The best cameras for travel are all right here

Waterproof, dust-proof, shock-proof, crush-proof, freeze-proof, and fog-proof, this camera might just outlive you. Pass it down to your children or something, because the Olympus Tough TG-6 will last through many an adventure. Not only is it hardy as they come, it's also got a variable macro system, so you can take closeup shots in high definition. User reviews rave about its ability to capture the smallest details on a flower petal.

One possible drawback is battery life — in theory it's supposed to be able to take 340 shots before needing to be recharged, but GPS and wifi capabilities cut into that number, and some users have found that it's necessary to take a power bank on trips (thankfully, it's easy to recharge via USB cable). Maximum recording time on a video is also just 20 seconds, so this is a camera designed mostly for quick pics.

There's nothing to elevate travel footage like bringing a drone along — whether you're going to a big city or a natural oasis, there's always a stunning aerial view to be filmed. If you've seen those cinematic tracking shots of a single car speeding down a desert road, or a panoramic overview of a cityscape at night, or a zoom-out clip of the waves crashing against a beach, then you'll know what we mean. Drone shots are like nothing else, and will both allow you to appreciate the scope of the new place you're visiting and show it off to your friends later.

And when it comes to drones, there's almost no competition for DJI. The powerhouse brand manufactures drones for both consumer and industrial use, so they really know what they're doing. While all their consumer units are equipped with excellent cameras, the Mini 2 stands out for its portability. It's specifically designed to weight under 250g, which is the threshold for requiring FAA registration(opens in a new tab) (a pain at the best of times). This means that depending on where you're travelling, you probably won't need a license to fly your drone. Most countries follow this 250g limit, including the U.S., Canada, and the UK, but be sure to check(opens in a new tab) your destination's regulations. Some destinations, like U.S. national parks, for example, don't allow drone flights without prior authorization.

Despite its lightweight build, the Mini 2's specs are still very impressive. It'll take 4k video and high-quality still pictures with built-in photo optimization for vivid colors and clear angles. Video is where it shines, like most drones: With three panoramic modes (Wide-Angle, 180°, and Sphere), you'll be able to choose what kind of a cinematic shot you want.

Plus, the DJI app gives you access to all the features that makes it the dominant drone manufacturer in the market. FlySafe will prevent you from accidentally taking off in or flying into restricted areas, which could get you into trouble — definitely helpful when you're exploring a new place.

For all its selling points, the Mini 2 has a few shortfalls — unlike other DJI models, it lacks obstacle avoidance, so you want to be careful while flying, especially in inclement weather since it's so light. Apart from that, its possible disadvantages are the same as that of any other drone — battery won't last all day (at over half an hour, it already boasts fairly impressive battery life for a drone), and it's really mostly suitable to aerial videography.

Still, nothing captures the breadth of a moment quite like a drone shot, so in our opinion, it's worth taking one along on trips, when you can.

Film cameras are typically not what one thinks of first in terms of travel cameras, but for how impractical they ostensibly are, a surprising number of people (this author included) tote them along. It's often difficult to track down the exact model you want (the heyday of film camera production being long gone), the price of popular models can get jacked way up, they're typically more delicate (being so old and technologically less-than-advanced), are easy to mess up (over- or underexposed film, anyone?), and you won't even know until you develop the photos if you've ruined a roll.

Yet for all the many disadvantages, there's just something about film that captures the imagination. Whether it's the abundance of grainy photos that flood Tumblr or National Geographic Travel competition-winning shots, the versatility and intention of film never goes out of style — as celebrities like Cole Sprouse (who uses a Canon AE-1(opens in a new tab)) and Gigi Hadid (aka @gisposable(opens in a new tab)) demonstrate.

This is especially true for travel shots. For all the inconveniences of taking an aging camera (not that there aren't still some new film cameras in production) with you on trips, there's also the flip side. Yes, you might have fewer shots, but that means you'll have to be more deliberate with each picture. Instead of having a thousand marginally different shots of your SO smiling in front of the Eiffel Tower that you'll never pick through to find an acceptable one, you have to make sure the shot is one you want to preserve — you've only got so many rolls of film, after all.

Plus, what makes the Yashica T4 a great camera even among film models is its lens. The lauded Zeiss lens is deserving of its reputation in that the sharpness of its image is really unmatched in comparable plastic point-and-shoot cameras. Color, clarity, and contrast are all top-tier and contribute to how sharp the image reproduced on your film will be.

Plus, it's extremely easy to use. That can be good or bad, but tends to be the former when talking about travelling, which can be high-stress and fast-paced at times. Because the Yashica T4 has only three buttons for shutter, flash/mode, and self-timer, you have nothing to worry about (although also no options to adjust camera settings) when snapping a quick pic. This takes away from film's other weakness, namely its speed. While other film cameras might require manual adjustment of focus, careful positioning, and aperture settings, the Yashica T4 will respond almost instantly.

This means that as a relatively sturdy point-and-shoot to take on vacations where you want clear images that don't require standing still for 15 seconds at a time adjusting settings, the Yashica T4 is pretty perfect.

The Canon EOS 6D was already an incredible camera that amateurs became experts with and professionals toted along on their assignments. Its Mark II upgrade adds an articulating screen, which seems so simple but can be a game-changer. It means that if you want a shot from higher up, you can tilt the screen down to see what you're shooting instead of raising your arm, pressing the shutter blind, and hoping for the best. It's also great for selfies, which if you're travelling by yourself or with just one other person is such a lifesaver — no need to have one person stand in the frame while the other sets the self-timer and sprints. (The screen itself is also a touchscreen, which is helpful for focusing purposes.)

Another significant upgrade is its autofocus: Where the original 6D had just 11 focus points and cross-type (perpendicular sensors allowing for two-dimensional sensing) only for the center point, the Mark II boasts 45 points, all with cross-type. That basically means that the autofocus of the 6D Mark II will lock on to anything super-fast and with incredible accuracy.

As befits a full-frame Canon DSLR, the sensor is *chef's kiss*. It's take-it-to-your-sister's-wedding level image quality, on professional levels even, so she can save money on a wedding photographer. But she might still want one, because the 6D Mark II will pick up on her smallest pores. It's pricey, but you get what you pay for.

If anything, taking an expensive camera on vacation might be a little anxiety-inducing, but when else are you going to use it? Travel memories are some of the best memories to capture, and the 6D Mark II has a fast enough reaction speed to do just that. Plus, built-in GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth will mark all your photos with location tags, which is handy, and battery life lasts 1,200 shots (if you're taking more than that per day on vacation, you need help). For all its other high-level specs, the 6D Mark II has got quite a sturdy build, so as long as you're careful (and guard your belongings!), it will pay off in crystal-clear pictures of your trip to bring it along.

Although some vloggers usr DSLRs or clunkier models for that extra definition, that can be hard for trips. Besides the obvious reason for wanting to pack light and compactly, there's also technical considerations: tripods to stand your camera up where you want it to be, an included mic so you don't need additional audio equipment, flexibility in lighting, and more. The ZV-E10 delivers all this — its mount allows for handheld filming or setting up on a tripod, Active Mode provides image stabilization while Face Priority AE keeps the focus on your face, and autofocus is incredibly fast and accurate.

The ZV-E10 is tailored for creatives to be able to film as they'd like. There's a Soft Skin Effect option in several degrees of strength, slo-mo and sped-up filming modes, background blurring options, and other artistic effects like color selection. Plus, with a USB cord, you can even livestream directly from the camera, which will get you to finally start using Instagram Live or the like.

With over 60 additional lens to choose from, there's no issue if the included 16-50mm zoom lens doesn't work out for you either (or maybe while travelling you want a more flexible lens). A vlogging camera is great for travel because of how easy to use it is, and how you can more easily capture shots of yourself and your travel buddies. Plus, video can be a better medium through which to recall fond memories, as it includes audio and movement. That's all up to the individual, though. For vlogging purposes (and Instagram Reels), this is the perfect handheld unit.

With how often Apple comes out with new launches, it can be hard to decide whether or not to upgrade; the same applies for other smartphones as well, if you haven't sold your soul to the Apple ecosystem. And honestly, as long as your old phone's working fine, it's probably fine to just skip a generation or three of new iPhones. But if you're looking to buy a new camera for travel anyways, it might be worth considering buying an iPhone 13 Pro and getting all the other perks as well as an upgraded camera.

The iPhone 13 Pro is Apple's 2021 launch and its best phone yet in just about all specs (only the smaller size of the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which boasts the same make in a 6.7" package). Aside from the typical processor and battery life upgrades, a big part of the 13 Pro's selling point was the significant improvements and add-ons to its camera.

The Ultra Wide camera brings macro photography to the phone (with macro videos in slow-motion and time-lapse as well). The Telephoto camera takes stunning portraits that you can customize by adjusting bokeh and lighting. All three cameras have new adaptability to low light photography, including portrait mode in low light and improved autofocus, as well as Night Mode. Deep Fusion, Apple's neural image processing network, analyzes pixels to combine into the best resultant image. And Cinematic mode automatically adds transitions and focus, which you can then edit even after shooting — that's unparalleled (in smartphones) control over depth of field after the fact.

If you're wanting to post pictures or videos straight from your camera roll to social media, the iPhone 13 Pro is perfect, with its impressive cameras and extensive editing abilities. No need to change devices during your workflow; from first capture to finished product, you can do it all in the iPhone. For travel, this is especially handy, as is the unparalleled ease of use and impressive versatility between day, night, portrait, and landscape shots.

(The newest iPhone SE (2022) is another impressive option for those who prioritize price more, but lacks the portrait mode quality that the 13 Pro has and many of its more detailed features.)

It might not be the first thing you think of when someone brings up cameras, but why not? These days, action cameras aren't just for the extreme-sports-inclined. While they remain excellent chroniclers of adventure, they've also evolved into terrific all-round cameras that take photos of comparable quality to some handheld cameras out there.

The GoPro HERO line boasts some of the best action cameras in the market. They're known for their quality, and the HERO10 is the newest and most advanced of the bunch. It's got a new G2 processor that makes it stand out from all its predecessors (the G1 chip has been powering the line since the HERO6) and provides ultra-responsive UI, a higher frame rate of 60fps up to 5.3K resolution, and the best image stabilization tech (HyperSmooth 4.0, which supports horizon-levelling even when tilted 45 degrees) among all GoPros and even action cameras as a whole.

Its photography capabilities are equally impressive, with the ability to capture 23MP pics. To make it particularly suitable for travel, the HERO10 is cloud-connected, so if God forbid you lose or break it, you'll still have all the footage from the last time you charged it — the same can't be said of most other cameras, which, if lost, also consign to oblivion all the precious photos you've painstakingly taken. Also, GoPro is recording even when you don't mean it to (in the least creepy way possible — you know your phone is probably tracking you anyways). The Hindsight technology starts filming 30 seconds before you hit record so you won't beat yourself up over being too late on the trigger, while LiveBurst shoots 45 frames in 1.5 seconds, before and after you press the shutter (that means extra-cool Boomerangs).

If your main priority is quick and easy video that's pretty hard to mess up and you prefer to travel light, the GoPro HERO10 is a fantastic option. If you prefer to check your photos as you go and have full control over settings, however, you'll want to opt for a more manual camera.