The 3 Best Compact Cameras for Travel Photography
If you’re thinking about traveling, these are the best compact cameras on the market.
There aren’t a whole lot of compact cameras out there. In fact, there are a lot more interchangeable lens options on the market. But a good compact camera is sometimes all you need. Think of it this way, these cameras are the same ones you’d buy but with a fixed lens attached. You’re not going to change the lens at all. And on most occasions, folks will be perfectly fine with that. So we paged through our reviews index to find the best compact cameras for travel photography. And these three are the only ones you’ll care about right now.
The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house by the staff. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only ever recommend gear that we’ve done full, thorough reviews with. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance that it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it at all. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge.
Pro Tips on Using a Compact Camera for Travel Photography
Here are some top pro tips for using a compact camera when traveling:
- Each of these recommendations has a fixed focal length lens. At this range, nothing has a zoom lens that’s really worth your time. Go for an interchangeable lens camera instead.
- Wear your neck strap. As the Editor of this website, I can’t tell you how many times those have saved the staff from breaking a camera.
- Make the investment once in a good SD card. Get one that has a fast read speed.
- Tuck your elbows into your chest when shooting unless you’re using the viewfinder.
- When you’re traveling, use Bluetooth and Wifi to make the camera interact with your phone. You can set up a remote shutter or send images to your phone.
Leica Q2: Super Rugged! And one of the Best Compact Cameras Around.
In our review, we said:
“At f16, the lens and the sensor output still remain very sharp. But in order to get the best of both bokeh and sharpness, aim to shoot at f5.6 or f8. I’d argue even shallower since it’s a wide angle lens. As good as the sharpness of the Leica Q2 is, I have to admit that I’ve seen better. Sigma and Nikon both make stellar lenses when it comes to sharpness and perhaps we’re starting to see the limits of what the 28mm f1.7 Summicron lens can be with the Leica Q2.”
Sony Rx1r II: Small and Powerful
In our review, we said:
“When you look at the image quality from the Sony RX1r II, you’ll be very impressed. For what it’s worth it’s the same sensor in the a7r II–Sony’s top of the line camera out there. The details, the color rendition and everything else will be very incredible. Additionally, the lens is also rather stellar.”
Fujifilm X100V: The Adventure Camera
In our review, we said:
“The autofocus on the X100V is fantastic in both good and bad lighting. I was able to successfully track a subject in extremely low light while moving. But I think that folks should really keep something in mind. In my opinion, the AF Wide + Tracking option is pretty useless unless you’re in AF-S mode. Instead, you’re better off using the Zone and AF-C option to get someone in focus that’s moving. The Fujifilm X100V did a great job at this. But otherwise, shooting with the single focusing point is great. If you’re shooting events or street photography, that’s how you’re going to want to shoot. What I also noticed is that oddly enough, it was faster to focus in the OVF mode than the EVF mode. It’s slight, but noticeable.”