The summertime means great moments — be at a beach, backyard or a mountaintop. But those memories should just remain in your memory but should be in photos in your iCloud. Yes, the smartphones capture some of the best images these days. Still, it’s time to step up your photography game this year and start a new hobby. There’s a slew of affordable — and pricey — cameras that you should be researching.
It could overwhelming for the novice photographer. That’s why we have you covered. Here’s five of the best travel cameras on the market and the reasons why this camera could fit either your budget or lifestyle.
The Action Camera — GoPro Hero6 (retails at $199)
It’s been seven years since it debuted and there are not a question that the GoPro is the best for summer sports. The image is crisp for both video and photography. But more importantly, they are small, waterproof and durable. The biggest plus is that the GoPro latches on to your body to capture the extremely hard to get shot. You could take videos of you surfing or cliff diving. This new version of the camera now shoots in RAW format (more control in post) and is voice activated. Finally, the GoPro Hero6 is completely waterproof (the waterproof case is gone). Now the camera features time lapse and night photography. Lastly, the new edition has 4K capability at 60 frames per second as well as 1080p at 240 frames per second.
The Affordable Travel Camera — Canon Power Shot SX730HS (retails at $379)
The Canon camera has been the king of DSLR series. And this version is compact and fits any budget.It’s retails at $380. The camera is basically a miniature version of Canon’s DSLR series. It’s has an optical zoom at 40x with manual settings. It also shoots 1080p HD video with excellent color grading. Not too shabby in such a small camera. Now the most interesting feature is the inclusion of wifi transfer. That means you don’t have to download your SD card to your hard drive then transfer to your phone to post photos on your Instagram. This camera transfers directly to your phone through the Canon app. The newest addition to this camera is the movable LCD screen that helps you see the image when its at a low angle or a high one.
The Compact Travel Camera — Sony Cyber-Shot RX100V (retails at $1,021)
Now if you are looking for the best travel compact camera period, then you don’t look any further. This Sony gem is the one. The images are beyond what any other compact, point-and-shoot camera can do. This is such a handy tool for the novice as well as the seasoned photographer. The lens is 24-70mm (f/1,8-2.8 zoom lens). There’s also 4K video capture. The biggest upgrade for this new model is the 1.0-inch sensor that makes the camera a powerful little gadget. There’s also little touches that make the camera user-friendly such as the pop-up electronic viewfinder and crystal-clear LED screen. The video quality is even better than most DSLR or video cameras in general. It actually technically shoots at 5.5K that gives the footage an almost realistic feel.
The Compact Mirrorless Camera — Sony A6300 (retails at $1,000 body only)
Typically this section would be taken by any from Canon (look at the 5D series). But Sony has stepped up its game in this field. This camera is above them all. The biggest selling point is the “4D Focus’ feature that gives you more control over your image. It has probably the autofocus systems of any camera out there. The a6300 sensor has a incredible 425 phase-detection autofocus points, which guarantees that you will get almost all your shots in focus. Of course the video shoots at 4K level and you have interchangeable lens to improve your shoot with prime lenses. The battery life has also improved drastically from previous models to give you sustained performance.
The Affordable Mirrorless Camera — Fuji XT20 (retails at $899 body only)
The Fuji camera and lenses have always has a dedicated following. The mirrorless series has been best selling on the market (check out X-Pro 2) — next to Sony of course. But this camera has a little bit of everything for under $1,000. The selling point for this camera is its aesthetics. The body of the camera is a throwback to the older rugged metal bodies. There’s also a lot features from the control schemes that scream 1970s cameras. But the tech specs are quite impressive. The electronic viewfinder is the best of the mirrorless cameras and has highly-reliable autofocus system. There’s also options for manual control for focus. The video quality gives you options for 4K and 1080p. But the photo quality gives this camera an edge of its competitors, even if you have the Fuji stock lenses.
There are going to be some tough decisions if you are trying to capture the summer’s best moments. The cameras have gotten more compact and smarter. Any choice you are going to make will be the right one. It’s about how the camera fits you and your eye that will turn the shots into golden memories.
Image credit: Jakob Owens [Unsplash]
