Travel Photography: Upgrading Your Camera, for Beginners
This is the 4th part of our Travel Photography series to celebrate Photography Month, which is in May. So, far, we have shared ‘10 Tips to Improve Your Travel Photography’ to help you progress with your photography skills. We also set you a ‘30 Day Photography Challenge‘ to help make taking a photograph a habit. This time we are talking about the best camera’s on the market today.
Travel Photography: Upgrading Your Camera, for Beginners
So, you have been thinking about improving your travel photography skills and maybe even thought about ‘How to Become a Professional Travel Photographer.’ Upgrading your camera is an excellent way to take the next step in your travel photography journey. Having said that, we don’t suggest running out and buying the latest camera, if you have a good or even great camera now.
When is the best time to upgrade my camera?
If you have just gotten the travel photography bug, now is not the right time to buy a $300+ camera. Instead, really get to the know the camera you have, even if you are using your mobile phone to take photographs.
Read the manual, watch YouTube tutorial videos, and experiment with the camera, familiarise yourself with each feature and setting. Once you have thoroughly mastered your current camera, then consider upgrading. Once you do this, you’ll have more of an idea about what type of camera you want. Some things to consider are the size, weight, and cost of the camera.
Also, you want time to research the cameras available to you, the market is pretty big! By not rushing into a decision, you can find the right camera for you and your travel photography needs.
Finally, once you know which camera you want, maybe you want to wait a while so you can buy it in the sales. Cameras can be expensive, ask yourself if you can wait until a special event like a birthday and ask for money or vouchers. There are electronic sales throughout the year, it would be a shame to buy something on sight and then a few weeks later see it with a 10% or 25% discount. Be patient!
5 Cameras for Travel Photography
Panasonic and Sony repeatedly appear on many top lists for cameras, and they’ll also be on this one. Here are our suggestions for your camera upgrade:
Camera #1: Sony Cyber-shot RX100 II
For an impressive compact camera check out the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 II ($550), it’s excellent for beginners. It has a large and capable sensor and a built-in viewfinder. Its only downside is, it has a limited zoom. For more details, click here.
Camera #2: Panasonic Lumix ZS200/TZ200
On the other hand, if the zoom capability is essential to you, then the compact Panasonic Lumix ZS200/TZ200 ($500) may be better suited to your needs. The zoom capacity is stellar at 15x. It also has an effective image stabilization and good grip. For more details, click here.
Camera #3: Panasonic Lumix ZS70/TZ90
If you are camera shopping on a budget, the Panasonic Lumix ZS70/TZ90 ($315) is a safe choice, it performs well at everything. Basically, it’s an all-rounder. It has a proficient 30x optical zoom, the viewfinder is better than most in this price range, and the face detection feature works really well, as does the touchscreen. For more details, click here.
Related: Travel Photography: Advance from Ordinary to Extraordinary
Camera #4: Nikon D7500
If you want to move away from a compact camera towards a DSLR camera (digital single-lens reflex camera) and you’re not on a tight budget take a look at the Nikon D7500 ($799). For a DSLR camera, $900 is a great price. It is a good all-rounder camera with an excellent 20.9MP sensor, a tilt angle touchscreen, ideal for progressing from beginner to intermediate travel photographer. For more details, click here.
Camera #5: Huawei P30 Pro
Controversially our final top pick is a camera phone. Nowadays everyone takes photos on their phone, and if that’s you, then this is THE phone to have. It was released in March 2019, so it’s still hot property! It’s perfect for taking pictures in low-light and excellent at providing detailed images with the zoom when shooting from a distance. Plus, it only weighs 192grams and easily fits into your bag. The Huawei P30 Pro costs $730. For more details, click here.
The only downfall of this camera phone is that it isn’t sold worldwide. If you can’t find it in your local stores or online, then check out the Google Pixel 3. Best Buy is currently offering a ‘Free Google Home Mini with the Purchase of A Pixel 3 Phone!’
Let us know your camera of choice!
