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Wanting to start a travel blog or get into travel photography? Or maybe you are just looking for the best camera to take traveling! Regardless of your reasons, it’s always a good idea to document your travels with photos. I have been taking travel photos since 2017 and I want to share with you the best camera gear for travel photography!
Best Camera Gear For Travel Photography
Best Beginner Travel Camera:
When I began my travel blog I had absolutely no experience in photography. But I knew that I wanted the best camera gear for travel photography. So, after spending weeks and weeks of researching what was going to be the best camera for me to start with I choose the Canon Rebel T6.
I absolutely loved it! It was the best compact camera that was cheap, lightweight, and had no complicated features. A huge bonus was that it had wifi, which in my opinion, is a must for a travel camera! The photos that it produced were 10 times better than those that I was capturing on my phone at the time.
I recommend buying the camera on Amazon because you can either choose to purchase it with just the body and buy separate lenses (which is what I did) or purchase a combo pack that includes the camera body along with a lens. The benefit of buying the package is that it is so easy and everything is included so you don’t have to search for additional lenses.
Why I decided to buy just the body and purchase the lenses separately is because I initially thought I was just going to be doing a lot of portrait work (taking travel selfies with Steve & I) and didn’t consider that I would fall in love with landscape work. If you are just starting out, I really think this is the best budget, dslr camera for traveling.
The first trip that I took my new camera to was Mexico and as you can see below I had no problem just strapping it around my neck as we went out biking or exploring in the city.
Additional Reading- 9 Easy Ways To Take Couple Pictures By Yourself
Best Beginner Travel Camera Lenses:
Canon 50mm– The first lens that I got was the Canon 50mm Lens. This was a great lens to start out! It is a prime lens which means that is has really high quality (because it doesn’t lose any quality while zooming in and out.) Not only is the price another great factor, but it is so lightweight that it is easy to throw in your camera travel bag.
Canon 24mm– However, after shooting for some time with the 50mm we decided that our style was wider shots to really highlight the place that I was at rather than just myself. This is when I got our hands onto the Canon 24mm Pancake Lens! If you’re wondering why they nicknamed it a “pancake lens” is it is so flat and lightweight so it’s a perfect addition to your travel camera bag. The quality was great and I was really happy capturing full scenes with it.
Best Intermediate-Advanced Camera Gear For Travel Photography:
One year after travel blogging I felt that I had learned all the ins and outs of my first camera and lenses and I wanted a new challenge. I wanted to find the best camera gear for travel photography for more of an intermediate to advanced level. I upgraded in December 2018 and I’m sure you are probably wondering if I saw a big difference in photo quality.
If you want to see the difference for yourselves in how the photos turned out you can check out our Instagram feed. Anything that is dated before Dec. 2018 was taken with the Canon Rebel and anything after Dec 2018 was taken with the Canon 6D Mark ii.
Best Intermediate-Advanced Travel Camera:
I now use the Canon 6D Mark II. I think this is the best dslr camera for travel photography for intermediate to advanced photographers! Once again, it was in my new price range that I wanted to stick in and it was still one of the lighter weight cameras on the market. The photo resolution was outstanding and of course it had that built-in wifi which is a must for me! (Find out why wifi is so important to me)
Additional Reading- Why You Don’t Need An Instagram Husband To Take Amazing Travel Photos [Complete Guide]
Best Intermediate-Advanced Travel Camera Lenses:
Canon L Series Lens 24mm-70mm- I love my new camera lens because it is the perfect travel companion. Why? Because it has such a large range that I can capture most shots that I want without having to bring multiple lenses around with me on my trips. I hate packing around heavy gear!
Additional Best Camera Gear For Travel Photography
DJI Spark Drone– I realize the DJI spark is a beginner drone but I absolutely love it for travel! Why? Because it is so small! Doesn’t take up too much space in our bags and is very lightweight. For our purposes, the image quality is great and the cost was very reasonable. I took the photo below with my drone during our vacation in Hawaii.
You’ll also want to get spare batteries, (here’s spare batteries for the Canon Rebel T6 and the Canon 6D Mark ii) a high-capacity SD card (I prefer the SanDisk 32 GB Ultra Plus), and a tripod!
If you plan on using a tripod and literally don’t want to make it into an extreme sport (running back and forth working with a timer can be exhausting, especially if you are jumping over things or running across wet slippery fields) buy a remote!
There are a few options on Amazon. Or you can use the Canon Camera Connect App on your Iphone (this is what I use). This has made all the difference in making photo time a much more enjoyable experience.
Best Camera Travel Bag-
Deciding on the correct camera bag can be hard because there are so many different styles. There are camera purses, camera sling backpacks, and camera school backpacks and even camera hiking backpacks. The easiest way to choose which one you need is to decide where most of your travels will take you.
When I bought mine I was doing a lot of hiking and needed something that was lightweight, had straps, and was durable for the trails. I choose this one and was so happy with my choice! (see photo below) It is the best dslr camera backpack for travel and hiking.
I hope this guide will help you with picking out the best camera gear for travel photography. Please reach out if you have any questions about the gear that I use!
If you are looking for tips and tricks on how to take your own travel photos after you’ve read this article about the gear that I use, you can it see more here -> How to Take Incredible Travel Photos as a Couple
Booking a trip and don’t want to worry about taking your own travel photos? Then check out Flytogpher! A perfect way to get those special travel memories with your loved one or family. Use FLY25 for $25 off your first booking.
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[…] Depending on whether you are using a phone or camera to take your photos, you’ll need a good sturdy tripod to support the weight of the device. In the beginning, I didn’t have a tripod so I would just try and set up my phone or camera along a wall, fence, rock formation, etc. to get the shot. It works but it doesn’t give you the freedom and perfect angle to get the composition that you are looking for. You can buy a tripod off of Amazon where they range anywhere from $20-$200. If you want to see the gear that we use-check it out here. […]
Such a good post! Your photos are amazing. Thanks for the recommendations.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that 🙂
[…] Going outside is highly recommended, especially when the weather is sunny and warm. The outer decks are the best place to both take in the scenery and view the wildlife. Make sure you take some photos! If you’re looking for the best camera gear to use, check out Jess’ great post about the best camera gear for travel photos. […]