – and was amazed at the footage which makes it look like I'm cycling toward a perfectly controlled drone. Better still, by syncing with my phone I could draw GPS data and have it overlaid, in the form of a speedometer, by the Insta360 app before sharing.

The only real worry is how naked those glass lenses are when the camera is in use; the joy of re-positioning the camera angle after the fact can be hours of fun. 5.7K is good enough for sharing, but more resolution would help pro work.

Read our full Insta 360 X3 review for more details

Best for travel vloggers

9. Sony ZV-E10

✅ You want ready-to-share footage:  this Sony is made for capturing footage with minimal editing to get up on YouTube and social media straight away. ✅ You want excellent audio:  the ZV-E10 has built-in stereo microphones that capture some of the best audio possible on a camera without external mics.

❌ You are more interested in photos:  the ZV-E10 is not a bad photography camera, but its video focused build means other cameras are better for stills shooters. ❌ You want a viewfinder for framing:  if you love a viewfinder for framing shots, then the Sony A6400 is almost the same camera, but with an EVF. 

The ZV-E10 makes for an excellent traveler's camera and is one of the cheapest vlogging-focused cameras yet. Combined with its slim dimensions, and wide choice of lenses, this makes it a perfect choice for travelers who want to shoot a lot of video. 

The big selling point of the ZV-E10 over other cameras capable of similar video is that the ZV-E10 comes with sophisticated built-in mics and a clip-on windshield for noise reduction, making it much easier to get clean audio on your vlogs even outdoors – which works excellently. Sony has put its years of audio experience into this camera and it shows.

The ZV-E10's 4K UHD video is of excellent quality too, and as we've come to expect from Sony, the autofocus is best in class, whether shooting video or stills. The camera has tracking modes for easy autofocus and digital image stabilization that crops your footage slightly but attempts to iron out any shake, which works well except for in very heavy movement.

And a point worth mentioning is that, while the ZV-E10 may be optimized for vlogging, it's still a capable stills camera with a 24MP sensor, and 11fps burst shooting, so photographers needed worry about restricting themselves with it. 

However, if you are more keen on photography than video, cameras in the Sony a6xxx range (like the Sony a6400 ) offer almost the same specs, but with a viewfinder, but you do lose the built-in stereo mics. Making it a tough choice for a hybrid shooter that might want the best of both worlds. 

Read our full Sony ZV-E10 review

How to choose the right travel camera

These are five key things to look out for when choosing the right travel camera for your needs.

1) Image quality: Ask yourself how you will use any photos or videos you capture. If you only plan to share content online on social media then any of the above cameras will be suitable. If you plan to print your pictures, though, then mirrorless cameras with larger sensors and higher megapixel counts will produce better-quality results.

2) Focal range: What kind of range do you need for your traveling activities? Compact cameras can have impressive zoom ranges, but to achieve their tiny size they often lack quality compared to mirrorless cameras. For mirrorless cameras, what lenses are available? So-called standard zooms are a great option for all types of travel, but they can also be large and heavy. A wide-angle lens might be best for capturing cities and landscapes, or if you are going to see wildlife or a sporting event then a compact telephoto lens might be best.

3) Size and weight: If you're going on vacation then the last thing you want to take is a heavy kit – especially given things like baggage restrictions when traveling. With that in mind, both your camera and lens(es) need to be small and light. If you want something that can fit in your pocket, get a compact camera – but if you don't mind taking a bag, a mirrorless system with one or two lenses could be more versatile. 

4) Simplicity: Don't want to get bogged down with camera settings? Most modern cameras have a range of auto modes – especially compact cameras, which take away the stress. Advanced modes and complicated controls don't usually mix with spur-of-the-moment snaps, so decide what is important to you and pick your camera based on that.

5) Price: The cameras in our list have a range of prices, and we try to include cameras that suit every budget. The price of a camera usually reflects its capabilities, although all the options listed here will take great images and video – so try to strike the right balance between what you need in a camera and what you can afford.

Is it better to use phone or camera for travel?

We covered this a little bit at the start of the article, but the answer is that it is always better to use a camera for stills or video when possible. So the question really becomes, "Do your travel plans make using a camera possible?" Phones are so small and quick to use that they go where cameras are too bulky and slow to shoot. A great compromise is a compact camera – or the Olympus Tough TG-6 , which is a weather-proof camera that goes the places that you wouldn't dare to use your phone! 

Is a DSLR or mirrorless camera better for travel photography?

As a travel camera, mirrorless cameras are usually the better choice for most people. They are much small and lighter than DSLRs, and also usually have a selection of smaller and lighter lenses to match. This makes traveling easier as it takes up less space and weight in increasingly restricted carry-on bags. Mirrorless cameras also are generally newer than DSLRs and most likely have more modern technology, making photography and video easier to capture and of better quality.

What size camera lens is best for travel?

Again, this comes down to what your travel plans entail and what you plan to shoot. The kit lens that comes bundled with many cameras will cover the most commonly used focal ranges, so that's a good place to start (though kit lenses do not deliver the best image quality). We recommend checking out the best lenses for travel photography to see what's right for you.

How we test travel cameras

When we are reviewing cameras, we carefully think about what scenarios each camera could be used for. When considering which cameras would make ideal travel cameras, we judge each camera on how small and lightweight it is for easy packing and transport, as well as carrying for long periods of the day while out exploring. 

We also consider the technical capabilities of each camera, and how suitable they are specifically for travel photography scenarios from beach vacations to safaris, to city breaks. Finally, we consider the price of the cameras to select options that cover a range of budgets and requirements.

We use our real-world experience with each camera and our in-depth camera knowledge to determine a final selection of top cameras that we would recommend as the ideal camera traveling companions.

Want to find out how we test and review DSLR and mirrorless cameras? We trial cameras both in real-world shooting scenarios and in carefully controlled lab conditions. Our lab tests will generally measure resolution, dynamic range, and signal-to-noise ratio, which gives us a benchmark by which to compare cameras. 

Resolution is measured using ISO resolution charts, dynamic range is measured using DxO Analyzer test equipment and DxO Analyzer is also used for noise analysis across the camera's ISO range. Our compact camera evaluations are based on real-world testing alone.

For our real-world testing, our reviewers spend time with each camera, testing it in a variety of shooting situations and providing their qualitative thoughts on how the camera was to use and evaluating the images and video it produced. Here's an example of how we literally take a camera on vacation to evaluate it!

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Gareth is a photographer based in London, working as a freelance photographer and videographer for the past several years, having the privilege to shoot for some household names. With work focusing on fashion, portrait and lifestyle content creation, he has developed a range of skills covering everything from editorial shoots to social media videos. Outside of work, he has a personal passion for travel and nature photography, with a devotion to sustainability and environmental causes.

• James Artaius Editor

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Best Waterproof & Underwater Cameras for Hawaii

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, we earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

However, not all cameras are made for underwater. Even with all the new technologies, it might be difficult to make it work or get damaged if you take them in the water. Waterproof cameras are well-protected, so it is perfect to capture your underwater memories from Hawaii.

Years ago, a good waterproof camera was expensive, but now, a lot of waterproof cameras are available in the market that can take exceptional photos and can be purchased for a reasonable price.

If you’re planning for a vacation and looking for the best waterproof camera for Hawaii, you came to the right place. We’ve reviewed some of the best waterproof cameras in the market that may suit your picture-taking needs.

Let’s get started…

Featured Recommendations

At a glance…

Our Best Rated waterproof cameras for Hawaii

That was our top 3 waterproof cameras for Hawaii, now let’s take a look at all of them in more detail. Whatever your preferred spec or brand, you’re sure to find your ideal camera from the list below:

1 Olympus Tough TG-6

Best Overall: The ‘Tough’ line of Olympus has established an outstanding reputation because these cameras can withstand all weather.

The Olympus Tough TG-6 waterproof camera carries on the reputation of this line having everything “proof” such as crushproof, freezeproof, dustproof, and shockproof.

Aside from being recognized as one of the best waterproof cameras, it is also regarded as one of the best cameras for children because of its durability.

You’ll be able to take this camera down to 15 meters, which is perfect for swimming with dolphins. The Ultra 4K HD video will ensure you get some incredible quality footage, it also includes 5 underwater shooting modes

• Weight (inc. batteries):  253 g
• Body type: Compact
• Dimensions: 113 x 66 x 32 mm
• Screen size: 3″
• Pixels: 12 megapixels
• Resolution: 4000 x 3000

What I Love

I admire the dual-pane and anti-fog glass found on the lens of this camera. It gives ample protection to the lens and at the same time takes detailed and clear photos. I’m also impressed with its macro focus especially when the full optical zoom is used. Thus, you can expect intricate and impressive pictures when you use this feature.

• Excellent reproduction of colors
• High-definition videos
• Bright lenses that take great pictures even in the dark
• Can’t completely adjust manual controls

If you have the TG-5 model, you may want to reconsider getting TG-6. Nevertheless, this is the best waterproof camera if you have an older model of this line, or you want a camera that can withstand extreme conditions.

2 Nikon W300

Best dive depth:

The Nikon W300 is the best waterproof camera for those who enjoy exploring deep into the water since it has a barometer to measure underwater depth and altitude and 30m depths.

Its Bluetooth function transfers photos fast because of the SnapBridge technology. Its shockproof feature provides added protection. Though the images supported are limited, it is great for your underwater trips.

This awesome camera is waterproof, freezeproof, shockproof and dustproof, making it an ideal choice for exploring Hawaii. It captures 4K Ultra HD video and 16MP photos ensuring the highest quality video and photo.

The Nikon W300 is perfect for diving, snorkeling, hiking,  surfing, biking and much more.!

• Weight (inc. batteries): 231 g
• Dimensions: 112 x 66 x 29 mmScreen size: 3″
• Pixels: 16 megapixels
• Resolution: 4608 x 3456

I think the best features of this camera are the optical zoom lens and vibration reduction. The optical zoom lens has a wide-angle and an equal range for taking photos of various subjects. Its vibration reduction feature also benefits this lens. When you hold the camera while taking a photo, it lessens the shakiness. Therefore, you save time re-taking a photo. It also has an electronic vibration reduction that gives more quality videos by steadying the footage while recording.

• Detailed high-quality pictures
• LCD screen that gives a good glimpse of the subject
• No staggering due to continuous shooting feature
• Specialized body to protect from extreme weather conditions
• Doesn’t take far-reaching photos due to its small sensor

All in all, with its 100 ft underwater capacity, this is no doubt a perfect waterproof camera. Installing the SnapBridge app from the App Store or Play Store. This is worth the money because it can connect to Wi-Fi, NFC, and Bluetooth.

3 Panasonic DMC-TS25D

Best for beginners: The new underwater Panasonic Lumix (Amazon) is the new luxury camera in the Panasonic range. In the past 5 years, this is the first time Panasonic released a waterproof premium camera. This is probably since competitors like GoPros continue to rise.

Also, many more people especially millennials enjoy traveling, so the demand for waterproof cameras continues to grow. Panasonic hopes to get back in the game with this model since it has numerous features that aren’t present in most waterproof cameras.

If features, 8x intelligent zoom, and state of the art imaging performance. It’s waterproof to 7 meters, making it ideal for snorkeling and trekking through waterfalls. This camera is built to withstand harsh weather conditions, so it will have no problems surviving a trip to Hawaii.

• Weight (inc. batteries): 319 g
• Dimensions: 117 x 76 x 37 mm
• Pixels: 20 megapixels
• Resolution: 5184 x 3888

The Lumix TS7/FT7’s size is perfect for its control layout. Because it’s large, the buttons of the cameras are arranged to provide comfort. It is a challenge to make a waterproof camera that can be easily used underwater or with gloves on. It sometimes results in cameras looking like a toy. However, this Panasonic camera was able to get the perfect balance for the controls. The big shutter button makes taking photos without a hassle.

• Numerous external controls
• Waterproof in the deep waters
• Outstanding quality photo and video
• Electronic viewfinder
• Battery life could be better
• LED light functions only when a video is recorded

There are many things to enjoy with this camera on top of its durable exterior and viewfinder. However, the small sensor’s pixels are too much. If quality photos are not your priority, this is the best choice because of its design.

4 Fujifilm FinePix XP130

Best budget: The 4. Fujifilm FinePix XP130 (Amazon) is great for water activities like snorkeling, diving and surfing. It can resist bumps and knocks with its specially-designed shockproof feature. Most of its functions are similar to the XP120.

You’ll be able to give to an impressive 20 meters and still use this waterproof camera with no issues and shoot in full HD video. The image quality is an impressive 16.4 MP, ensuring you get the highest quality media.

Other features include an underwater Marco filter which ensures colors are reproduced exactly as they are seen by the human eye. This camera is also shockproof, dustproof and freezeproof.

The wide-angle x5 optical zoom will ensure you capture all the marine life on offer in Hawaii!

• Weight (inc. batteries): 207 g
• Body type: Ultracompact
• Dimensions: 110 x 71 x 28 mm
• Screen Size: 3″

What I love about this camera are vivid and bold photos. You can zoom the photos 5 times producing detailed images. I also like its portability. You can fit it inside your pocket. It also has a loop to attach a strap and a durable bar that provide ease in gripping.

• Good for novice users
• Reasonably priced
• Easy transfer of files
• Sturdy design
• LCD screen at the back is not a touchscreen

This camera by Fujifilm is indeed waterproof. Aside from being inexpensive, you can bring it with you anywhere. It is recommended if you are not particular about controls and advanced functions.

5 GoPro Hero 8

Best for action and adventure: This is the latest camera from GoPro, and it has lots of amazing features. There is a built-in mount for the camera that you can fold easily. You can also personalize it with accessories called “Mods.”

You can attach a Display Mod which is an additional screen. There are many other Mods you can choose from.

The GoPro Hero 8 (Amazon) camera offers so many brilliant features from its full HD live streaming to capturing super-stabilized time-lapse videos while you’re on the move. There’s also its live burst feature where you can choose the best picture from a single frame.

These are brilliant cameras offering 4k video and super high-quality images all from something that will fit in your back pocket. So, if you’re looking for something lightweight and portable which packs a bunch then this is has everything you need.

Perfect for bloggers, vloggers and anyone who is all about adventure and expiring, from activities such as diving, hiking, biking, snowboarding and much more.

• Weight (inc. batteries): 126 g
• Body type: VR/Action camera
• Dimensions: 66 x 49 x 28 mm
• Screen size: 2″

The best thing about this camera is that it has a 2-inch screen display at the back. It is a very sensitive touchscreen that produces detailed and vivid photos. You can take clear photos at any angle, and access the lens setting from the screen.

• High-quality video
• Small portable size
• Lots of built-in accessories
• A lot of options for frame rate
• Excellent image stabilization
• Small screen size

To sum up, this camera is good for recording extreme adventures and other travels because of the image stabilization. Because it can connect to Wi-fi, you can upload and share your photos and videos quickly.

Criteria for Evaluation

Here are the different factors you should consider in finding the best waterproof camera for traveling and exploring Hawaii:

Picture quality

Nowadays most cameras have a reliable picture quality, but make sure you choose a camera with 12MP and above. However, it’s not all about the megapixel resolution but also the sensor quality.

Check the lens and filters they use too, some of the cameras have macro filters that colors you see with the naked eye are captured in the picture you take. Be sure to check the reviews and people’s examples they upload too. The last thing you want is blurry pixelated images from such an amazing trip.

Video quality

Check the video specification of your underwater camera, I would personally accept nothing less than Ultra-HD 4K video. After all, you’re in Hawaii, you want to capture all those spectacular moments in the highest quality possible. From swimming with dolphins, snorkeling with Nemo to hiking and biking.

Memory capacity

You’re in Hawaii, you’re going to be taking so many pictures and videos, you’re going to need a lot of space to hold all that. Therefore, I would check the internal memory and also what external memory cards fit your camera.

Battery life

Try not to get a camera that only has a 1-hour battery life, especially on those long day-trips. With so many amazing things to see, get a camera that has long battery life. If not, then take some spare batteries out with you or a power bank so you can recharge on the go.

Camera depth

Depending on your activities in Hawaii, check your camera depth. For example, if you have your PADI certificate and plan on doing some diving then the Nikon W300 underwater camera would be perfect as it has a depth of 30 meters.

User interface

Some cameras can be very complicated to use and often over technical. It depends on your experience really, if you’re after a basic waterproof camera then I’d probably opt for one without all the bells and whistles, like having additional filters, etc to choose from. That said, I always opt for whatever is the best camera within my budget.

When you take photos or videos, you want the details to be as real as possible especially when you do it underwater. For the cameras mentioned, you can take a raw photo or video. This gives you more control over the details you want to tinker.

WiFi and bluetooth

At this age, many people consider the internet vital. When you take photos or videos, you want to share your moment with your family friends right away. Therefore, a Wi-Fi connectivity feature is considered important when buying a waterproof camera. You can just directly post your pictures and videos without the need to transfer them onto your computer first.

Accessory pack

You can get lots of accessories for cameras these days, from floating tripods, body straps to selfie-sticks. Depending on your activity, you might want to consider getting some accessories. For example, if your snorkeling you might want to get a floatable tripod so you can capture yourself with the marine life.

Item weight

Consider the weight of your waterproof camera, you don’t want something bulky and hard to carry with you. The most portable waterproof camera is the GoPro, you can literally fit it in your back pocket. All the cameras in this list are lightweight, so you’ll have no problems carrying them around on snorkeling trips or hiking trails.

If you’re thinking of swimming with dolphins in Hawaii, then to get a great picture, you might need a zoom lens with your underwater camera. Most of the cameras on our list have an x4 or x8 digital optical zoom lens.

Shock, freeze and dustproof

Whatever your planned activity in Hawaii, whether it’s diving, snorkeling, kayaking, biking or snowboarding these cameras are built to last and withstand the harshest weather conditions. You can bury them in snow or throw them around the desert and they will still work as if they were straight out the box.

Value for money

Cheapest isn’t always best, don’t go for what’s on special offer. Make sure you compare the specifications between cameras. Chances are the cheapest waterproof cameras that are not as high quality as the others and probably won’t last. Don’t make the mistake of buying an inferior quality camera and it leaking.

Always read the reviews, compare the specifications and check the picture quality before making that purchase. Luckily for you guys, we’ve done all that hard work for you with this list. The waterproof cameras here are the best on the market.

Final Thoughts

To summarize, having a waterproof camera for Hawaii would allow you to capture memories you wouldn’t be able to with a normal camera.

Traveling to Hawaii is a once in a lifetime experience for most, so why not do it in style with a waterproof camera.

You’ll be able to get 4K footage and high-quality images of you swimming with dolphins, snorkeling the reefs or relaxing under a waterfall.

There is a camera for everyone on this list, no matter your activity or budget, just remember to think what activities you’ll be doing then you can get the right camera for your trip.

For example, if you’re planning on mountain biking then the GoPro might be best as you can attach it to your helmet. However, the GoPro is fully waterproof and will also do a great job for deep-sea diving and snorkeling.

The Nikon W300 has a dive depth of a whopping 30 meters, so this underwater camera is perfect for scuba-diving.

Here are my personal things I look for when choosing a tent: –

• Waterproof (obviously)
• Video and image quality
• Durability and shockproof

I’ve touched on this previously, but my last bit of advice would be, get a good quality camera. They’re not cheap, so you don’t want to pay a lot of money for something that isn’t up to standard.

You may find cheaper alternatives, however, there’s usually a reason for this! Get a camera that will last you for years and one that’s reputable.

I hope you have enjoyed this post on our best waterproof and underwater cameras for Hawaii. If you have please share it with your friends and family.

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11 Best Travel Cameras, According to Experts and Amateurs Alike

By Alex Erdekian

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

If you’re debating whether to spring for one of the best travel cameras before an upcoming trip, consider this: Yes, a smartphone is perfectly capable of serving the average traveler’s photography goals, but a dedicated camera is required for capturing high-quality memories. The wide angle lens of a smartphone camera can only take its images so far; in spite of technology’s advancements over the years, its zoom feature still degrades photo quality, making them too grainy—in our opinion—to be worth taking. When it comes to travel photography, many of us want to get close and fill the frame with exciting faraway shots like skylines and canyons. A good travel camera also allows the photographer to shoot exciting, fleeting scenes from their trips, like bicycles blurring through a charming street, low-light landscapes like a starry sky, or a city strip flashing with neon lights. Lastly, we’ll leave you with this: In an era when we’re glued to our phones every minute of the day, documenting a trip with a camera allows us to be present in the here and now, and actually connect with the place we’ve traveled so far to experience .

To guide your search for the perfect new device, we’ve tapped experts, editors, and frequent travelers to weigh in on their most-loved cameras. Below, 11 travel cameras to consider bringing on your next adventure.

Find the best travel cameras:

For taking your interest to the next level, for capturing video footage, for emulating the experts, for unserious fun with film.

Larry Guo, a Brooklyn-based reader who studied fine art photography as an undergraduate, loves Fujifilm’s ecosystem of cameras when it comes to taking travel photos. His particular camera of choice is the Fujifilm xT10, a mirrorless digital camera that is significantly more lightweight and portable than a DSLR. “You have all of the abilities of a raw digital camera, but it’s less bulky,” Guo says.

Guo’s recent travels have taken him and his partner Rob to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and throughout Japan . His partner, who has an affinity for landscape photography, uses the Fujifilm XT3, which is a more semi-professional model.

“[Rob] really likes the process of coming home and editing. He enjoys landscape photography, so he brought an extra lens. He took really beautiful shots in Puerto Vallarta of the mist. In Japan, he took beautiful photos all over the place. We had them printed at Griffin Editions in Gowanus [Brooklyn].”

Pallavi Kumar , Condé Nast Traveler’s senior visuals director, is loyal to Fujifilm as well. “Fuji’s image quality and colors are unmatched,” Kumar says. “Sony is supposedly advanced, but Fuji's image quality is something else.” She shoots with the Fujifilm x100V.

Guo added that he has heard terrific things about the point-and-shoot cameras by Ricoh. These high-end point-and-shoots make snapping high-caliber photos on the move easy and seamless, requiring little to no steps before hitting the shutter. “It’s a really well-made point-and-shoot,” he says. “There’s no interchanging lenses. And for most people, that's really what you need. Most people don’t want to travel with multiple lenses.”

Filmmaker and writer Leslye Davis—who is a co-director of the documentary Father Soldier Son and has worked as a visual journalist at the New York Times —has been taking a camcorder with her on her personal travels. “It keeps me off my cell phone and it makes it easier to keep track of footage but also to edit while you shoot, so it’s fun to watch the shots back-to-back,” she says. For photos, she’s been shooting with the Canon R6. “It’s light and has a silent shutter and the images are high-res.”

National Geographic underwater wildlife photographer Cristina Mittenmeier previously told Traveler that she shoots with a Sony a7R III . Given the subject matter she captures, she uses it for its extraordinarily high-resolution images and low-light capabilities.

In a previous version of this article, legend Steve McCurry recommended the Leica SL2 and White House photographer Pete Souza recommended the Fujifilm X‑Pro3.

McCurry is famous for his iconic photograph “Afghan Girl,” which was featured on the cover of National Geographic in June 1985. The SL2’s lenses, he said, were the best he’s used, and he praised the camera’s incredible durability. The camera has extremely crisp 5K and 4K recording capabilities, so for users who are traveling in rogue conditions—like windy deserts or beaches with massive waves—the camera’s weather sealing, which keeps out the elements, is key.

The Fujifilm X‑Pro3 is Souza’s favorite walking around camera. It's lightweight and quiet. Souza, who photographed Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama throughout their terms, recommends planning your travel shots with this camera for the “first two hours of light in the morning, the last two hours of light in the evening, or when the weather is really bad (think fog, rain, or snow).”

Growing in popularity lately has been Kodak’s new film cameras. Mercedes Bleth , Traveler’s g lobal associate director of social, has been loving the Kodak Ektar H35, a 35mm point-and-shoot film camera that shoots half-frame—which means you get twice as many photos for each roll of film. (A major plus considering film is so expensive.)

“I love taking this little film camera with me on trips,” Bleth says. “It is very compact, lightweight, and easy to use (point-and-shoot at its finest). I find that it's a more present way to capture memories while traveling—it allows you to stay in the moment because you don't spend as much time with your phone in hand, taking too many photos to get the perfect shot. Film is precious (even at half-frame), so what you get is what you get, which in my opinion, makes the memories that much more tangible, and fun to look back on once it's developed.”

I also own this camera in mint green and love how paper-light, affordable, and cute it is. For an even lower stakes experience shooting film, Traveler contributor Lydia Mansel loves her colorful Kodak M35 35mm film camera , a $25 option that is great for those into disposable cameras who want to upgrade to something reusable so they can stop shelling out and throwing away new ones after each trip.

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Home » North America » Hawaii

Hawaii Packing List • 23 Items you NEED (2024)

It’s not hard to understand why you’ve decided to make Hawaii your next backpacking travel destination. Also known as the “Aloha State”, the “Paradise of the Pacific” and the “Rainbow State,” it’s as every bit as friendly, divine and magical as it sounds. You’re sure to find your own little piece of paradise among these U.S. islands.

Made up of eight main islands – with Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island as the state’s most popular – Hawaii offers every traveler plenty to see and do. If you know what and how to pack, you don’t need a whole lot to make your Hawaii adventure the best it can be. And that’s why we’re here – to give you the how and what to pack for Hawaii!

Below you’ll find your step-by-step Hawaii survival guide with everything you want to know about your Hawaii packing essentials. Its contents contain a top 23-needs packing for Hawaii list, advice on what to wear in Hawaii and how to pack by the seasons and weather conditions. Also included are suggested items for guys and gals for their own packing needs and what NOT to pack for Hawaii.

So sit back and have a read through all the helpful material that’s been compiled just for you, fellow backpacker. And before you know it, you’ll be all prepared and jetting off to all the splendor that is Hawaii – the land of Aloha! Aren’t you lucky?

Ok then, let’s get to it…

The Ultimate Hawaii Packing List

What to pack for hawaii: personal gear, best of the rest – hawaii checklist, the basic stuff to pack for hawaii, final thoughts on what to pack for hawaii.

The things that will come in handy during your trip, whether you’re staying in a luxurious vacation rental or a top Hawaii hostel .

Nomatic Travel Bag

• Capacity > 30L
• Price > $299

Nomatic Navigator Carry On

• Capacity > 37L
• Price > $400

GoPro Hero 11

• Resolution > 5k

Arc’teryx Beta AR Jacket

• Price > $600

Insurance From World Nomads

• Price > Click For a Quote

Now we have your attention, let us introduce you to the absolute Hawaii vacation packing essentials that you should not leave home without! So let’s see what to bring to Hawaii.

Best Backpack For Hawaii –  Nomatic Travel Bag

Before you even take on the task of figuring out what to pack for Hawaii, you’ll need an amazing backpack to pack it all into. For all types of travelers and destinations, our number one recommendation is the  Nomatic Travel Bag .

The Nomatic travel bag covers every detail to make backpacking travel the best experience. Because of its smart design, it manages to provide loads of packing space in a convenient, carry-on size package! Its handy built-in pockets make plenty of room for all the necessities on your what to pack for Hawai checklist – you’ll find separate compartments for important items like shoes, water bottle, electronics, underwear and socks. As an added bonus, there’s also an RFID-safe and cord management pocket.

You have a choice between backpack or duffel bag carry, and extra carrying comfort for your back thanks to its innovative strap system and detachable sternum strap. And its black, waterproof material is every bit sleek and modern as it is durable and tough. There is a reason why most Broke Backpacker staff swear by this backpack. 

Best Suitcase For Hawaii:  Nomatic Carry-On Pro

Backpacks not your thing? That’s ok. Our friends at Nomatic are back again with a great alternative to their badass Travel Bag; the Nomatic Carry-On Pro. 

This suitcase is ultra-durable, sleek, and comes with a handy tech compartment for transporting your laptop and other electronic bits. Nomatic has been an industry leader when it comes to travel gear and that reputation is reflected in the quality build design and functionality of the Carry-On Pro suitcase. 

Check out our  Nomatic Carry-On Pro review  to learn more about this epic suitcase. 

Best Camera For Hawaii: GoPro Hero9 Black

For most of us, our smartphones now feature cameras with stunning photo capabilities.

But… if you are an aspiring photographer who wants to take next-level photos and video beyond iPhone selfies, I recommend going with an action camera like the  GoPro Hero9 Black .

It does deliver pro-quality video and gives you a bunch of a different angle options and shooting speeds to work with for photos (including a selfie-mode).

Hawaii is great for diving and water sports so you may want an underwater camera but if not, this is a great option.

Think of a camera purchase like this as a long term investment that will have you capturing epic shots well beyond your time exploring here.

If you are looking for something cheaper for video specifically, check out these epic  GoPro Alternatives .

Best Sim For Hawaii – HolaFly eSim

The good news about Hawaii is that there is extensive 4g and 5g Internet coverage, taxi apps and food delivery apps. The bad news is that your native SIM card will not work and so you will not be able to access any of this online goodness until you rectify that particular situation.

You can waste time hanging around the airport phone shops queuing to get a plastic sim or you can is,ply install a eSim onto your phone before you leave home. You just access the HolaFly site, choose the USA package, download it and off you go – you are online the moment you land at the airport.

eSims are easier to set up and better than the environment than plastic sims. The downside is that not all phones are eSim ready.

A Proper Travel Towel (Gotta stay dry!)

Towels are essential backpacking gear as a lot of hostels don’t provide them or if they do, they may not really be all that clean. However don’t bring a ‘normal’ towel on your backpacking journeys, they are big and take up loads of room in your pack and they take ages to dry.

Travel pros like use micro-fibre dry towels that roll up into tiny, space saving proportions AND they dry unbelievably quick. Granted, they are not quite as comforting as a cotton towel but its a trade of that travellers need to make. A good micro-fibre travel towers is essential travel gear on any ultimate backpacking gear list.

The Matador micro-fibre towel series are made by travellers for travellers. They are super light, and most importantly dry very quickly and are perfect for all types of backpacking trips.

Nomatic Packing Cubes

Packing cubes are great for helping you to pack more and pack better – using packing cubes means you can pack loads more clothes in and then store then neatly inside your backpack.

The Nomatic packing cubes not only have a second zipper for extra compression they are designed to fit perfectly inside their accompanying backpacks, which are number one on the market

Money Belt – By Pacsafe

Whilst Hawaii is not particularly dangerous, crime can still happen and tourists are sometimes targeted.

Therefore it is always a good idea to use a money belt to hide your cash just in case something does go wrong.

There are a lot of different money belts out there and some of them suck. However this one from Pacsafe is made of strong stuff so will last you a few years of travel.

Hawaii is hot and warm pretty much all year around. There is a however a rainy season which you need to be mindful of and it can get cool at night especially if you are camping out or heading to the high ground.

Autumn is an ideal season to visit Hawaii . By mid to late September and October, some of those bustling tourist crowds have dispersed, and the weather is overall warm and perfect for all types of outdoor leisure. You may encounter some more rain in November, so you’ll want to have a light rain jacket and umbrella as part of your fall gear.

Best Sandals For Hawaii:  OluKai ‘Ohana Flip-Flops

Circling back to the footwear question, now we are going to talk about sandals. Whether you are traveling to Hawaii during the warmer months or plan on spending most of your time relaxing in an eco-lodge , having a pair of flip flops is a good idea. 

Your feet will be tired and sweaty from those long days wearing shoes so do yourself a favor: pack sandals and give your feet some well-deserved cushion and fresh air. These Olukai flip flops are ultra-comfortable, well-made, and come in a variety of colors. 

Check out the  women’s OluKai ‘Ohana Flip-Flops . 

Best Jacket For Hawaii – Arcteryx Beta AR

Did you know that the surface of the earth is over 70% covered in water? And you know how that water got there? Yep because it tends to rain here on planet earth quite a lot!

Anyway, whilst Hawaii doesn’t really get cold, it does get very wet during the rainy or wet season and therefore a decent rain jacket is essential. A good jacket is also important if you intend on doing the sunrise Mt Batur hike as it will be chilly up there, at least until the sun comes up.

There is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong gear for it. Don’t let a bit (or a lot) of rain ruin your trip, and make sure you are ready with some top notch rain gear.

This is our pick of the many rain jackets we have tried. It’s reliable & stylish!

Best Sunglasses For Hawaii – Abaco Sunglasses

A reliable pair of sunglasses is undoubtedly one of your Hawaii packing essentials. Our favorites are Abaco Polarized Sunglasses because they deliver on quality and style. 

They’re built tough with triple-layer scratch-resistant lenses and trademarked Adventure-proof Frame Material. You can also customize them with your choice of lens and frame colors to reflect your own style. 

Best Hiking Pack For Hawaii –  Osprey Daylite Plus

If you intend on doing any hiking, or scootering around the island, then you will need a daypack. They are great for carrying water, hat’s and suncream. We love Osprey products and this daypack is our personal pick.

The Osprey Daylite Plus has a mesh-covered panel to keep your back cool and fresh by minimizing contact and allowing air to get between you and the pack.

Check out our   full review of the Osprey Daylite plus  for more details.

Great Travel Insurance For Hawaii – From World Nomads

Healthcare in Hawaii is expensive . Protect yourself and your trip!

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing .

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

Stand Up Paddle Board

One of the things you just must try in Hawaii is SUPing – or Stand Up Paddle Boarding. You can rent gear locally of course or you can buy your own.

We suggest getting an inflatable one as it will make packing and transportation a lot better.

Lets look at what else you may need for a trip to Hawaii.

The Hawaiian islands are surrounded by some beautiful ocean and the chances are that at some point, you will want to go for a swim! Even if you are not after a beach vacation, you have to visit at least a couple of times as they are just so damned beautiful.

Skinny dipping is fun, but also kinda illegal. So don’t forget to bring some a beach bag and swimming gear!

You will have plenty of opportunities in Hawaii to get into your swimwear so treat yourself to a nice set!

Travel First Aid Kit

You don’t need to tote around half a pharmacy, but a well-stocked first aid kit should be in all our backpacks. Stuff happens on the road and it’s inconvenient and embarrassing when you can’t manage small situations like a cut finger or hangover migraine.

You can tuck this lifesaver away in a forgotten pocket – and it’ll be there when you need it.

You don’t need t pack an entire ER but do at least bring the basics.

Tip: Add a few bits and pieces to the first aid kit after you purchase it, like extra headache medicine, any personal meds you need (like allergy pills), whatever you take to calm your stomach and a few more plasters.

Planner/Travel Journal

Keeping a journal is one of the best things to do when traveling. The Drifter Leather Journal by Kodiak is our favorite, it works great for digital nomads and organized backpackers, and can be used as planner or a dream diary – whatever you want! 

Keep on track with your goals, travels and save those precious memories, especially the ones you do not want to share online! This one is bound in beautiful leather so it looks beautiful and will withstand life on the road.

Waterbottle –  Hydroflask Vacuum Bottle 32 oz. 

All of your outdoor activities in mostly-sunny Hawaii weather will quickly dehydrate you if you’re not drinking enough water all along the way. And, luckily, Hawaii has some of the safest potable tap water. Take advantage of this natural (and free!) water with an insulated stainless steel water bottle. It will keep your 25 ounces of water pleasantly cold for 24 hours and help keep you going.

We love the Hydroflask Vacum Bottle for its quality and because it keeps cold water  cold  for many hours and vice versa for hot beverages. This bottle is the ideal water bottle to get not just for your Hawaii trip but for daily use. Please don’t be that person buying plastic water bottles. We are all judging you…especially mother earth. 

If you go with the Hydroflask, you’ll probably never need to buy another waterbottle again. 

Suncream:  Thinksport Safe SPF 50+

By now, all of us are as pasty as the driven snow from sheltering in place for the last six months. Am I right? This means we are even more vulnerable than usual to the sun’s fierce rays. Packing sunscreen for Hawaii may seem like a no brainer, but you would be amazed how many sun-burned cocktail-toting people you see wandering around. 

Thinksport Safe SPF 50+ sunscreen gives folks strong sun protection in a non-oily formula that’s free of gluten, paraben, phthalates and biologically harmful chemicals.

Hanging Toiletry Bag

Another backpacker/traveler favorite for staying organized is a  hanging toiletry bag . It’s extremely helpful to have all of your accessories neatly gathered in one bag that you can hang for easy accessibility, especially when counter space isn’t plentiful or even available. A well-organized bag is worth having whether you’re tree whilst camping or a hook in the wall – it helps to have quick access to all your stuff.

Historically, I have been the guy who has my stuff all over the bathroom, so getting one of these things really changed the toiletry game for me. Plus they are not too expensive either. A no-brainer essential. 

This one by Nomatic is possibly the best toiletry bag on the market. It is made from water resistant, wipe cleanable material that guarantees longevity and it offers excellent organisational capabilities. It is also comes with a hang-up-hook so you can hang it over the shower head or your hostel bed.

On top of the essential items listed above, here is an additional suggested checklist of what to pack for a trip to Hawaii:

• 1-2 pairs of comfortable pants/jeans
• 1-2 pairs of shorts (summer/late spring)
• A few pairs of socks
• (Sexy) underwear x 2/3
• Ladies: a few dresses, pants, outfits, or desired lady apparel for a night on the town. Whatever makes you comfy! 
• Dudes: A few collard shirts or something half-way decent for a night on the town. Whatever makes you comfy! 
• Smartphone with a good camera for photos if you are not bringing an actual camera
• Portable power bank  for charging your phone on the go
• Phone charger
• Amazon Kindle  for reading by the pool
• Aeropress  if your Hawaii AIRBNB or Hotel has hot water making capabilities
• Copy of your passport just in case
• Cash (not too much, there are ATM machines everywhere
• Packable Towel

As we mentioned, there is no “bad” time to go to Hawaii – and winter is no exception. You’ll find rainier conditions, and you should be aware that swimming conditions in the ocean of the north coasts are sometimes dangerous. Be mindful of lifeguard signs and surf updates. But average temperatures stay warm across the islands at an average 75 ° F (22 ° C)

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And that’s it, friends! You’ve come to the end of your Hawaii survival guide! You have the full download on everything there is to know about what to pack for Hawaii. Keep it simple and stay focused on the info we provided: your top-23 needs packing list, pointers on what to wear in Hawaii and how to pack for its seasons; you also have packing tips specifically for guys and gals, and what NOT to pack for Hawaii.

Just pack light and smart – and don’t forget to bring along your hula hips, your warmest smile and friendliest Aloha!

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links . That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!

Aiden Freeborn

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Traveling Photographer’s Guide: Hawaii

You already know about the beautiful beaches, but there's a lot more to shoot

By Jennifer Chen | Updated Apr 14, 2021 9:41 AM EDT

*Imagine visiting a place where you could photograph untouched snow-capped mountains and only a few hours later capture a sunset over a black sandy shore with a sea turtle as your photo assistant.

Sure, Hawaii is known for its sunny beaches, tropical breezes, and relaxed vibe. But its unusual microclimates allow you access to some of nature’s best beauties. The crystal blue waters are home to fascinating underwater subjects, chirping native birds live in the forests, active volcanoes spew out glowing molten earth, and, if you’re lucky, you can watch the red-hot lava pour directly into the ocean for an unparalleled sight.

We spoke with four photographers who are experts on the islands to learn what makes Hawaii’s diverse environments so intriguing. They shared their tips for uncovering gems in one of the world’s most photographed places. *

Waipio Valley, The Big Island

Getting Around

The main airport in Hawaii is Honolulu on Oahu, but there are direct flights to the Big Island, Maui, and Kauai as well. All four photographers agreed that the Big Island is the best place for photographing Hawaii’s varied microclimates; Kory Lidstrom counts it as his personal favorite. “You’ve got snow-capped mountains, lava, rain forests, and desert areas all in one place,” says Lidstrom. In particular, he encourages photographers to explore the Puna region of the island, which he deems “the Wild West of Hawaii.” The region is the least populated, and, he adds, “it’s undiscovered.”

The photographers recommend flying to Kona on the Big Island and then heading over to the Hilo side, which is rainier and offers more ready access to volcanoes, waterfalls, and rainforests. “Staying in the same hotel the whole time is easiest,” says Lidstrom. “Since it’s an island, you’re never more than a few hours from anywhere.” Jon Cornforth advises taking a weeklong trip, focusing on one island, and renting a car to hit all the sites. “You really need to rent a 4×4,” says Lidstrom. “Some of the best locations are only reachable by 4×4.”

Kamoamoa, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Lookout points abound on the islands, but getting off the beaten path is one way to photograph images that are unique. “If you have your camera with you all of the time and go along the little side trails or spend the day on the beach wandering, it’s incredible what you can get,” says Varina Patel. Cornforth, who recently made Kauai his home, pokes around on Google Earth for potential shoot locations, and admits that perusing postcards at the grocery store will give him ideas of places he should check out. Lidstrom adds, “For landscape photography, scouting is always crucial. Some of my mentors have said that for every hour you spend shooting, you should spend four or five hours scouting.”

When venturing out to shoot hot lava, Lidstrom recommends taking a boat tour. “A boat is actually the safest way to shoot it. Nothing is going to happen to you.” Guidebooks and researching locales online are some ways to find the right spots, but when Lidstrom wants the inside scoop, he asks the locals.

Mauna Kea, The Big Island

What to Bring

With such varied terrain, you want to bring the best equipment you can while still packing sparingly. That means light-as-possible tripods, an array of filters, zoom lenses, and durable bags.

Lidstrom likes zoom lenses for their versatility. He shot Kalapana on the Big Island using his image-stabilized 70–200mm f/2.8 lens. “I was at the widest aperture you can get, f/2.8. A lot of experts on lava will say not to bring a fast lens, but when you’re shooting on a boat, you need to keep that shutter speed up,” Lidstrom explains.

Kalapana, The Big Island

For his waterfall image (found at the top of this article), Lidstrom opted for his Canon 16–35mm f/2.8L because he wanted a classic wide-angle landscape shot. Lidstrom waited until the mist in the background was in the right position before he pressed the shutter. “In landscape photography, you’re always trying to create depth out of a two-dimensional medium,” says the photographer.

Varina Patel, who captured the bluff and wave photos in this article, advises using graduated neutral-density filters. For the Steaming Bluff image, Patel used one to reduce the amount of light coming in through the upper half of the frame without affecting the lower half. She also used a graduated filter for the wave on Cape Kumukahi to balance the bright sky with the turquoise ocean.

Lidstrom recommends carrying standard neutral-density filters, too, especially when shooting moving water like waves or streams in bright light. “It allows you to increase your shutter speed to capture the level of texture in the water that you prefer,” he says.

And a polarizing filter is a must. Lidstrom adds, “Polarizers are incredibly useful for making jungle greens look lush and they take the glare off of the water, which one is constantly shooting in Hawaii.”

Hamakua Forest Reserve, The Big Island

For toting equipment, Conforth uses an rugged camera backpack, a waterproof duffel bag, and he packs a small umbrella and paper towels, too. “These are all essentials in wet conditions, and it can be very wet in Hawaii,” he says.

Island Secrets

The untouched snow Cornforth captured at the summit of Mauna Kea (above) was an image 10 years in the making. He waited for a storm to dump a ton of snow on the summit and then ventured out. The radical elevation change—going from sea level to 13,500 feet—isn’t for the faint of heart. It took Cornforth 30 minutes to walk a few hundred yards. “I could only take five or ten steps in the soft snow before I was out of breath,” her recalls. He hiked to a section of snow where nobody else had stepped, looked around for the kind of composition he wanted—clean and simple with no distracting elements—and shot it with his Canon EOS 5D Mark II, a Zeiss 28mm lens, and a Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer.

Near Cornforth’s Kauai home, there’s a sinkhole that fills with incoming waves. Sometimes it can be a dangerous spot, particularly during the winter, because of wave heights, and other times of the year, the area has no waves at all. “Look at the weather and surf forecast. If there’s going to be 30-foot waves crashing, do not go there. If you’re contemplating going, ask some locals what they think. I’ve set the gold standard for myself that if I don’t see local people in the area, it’s probably not safe for anybody.”

Cape Kumukahi, The Big Island

Chatting with native Hawaiians can lead to wonderful, hidden areas otherwise unknown to tourists. Lidstrom’s image of Monet-esque rainbow eucalyptus trees came about after a local saw him setting up his tripod. “He mentioned to me that there is a cool spot where there are a whole bunch of these trees right in a row.” For the photo, Lidstrom used his Canon EOS 5D Mark II and a telephoto lens (70–200mm f/2.8L Canon EF IS lens) to compress the depth of field. He used an f/22 aperture to make sure all of the trees were in focus. He shot it at 25 seconds with a tripod.

Hawaii offers a huge variety of terrains to explore, from rocky beaches to rainforests. While you might not be able to capture every single thing on your bucket list, with the right equipment and a sense of adventure you can surprise yourself with the number of different images you can get. Just keep an open mind, and take the roads less traveled.

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Best Cameras for Hawaii

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Hawaiian UFOs and More

Additional Info :

Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm Lens | Built-in Wi-Fi | 24.1 MP CMOS Sensor | DIGIC 4+ Image Processor and Full HD Videos

• 24.1 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor with is 100–6400 (H: 12800)
• Built-in Wi-Fi and NFC technology
• 9-Point AF system and AI Servo AF
• Optical Viewfinder with approx 95% viewing coverage
• Use the EOS Utility Webcam Beta Software (Mac and Windows) to turn your compatible Canon camera into a high-quality webcam. Compatible Lenses- Canon EF Lenses (including EF-S lenses, excluding EF-M lenses)

Panasonic LUMIX G85 4K Digital Camera, 12-60mm Power O.I.S. Lens, 16 Megapixel Mirrorless Camera, 5 Axis In-Body Dual Image Stabilization, 3-Inch Tilt and Touch LCD, DMC-G85MK (Black)

• Fine Detail Performance: 16 megapixel micro four thirds sensor with no low pass filter resulting in a near 10 percent boost in fine detail resolving power over existing 16 megapixel micro four thirds sensors; Color temperature setting 2500 to 10000K in 100K
• Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera: With 12 60 millimeter lens, Shoot lighter and faster with the modern hybrid photography performance of a mirrorless camera and nearly half the bulk of most DSLRs
• Class Leading Dual Image Stabilization: In body 5 axis dual image stabilization works in both photo and motion picture recording including 4K video to produce clear handheld shots even in low light conditions. Diopter adjustment: minus-4.0 to plus-4.0 (dpt)
• Live Viewfinder and Flip LCD Display: Integrated eye level OLED live viewfinder (2360K dots) and rear touch Enabled 3 inch LCD Display (1040K dots) adjusts for optimal viewing angles to maximize viewing
• 4K video Capture: 4K QFHD video recording (3840 x 2160), plus exclusive Lumix 4K photo and 4K Post Focus allows you to record photos up to 30fps and set your desired focus points after the photo has been Taken

OM System Olympus TG-6 Red Underwater camera, Waterproof, Freeze proof, High Resolution Bright, 4K Video 44x Macro shooting

• Water proof (50 feet /15 meter), dust proof, shock proof (7 feet / 2.1 meter), crush proof (100 kgf), freeze proof (14 degree Fahrenheit / -10 degree Celsius), anti-fog
• High resolution F2.0 lens, maximum 8x zoom, true pic VIII, back illuminated CMOS image sensor
• Variable macro system comprised of 4 macro shooting modes, magnified shooting up to 1 centimeter from the end of the lens
• 5 underwater shooting modes including underwater microscope, 3 underwater white balance modes
• 4K movie and full HD 120 fps high speed movies can be recorded. Battery life – Approx. 340 Images (using Toshiba SDHC UHS-I Card Exceria with is on, based on CIPA testing standards). Approx. 50 minutes (under standard JEITA testing). Approx. 110 minutes (when zoom and other operational functions are not used). When repeatedly recording at the maximum time of 29 minutes

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The best travel cameras for 2024

Andy Westlake rounds up our pick of the best travel cameras for trips long and short, vacations and all other adventures

Welcome to our guide to the best travel cameras and holiday cameras! Here, we are going to be running through our picks for the best small and light cameras to take away with you. A full camera setup tends to be too bulky and heavy to use on a photo trip or vacation, while a smartphone will generally be too restrictive in terms of what it can capture (and never mind the battery). A dedicated travel camera is the ideal solution.

At AP, our review team tests cameras of all types, and that includes travel cameras. DSLRs, mirrorless models and compact cameras have all passed across our testing bench, and we’ve chosen the best of the best for this guide. This doesn’t just mean the most expensive premium models – after all, travel is expensive enough without having to add a whacking great camera bill on top.

Of course, you do have to spend a bit of money to make sure you get something worth buying. So, we’ve put together a list to suit a range of budgets, including new models and older ones that have come down in price. However, every camera on here has one thing in common – it impressed our reviewing team enough to earn their recommendation.

We’ve got plenty of advice for taking better travel images here .

How to choose the best travel camera or holiday camera

So what features might be most desirable for a travel camera? Small size and light weight are a given, and we’ve assumed that most users will prefer using a zoom lens , quite probably with an extended range. This could be complemented by a couple of small primes , for shooting in low light or going out in the evening. It might also make sense to add an ultra-wideangle zoom for architecture, landscapes or interiors.

As such, where we’ve picked an interchangeable-lens camera , we’ve also provided a lens recommendation, generally one that you can buy bundled with the camera. The fixed-lens compact cameras we’ve picked generally have generous zoom ranges , with the exception of the Fujifilm X100V, which is loved by travelling street photographers for its super-sharp 35mm prime. This is one we’d recommend for city breaks rather than countryside hikes.

In general, the cameras we’ve chosen in this guide also include fully manual control , a built-in viewfinder and raw format image recording . In order to attain a certain level of image quality, they also use sensors of the 1-inch type or larger . The one exception is the Olympus Tough TG-6, which we have chosen as the best bet for a waterproof camera . Going to be spending most of your time snorkelling on the beach? That one is your best bet.

Read on for our choice of the best travel cameras and holiday cameras that are available right now, including both high-end pocket cameras and lightweight mirrorless models teamed up with versatile zoom lenses.

Where to find the best travel and vacation cameras:

• Best waterproof travel camera: Olympus Tough TG-6 – check best price
• Best fixed-lens compact for travel: Fujifilm X100V – check best price
• Best zoom compact for travel: Panasonic LX100 II – check best price
• Best point and shoot for travel: Panasonic Lumix TZ200 / ZS200 –  check best price
• Sony RX100 VII – check best price
• Best all-in-one travel camera: Sony RX10 IV – check for best price
• Best DSLR for travel: Nikon D5600 – check best price
• Best travel camera for enthusiasts: Fujifilm X-S10 – check best price
• Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III – check best price
• Nikon Z 5 – check best price

The best travel cameras and vacation cameras: our full list

Olympus tough tg-6 – $489 / £399.

Olympus Tough TG-6 (Red) Lego for scale. Photo Joshua Waller

At a glance

• 25-100mm f/2-4.9 lens
• 12MP 1/2.3in sensor
• ISO 100-12,800
• 20fps continuous shooting
• 3in, 1.04m-dot screen

The Olympus Tough TG-6 is different from the other cameras included in this round-up, as it employs a relatively small sensor, which means it won’t give anywhere near the same image quality. It also does without a viewfinder, relying solely on a fixed rear screen instead. But it makes our list simply because it’s the best rugged camera you can buy right now.

Key to its attraction is its sheer robustness. The TG-6 is waterproof to 15m, shockproof to a drop from 2.4m, freezeproof to -10°C, and crushproof . So you can use it without any worries on the beach or in the sea. It also boasts impressive close-up capability and an extensive range of underwater modes, plus an extensive range of lighting and lens accessories.

For outdoor adventurers, it also includes a suite of environmental sensors that allow you to keep track of your travels, including GPS with a compass, a thermometer and an accelerometer.

Read our full review of the Olympus Tough TG-6 .

What we like:

• Supremely rugged build
• Has optical zoom (many tough compacts don’t)
• Useful environmental features

What we don’t like:

• Small sensor
• No viewfinder

Jellyfish, taken with the Olympus Tough TG-6, photo Joshua Waller

Take a look at other waterproof and underwater camera options here: Top 12 Best Waterproof and Underwater Cameras  

Fujifilm X100V  – $1,399 / £1,339

The Fujifilm X100V is a premium compact camera beloved of street photographers.

At a glance:

• 35mm equivalent f/2 lens
• 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor
• ISO 80-51,200 (extended)
• 11fps continuous shooting
• Hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder
• 3.2in, 1.62m-dot tilting touchscreen

Among all the cameras covered in this article, the Fujifilm X100V is unique, as it’s the only one with a fixed, single-focal-length lens . Usually for travel we presume photographers will prefer a zoom, ideally with an extended range to cover a broad array of subjects. But the X100V is different.

With its APS-C sensor, fixed 35mm equivalent lens, and classic rangefinder-like styling, it embraces a different way of shooting. It’s all about working with a fixed angle of view, and ‘zooming with your feet’ to find your pictures. It’s not for everyone, but for some photographers, it’ll be perfect.

While the X100V looks very much like the previous four models in the X100 series, it brings some significant improvements. Its redesigned lens is sharper, especially at close focus distances, and it gains a tilting rear screen that’s great for discreet, unobtrusive shooting.

Thankfully these upgrades don’t come at the detriment of the camera’s other major attractions, which include analogue dials for shutter speed, ISO, aperture and exposure compensation, and Fujifilm’s unique hybrid viewfinder that gives a choice of optical or electronic viewing.

Despite its old-fashioned good looks, the X100V is packed full of up-to-date features . It’s capable of 11fps shooting, 4K video recording, and face- and eye-detection autofocus. It also benefits from Fujifilm’s superb colour rendition, with a full array of Film Simulation modes on board to provide a variety of different looks.

And for those who really can’t do without a few different lenses, optional wideangle and teleconverters are available, giving 28mm and 50mm equivalent views.

Read our full review of the Fujifilm X100V. 

• Sublime image quality
• Super-sharp lens
• Has nailed the street photography feel
• Expensive for a compact

Image: Michael Topham

Panasonic LX100 II – $849 / £859

The Panasonic Lumix LX100 II

• 24-75mm equivalent f/1.7-2.8 lens
• 17MP Four Thirds sensor
• ISO 100-25,600 (extended)
• 11fps shooting
• 2.76m-dot EVF
• 3in, 1.24m-dot touchscreen

If you love the idea of an X100-like camera, but can’t live without a zoom, then the Panasonic Lumix LX100 II might just be for you. It boasts a similar array of external controls for shutter speed, aperture and exposure compensation, and incorporates a corner-mounted 2.76m-dot electronic viewfinder. But it also includes a 24-75mm equivalent optically stabilised zoom lens with an unusually fast f/1.7-2.8 aperture. This is particularly impressive given that the camera employs a relatively large Four Thirds type sensor.

One unique feature of the LX100 II lies with the way that it uses its sensor. It employs a multi-aspect ratio design that, at the flick of a switch on the lens barrel, can toggle between 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 settings , all with the same diagonal angle of view, and therefore progressively wider horizontal views. There’s also a 1:1 option for those who enjoy shooting square-format images.

While the LX100 II is very much designed for stills shooters, it also offers 4K video recording , although with a 1.25x crop. Panasonic’s various 4K Photo modes are on board too, in effect shooting 8MP JPEGs at 30fps. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built-in for connecting to your smartphone.

The real attraction of the LX100 II, though, lies in just how pleasing it is to shoot with, thanks to its robust metal build and engaging control layout. It also delivers fine image quality. For enthusiast photographers who’d like a zoom compact camera that offers lots of manual control and creative potential, there’s nothing else quite like it.

Read our full review of the Panasonic Lumix LX100 II .

• Clever multi-aspect sensor
• Robust metal body
• Fast f/1.7 lens for low light
• Somewhat restricted zoom range
• Quite bulky for a camera of this type

Panasonic Lumix TZ200 / ZS200 – $697 / £679

The Panasonic Lumix TZ200 is portable and agile, but boasts a hefty zoom range.

• 24-360mm equivalent f/3.3-6.4 lens
• 20.1MP 1in sensor
• ISO 80-25,600 (extended)
• 10fps continuous shooting
• 2.33m-dot viewfinder

Panasonic originally invented the long-lens, pocket-sized ‘travel zoom’ camera, and the TZ200 (or ZS200 in the US) is the ultimate expression of this concept. Like its predecessor the TZ100, it adds a 20MP 1-inch sensor into the mix, to provide considerably improved image quality compared to its cheaper siblings with smaller sensors, such as the TZ95.

But it improves on the TZ100 with a longer 24-360mm equivalent zoom (compared to 25-250mm) and a larger, higher-resolution electronic viewfinder, yet without noticeably increasing in size. For those who can’t afford the TZ200, the TZ100 remains an attractive proposition for £389.

In contrast to its sibling the LX100 II, the TZ200 is very much a point-and-shoot at heart. But it still offers lots of manual control, including a full set of exposure modes and raw format recording. It’s capable of shooting at 10 frames per second, or 7fps with live view between frames. A vast array of features is available for those who’d like to experiment further, including panoramic, multi-exposure, intervalometer and even stop-motion animation modes.

As usual, Panasonic has included 4K video recording, along with its unique 4K Photo mode that allows 8MP JPEGs to be captured at 30fps.

Crucially, the TZ200 gives attractive images, particularly in bright, sunny conditions. It’s also more usable than you might expect in low light, as while the lens’s aperture isn’t especially large, the optical image stabilisation is extremely effective. It’s a great choice for when you just want to carry a pocket point-and-shoot camera but not skimp on zoom range.

• Huge zoom in a tiny body
• Clever 4K Photo modes
• Effective optical stabilisation
• Pricier than TZ100
• Lens aperture tops out at f/3.3

Sony RX100 VII – $1,298 / £1,049

The RX100 VII benefits from a pop-up viewfinder.

• 24-200mm equivalent f/2.8-4.5 lens
• 20MP 1in sensor
• 2.36m-dot pop-up EVF
• 3in, 921k-dot tilting touchscreen

Sony’s RX100-series compact cameras are famed for the way they fit an awful lot of technology into a small, pocketable package. The latest model in the range exemplifies this, with a 24-200mm equivalent f/2.8-4.5 zoom, a 20MP 1-inch stacked CMOS sensor, a pop-up electronic viewfinder and a tilting rear screen, all in a body that’ll slip neatly into a jacket pocket.

What’s more, it’ll shoot at 20 frames per second and record 4K video. Compared to its predecessor, it gains an upgraded sensor that enables Sony’s AI-based tracking autofocus, along with a socket for an external microphone and a few interface improvements. Otherwise, the older RX100 VI offers most of the same features for a slightly more affordable £849.

With 357 phase-detection AF points covering 68% of the frame and Sony’s Real-time Eye AF and Real-time Tracking on board, the RX100 VII has the most sophisticated autofocus of any compact camera . Set it to continuous focus and tracking, and you can almost forget about having to move the AF area or change focus modes ever again. This is very welcome, as in many respects the camera’s ambitious feature set has rather outgrown its simple control layout.

One area where the RX100 VII excels lies with composing your images, thanks its large pop-up viewfinder and tilting rear screen. The lens is a strong performer too, especially when stopped down. Crucially, the camera delivers attractive images which are a noticeable improvement over older Sony models in terms of colour rendition.

• Class-leading autofocus
• Pocketable form factor
• Great viewfinder and screen
• Still very pricey
• RX100 VI will do most of the same stuff for less money

Sony RX10 IV – $1,698 / £1,499

Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV. Photo credit: Andy Westlake.

• 24-600mm equivalent f/2.4-4 lens
• 24fps continuous shooting
• 2.35m-dot viewfinder
• 3in, 1.44m-dot tilting touchcreen

For photographers who’d like an all-in-one camera with a long zoom lens , but who are prepared to carry something the size of a DSLR, there’s nothing else quite like the Sony RX10 IV .

Its 24-600mm equivalent optically stabilised lens offers immense versatility and reach, yet still boasts a usefully fast f/2.4-4 aperture . Meanwhile its 20MP 1in stacked CMOS sensor provides a combination of fine image quality and breathtaking speed. The camera also incorporates Sony’s sophisticated autofocus systems, including eye AF for both humans and animals.

The RX10 IV handles well too, with a large, comfortable handgrip. Three rings arranged around the lens barrel control zoom, focus and aperture, and there’s a dedicated exposure compensation dial perfectly placed for operation by your thumb. Focus area selection is handled using either the touchscreen or the rear d-pad. The viewfinder is decently large and gives an accurate preview, while the screen tilts for low-angle shooting.

To fully understand the RX10 IV’s attraction, though, we need to consider how it compares to mirrorless or DSLR alternatives. Quite simply, none can match its zoom range without changing lenses . What’s more, few other cameras get close to its ability to shoot at 24 frames per second with continuous autofocus and a vast 110-frame raw buffer.

The silent electronic shutter provides speeds as fast as 1/32,000sec while minimising any risk of subject distortion. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi provide smartphone connectivity, and as the icing on the cake, it’ll record 4K video. It’s without doubt the best bridge camera that’s ever been made.

Read our original review of the Sony RX10 IV

• Incredible built-in zoom range
• Fast burst and big buffer
• Comfortable, well-engineered handling
• Very expensive for a fixed lens

Nikon D5600 + 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6 lens – $969 / £749

The 18-140mm lens transforms the D5600 into a travel photography powerhouse.

• 24.2MP APS-C sensor
• ISO 100-25,600
• 5fps continuous shooting
• Optical pentamirror viewfinder
• 3.2in, 1.4m-dot fully articulated touchscreen

Some photographers still prefer a traditional DSLR with an optical viewfinder, and Nikon’s D5600 provides a solid specification in a portable package. What’s more, it can be bought in a kit with a versatile 18-140mm kit zoom, offering a 27-210mm equivalent range, for just £749. As the icing on the cake, Nikon’s SnapBridge connectivity can transfer all your pictures automatically to your smartphone , making sharing your adventures a breeze.

In terms of key features, the Nikon D5600 boasts a reasonably solid specification. Its 24.2MP sensor goes up to ISO 25,600 and supports continuous shooting at 5fps. Autofocus employs a 39-point phase-detection system covering the central region of the frame, while metering is handled by a 2,016-pixel RGB sensor.

One area where the D5600 shows its age, though, is with regards to video recording, which is Full HD only, rather than 4K. Recent mirrorless models undoubtedly offer more, but on the other hand, they can’t match the D5600’s impressive 820-shot battery life.

In general the D5600 delivers attractive images, with warm, saturated colours and plenty of detail. It handles nicely too, with the responsive touchscreen making up for a relatively simple set of external controls. Those who’d like to add extra lenses are well served by Nikon’s sizeable F-mount range , including the affordable AF-P DX-Nikkor 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR wideangle zoom and the AF-S DX-Nikkor 35mm f/1.8 G. The latter would nicely complement the zoom for low-light shooting. See our guide to the best Nikon F-mount lenses for more ideas.

Read our original review of the Nikon D5600

• Solid DSLR handling
• Good connectivity features
• Well-priced
• Price may go up as it gets harder to find
• Middling video spec

Fujifilm X-S10 + 16-80mm f/4 lens – $1698 / £1,399

Fujifilm X-S10 in hand, Photo: Andy Westlake

• 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS sensor
• 2.36m-dot viewfinder
• 3in, 1.04m-dot fully articulated touchscreen

For enthusiast photographers who’d like a small, lightweight camera that handles well and offers excellent image quality , the Fujifilm X-S10 is extremely appealing. Styled to look and work very much like a shrunken DSLR, it offers most of the features of the firm’s flagship X-T4 in a considerably smaller body.

It comes in kits with various lenses, with prices starting from just below £1,000 for the XC 15-45mm power zoom. We’ve picked the most versatile kit zoom option, the XF 16-80mm F4, which provides a 24-120mm equivalent range.

Based around Fujifilm’s unique 26MP X-Trans CMOS sensor, the X-S10 delivers the firm’s signature attractive JPEG colour rendition. It even has a dedicated dial to select between the various Film Simulation modes, which provide an interesting range of different looks. Other highlights include 5-axis in-body stabilisation that works with every lens, and a fully articulated screen for shooting at unusual angles. When it comes to video, 4K recording is available at up to 30 frames per second.

With its prominent handgrip, twin control dials and joystick for positioning the focus area, the X-S10 provides the kind of handling that should satisfy experienced photographers. Fujifilm also makes the best available range of lenses for the APS-C format, including a nice set of compact primes.

What’s more, the major third-party lens makers have also recently started to support the firm’s X mount, with some interesting optics now available from Samyang, Sigma, and Tamron . This makes the X-S10 a great choice for existing DSLR users looking for a smaller camera.

A newer model, the Fujifilm X-S20 has recently been released and our review team found that when choosing between both models it depends if you’re planning on doing video content, particularly travel vlogging , ‘If you already have the X-S10 and are primarily a stills photographer, then the X-S20 may be overkill for you, but for the budding or experienced videographer, vlogger, and live streamer, the X-S20 hits it out of the park, with a cracking set of video features that really takes it to the next level.’

Read our original review of the Fujifilm X-S10 and how it compares to the newer Fujifilm X-S20 .

• Eye-catching images straight out of camera
• Excellent X-mount lenses
• Effective stabilisation
• Still quite pricey

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III + 14-150mm lens – $1,498 / £1,299

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III is one of the best Micro Four Thirds cameras you can buy.

• 20.4MP Four Thirds sensor
• ISO 64-25,600 (extended)
• 3in,1.04m-dot fully articulated touchscreen

Olympus cameras have traditionally offered high performance in a compact form factor, and the E-M5 series delivers on this principle particularly well. Like its predecessors, the Mark III is unique in being extremely small and lightweight, while still having a fully weather-sealed body and a good set of external controls. What’s more, you don’t have to spend a huge amount of money to get a matching sealed lens.

Buy it in a kit with the 14-150mm f/4-5.6 II, and you get an extremely useful 28-300mm equivalent lens that’s also dust- and splashproof. If you’re prepared to spend a bit extra, there’s even a 12-200mm superzoom that offers a massive 24-400mm equivalent range. Despite its small size, the E-M5 III doesn’t skimp on features.

Its 20MP sensor includes on-chip phase detection that provides 121 focus points spread across the entire image area. You get 10 frames per second shooting, a decently large viewfinder, and a fully articulated screen. As usual from Olympus, the camera also produces very attractive JPEG images , with well-judged exposure and white balance that complement the firm’s signature punchy colour reproduction.

Micro Four Thirds models inevitably give more visible image noise at high ISOs, but this can often be offset by the superb 5-axis in-body image stabilisation, as it allows you to shoot handheld at remarkably slow shutter speeds. There’s also a good range of affordable f/1.8 prime lenses available for low-light shooting that’ll take up next to no space in your bag. There is also a good choice of lenses .

Read our original review of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

• Exceptional stabilisation
• Loads of lenses available
• Weatherproof body
• Unavoidably small sensor

Nikon Z 5 + 24-200mm f/4-6.3 lens – $2,193 / £2,029

The Nikon Z 5 is the only full-frame camera on our list.

• 24.3MP full-frame sensor
• ISO 160-51,200
• 4.5fps continuous shooting
• 3.69m-dot viewfinder
• 3.2in, 1.04m-dot tilting touchscreen

If you really can’t do without full frame, the latest mirrorless models are ideal for travel , as they’re smaller and lighter than their DSLR counterparts. It’s also possible to get all-in-one superzoom lenses for them that deliver very creditable results. We’ve chosen the Nikon Z 5 , as it’s available in a kit with the firm’s Z Nikkor 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR for a decent discount over buying the two separately.

The lens has a slightly shorter zoom range than its Canon and Sony counterparts, but provides a welcome weight reduction in return, of about 200g. While the Z 5 counts as Nikon’s ‘entry-level’ full-frame mirrorless body, it doesn’t give up a huge amount compared to the more expensive Nikon Z 6 .

Its 24MP sensor resolves just as much detail in good light, and while it falls behind in terms of noise performance at the highest sensitivities, it’s still perfectly usable at ISO 12,800. However, its maximum shooting speed of 4.5fps looks rather pedestrian by today’s standards, meaning it’s not the best choice for fast action or wildlife. It’s also only able to record 4K video with a significant 1.7x crop.

In other respects, though, the Z 5 maintains most of what makes Nikon’s mirrorless cameras so attractive. The body may be small, but it has plenty of external controls, along with a lovely large viewfinder and a tilting touchscreen . Dual SD card slots offer the option of backing up your images for peace of mind, while in-body IS means you can often do without a tripod. A range of fine fast primes is also available for low-light shooting.

Read our original review of the Nikon Z 5 here

• Satisfying controls and handling
• Does well in low light
• Gorgeous full-frame images
• Pedestrian burst rate
• Vicious crop into 4K video

Take a look at our latest buying guides  for more great options.

Related content:

• The DSLR is dead, long live the compact
• Flying with camera kit: how to do it
• Do travel photography like a street photographer
• How to take great travel photos with a smartphone

Follow AP on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube .

Andy has been Amateur Photographer's Technical Editor since 2014, responsible for reviewing everything from cameras and lenses to accessories and software. Prior to that, he was DPReview's Technical Editor, and introduced lens reviews to that website in 2008. Along the way, he's shot extensively with cameras and lenses of almost every imaginable type, brand and format.

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Our Expert Guide to the BEST Travel Cameras in 2024

• Last Updated: December 13, 2023

We’ve spent years working as professional travel photographers, and are proud to have put together this definitive guide to the best travel cameras in 2024 for every budget, based on actual hands-on experience.

One of the best souvenirs you can bring home from your adventures abroad is photographs.

As the old saying goes, pictures are worth a thousand words, and nothing brings back the excitement and thrill of holiday memories quite like looking back at your photos.

These days almost everybody has a decent camera in their pocket, thanks to the wonders of modern smartphones. And while these are fine for the average person, if you really want great image quality, you’re going to have to invest in something better.

People say, “It’s not the camera that takes good photos, it’s the photographer”, and this is completely true. Yet there’s a reason professionals use expensive gear – they are better for the job.

Never fear though, that doesn’t mean you need to go out and spend $10k on a set-up! Definitely not.

In fact this article is going to save you time and money by diving straight into the best travel camera for every budget.

So why listen to us?

We’ve been working as professional travel photographers for almost a decade, and have been fortunate enough to put hundreds of cameras to the test during our career.

Based on our personal experience, we’ve been able to narrow down the absolute top choice in every category.

Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or professional, or even if you know nothing at all, we’ll help you make the right choice so you don’t waste your money getting something that just isn’t up to the job.

READ MORE: Check out our comprehensive guide on how to take better travel photos .

Let’s dive into our comprehensive guide for the best camera for travel photography.

Table of Contents

Our Recommendation

Bonus: recommended lenses for sony a6600, bonus: recommended lenses for sony a7iv, size and weight, resolution/megapixels, interchangeable lenses, manual settings, weatherproofing, stabilization, mirrorless vs dslr, what camera do most professional photographers use, what camera is best for travel videos, what is the best small camera for travel, what is the best travel camera in 2024.

Without further ado, let’s get into the article!

Disclaimer – NOMADasaurus is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

GoPro HERO12 Black – The Best Action Camera

Action cameras have come a long way since we bought our first one back in 2010.

They used to be reserved just for people who were into extreme sports – skiing, skydiving, motocross, scuba diving, etc.

Now they have become one of the top travel cameras on the market thanks to their durability, compact size and high quality.

The good ones shoot in at least 4K video (this one though actually goes up to 5.3k), are completely waterproof and even connect to your phone so can take great photos from any angle.

They also shoot time-lapse photography, which is great if you’re catching an epic sunrise or particularly busy urban scene.

Even if you are not interested in jumping off of cliffs or mountain biking through a jungle, having an action compact camera is still a brilliant tool to have in your suitcase.

They are especially awesome if you’re looking for the best cameras for adventure travel.

The undisputed king of action sports cameras is GoPro, and we’ve been proudly using them for over 13 years.

These epic cameras have insane image quality and shoot some remarkable video. They’re also extremely durable, waterproof and fit in your pocket.

Adding to the GoPro series is a huge range of accessories that makes getting footage limited by only your imagination.

Check out our brand new GoPro HERO12 Black review to see if it’s right for you!

Different mounts allow you to put them just about anywhere, extension poles get unique angles (perfect for selfies), you can stick a GoPro on a tripod and there are even filters available.

We’ve had just about every GoPro camera since the original HERO was released, and we’re super excited to share that the newest one on the market is by far the best ever.

Their latest camera is the GoPro HERO12 Black , following hot off the heels of the successful HERO11 (click the link to read our review of it), and it’s risen the bar once again.

When the HERO7 came out they introduced a number of revolutionary features, such as HyperSmooth (in-built image stabilisation), TimeWarp (awesome hyper-lapse videos) and SuperPhoto (HDR photos on steroids).

The HERO9 added a front-facing LCD screen, which really stepped things up a notch, especially for vloggers.

The HERO10 brought in the new GP2 processor, which made everything work, well, just better.

The HERO11 went bonkers with a brand new larger sensor, 10-bit colour and all new aspect ratio.

And now with the HERO12 the company has gone and made everything more refined with a host of new features and upgraded battery life.

Boasting the fantastic GP2 processor, 1/1.9″ sensor and 8:7 aspect ratio, the latest GoPro HERO12 Black now has HDR video to go along with the expert camera settings.

The massive aspect ratio gives more room to crop, so you can shoot in one perspective and scale later for portrait social media content or landscape YouTube videos.

The camera shoots in 5.3k 60 frames per second, 4k at 120fps and 2.7k at a whopping 240fps (8x slow motion), which also allowing for 27 megapixel screen grabs when using 5.3k on the full 8:7 ratio.

The stabilization is even better with HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-built horizon levelling up to 360 degrees), TimeWarp 4.0 allows to switch between hyper-lapse, real-time and slow-mo recording in the same video with a tap of the screen, and the SuperPhoto has improved HDR abilities.

The screens are still very responsive and look excellent.

SuperPhoto for photographers, in particular, means you can point and shoot, and barely have to edit before uploading to social media. Although we still recommend shooting in RAW for the pros out there.

This article talks more about how to take better GoPro photos, written by a pro.

For the purists out there, the GoPro HERO12 shoots in RAW format for all photo modes.

There is still voice activation and the entire unit is waterproof to 10m, meaning there is no need for a dive housing if you’re not going below that depth.

Also the all-new Night Effects modes are really awesome. Who would have thought you could capture light trails and the Milky Way on such a tiny camera?

For the video gurus out there the HERO12 is a gimbal killer. What does that mean? It means HyperSmooth 6.0 is on another level.

The HERO7 stabilisation was amazing for vlogging and action sports, as was the HERO8 and 9, but after testing the new HERO12, the stabilisation is even better again. Don’t know how they do it, but they do! And it works at 4K at 120fps, TimeWarp and live streaming!

Want slow motion? How does 2.7k at 240FPS sound? Buttery smooth, that’s for sure.

Whereas in previous models they had White, Silver and Black models, the HERO12 only has a Black model.

Canon Powershot SX740HS – The Best Affordable Camera

If you want a dedicated camera that is cheap and still takes decent photos then you really are spoiled for choice.

We’ve personally owned a whole range of different brands in this range, from Canon to Fuji to Olympus to Sony, and with the way the best travel camera market is now if you’re not fussy about the brand you get, then you can’t really go wrong. But let us explain what you’ll need.

You’ll basically be looking for a small point and shoot, something that is foolproof and most importantly quite durable. Having a big zoom range is a big bonus so you can crop right in on different scenes.

The ability to use manual settings will come in handy if you ever want to play around and learn a bit more about how photography works.

And you want something affordable so that you won’t be overly worried if you lose it (just make sure you backup your photos).

The Canon Powershot SX720HS was a hugely successful compact camera, and Canon backed it up with the amazing SX730HS to become the best budget travel camera.

But like all good camera companies, Canon has stepped it up a notch again by bringing out the newest model in the range, the SX740HS .

This great little travel camera does it all, and for the price, it is the best travel zoom camera out there.

40x optical zoom, manual settings, shoots in 4K video, good color grading, and it is one of the better compact cameras out there.

It also has wifi so you can transfer photos straight to your phone or laptop without plugging it in, or control the camera from your phone. Perfect for the general traveler who just wants something to take decent photos with on their trip.

It also has a large articulated screen, so you can angle your shots perfectly, whether you’re shooting from the ground or above the head.

A few more updates over the SX730HS is an improved small sensor, meaning better low light capabilities, and faster burst shooting, cementing its position as the best budget camera for travelling.

READ MORE: Check out our latest guide on the best camera accessories !

Sony RX100 vii – The Best Compact Camera for Travel

This is the next level up. You still want the portability and benefits of having a point and shoot, but you want to take incredible photos too.

You’re interested in learning about the fundamentals of photography, and perhaps want to one day print your photos or maybe put them up online. Ultimately you’re after the best pocket camera for travel.

Here are the things you’ll need: Full manual control, a decent size sensor, zoom, high-quality video, flip screen (so you can shoot from different angles while still framing your shot), ability to shoot in RAW format, good ISO performance and a wide aperture.

This is the category that most people will be in. So if you’re asking yourself what is the best compact digital camera for traveling, read on…

READ MORE: Check out our comprehensive guide to the best landscape photography tips !

This is, in our opinion, the best point and shoot camera for travel on the market. It does everything you’ll ever need it to do and has incredible image quality in a premium compact size.

Sony have completely revolutionized the market with the RX100 range, and with each update it just gets better and better.

Without a doubt there’s no better option for the best compact camera for travel out there than the Sony RX100 vii right now.

The Mark 7 has a very long zoom range (8.6x optical, up from 3.6x optical, which is like having a 24-200mm lens), an amazing 20mp one-inch sensor to capture huge dynamic range, high quality 4K video and an articulating flip screen.

It’s an expensive camera, yes, but if you want the absolute best quality on the market in a small, compact unit that fits in your pocket, this is the best travel camera out right now.

BONUS TIP – If you want to create travel vlogs and have a decent camera for photography too, this is the model for you!

Canon G7X Mark iii – Best Camera for Vlogging

Vlogging is the newest craze, and it’s quite literally taking over as the new digital media of choice for many travelers and influencers.

If making videos is more your style instead of taking photos, then you’re going to want to look at a camera that has a range of specific features.

Most importantly is the ability to shoot in 4K (even if not many people have 4K monitors today, in a few years it will be common and you’re going to want to have footage to match the current standard).

Once you’ve got this another handy feature is an articulated LCD screen that can face you while you’re talking in the lens.

This allows you to frame your shot instead of cutting off half your head. Lastly you’ll want a microphone jack to catch better audio.

Get the camera, start filming and put some great videos up on YouTube ! Sounds easy, right? But what is the best travel camera for vlogging…

We’ve used more vlogging cameras than we can remember, from full-frame setups to GoPros and even putting to the test the brand new Sony ZV-1F .

But what have we settled on?

The Canon G7X Mark ii has always been considered the ultimate travel camera for vlogging, but it fell short in a few different categories.

That’s all changed now with the newest upgrade, the G7X Mark iii .

Shooting fantastic 4k video, this travel camera now has an in-built microphone jack for improved audio, a flip-up touchscreen for keeping your face in frame, and has a faster start-up time than previously.

The image quality is also much better now, and with manual control functions it really is a premium compact travel camera.

Sony A6600 – Best Mirrorless Camera for Travel

You’ve broken out of the realm of standard point and shoots, and you’re looking for a camera that has interchangeable lenses.

You’re getting into the idea of shooting wide, or perhaps portrait shots. Maybe you really would like to get a longer zoom.

Most of all, you really want to get serious about photography.

In your kit will be a range of lenses for a range of situations. You can look at getting filters to give beautiful effects on your shots. You might even want to start growing your photography portfolio .

A few years ago everyone would have recommended you to get an entry-level DSLR. This is no longer the case.

With the way mirrorless technology has gone DSLRs are losing traction and popularity. Now you can get something with the same image quality for half the size.

The Sony A6600 is an absolute powerhouse and puts up a good fight for being the ultimate travel camera.

For entry-level mirrorless cameras, Sony broke the mould by introducing the A6000 a few years ago. Since then every model has been lightyears ahead of the competition.

The latest A6600 is their newest offering, and for a compact camera, it is seriously next level.

It boasts one of the fastest autofocus capabilities of any camera on the market, an improved APS-C sensor capable of high-level video and great image quality, a touch-enabled articulating LCD screen and excellent electronic viewfinder.

The range of lenses available for this Sony mirrorless camera is huge, and manages to cover all bases for whether you want to shoot 4K video or take images that you can sell to magazines.

You can really get away with the standard lenses that come in most kits, but there are a couple of exceptions that you could splurge out for.

All Sony E mount lenses will fit onto the Sony A6XXX series (including the spectacular full-frame range, with a crop factor).

So if you are ever considering an upgrade to full frame and want to buy some new lenses for your APS-C sensor, you can fork out the money early and still use your lenses later on.

Best Wide Angle Lens

There’s really only one option in this range, and it’s the brilliant 10-18mm F4 . To this day one of the best photos we’ve seen taken of the Petronas Towers was taken with a Sony A6000 (older model) and this lens.

Best Portrait Lens

The Sony 50mm F1.8 is a great choice for a native portrait lens. It’s light, fast and cheap. 

The quality is decent without being amazing, but it definitely does a wonderful job for what you pay for.

Otherwise step up to the FE 55mm F1.8 (read about it below), although this will give you a 85mm perspective on the APS-C sensor.

Best Zoom Lens

Keeping with the affordable and light range that makes for great travel camera lenses, we recommend the Sony 55-210mm f/4.5-6.3 .

For the amateur and hobbyist photographer, this will do just about everything you need and is a solid lens to have in your kit.

Sony A7iv – Best Professional Camera for Travel Photography

If you’re like us and want to make capturing the absolute best images of your travels a priority, then you’ll be looking at a professional range of travel cameras.

Following on from the discussion on mirrorless vs DSLR above, you’ll get many professional photographers who choose to stick to cameras like the Canon 6D or 5D series, or the Nikon D750 or D810.

These are legendary cameras in the industry, and with the enormous range of lenses available for each one, there’s a reason the best in the business use them.

But, we’re talking about travel cameras. And for this, we recommended sticking to mirrorless. 

Full frame DSLRs are big and heavy, whereas their equivalent in mirrorless are a fraction of the size.

If you have decided you want to take the leap to a full frame sensor and want to be rocking the best mirrorless camera for travel, then you have only two choices.

READ MORE: But you need to carry everything, right? Here’s our new expert guide to the best camera backpacks on the market today!

Sony was the first major camera producer to create a full frame mirrorless camera, and while Canon has finally caught up, Sony has years of research and development on their side.

The Sony A7 series is almost flawless. Fantastic image quality, 4K video capabilities (on the A7R, A7S and the A7iv), articulating LCD screens, wifi, light, compact and a whole range of native lenses available for it makes them the absolute best cameras for traveling.

And with the Metabones adaptors you can even use your old Canon, Nikon, Sigma, Samyang or other type of lenses on it.

As of 2024, Sony’s top cameras are the A1, A7iv, A7Siii, A7Rv and the A9ii. Now while the A9ii, A7Rv and A1 are absolute beasts of cameras, the truth is you most likely don’t need all the features they have.

We currently own the A7iv and A7Rv, and for professional travel photography, they are the best on the market.

The image quality is superb and the dynamic range is insane. The low light capabilities are also amazing. Even at ISO 12800, there’s barely any noise that shows up on the shot compared to a compact camera.

We personally recommend the A7iv as the best travel camera out there , as it’s just damn near perfect, especially as a hybrid photo and video camera.

4K video with 60fps, a lightning-fast autofocus system, joystick control, touch screen, fast processor, upgraded full frame sensor and amazing battery life.

If you’re the kind of person that loves to blow up their images for print, or does a lot of cropping when you edit your shots, then that’s the only reason you’ll want to step up to the A7Rv, as it has a 62mp sensor.

But wait – isn’t the brand new Sony A7Rv the best in class right now? Yes, it is. However, while it is absolutely incredible and takes things up another notch, it’s quite expensive and the megapixel count is likely not something you need..

Instead we recommend that you save your money on the body, put what’s left over towards some lenses, and get the A7iv be your go to camera for travel photography.

If you’re going for the Sony A7 series, we’ve got some bad news for you. Full frame lenses are expensive.

But if you’re considering turning your photography hobby into a profession, then this is a small sacrifice to make for the quality of photos you’ll be taking.

Trust us, if you’re buying the best camera for travel photography on the market, you’ll want to also have the best lenses to go with it.

The great thing with the Sony Alpha series is that their lenses are all interchangeable, meaning if you start out with a Sony A6600 and eventually upgrade to a Sony A7iv, you can take your old lenses and put them on the new camera (but it will have a crop factor).

Best All-Round Lens

The new FE 24-105mm f4 lens from Sony is pretty much the best all round travel zoom lens for photography.

It’s damn sharp, and with a constant aperture of f4, it means you can get excellent bokeh and decent low-light performance at any focal length.

This lens practically lives on our A7iv, as it’s so versatile, great for video and the image quality is fantastic.

The Sony 16-35mm f2.8 GM lens is one of the best wide angle lenses on the market, and when you throw it on your travel camera, you’re almost guaranteed to get fantastic shots.

Pretty much every review on photography sites raves about it, and having owned it for over three years now, we completely agree.

It’s not cheap, but to have such a fast and wide native lens for the Sony setup is pretty epic! If you want a cheaper alternative, check out the 16-35mm f4 , which is also very good.

Best Prime Lens

If you are into portrait or street photography make sure you get the FE 55mm F1.8 prime lens.

It’s very fast, very light and very sharp. And with such a good value, it may be the best prime lens that Sony makes (excluding the high-end GM series).

Owning a telephoto lens isn’t just about taking photos of wildlife or zooming in on things that are far away from you. It adds a whole new creative element known as lens compression to your arsenal.

This is the optical illusion that happens when the further you zoom into something, the bigger the background appears.

You start to get this effect from around 100mm and on, so if you’re looking for the best zoom lens to put on your Sony A7iv, consider the 70-200 f2.8 GMii lens, or the 100-400mm GM lens .

We have both of these zoom lenses, and we love love love them!

DJI Mavic Air 2 – The Best Drone for Travel

Aerial photography has gained in popularity over the last two years, and it’s easy to see why. 

Not that long ago the only way to get photos from the sky was by taking a chartered flight or helicopter.

But today just about anyone can go out, buy a drone and start taking shots from very unique angles.

The appeal is obvious. Capturing epic photos and video of landscapes from a perspective that few have ever seen before.

From the moment we bought our first drone (a DJI Phantom 4) we fell in love with it.

Good drones up until now have always been quite prohibitive when it comes to travel due to their bulky size.

The DJI Phantom series helped make it more accessible for most people, but even then it was still a commitment to travel with one.

Today the best drone for travel has finally been determined.

The DJI Mavic series is what you should be looking for when considering a travel drone.

With foldable legs and compact size, they tick all the boxes for portability.

There are a few different models to consider, and it really depends on your needs.

If you’re a professional, we recommend the DJI Mavic 2 Pro , thanks to its 1-inch Hasselblad Sensor and 360-degree collision avoidance.

But just announced is the Mavic Air 2 , and with features like 48-megapixel photo mode, panorama capabilities and 4k video, it’s the best option for anybody trying to take travel photos from the air on their next trip.

Its small size and great value makes it perfect for travel, but one thing to consider is the fixed focal length, meaning you can’t zoom in to take photos.

Note – With whatever drone you buy we highly recommend buying extra batteries. You’ll be surprised how quickly you chew through these. Check out the bundle packages from DJI (called ‘Fly More’ on the Mavics).

GoPro Max – Best 360 Travel Camera

With virtual reality becoming more and more popular, it might be no surprise that one of the best travel cameras for 2024 is actually a 360-degree camera!

These incredible little devices come with multiple cameras on one piece, managing to capture an entire scene in one shot in both photos and high definition video.

When they first came out they were very poor quality, but now they’ve improved enough that we actually travel with one full-time now.

360 cameras became popular when the Chinese company Insta360 started to bring out their affordable options, but the image quality was always pretty poor.

Then GoPro stepped onto the scene with the Fusion, and it changed the industry forever.

With all the standard great features GoPro is known for, such as being waterproof, having awesome connectivity and packing it all into compact cameras, the Fusion took things to the next level.

It did require a bit of work to use though, and the stitching wasn’t great. Plus with two SD card slots required to save media, it was just that bit too cumbersome for most photographers.

Cue the Max!

The GoPro Max took the best parts of all their cameras and threw it together into one unit with this one.

The Max, with its dual lenses on either side of the body, now uses just one SD card, making storage and management so much easier, and it has a touch LCD screen that can be used on the go.

For people looking for travel cameras that can do it all, it doesn’t just shoot in 360-degree mode.

There is their ultra-wide single perspective, and for having a small sensor, the low light shots are surprisingly good.

If you’re a travel vlogger you’ll be amazed at the quality of this! The inbuilt microphones do a great job at picking up audio while cutting out background noise, and the battery life is great.

It shoots at 5.6k video quality and 30 frames per second. You can change the pitch, yaw, field of view and angles to get the view you desire.

Even more unique, it can create 360 time-lapses and hyper lapses with a simple click. No need to pull it up in a program like Adobe Premiere Pro to make your videos any more!

Best of all it connects seamlessly to your smartphone using the GoPro app, so you can do all your editing, sticking and keyframing on the go.

When it comes to a travel camera that tries to do it all, this one is hard to beat.

That concludes our list of the best cameras for traveling. Let us know if you have any other recommendations, or if you use any of these cameras while traveling the world!

How to Choose the Best Camera for Travel 

No matter what level you are, the first piece of kit you are going to need to buy is the camera.

This can range from a cheap point-and-shoot right up to a top-of-the-line DSLR that can cost as much as a small car.

A quick visit to a camera store can leave you feeling completely overwhelmed with all the choices.

Keep on scrolling to find detailed information about each of these, and why they really are the best cameras for travel.

READ MORE: See what made the cut as the best travel tripod on the market in our expert guide!

What Features to Look for in a Travel Camera

There’s a number of different features that you need to look for when searching for the best travel camera to buy, based on your needs.

The first thing to look out for is how big and heavy a camera is.

When you’re on the road traveling, weight and space is a huge issue to overcome. You don’t want to be lugging around a heavy backpack full of gear if you don’t have to.

If you’re not a pro or a big enthusiast, we recommend checking out a compact camera or mirrorless camera, as they are smaller and more portable, while also providing decent image quality.

One thing that camera companies and salespeople like to preach about is megapixels. But what exactly does that mean?

A pixel is a tiny dot of color that you see on your computer or phone display. A megapixel is 1 million (actually 1,048,576 to be technically correct)  of those dots. So ‘24 megapixels’ so about 24 million dots of color

You may hear that more megapixels equal better quality photos, but this isn’t entirely true.

The sensor has more to do with image quality than the resolution does, but it does play a small part.

In short don’t get caught up about more buying a camera with more megapixels, unless you’re planning on printing your images on billboards.

Instead just use this guide to the best travel cameras to find out exactly what is the best choice you can afford.

One thing to consider when looking at the best travel camera is whether or not you can change the lens.

The reason this is important is that it gives you more choices down the road if you decide you want to get into different styles of photography.

A compact travel camera is most likely a fixed lens, meaning that whatever zoom range it comes with you can’t change.

A camera that you can change the lens on will let you upgrade to wide-angle lenses, a zoom lens, better maximum aperture options for low light performance, etc.

In general, if you can afford a mirrorless camera or DSLR, it’s worth buying.

A camera that allows you to change the manual settings gives you complete control over things like aperture, ISO and shutter speed.

This opens up a whole new world of creativity, and in our opinion, you shouldn’t consider a camera that doesn’t have this feature.

Luckily every recommendation on this list allows you to control those settings, even the GoPro HERO camera below!

It’s 2024 – make sure you get a camera that can shoot 4K video!

This provides much higher resolution when shooting video, and even if you don’t have a 4K monitor at home, you can always take that clip and watch it in high definition 1080p, or even crop into your footage.

Just beware that 4K video chews up your battery life, so make sure you have some spare ones!

Unless you plan on always being in perfect weather when you travel, it’s a good idea to get a camera that is either waterproof, or has good weather sealing.

Unfortunately you often have to compromise on a waterproof camera or a quality travel camera (unless you buy a GoPro), so we don’t recommend buying a camera that is fully waterproof.

Instead just make sure it has decent sealing, or look at buying an underwater housing if you want to get into underwater photography.

How far you can zoom in on a subject is very important when trying to decide the best travel camera.

If you buy a fixed lens camera, make sure it has a long zoom range, like a Canon Powershot or the Sony RX100vii.

Or if you buy a mirrorless camera or DSLR, you don’t have to worry about this as you can always upgrade later.

No matter how steady you think you are, you will almost always have a small amount of camera shake when taking handheld photos.

If you’re shooting at fast shutter speeds, this isn’t a problem. But if you’re photographing in low light, you can end up with motion blur.

Look out for cameras that have inbuilt image stabilization to counter this.

A DSLR ( digital single lens reflex ) works by having a mirror inside the camera. When you are looking through the viewfinder the mirror is down, covering the sensor, and you are looking at a reflected scene.

When you push the shutter the mirror flips up mechanically, allowing the image to be exposed onto the sensor, and then onto your SD card. All these moving parts take up room, hence why DSLRs are larger in size.

With mirrorless cameras, there are no moving parts inside. The image comes through the lens and directly onto the sensor.

There is an electronic viewfinder,  meaning you are seeing a digital copy of what you’re pointing the camera at, rather than a live view.

So without a mirror constantly flipping, the camera can be made a lot smaller. That’s why mirrorless cameras can be half the size of a DSLR.

When mirrorless cameras first came out the quality wasn’t that great. Now they are just about on par with DSLRs, and the portability means that they are the best cameras for travel photography!

In case you’re not sure what we mean, this article goes into a bit more information, but in short, we recommend getting a mirrorless camera.

The 3 most popular cameras that pros use are the Canon 5Div, the Nikon D850 and the Sony A7Riv.

For general travel videos, the kind of stuff you would publish on YouTube, we recommend the Sony RX100vii. If you’re looking to create more cinematic videos, the A6600 is the best compact travel camera for videos.

If you need the best small camera for travel, you should buy the Canon SX740HS. Compact, high quality and affordable, this little beast is a fantastic travel camera.

DISCLAIMER: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, which means if you book accommodation, tours or buy a product, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These commissions help us keep creating more free travel content to help people plan their holidays and adventures. We only recommend the best accommodations, tours and products that ourselves or our fantastic editorial team have personally experienced, and regularly review these. Thanks for your support, kind friend!

Alesha and Jarryd

Hi, We’re Alesha and Jarryd!

We’ve been traveling the world together since 2008, searching for the planet’s best destinations and adventures.

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Buying a camera for a trip? - Hawaii Forum

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I’m wondering if it’s worth it to buy a nice camera for an upcoming trip. Last time we used our phones and it was fine. I’m wondering if having a good entry level DSLR camera is worth it for being able to take nice pictures. What are peoples experiences with a good camera vs phones. What’s it like lugging it around and do people end up using them enough to justify it? I would make sure to spend a little time learning to use it too. Thanks!

I'm an avid travel photographer. I have several cameras from point and shoot, to DSLR, to mirrorless. I've helped friends choose and buy cameras. The main takeaway is people who do not normally use cameras will not really use them on vacation. I would not recommend buying a DSLR for a trip. It takes some skill and practice to use so if you don't learn it prior to going on vacation, it becomes a very large and expensive point and shoot that provides little value over your phone camera.

I completely agree with Dave and I’m an avid hobbyist photographer that brings 2 DSLRs, 3 lenses, tripod, GoPro and sometimes a drone when I travel. Photography is just part of my vacation.

You will look at it every morning and think, “I don’t want to carry that thing.”

I will also recommend getting a waterproof case for your phone. It will still allow you to take photos.

Unless you're a serious hobbyist or professional, save your money.

I wouldn't buy a camera for a trip ... if you are happy with your phone-photos. (Said the photographer's daughter)

I’ve brought my point and shoot camera to the first 14 trips. You do have to worry about what to do with it while you are in the ocean.

This past trip was very last minute and I just used my phone. I have a waterproof case so I can bring it in the ocean with me.

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

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Max Foster Fine Art Photography Blog

Best places for photography on each hawaiian island.

Having just returned from another incredible trip to Hawaii, I can say without a doubt that islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island are among the most beautiful places to escape to anywhere, let alone in the United States. Over the years, we have explored all of the major Hawaiian Islands and in this guide, we will share with you our favorite places for photography on each one.

Top Places to Photograph on Kauai

Often considered the most picturesque of all the Hawaiian Islands , the island of Kauai known as the Garden Isle is a photographer's dream. As the oldest of the large Hawaiian islands, its landscape has a prehistoric feel to it. The crown jewel of the island is the Na Pali Coast, famed for its steeply ridged coastline. When you see it for the first time, Jurassic Park will certainly come to mind! Some of its other well known features include the Waimea Canyon, Mount Waiʻaleʻale and Hanalei Bay.

Na Pali Coast

With its lush green jagged cliffs towering 4,000 ft over remote white sandy beaches and the bright blue Pacific ocean, the Na Pali Coast looks like something you’d only imagine in a movie. The best time of day to photograph it is late afternoon through sunset when the sun is high enough to cast light and shadows on the “Pali” or towering cliffs. Whether you visit the Na Pali Coast by land, sea or air you MUST make this a stop on your Kauai itinerary! You won’t be disappointed.

Waimea Canyon

If you visit the Na Pali Coast by land, you will likely pass through Waimea Canyon on your way to the Kalalau Lookout. Don’t miss this gorgeous stop along the way as it is the largest canyon in the Pacific at 18 miles long and up to 3,000 ft deep. After a good rain, the canyon will be bursting with waterfalls in almost every direction!

Shipwreck Beach

Making your way toward the southern coast of Kauai, Shipwreck Beach is a beautiful beach for sunrise and sunset photography. This beach is also the start of the Mahaulepu Heritage Trail, a great hike to explore the otherwise inaccessible coastline.

Queen’s Bath

Formed by lava rock millions of years ago, Queens Bath is nature’s version of a saltwater bathtub. Once used by Hawaiian Royalty, these large tide pools now draw locals and vacationers alike to take a dip in their refreshing salty waters. Located in the town of Princeville, the hike to get to Queen's Bath is not for the faint of heart as you will be hiking down a muddy, slippery slope in between fallen trees and roots. Hiking shoes are highly recommended. Also, be aware of the ocean conditions and never get in the tide pools during the winter months, high tide or a storm as fatalities have occurred.

Hanalei Bay

The fairytale “Land of Hanalei” comes to life on the north shore of Kauai in Hanalei Bay. Set against a backdrop of lush green mountains and a picturesque two mile long crescent shaped bay, this place is pure magic by the sea.

Ke’e Beach

At the literal end of the road on the northern most part of Kauai lies Haena State Park, home to Ke’e Beach and the famous 11 mile Kalalau trail which traverses the Na Pali Coast. Ke’e Beach is known for its large waves that crash into the cliffs, especially in winter, making it a great spot to photograph when swells are high.

Top Places to Photograph on Maui

Maui, also known as The Valley Isle due to the isthmus that connects its two dormant volcanoes, is the second largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is known for having arguably the best and most swimmable beaches in all of Hawaii. Some of its most well known attractions include The Road to Hana, Haleakala National Park, Lahaina and Makena Beach.

Makena Beach (AKA Big Beach)

At 1.5 miles long, Makena (AKA Big Beach) is Maui's largest beach and is a fabulous place to photograph the bright turquoise water on a sunny day. This beautiful stretch of sand is found within Makena State Park and is a popular spot for bodyboarding due to the waves that crash right on the shore.

The Road to Hana

This famed 65 mile drive from Kahului to Hana lives up to its hype, but it's not so much about the destination as it is about the journey along the way. Take your time on the Road to Hana to enjoy the twists, turns and sights including dozens of waterfalls, rainbow eucalyptus trees, a bamboo forest, and much much more.

Haleakala National Park

Haleakala National Park may be most well known for its namesake, Haleakala, a dormant volcano with an elevation of 10,000ft at its highest point. However, there is a lesser known, but no less impressive district within the park called the Kipahulu district. This area of the park is accessed 12 miles past the town of Hana on the Hana Highway and features more than two dozen pools called O'heo, a Bamboo Forest, a giant Banyan Tree and the impressive Waimoku Falls.

Surfboard Fence

You can't go to Hawaii without taking an obligatory surfboard photo. While there are several of these surfboard fences on Maui, this one located in Pa'ia is the most colorful and unobstructed of them all. If you like the look of the palm shadows on the boards, make sure to go on a sunny day.

Mama’s Fish House

This may not be a traditional stop on the Hawaii photography circuit, but boy is it worth it! Mama's Fish House is a family owned fine dining restaurant that has been serving Hawaiian fish caught daily by local fishermen since 1973. Not only is their food absolutely mouthwatering, but the restaurant ambiance and the view overlooking the ocean through a grove of palm trees is breathtaking. Plan your reservations far in advance as they typically book out a month ahead of time!

Top Places to Photograph on Oahu

The island of Oahu, also known as The Gathering Place, gives meaning to its name by being the busiest and most populous of all the Hawaiian Islands. Some of its most well known features include Waikiki, Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, Lanikai Beach, and the North Shore.

Lanikai Beach

Ranked as one of the top beaches in the world, Lanikai beach on Oahu is known for its bright turquoise waters and soft powdery sand. What makes this beach unique is the added bonus of sitting beneath palm tree shadows and looking out over two tiny islands or "mokes" in the distance.

Diamond Head Crater

Diamond Head Crater was created from volcanic eruptions over 400,000 years ago from the Koʻolau Volcano that took place long after the volcano formed and had gone dormant. These eruptive events created many of Oʻahu's well-known landmarks, including Punchbowl Crater, Hanauma Bay, Koko Head, and Mānana Island.

Waikiki Beach

Perhaps the most famous and most visited of all beaches on the islands of Hawaii is Waikiki Beach, which ironically is almost entirely manmade. The high-rise hotel boom of the 1950's and unwavering demand since that time has allowed Waikiki to continue to generate 42% of the state of Hawaii's visitor revenue.

Bonzai Pipeline

The surfing mecca of Bonzai Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu is where all the action is at during winter months when large swells are in the forecast. Be prepared to arrive early to get a good viewing spot as hundreds of people will be lining the beach to get a glimpse of the surfers riding these heavy barrels.

Top Places to Photograph on The Big Island

The largest of all the Hawaiian Islands, the island of Hawaii is appropriately named The Big Island. Some of its most well known features include Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Wai'pio Valley, Mauna Kea, and Akaka falls.

Punaluʻu Beach (Black Sand Beach)

Punaluʻu Beach (AKA Black Sand Beach) is a beach that features black sand made of basalt created by lava flowing into the ocean which explodes as it reaches the ocean and cools. This beach is known for its picturesque coconut trees lining the shore and is frequented by green turtles, which can often be seen basking on the black sand.

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

One of the most otherworldly sights you may ever see is that of an active volcano. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park offers visitors the chance to see not just one, but two: Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the world's most massive shield volcano. Timing of your visit is critical as the lava flow is unpredictable and can start or stop at any time. Check out the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park website for the most up to date information on their volcanic activity.

Standing 13,803 ft above sea level, Mauna Kea, is a dormant volcano that also claims the title of the highest point in the state of Hawaii. It is also the world's tallest mountain at 10.2 km (6.3 mi) from base to peak though a large part of it is underwater thus leaving its peak below that of Everest. With an age of roughly a million years old, Mauna Kea last erupted 6,000 to 4,000 years ago and is now considered dormant.

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The 8 best Hawaii cruises in 2024 and 2025

C ruising the Hawaiian Islands offers U.S. travelers an immersive South Pacific escape with all the comforts of home. In fact, the Aloha State is in many ways an ideal cruise destination. It has year-round sunny weather, four main islands featuring varied topographies — including sandy beaches, cascading waterfalls, volcanic mountains and vibrant green valleys — and a wide array of land- and water-based activities.

The main caveat? Hawaii cruise options are somewhat limited — just a fraction of what's available in the Caribbean — and many itineraries involve multiday crossings from the West Coast. Only one cruise line offers Hawaii itineraries throughout the year; most others visit during specific months or when repositioning ships in spring and fall.

For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

Looking for the Hawaiian Islands sailing that's right for you? Here's a look at the eight best Hawaii cruises for every type of traveler.

Norwegian Cruise Line's 7-night Inter-island Hawaii

For travelers who want more aloha time than the typical eight-hour port call allows, Norwegian Cruise Line has a solution. Its 2,186-passenger Pride of America lets vacationers sample four Hawaiian islands over seven days, with overnights in Maui and Kauai, plus port calls on both Hilo and Kona on the island of Hawaii. In total, this itinerary offers nearly 100 hours of shore time.

Pride of America sails round-trip from Honolulu every Saturday year-round. As a U.S.-flagged ship, it's the only large vessel permitted to sail this way. Not only do you skip the long Pacific crossing that most cruise ships do to reach Hawaii, but passports are not required for U.S. citizens, and you can tack on pre- or post-cruise stays on Oahu.

The overnights on Maui and Kauai also mean it's possible to try several of Hawaii's signature experiences that most port calls don't allow. Passengers can catch dusk or dawn from atop Maui's massive 10,023-foot dormant volcano with sunrise and sunset excursions to the Haleakala Crater. And with the ship in port all night on Kauai, guests who want to enjoy traditional Hawaiian cuisine, music and hula performances can book the Luau Kalamaku for a fun evening out.

Pride of America, which has been cruising Hawaii since 2005, doesn't have the onboard thrills (race track, virtual-reality gaming, waterslides) of Norwegian's newer ships , but that's okay because the islands, not the ship, are your main destination. Its American-themed decor celebrates U.S. cities in a vibrant, and at times, kitschy way, but a 2021 refurbishment left its cabins and public spaces feeling refreshed.

Many of Norwegian's specialty dining venues (which incur a surcharge) are on board, including Cagney's Steakhouse, Le Bistro (here, it's Jefferson's Bistro), Moderno Churrascaria and Teppanyaki.

Who should go: Anyone seeking a convenient way to island-hop — and see a lot of Hawaii — by making the most of the generous shore time with a combination of independent exploration and shore excursions. Most sailings attract couples ages 50 and older, although summer and holiday sailings have plenty of families on board.

Related: Best time to cruise Hawaii

UnCruise Adventures' 7-night Hawaiian Seascapes

Cruisers seeking a less traditional, more carefree Hawaii experience can have it from November to April aboard UnCruise Adventures ' 36-passenger Safari Explorer. The seven-night Hawaiian Seascapes itinerary, which begins either on Molokai or the island of Hawaii, is an unconventional one designed for those who enjoy going off the beaten path in an intimate and more authentic setting. U.S. passports aren't required to sail.

UnCruise visits four islands — Maui and Lanai plus Molokai and Hawaii — and focuses on not only their striking landscapes and underwater beauty but also the cultural traditions, cuisine and music of the Hawaiian people. On Molokai, where there's not a single traffic light and the lifestyle is slow-paced, passengers get a chance to "talk story" with locals and enjoy a pa'ina (feast) and evening jam session. Lanai activities range from snorkel, paddleboard and kayak excursions to off-road adventures exploring the privately owned island's dramatic sea cliffs, red rock formations and vast fields once filled with Dole pineapples.

Most UnCruise sailings are during Maui's humpback whale season, so sightings while cruising off the coast of Maui are possible. You might also catch glimpses of dolphins and sea turtles. A "Captain's Choice" day is a wild card determined by the weather, marine life in the area and other factors, while the final two days are spent exploring the Big Island of Hawaii — including a hike up Hualalai volcano and a skiff ride along the rugged coast.

Constructed in 1998, Safari Explorer was designed with adventure itineraries in mind (in summer the U.S.-flagged ship repositions to Alaska). Its size allows it to navigate areas larger ships can't reach, which in Hawaii means bays and coves ideal for snorkeling or watersports.

With such a small number of passengers aboard, guests get to know each other — and Safari Explorer's friendly and knowledgeable crew — quite well. Passengers come together over meals featuring locally sourced ingredients, and as all UnCruise fares include unlimited wines, spirits and microbrews, shipmates can raise a glass without worrying who's buying a round. It all lends itself to an exclusive yet utterly relaxed week of cruising.

Who should go: The ship's laid-back onboard vibe paired with its land- and water-based activities make the Hawaiian Seascapes itinerary ideal for active travelers seeking a nature-focused itinerary — although cruise fares (which start around $5,900 per person) are among the priciest for a Hawaii cruise.

Related: Why it's easier to meet new people on a smaller cruise ship

Holland America's 17-night Circle Hawaii

Travelers who have more than two weeks to spare and who prefer to arrive in Hawaii via ship rather than an airplane can do so on Holland America 's 17-night Circle Hawaii itinerary. They'd better also love sea days because crossing the Pacific from San Diego or Vancouver to Honolulu and back requires 10 days.

That means passengers enjoy five or six days in Hawaii on Kauai, Oahu, Maui and the island of Hawaii. Some itineraries stay in select ports overnight. Cruises departing from San Diego also call on Ensenada, Mexico. With either departure port, passports will be required.

The itinerary is offered in 2024 and 2025 on the 2,650-passenger Koningsdam and 1,432-passenger Zaandam.

Travelers with more time on their hands can also visit Hawaii as part of longer Pacific island cruises with Holland America. Koningsdam will sail a 35-night Hawaii, Tahiti & Marquesas itinerary in 2025 that combines visits to four Hawaiian islands with calls on five islands in French Polynesia and Fanning Island, Kiribati (and 20 sea days).

Related: Holland America unveils epic cruise to Hawaii and Alaska for 2025

Zaandam will also sail 51- to 56-night Tales of the South Pacific itineraries that visit multiple islands in Hawaii and French Polynesia along with ports in the Cook Islands, American Samoa and Fiji.

Holland America is popular with cruisers ages 60 and older, many of them retired, who have time to enjoy longer itineraries on ships that offer good value with a focus on culinary and musical enjoyment. Two of Koningsdam's most popular venues are its live entertainment area with three venues — B.B. King's Blues Club (for Memphis-style rhythm and blues), Billboard Onboard (for chart-topping hits played by a live pianist) and Rolling Stone Rock Room (for a live band playing classic rock), and World Stage, a theater with a 270-degree screen used for both special BBC Earth in Concert and theatrical productions.

Onboard specialty dining options (at an added cost) include Pinnacle Grill for steaks and seafood, Tamarind for Pan-Asian cuisine and Rudi's Sel de Mer for French Brasserie specialties and seafood.

Who should go: Mature travelers who prefer not to fly and who enjoy a more traditional cruise experience. They should also love sea days as much (or even more so) than port exploration.

Related: 16 mistakes cruisers make on cruise ship sea days

Princess Cruises' 15- or 16-night Hawaiian Islands

Princess Cruises is also a good option for longer sailings. The cruise line offers numerous round-trip itineraries to Hawaii from Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego in the fall and winter.

The majority of sailings are aboard the 3,080-passenger Crown Princess and Ruby Princess from San Francisco, and the 2,600-passenger Grand Princess and 3,080-passenger Emerald Princess from Los Angeles.

Ships are in port for nine to 11 hours in Hawaii (Hilo), Kauai and Maui and for 16 hours in Oahu. Itineraries include a stop in Ensenada, Mexico (so passports are required), plus nine or 10 sea days.

The ships feature many of Princess' popular dining venues, including Alfredo's Pizzeria (a sit-down venue serving personal-size pizzas), Crown Grill for steaks and Sabatini's Italian Trattoria. There's plenty of outdoor space for soaking up the sun — including an adults-only sun deck — and a dazzling Piazza for enjoying cocktails, gelato and pop-up street performers.

Fans of Princess' Movies Under the Stars poolside screenings (with free popcorn) and Discovery at SEA enrichment programming will have ample time to enjoy these perks on a Hawaii sailing.

Who should go: These sailings will appeal to couples or groups of friends who prefer to have a wide choice of sailing dates, can take the time to enjoy a leisurely Pacific crossing and appreciate Princess' focus on quality cuisine and a sun deck designed for relaxation rather than thrills.

Related: Best Hawaii cruise shore excursions

Celebrity's 9- to 12-night Hawaii Cruise

Travelers seeking modern interior decor on a ship designed with couples in mind can visit Hawaii aboard Celebrity Cruises ' 2,852-passenger Celebrity Solstice or 2,918-passenger Celebrity Edge on itineraries ranging from nine to 13 nights — but only if the timing is right. That's because the line offers only two sailings per ship each year (in spring and fall) as the ships reposition between Alaska and destinations in the Pacific. The itineraries are one-way (Vancouver to Honolulu or vice versa) with passports required.

These cruises call on three ports on two islands: Honolulu (Oahu) and Hilo and Kona (Hawaii), with one or two overnights in port and 10 hours ashore on one-day visits. All include five days in a row at sea. Since the itineraries either begin or end in Honolulu, there's also a chance for some pre- or post-cruise exploration.

Sea days offer opportunities to enjoy the chic, grown-up ambience and amenities aboard these ships. Each vessel offers multiple complimentary and extra-fee specialty restaurants. Celebrity Solstice features Tuscan Grille for Italian specialties and steak and Murano for modern French cuisine, while Celebrity Edge offers the whimsical Le Petit Chef and the international Eden Restaurant.

Celebrity's signature Martini Bar and many other onboard watering holes keep the grown-up vibe going day and night. Choose cruise fares that include alcohol and Wi-Fi, or pay a lower rate and pay for your drinks as you go.

Who should go: The slightly shorter one-way sailings and the ships' contemporary ambience make these itineraries ideal for couples and groups of friends seeking a relaxing escape — especially Gen Xers in their 40s and 50s, who are Celebrity's target market.

Related: 6 national parks you can reach by cruise ship (and 2 are in Hawaii)

Carnival's 14- or 15-night Hawaii from Los Angeles

If fun is your cruise mantra, the "Fun Ship" brand Carnival Cruise Line offers a handful of round-trip sailings to Hawaii from Los Angeles (Long Beach) aboard the 2,984-passenger Carnival Radiance. Like other roundtrips from the West Coast, these itineraries spend just five days in Hawaii, offering eight to 14 hours of shore time in ports on four islands: Maui, Kauai, Oahu and Hawaii. Along with enjoying eight sea days, guests will also call on Ensenada, Mexico, so passports are required.

Carnival Radiance first sailed under that name in 2021, but it's not a new ship. Before an epic makeover, it sailed for the cruise line as Carnival Victory. Ship features include many of Carnival's signature complimentary and extra-fee dining venues, including Guy's Burger Joint and Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse, BlueIguana Cantina, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse and Bonsai Sushi Express.

Additional guest favorite destinations on board include the RedFrog Pub, Alchemy Bar and WaterWorks aquapark. Expect high-voltage theater shows from Playlist Productions at night and poolside interactive contests by day.

Who should go: Socially inclined cruisers who love Carnival's emphasis on onboard fun and can appreciate a colorful ship with a lively ambience and lots of day and evening activities.

Related: Best Hawaii cruise tips for getting the most from your island-hopping trip

Royal Caribbean's 9- to 13-night Hawaii Cruises

A megaship cruise experience to Hawaii is available, too — with pricing that's quite affordable. Royal Caribbean cruises there on two vessels in one of its newer classes of ships: the 4,180-passenger Quantum of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas.

All are one-way cruises just before or after the Alaska cruise season (so late April or early October) between Oahu and Vancouver (or vice versa). The ships call on two Hawaiian islands and spend four or five days in a row at sea. Passports are required since these itineraries begin or end in Vancouver.

Ovation of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas feature a mix of thrills for all ages. These include RipCord by iFly simulated sky diving, FlowRider simulated surfing, bumper car racing in the SeaPlex indoor activity complex and the North Star sightseeing capsule, which ascends 300 feet above the top deck for 360-degree views.

Both ships also offer 14 dining venues, including the innovative Wonderland, Jamie's Italian by Jamie Oliver and kid-favorite Dog House, as well as bar options that include Schooner Bar for by-request piano tunes, Boleros for mojitos and merengue and Bionic Bar for drinks poured by robotic bartenders. Entertainment includes live cover bands in the Music Hall and multimedia music and dance performances in Two70.

Who should go: Cruisers who love a big ship with a wide array of dining choices, all kinds of evening entertainment and plenty of exciting activities to pass the time on sea days. Quantum-class ships are great for families, but the sail dates might not work for those with school-age kids.

Related: Do you need a passport for a cruise?

Viking's 16-night Hawaiian Islands Sojourn

For a guaranteed adults-only sailing in a relaxed, boutique-style setting, upscale cruise line Viking also offers round-trip Hawaii cruises from Los Angeles in late 2024 and early 2025 on its 930-passenger Viking Neptune.

What sets Viking apart from most of the other lines offering Hawaii cruises is that it includes a free shore excursion in every port. These include a highlights tour of Honolulu and Pearl Harbor on Oahu and a visit to a scenic waterfall and the Kilohana sugar plantation on Kauai. Additional excursions can be booked at an extra charge.

The 16-night Hawaiian Islands Sojourn sailings visit four islands — Hawaii (Hilo), Oahu, Kauai and Maui — and like other round-trip sailings from the West Coast include 10 sea days and a call on Ensenada, Mexico, so passports are required.

Viking Neptune will also do 32-night Grand Hawaii and Polynesia sailings round-trip from Los Angeles in late 2024 and early 2025 that visit four islands in Hawaii and four in French Polynesia.

The ship, which debuted in 2022, features sleek Scandinavian-inspired decor, a soothing spa with a complimentary thermal area, an aft infinity pool and hot tub, a panoramic Explorer's Lounge and five onboard restaurants. Specialty restaurant Manfredi's serves an extensive menu of Italian specialties, while The Chef's Table offers rotating five-course themed menus, including Asian, French and California-inspired.

In addition to the free shore excursions, pricing includes complimentary wine or beer with lunch and dinner, specialty dining at no extra charge, crew gratuities and transfers.

Who should go: Couples who prefer the quieter ambience of a ship that doesn't allow anyone under 18 onboard, doesn't have a casino and offers presentations by regional experts that enhance immersion into local culture. Viking cruisers are generally over age 55.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• Top ways cruisers waste money
• The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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Princeville makai in hawaii starts renovation focused on bunkers, turf health, share this article.

Princeville Makai Golf Club in Hawaii kicked off a renovation this week that focuses on improving bunker drainage, boosting turf quality and improving playability.

The $3-million project will be conducted in two six-week blocks. Nine holes were closed April 15, and in six weeks those holes will reopen and the other nine holes will close for the same length of time. Nine holes will be open to resort guests throughout the renovation.

Princeville Makai Golf Club on Kauai was the first solo design by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and opened in 1971. It underwent a more extensive renovation in 2009 and 2010 that introduced Seashore Paspalum turf on greens and fairways.

With six holes overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the layout ranks No. 4 on Golfweek’s Best list of public-access courses in Hawaii. It also ties for No. 46 on the ranking of top resort courses in the U.S.

Current work focuses largely on managing water, as the area averages 78 inches of rain per year. The bunkers will be renovated with Capillary Concrete, a system that allows water to flow more easily through the traps without washouts. Heritage Links will complete the bunker work.

Other drainage improvements will be implemented around the course to enhance playability and turf health. Cart paths also will be improved, and the course – which is managed by Arizona-based Troon Golf – will be aggressively aerated.

“It’s exciting and gratifying to have an ownership team that invests back into the product and shares the goal of keeping Princeville Makai Golf Club among the top golf courses in the world,” general manager Michael Neider said in a media release announcing the news. “The bunker enhancements, cart path improvements, drainage refinements and turf-management projects will further elevate our guests’ experiences for years to come.”

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What is the best day to book flights?

Fares can change as many as 49 times between the first published price and the departure date!

• Jennifer Graham Kizer
• April 16, 2024

Let’s just say it: Buying airline tickets can be maddening. The same seat on the same flight often costs a different price on Tuesday than it does on Wednesday. Both prices will change depending on the month or season. And if you add in a few other factors (like how many stops and what class you’re flying), the prices change yet again.

Most frustrating of all? The cost varies based on when you buy the ticket. It’s not unusual for fares to seesaw up and down from the moment a price is first published until your departure date, changing as many as 49 times . How can you know which day the airline will offer the lowest price?

You can’t know for sure. But you can keep up with the latest airfare studies — in which travel experts crunch the numbers from past flights, looking for trends and patterns. Read on for some tips on when to purchase tickets this year.

Best day to book domestic flights

About 10 years ago, when online flight booking was still new, airlines would post their latest fares and special deals at the end of the day on Tuesday. In many cases, airlines would match one another’s discount fares. Travel experts passed this information on to consumers, and people came to think of late Tuesday and early Wednesday as the best times to buy tickets.

These days, airlines update their fares all the time, and price matching is less prevalent. So the traditional advice to purchase tickets midweek no longer applies .

Research from Expedia shows that nowadays, Sunday is the best day to book a flight, while fares are most expensive on Friday. The data suggests that if you book on Sunday instead of Friday, you can save around 5% on an economy class ticket and 7% on a business class ticket.

Best day to book international flights

Sunday is also the best day to book international flights. If you choose to buy tickets on Sunday instead of Friday, you can save around 5% on an economy class ticket and 24% for a business class ticket. While the amount of savings has varied, Expedia found that Sunday has been the low price winner for the last three years running .

Cheapest days to fly domestically

In a study by CheapAir.com , travel experts found that Wednesday is the least expensive day to fly domestically, and Sunday is the most expensive. Choosing Wednesday to travel will save you an average of $102 versus traveling on Sunday. The next cheapest option is Tuesday, which will save you an average of $99 versus traveling on Sunday.

MORE: Train vs. plane: Which is the better way to travel?

Cheapest days to fly internationally

If you’re flying overseas, aim to travel mid-week. “For international trips, depart on a Thursday to save as much as 6%, or $60, per round trip ticket,” Hayley Berg, lead economist for travel deals app Hopper, told “Reader’s Digest. ”

Meanwhile, CheapAir.com found that the best days to travel internationally were Tuesday or Wednesday , depending on the continent.

Best months to fly

Lots of people take vacations in the summer, which drives the prices up in May, June and July. And the fall and winter holidays lead to higher prices in November and December. So, if you have a bit of flexibility in your travel dates, you can save money by flying in January, February, September or October.

Berg told “Reader’s Digest” that air passengers can get a discount of over $100 off domestic airfare by traveling during less popular months.

Best time of day to fly

Because fewer people want to take early morning flights, they tend to be a bit cheaper. According to Trip.com , if you opt for a flight that leaves before 9 a.m., the price could be as much as 15% less expensive. You’ll also get a cleaner, possibly less-crowded plane.

MORE: This easy iPhone trick lets you track flight info without an app

How far in advance to book flights

Buying your airline tickets as early as possible doesn’t mean you’ll get the best deal. “Booking more than six months ahead can cost you, since airlines set their initial prices conservatively,” Hopper’s Chief Data Scientist Patrick Surry told Travel & Leisure . But if you wait too long, you might end up paying an inflated price.

According to CheapAir.com, the best day to buy a plane ticket this year is 42 days before your departure. The prime booking window to buy a cheap flight is 74 to 21 days in advance. Outside of that window, the rates will probably be higher. But seasonal changes and holidays can alter the pricing, and where you’re flying comes into play, too.

To be better informed about your specific pricing window, you can use CheapAir’s tool to find the best time to buy flights, based on data compiled from over 8,000 markets and over 1.3 billion airfares. You can plug in departure and arrival cities, hit “Get Info,” and this tool will tell you the prime booking window for your flight. For example, if you’re flying from Atlanta to San Diego this year, CheapAir.com suggests you book between 29 and 72 days in advance.

Buying plane tickets would be a lot less stressful if the prices didn’t change so frequently. But the task is easier when you have these basic tips in your back pocket!

MORE: These are the 20 cheapest places to travel in 2024

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One of Hawaii's Most Controversial Attractions Is Being Demolished

It's time to say goodbye.

Eric Smith/Getty Images

Hawaii's Ha'ikū Stairs, known more famously as the "Stairway to Heaven," has been slated for demolition for years. Now, it's finally being removed.

Preparatory work to remove the Ha'ikū Stairs started last week, according to the City and County of Honolulu , with plans to remove more than 600 stair modules later this month. The stairs had been slated for demolition since 2021.

"This was a decision, when we came into office, that was long overdue. Over the course of many months, in meeting with the people involved and the discovery that we put into it, I can promise you that this was not a capricious decision," Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in a statement. "This decision that was made was predicated upon our respect for the people who live in and around the entrance to the stairs … and our respect for both the future and the past history of the culture of the Haʻikū community."

The stairs, built by the U.S. Navy in the 1940s, have been officially closed to the public since 1987, but that hasn't stopped hikers from climbing them — and often wandering through people's private property to access them — for some of the island's best views.

Officials warned would-be climbers that the stairs are now part of an active work site and "present an immediate safety threat for anyone trespassing along the trail."

To remove the stairs once and for all, the city said officials will go section-by-section, working with a biologist to evaluate each section before it is demolished "in order to protect native species and prevent erosion." The removal company will then have to revegetate impacted areas with native plants when necessary. The total cost to remove the stairs is just over $2.5 million. The project is expected to last six months.

Thankfully, there are plenty of other amazing hikes on the island of Oahu with epic views of the ocean from Diamond Head Summit trail to the not-too-taxing Makapu'u Point Lighthouse trail, the stunning Mānoa Falls trail (complete with views seen in Jurassic Park and Lost ), and more.

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• Robb Report’s Napa Valley Wine Club Has 3 Stellar New Reds on the Way

We've curated some exceptional bottles to drink now and cellar.

Mike desimone and jeff jenssen, mike desimone and jeff jenssen's most recent stories, is this man making napa wines taste all the same, this argentine winery believes it’s worthy of grand cru status—and it’s using science to prove it.

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Every quarter, six bottles are shipped to members—two each of three different wines, so you can drink one now and cellar the other. Club director Dave Shefferman, CEO of WineSavage, is well connected in Napa, having developed relationships with winery owners and winemakers over his career in California. He casts a wide net for potential offerings, looking for limited bottlings that would ordinarily only be sold to a winery’s club members or at a special auction such as Premiere Napa Valley. And because of his connections, we’re able to offer these bottles at a much lower price than what you’d expect on the open market. Each package is priced between $550 and $650, including shipping. And while a hard-to-source cult wine is well worth the price if you really want it, the beauty of this club is that it connects members with wines of “cult” status without the hassle of allocation lists or searching for bottles on the secondary market.

Pono Wines 2019 Hapa Napa Valley Red Wine

Proprietor Dave Sedeno, a native of Hawaii, crafts small batch wines with grapes sourced from some of Napa Valley’s finest sites. Hawaiian for “mixed” or “blended,” Hapa is made with mainly Cabernet Sauvignon (59 percent) with 20 percent Cabernet Franc, 16 percent Merlot, and 5 percent Petit Verdot from Calistoga, Atlas Peak, and Howell Mountain. Brilliant ruby to the eye, it has a bouquet of blackberry, raspberry, candied violet, and lavender. It opens on the palate with notes of licorice and clove joined by flavors of purple plum, blackberry, and butterscotch. Polished tannins endure on the palate, offering a long, smooth closing finish.

Farella 2018 Alta Red Blend

Made in the style of the incredible 1999 Masseto, the first vintage of Farella Alta was produced in 2001. A blend of 65.55 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 32.78 percent Merlot, and 1.67 percent Malbec, it is sourced from the winery’s estate vineyard in Coombsville. After co-fermentation (meaning the three varieties are fermented together, not separately) in open-topped stainless-steel vats, it is aged in French oak, half new and half previously used, for 30 months. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered, so it’s best to leave the bottle upright for several hours before serving. It is dark garnet in color and has a nose of cranberry, pomegranate, crumbled sage, and white pepper. Opulent tannins provide a framework for black cherry, dried cherry, and forest floor flavors with soft brambly touches. There is a strong sense of minerality that offers a note of salinity in the elegant finish.

VinRoc 2019 Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

Grapes are sourced from VinRoc’s estate vineyard on Atlas Peak, where proprietor Michael Parmenter says “coyotes outnumber tourists.” Named for the rock-strewn hillside location, VinRoc sits at an 1,600-foot elevation above the fog line, providing long, sunny days and cool nights, which help to obtain maximum ripeness while maintaining freshness and acidity. Aging two years in a mix of new and used French oak in the winery’s rock-hewn cave yields a refined wine with aromas of cherry, black currant, and dried thyme. Tannins are slightly grippy at first sip, but as they peel away, nuanced flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, caramel, and a touch of baking spices appear. The long-lasting finish is marked with notes of clove and nutmeg.

Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, also known as the World Wine Guys, are wine, spirits, food, and travel writers, educators, and hosts. They have been featured guests on the Today Show, The Martha…

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