Best Camera for your Charter Vacation

Searching for the best travel camera for you? With travel now becoming more of a possibility, you might be starting to think about holidays – and the best ways of capturing them for posterity. That's why we've assembled this guide to the best travel cameras you can buy right now.

Of course, there isn't one ideal travel camera to suit everyone. Picking the right one for you depends on where you're going, what you're looking to capture and how you like to shoot. Another important factor is whether you're mainly looking to shoot stills, video or a combination of the two.

For example, if you're chartering in the med and cityscapes will be your scene or you will be mainly shooting at night, then a big sensor and fast lens are crucial. But maybe you’re heading to the islands and you’re looking to catch snaps of the tropical wildlife - Then you'll need the option of a long zoom instead.

Great-value option: Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III

It's getting on a bit, but this RX100 model still packs a punch

+ Large and capable sensor

+ Built-in viewfinder

− Limited zoom range

− No touchscreen

Before we take a look at our best travel camera list, we wanted to highlight an alternative that is a few generations old but still packs a punch. The RX100 III from Sony is a couple of years old now and was originally selling for near $1,000/£1,000, but with the arrival of newer models (including the RX100 VII below), it's dropped massively in price. Downsides? Well, the zoom is pretty short compared to other rivals here, but otherwise there's a lot to like. There's a decent 20.1MP 1-inch sensor, a pop-up electronic viewfinder and 4K video recording, while it's packaged in a premium, metal body. Definitely worth a look if the zoom range isn't your main concern.

Read an in-depth Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III review

Best for underwater filming: GoPro Hero 8 Black

Great for video and capable of taking decent stills too

+ Superb image stabilisation

+ Handy new built-in mount

− Stills quality only decent

− Not great in low light

If video quality is your main priority in a travel camera, then it's well worth considering GoPro's latest flagship. The Hero 8 Black uses the same sensor and a similar lens arrangement to the previous Hero 7 Black, but there are some fairly significant changes here. The camera now has built-in mount fingers, so a shell is no longer needed. Video stabilization is also much improved and you can use the Hypersmooth judder-buster in all modes. If you're doing something really extreme, a new Boost stabilization feature crops further into the view for even more effective smoothing.

Read an in-depth GoPro Hero 8 Black review

Best compact system: Fujifilm X-T30

A super-stylish compact system camera that's ideal for travelling

+ Great build quality and handling

+ Gorgeous looks

− Some fiddly controls

− No inbuilt stabilization

For those happy to tote a compact system camera, the Fujifilm X-T30 is one of our favourites and one which makes a heck of a lot of sense as a travel camera. Distilling many of the best elements of its older, bigger and more expensive brother, the X-T3 into a pleasingly small form, the X-T30 will help you get gorgeous shots while also looking gorgeous itself. There are lots of great lenses available for the Fuji X system, so you'll be spoiled for choice there, while 4K video recording, a tilting touch-sensitive screen and a high-resolution EVF help to round out the spec sheet.

Read an in-depth Fujifilm X-T30 review

Something Stylish: Fujifilm X100VA

niche but polished compact that’s perfect for the street

+ Tilting touchscreen

+ Improved sensor and autofocus

+ 4K video

− Not weather-sealed

− Quite expensive

A premium compact camera with a design inspired by 1950s analogue cameras and a fixed 23mm f/2 lens? Sounds like the very definition of niche. And yet, far from an anachronism, Fujifilm’s X100V is one of the best travel cameras you can buy.

For a start, it takes the small form factor that made the X100F before it is so convenient to carry and adds a supremely useful tilting touchscreen. The advantages are gesture support and easier shooting at tight angles.

Read an in-depth Fujifilm X100V review

Best P&S Waterproof option: Olympus Tough TG-6

Not just tough but with a spec sheet that goes beyond the waterproof norm

+ Raw shooting is a bonus

+ 4K rather than Full HD video

− Small sensor

− No electronic viewfinder

Olympus's Tough line of waterproof cameras has arguably the strongest reputation here, and the company has kitted its most recent TG-6 model with features decidedly towards the premium end of the scale. Raw shooting? Check. 4K video? Yep, that too. GPS? Hell yes. Even the same processing engine as the OM-D E-M1 X mirrorless model features here. Together with a lens that has a maximum aperture of f/2 at the wide end and a raft of close-focusing goodies on top of that, the camera is certainly ready for all manner of land-based and underwater captures. We do wish Olympus had moved things along a little further from what we saw in the previous TG-5, however, which was our previous top pick and not that dissimilar to what we have here. We're just finishing our full review and while we can see it being a stronger model, the TG-5 would still be a fine choice if you're on a tighter budget.

Read our in-depth Olympus Tough TG-6 review

Best for going deep: Nikon Coolpix W300

The ideal choice if you want to go deep underwater

+ Waterproof down to 30m

+ Wide zoom range

− Fiddly controls

− Exposure inconsistencies

The Coolpix W300 comes fully-loaded with a host of features - there's 4K video for starters, a terrific GPS system, interactive world map and Wi-Fi connectivity, plus an altimeter and underwater depth gauge to boot. The W300 also offers a high resolution, 921k dot OLED monitor, but perhaps most impressive of all is that the W300 can function down to a depth of 30 metres - as far as an Advanced Open Water diving certificate will get you.

Gearkelli Whitehead3 August 2020Photography, Packing list