You’re going travelling? Across countries, maybe continents, and you want to record your travels. In the best way possible . . Sure you can take pictures on your phone, and that might be great for day to day pictures, but are they really that good? Don’t you want real high quality images, good enough to publish?
You’ll need a decent camera for that, but it needn’t cost the earth. Here’s a few tips for what to get:
- You don’t need the latest & greatest 2020 model.
- You don’t need a bulky SLR.
- You can get super results from a premium compact or mirrorless.
- Make sure to get at least a 1″ sensor size and a fast lens (f2.x)
- Look at Sony’s RX100, Panasonic’s LX15, Canon’s G7X.
- Look at used camera sites, like MPB
After you’ve picked a camera:
- Get a couple of spare batteries and a light tripod
- Use the ‘A’ mode for Aperture priority.
- Use the big apertures f1.7 – f2.8 (for creamy out of focus backgrounds)
- Get an on the go (OTG) adaptor, and use your phone for backups.
My personal choice for the past few years has been the Panasonic GM1. It’s super small frame means it’s genuinely pocketable. It’s tiny size might also trick you into thinking it’s a compact or entry level camera, but don’t be fooled. Inside this tiny frame is the same electronic widardry and the same powerhouse of a sensor as is inside its bigger brother, the GX7.
Twinned with a 14mm or 20mm pancake, or the 15mm Pana/Leica (as pictured) it’s a formidable combination.
Do you need 15mm / 20mm / 25mm / 42.5mm lenses?
No. I’ve found myself almost exclusively using the 15mm, even to the extent that I’ll go away travelling and only bring the 15mm as my do everything lens. Sure it’s got no zoom, and there can be a bit of colour distortion in direct sunlight, but so what. It’s a super lens and camera combo and it works for me.