Your first travel camera: Specs that actually matter
So you have made up your mind to up your photography and videography game? Are the over-sharpened images and oversaturated videos coming out of your phone’s camera no longer cutting it for you? We get it. We have all been there. That’s how most of our journeys into this amazing hobby start. But hey, we also know the internet is like a giant info buffet, and choosing the right first camera can feel like picking a needle out of a haystack made of pixels and confusion.
To make your camera-buying decision easier, we have compiled a comprehensive checklist of camera features and specifications that actually matter in travel photography, as well as those that don’t. As an outsider, the spec sheet of any photography equipment might seem more complex than the chemical equation for the reaction between zinc and nitric acid, but it does not have to be all that complicated.
We hope this guide aids your decision-making process without adding any confusion. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or contact us on Instagram (link provided at the end of the article). Our photography expert will assist you in selecting the ideal camera for your needs!
The must-haves
Starting off with the things you really need your to-be camera to be able to do.
Manual shooting options
This one is a bit obvious, but the camera that you will be buying must have the ability to shoot in full manual mode. On the mode dial on top of the camera, there must be a full Manual mode (M), along with an Aperture Priority mode (A or Av) and a Shutter Priority mode (S or Tv). There will most probably be a Program Auto (P), but that’s not all that relevant or important. Just make sure you have M, A/Av, and S/Tv on the dial!
- Decent high ISO performance
Having a camera that can perform well at a high ISO setting is quite a blessing. The maximum ISO number is not really a true metric for how well a camera would perform, but rather, it is important that the files come out clean at such high ISOs. A sensor that can shoot up to ISO 51200 and churn out a moderately clean image at ISO 3200 is more than what one needs in most use cases.
- A wide lens focal range
To get going in travel photography, your first lens should be both wide enough for vast and open landscapes, and telephoto enough to capture tight portraits and close-ups of flowers and birds. While you might have heard that a prime lens (fixed focal range lenses) is great for learning photography and composition, we would highly suggest that you do not start with that as your first lens (make it your second lens instead, once you start to develop a photographic style and preference).
For starters, go for the lens that offers you the maximum range. We would recommend that you go for around 24-200mm full frame equivalent range (so an 18-120mm for APS-C cameras, a 12-100mm for Micro Four Thirds cameras, and 9-75mm for 1” Type cameras).
- Weather-sealing
No explanation needed. Just like you, your camera should be able to take on nature’s wrath and unpredictability. It should be a tool that you can use whenever you like and however you like. It’s not something that you have to baby around. For our travels, we use Olympus/OM System camera gear (a company renowned for producing the toughest cameras around), and we appreciate how little we have to worry about rain, snow, and dust.
Make sure that you understand the difference between ‘weather-sealed’, weather-resistant’, ‘waterproof’ and other such terms that might be a marketing gimmick. Also, ensure that your lens is resistant to dust and moisture.
- Size and weight
While a couple of hundred grams might not seem like much, when you have a camera and lens dangling from your shoulder all day and are lugging a tripod along the streets or up in the trails, it all adds up rather quickly. We suggest going for the lightest possible camera and lens setup that suits your needs. While there is no arguing that the Nikon Z9 is an elite camera, and the Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 is as good as standard zoom lens optics get, is it worth the over 2-kilo weight tag? Do you really need the features that additional weight brings to the table? And will your audience, as a beginner (your Facebook and Instagram friends, we assume), know the difference if it was shot with lighter (and cheaper) camera equipment? Our guess: Nope.We would suggest going for a camera body no more than half a kilo, and the same for the lens. While a tripod is not a must, if you do decide to get one, you would not need a very heavy-duty one to support this light of a camera and lens combo, so another kilo for the tripod, and you’ll be set!
- Great battery life with USB Type‑C chargingWe have not met one person who gets amped up about charging their devices more often than not. Look for the battery rating on the camera(s) you are considering, and go for the best one. Trust us, there is nothing more frustrating than your camera dying out on you just before the glorious evening light sets in.While a CIPA (Camera & Imaging Products Association) rating for battery life of around 500 shots is a decent starting point, it is best to refer to reliable camera reviewers like PetaPixel, Becca Farsace, and Gerald Undone to know the actual, real-life mileage on these cameras, and also the charging mechanism and speed.
- 4K 30 fps and 1080P 60 fps video recording
As much as it pains the hardcore photographer in us to admit this, there are very few takers of photographs in the world right now compared to how it was just a few years ago. Videography has dethroned photography as the new standard for storytelling. To be visible in this day and age, you simply have to churn out video content, so having a camera that helps you out in video as well is a godsend.
For the current camera tech, 4K 30 fps and 1080P 60 fps video recording is quite a standard offering, and this should be what you should look out for (along with a nice autofocus) to start your videography journey alongside your travel photography one!
- Lens stabilisation
You can brighten a dark photo, you can clean up the digital noise in a photo, you can crop in on an image to get a more telephoto look, but you cannot really unblur a blurry photo. Having a nice stabilisation is a must! We suggest at least a lens-based stabilisation for your camera gear, offering 4 stops of stabilisation or more.
BONUS: The good-to-haves
As a bonus for you, there are the features that are nice to have, but you don’t NEED them to start your journey into the world of travel photography.
- Computational photography
- Subject-recognition autofocus
- 4K 60 fps and 1080P 120 fps video recording
- Touch screen functionality
- In-body image stabilisation
- A unique design
Read about this in our next blog.