Best Travel Camera That Will Raise Your Instagram Game: Top 5 in 2022

By Alice Ross | GADGETS & TECH

Jul 30
best travel camera for Instagram 2022

Taking pictures has become an important part of our daily life. That’s why these days, it seems like a travel trip wouldn’t be complete without coming back with at least a few pictures from it. With many options available, it is very important to consider numerous aspects before investing in a camera for your trip. From little compact cameras that you could slide into your pocket to bigger ones with larger screens, you need to consider more than just the design and compatibility to choose the right one for you. It is important to do your research in order to find the best travel camera you can get.

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Features to Consider

If you’re a casual traveler, carrying a heavy DSLR camera can be overkill. They are usually much bigger and bulkier than the average holidaymaker may want to deal with. Moreover, they are expensive and come with unnecessary features for amateur photographers. When choosing the right camera for your trip, here are some features you may want to consider. 

Lens and Flash

camera lens with beautiful bokeh

The camera lens and flash are two things you may want to take into account. Of course, this depends on how you intend to use your camera. If you are planning to trek and take photos of landscapes, flowers, or wildlife, a camera with a lens equipped with an integrated zoom could work great. If you are planning to take photos in low light conditions, you will need a camera with a good flash. 

Image Quality

More than any other camera features, this is an essential factor to consider when looking for the best travel camera. Make sure to check out the quality of the images produced for yourself. Even if you're able to edit your travel photos like a pro, there are limits to how much you can compensate for a basic lack of image quality. Don't assume that just because a camera has a high number of megapixels, it is a better choice. After all, the resolution of your pictures will shrink once you upload them onto social media sites or apps. The most important criterion is how good the photos look, not how crisp they are.

Optical Zoom

a zoomed in picture of a flower

For the sake of versatility, look for a camera with a reliable optical zoom. Keep in mind that you will only have one camera with you on your trip. So, you want it to be multifaceted to be able to use it in different situations. While on the road, you are likely to run into occasions when you will be too far away from your subject. An optical zoom will allow you to overcome that problem. Be sure not to confuse it with a digital zoom. Digital zooms are not as good as their optical counterparts.

Portability

A small, compact design is recommended for travelers looking for sleek models to lug around while they are on the road. Others might prefer a bigger-sized camera, for something easier to hold. But if there’s something that really defines a camera’s travel-friendliness, it's its portability. After all, do you really want to carry around a bulky camera in your backpack or on your shoulder wherever you go? On top of that, most DSLRs require heavy lenses to make the most of them. That’s why point-and-shoot and mirrorless cameras are very popular.

photography

GPS

While this might not be as necessary as the other functions listed in this section, it could be a great plus – especially since you are traveling. It’s okay if you don’t want GPS functionality. But for travelers who would like the option to geotag their photos, this could be a useful addition.

Megapixels

best travel camera list

This is not as important as a lot of people think. You just need enough megapixels to be able to print your photos if you want. Many brands on the market these days boast cameras with a wide range of megapixels. You’ll see that resolution can go from 8 up to 12 megapixels. Anything higher than 12 might not be necessary, unless you are using it professionally and you can afford it.

Battery

Your camera must have enough battery life to last til the end of the day, when you can go back to your hotel and re-charge it. Camera batteries may come with a built-in or removable camera. When buying a camera, the battery life is usually indicated in the spec information.

Memory

memory card

When traveling, you don’t always have access to your computer. Which means you may not be able to transfer your photos to your hard drive or upload them to the Cloud immediately after taking them. This is why a great memory card is necessary. Make sure that the camera you choose allows for large-size memory cards, so that you always have the capacity to take pictures and videos as you like.

Screen Display

Gone are the days you needed to wait til you got home and transferred your photos to a computer before you could finally see what you'd captured! Today, most digital cameras have a screen. Many of them are even movable and can be flipped, which is ideal for selfies. You should also consider if you want a camera with a viewfinder or not.

Our Top Picks For the Best Travel Camera

You may also want to keep up with the current trends to help you choose the best travel camera. Camera models are updated and upgraded pretty often. Because of this, it's smart to take the time to shop around and look into the different models available online before making a purchase.

To make things easier for you, here are our five favorite models on the market in 2022.

The first camera on this list and our top choice is the Canon G9X II. This is an easy-to-use, solid pocket camera that is perfect for traveling. This model has greatly learnt from its predecessor: the image quality has been improved and the camera is considerably faster. The built-in lens offers great performance in most cases, even though its small size allows for less zoom than some of its competitors.
The G9X II further builds on the strengths of its predecessors. This camera is built with about a 20.2-million-pixel 1-inch sensor, which provides a sensitivity range of ISO 125-12,800. Outputs can be saved in both RAW and JPEG formats. It also provides a filled complement of exposure modes, as well as access from a top-plate button. Professional photographers can choose from shutter priority, the usual program, manual modes, as well as aperture priority, while a big range of scene modes and full auto mode are perfect for newbies.
Overall, there might not be anything revolutionary with the G9X II, but it’s a sophisticated compact camera that offers an impressive overall performance as well as great value.

98
/100

Editor's Rating: 98/100

Price On Amazon: from $429.00


Pros

  • It provides the user with remarkable image quality
  • It has improved JPEGs and great, high ISO quality for its class
  • It has a very compact camera body
  • It has a fast maximum aperture
  • It has a very reliable autofocus

Cons

  • It has no tilting display
  • It doesn’t have a viewfinder
  • Its lens isn’t very wide
  • It has slow buffer clearing

The Panasonic FZ80 boasts an 18.0MP 1/2.3" sized BSI-CMOS sensor and a Venus Engine processor. It allows you to shoot at an all-out resolution of 4896x3672 pixels, with 4:3 aspect ratios. Moreover, the FZ80 has an ISO range of 80 to 3200 that can be boosted up to 6400. It allows you to save files in a RAW format, which makes post-processing possible.
While the Panasonic FZ80 isn’t the highest-resolution small sensor camera on the market, this camera is a perfect travel companion. It's an ideal choice for travelers who want an extensive focal length range for wildlife or landscape photography. 

97
/100

Editor's Rating: 97/100

Price On Amazon: from $297.99


Pros

  • It has 4K-centric features
  • It is an amazing camera for long-distance shooting
  • It has manual controls
  • It enables saving in RAW format

Cons

  • It is not the most compact
  • It doesn’t have as many features as some other Panasonic models

The Nikon Coolpix S9900 is another strong contender for best travel camera. Aside from having a fully articulated LCD, it also comes with a Wi-Fi connection, as well as a built-in GPS.
Furthermore, the Nikon Coolpix S9900 is a great camera that offers a high-quality output and professional features at an affordable price. Another thing we really like about this camera is the fact that even though it is very lightweight, it doesn’t have a questionable build – it is very sleek and durable.
It's no wonder the Nikon Coolpix S9900 is one of the bestselling travel cameras on the market today, as it offers a mixture of high technological performance and user-friendliness. While this model is perhaps not the best option if you are taking pictures professionally, the colors and sharpness of the pictures it produces are really impressive. 

95
/100

Editor's Rating: 95/100

Price On Amazon: from $199.99


Pros

  • It has a 30x optical zoom, which makes it perfect for landscape and wildlife photography
  • It offers impressive image stabilization
  • It has a sharp output quality
  • It is sleek and slim
  • It has a solid build, as well as rubber pads for a secure grip
  • It has an automatic panorama mode

Cons

  • It doesn't allow for RAW shooting
  • It has no manual focusing

Sony is known for its high-quality cameras. One of the best compact cameras the brand offers is the Sony HX9V. This model has a 16-megapixel with 16x pocket long zoom, which  a high-resolution output and Full HD video. You will get a versatile result, with a great zoom range and a lot of tricks to capture great shots under any conditions.
The drawback of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V is the risk of overexposing shots and oversaturating colors when shooting in Auto mode. This can be avoided by using manual settings to adjust the exposure and fine-tune other aspects. The pop-up flash is also a little bit strong and can produce washed-out highlights and blown-out bright spots in some cases.

93
/100

Editor's Rating: 93/100

Price On Amazon: from $69.99


Pros

  • It delivers excellent optical quality
  • It has a high resolution
  • It offers an HD Panorama mode
  • It produces good video quality
  • It offers a good grip
  • It has a fast autofocus

Cons

  • It has a sluggish user interface and Full HD video mode
  • Loud noise suppression
  • Its GPS can sometimes be slow to sync

The last camera on our list, but definitely not the least, is another model from Sony: the Sony DSCW830/B. For such a low price, you will be surprised at the features you will get. While you definitely could get better imaging by buying more expensive models, this camera is sufficient for those who are looking for a budget-friendly travel camera. It offers all the features you probably need in a camera. Its advanced flash performs impressively under low light conditions. With the automatic features this camera offers, even a child can use it without trouble.
If you’re looking for a good camera to travel with, but would rather save your money to spend it on plane tickets or hotel accommodations, then the Sony DSCW830 camera is certainly a good camera to consider. It’s no doubt one of the most user-friendly cameras you will find on the market today.

90
/100

Editor's Rating: 90/100

Price On Amazon: from $149.95


Pros

  • It has a large zoom range 
  • It comes with a full suite of connectivity selections
  • It has a pleasantly compact design
  • It offers GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity

Cons

  • It lacks a RAW capture mode
  • It doesn’t have touchscreen functionality
  • The images suffer at high ISO
  • You may experience a long delay after burst shooting

Summary

So, there you have it – our list of the best travel camera models you will find on the market in 2022. Hopefully, this article has been helpful in guiding your search.

If you have any further questions on this topic, please don’t hesitate to ask us by leaving a comment below. And if you found this article useful, feel free to share it on your social media for your friends to read! To find more tips like this, browse through our blog!

Rating: 4.5 (4 votes)

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Alice Ross, a long-term traveler who left the corporate world to travel the world. I chose to live life on my own phase and live day by day while immersing myself in new experiences, new knowledge, and new people in a different walk of life I met along the way.

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(2) comments

Saigon Oanh August 1, 2018

Hi Alice Ross,
Thank you for your post. It is very useful to me. I will apply it on my journey for sure. I hope that you will have other posts like this in near future.

Reply
    Alice Ross August 7, 2018

    Thank you very much :”)

    Reply
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