5 Best Compact Cameras for Travel: Your Easy Buying Guide (2019)

This is a high-end zoom camera in a compact body, giving you the best of botht worlds. The large 1.0-inch sensor provides high image quality, and the 15x zoom on a 24-360mm lens allows you to get a wide range of shots. It has a F3.3-6.4 aperture that allows for defocused backgrounds.

As one of the best compact cameras for travel out there, it also has 4K video recording and 4K photo mode so you can capture moments in motion. It also has a variety of scene and filter modes, which help you get creative with your travel shots.

The body has a three-inch touchscreen and an electronic viewfinder. The camera does a lot, but is easy to use, making it great for beginners to more intermediate users. Reviewers loved the camera for its size, zoom, and ease of use. It’s one of the best compact cameras for travel and a great all around option.

If you’re looking for the best compact camera for travel and don’t mind paying for it, go with the Sony RX100 VI 20.1. It has a 24-200mm F2.8-F4.5 ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T lens and the world’s fastest hybrid AF system at 0.03 seconds. The lens is the widest aperture on the market.

Sony called it “game changing” when it released the camera, and tech review sites agreed. It’s the closest thing you can buy to a DSLR without actually buying a DSLR, so it’s a great travel option if you’re really into photography but don’t have the space to carry a larger camera with multiple lenses.

It has customizable buttons and works in raw format, which is rare for compact cameras but great for those who want the best editable versions of photos. The large sensor provides great images, and it also shoots in full manual control mode, another rare feature for compact cameras.

The camera autofocuses as quickly as 0.13 seconds, though it’s slightly slower in darker settings. It also has full HD video recording and a variety of automatic scene features. One downside is that it does not have a touch screen.

At just under $300, this a fantastic budget option if you’re looking for a compact camera for travel that will take great photos, but not cost more than your trip.

It has a 30x zoom range, which is huge, making it great for travel as you can get a wide variety of shots with one lens. It has both automatic or manual options, great for beginners to intermediate users, and a long battery life, too.

Panasonic is credited with starting to make compact cameras for travel before other brands, so you know they’re reputable in this area. This camera gives great image quality and has a built in electronic viewfinder, which makes it easy to take photos you’ll want to save as memories. The viewfinder also eliminates glare on bright days.

Users generally love the camera for its compact size, ease of use, and extensive zoom. Some reviewers had issues with the flash, which they said was in an inconvenient location and easily covered by fingers. Mac computer users didn’t like that Mac and Panasonic are not compatible, so you can upload the photos to  your library, but settings were lost.

A mirrorless camera doesn’t have a reflex mirror, which DSLR cameras do require to reflect light to the viewfinder. Without a viewfinder in the camera, the image sensor in a mirrorless camera is instead exposed to light at all times. The lack of a mirror makes them more compact and great for travel.

Unlike other compact cameras for travel, mirrorless options often do come with separate lenses. The Olympus OM-D is no exception here. The basic lens is a 14-42mm EZ lens that attaches to a lightweight body with a three-inch monitor.

It has a 16 megapixel live MOS sensor and TruePic VII image processor, plus offers 4K video and image stabilization for blur-free stills and videos. The touchscreen is intuitive and overall the camera is easy to use for beginners, but also has manual features for more advanced photographers.

There’s an auto mode and plenty of scene modes, great for getting an array of travel shots. Connect the camera to WiFi and easily sync your photos to your phone–your vacation Instagram just got better. Users love this camera, though some find it expensive.

If you’re not that into photography, but want to capture memories on your travels and are looking for something extremely compact and lightweight, opt for the Canon PowerShot. This tiny, handheld camera takes great photos for the price and fits easily in any bag.

It has an 8x optical zoom and image stabilizer, so you can take a decent range of photos. The 200 megapixel CCD sensor and DIGIC 4+ image processor helps deliver beautiful photos for a point and shoot camera.

Don’t know what the best settings are for the light or scene? No worries, the smart auto mode intelligently selects the best settings for the situation. It also has fun scene modes like fisheye effect, toy camera effect, and monochrome to add a little style to your travel photos.

Users found it to be a great pocket camera, though said it would be limiting for more advanced photographers.

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