Travel Camera Gear – Taking vacation pictures is a challenge.
Why? Because with all the planning you do to create an amazing vacation, you hope that the vacation photos you take will help you relive the magic you had during your trip for years to come.
But, the problem with taking the best pictures imaginable while on vacation is the cost associated.
What cost may you ask? Well, the cost of carrying camera equipment everywhere to take those perfect pictures, as well as the cost of expensive camera gear to get that amazing picture.
From the many years of me traveling and the countless number of crappy pictures I have taken along the way, I have finally figured out what is the best camera gear I need to pack to get the best travel photographs while on vacation.
Here is a list of the most essential travel camera gear accessories that any traveler should pack with them to get the best travel pictures ever.
10+ Essential Travel Camera Gear For Beginners - What You Really Need
Cameras
The great thing about camera technology today is there are many different camera options available for every traveler.
Smartphones are a great travel camera for pretty much everyone. The great thing about smartphones is that everyone pretty much has one already.
They are usually always with you and are great for when you want to carry light while exploring the city you are vacationing in.
You can either bring with you one of the many great smartphones from Apple, Samsung, and Huawei that can shoot great quality point and shoot pictures while on the go.
Digital cameras have come along the way. The intimidation factor of owning a Mirrorless or DSLR camera is no longer there.
They are built to help the most beginner take that great vacation pictures, and also be there to assist the professional photographer to bring photos to the next level.
Reliable camera brands like Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Panasonic capture professional-looking travel photos that will amaze every person you share your pictures with.
But don’t forget the trusty point and shoot cameras built for taking amazing vacation pictures and still be able to fit in your front pocket.
Whatever camera you decide to pack in your travel camera gear kit with you on your journeys, just having a camera that can fit your photography skill, can make all the difference in the world for your vacation pictures.
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Camera Bag
If you are planning on packing along with you a smartphone or point and shoot cameras, then you won’t have to worry about one more extra piece of cargo to lug around while traveling.
But, if you are looking into capturing amazing travel photographs with a mirrorless camera or DSLR camera, then you will need a solid camera bag that will be able to hold extra lenses, camera batteries, and memory cards.
Camera bags come in different varieties and shapes that are comfortable, durable, and lightweight.
Two camera bag options that work for any type of travel and that is a shoulder bag and a backpack.
Pacsafe offers a variety of anti-theft camera shoulder bags that combines innovative durable anti-theft features that protect most sizes of DSLR & Mirrorless cameras.
Lowepro offers a high-performance camera and laptop backpack, that gives rugged versatility and armored protection against harsh weather conditions.
A great camera bag should be part of your essential travel camera gear.
Camera Lenses
Great camera lenses can elevate what a camera can do for your vacation pictures.
Regardless of the camera, you decided to travel with, besides a point-and-shoot camera that includes a possible lens itself; a great travel camera lens is important for the best travel pictures.
If you are thinking about using your smartphone for your vacation photographs, I suggest adding a few attachment lenses to your travel camera gear to elevate your smartphone pictures.
While smartphone lenses included in the latest smartphones today are starting to compete with professional cameras with powerful lenses, smartphone lenses like Moment’s Wide and Tele lens offer you to take next-level photos and videos.
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If you are thinking of packing a mirrorless or DSLR camera for your holiday pictures, the great news about camera lenses is that you can use DSLR lenses on a Mirrorless camera provided the mount on the camera and the lens are the same, or you can get a mount adapter to suit.
There are several different adapters to allow Nikon F mount lenses to be used on Sony cameras with E-mount.
Be careful about what you are getting. Some adapters only couple the lens to the camera mechanically so you have no auto aperture or autofocus.
Others electronically couple the lens to the camera to allow aperture control, or even aperture and focus.
So here three camera lens choices that the top travel photographers use to capture the best photographs around the world.
Ultra-Wide Zoom Lens – A Wide-angle lens is a go-to lens for any travel photographer looking to capture the beauty of landscapes, cityscapes, hotel buildings, or residential properties.
These lenses are excellent for tight spaces or wide-sweeping sights. They capture an aspect that the human eye just cannot see without help.
All-around Lens– All-around lenses like a 24-70mm lens is the Swiss Army knife of lenses. It’s wide enough for panorama views, yet it has the scale to get in close for portraits or close-up shots.
Telephoto lens – A telephoto lens in your travel camera gear kit is a must if you are looking at capturing landscape photographs.
The capacity to add more sweeping scope to your camera’s focal length is important, especially when you’re shooting wildlife or detailed landscapes like a mountain range.
Also, don’t forget to pick up a lens filter that has many features, one being that it’s a great protector for your expensive lens. Also, they can provide extra detail to your travel photographs that you never thought were possible.
Camera battery
You never want to run out of battery power while taking photographs during the day. Who wants to be constantly charging throughout the day just to keep your travel camera operational.
I suggest picking up a few extra batteries from the brand of your camera that you are traveling with, but keep in mind that it can be expensive if you have more than two extra camera batteries.
Third-party options are great to keep the costs down, but over the long term of use, they tend to not work as well.
But, they are cheaper. If you are looking for a cheap spare camera battery, I suggest the green extreme because the company encourages conservation through renewable energy cells to maximize their use and to contribute in a modest way to energy responsibility.
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Tripods
Sure many great cameras available out there have image stabilization, but they are not as good as a reliable tripod.
Many think a tripod is the old-fashioned heavy unpackable device that is a pain to carry around, but not anymore.
If you are looking for a packable tripod option that works great for mirrorless cameras, DSLR cameras, and smartphones look at the JOBY Gorilla 3k Pro-Kit(pictured above).
The latest design Gorilla Pod tripod with a ball head capable of holding 3kg of camera or accessories.The serious Gorilla Pod for premium mirrorless camera users.
These tripods mentioned below are perfect for packing into a camera bag for any journey you decide to take, and a great tripod elevates your travel photographs to a whole new level.
If you want something sturdier, Manfrotto offers compact tripods with an ergonomic joystick head with a scroll-wheel locking mechanism that is very intuitive and easy-to-use.
Its comfortable grip allows you to capture smooth movies and great images with little effort.
Side Note: Don’t forget that you can add a smartphone clamp to any of these tripod travel camera gear above to capture steady vacation pictures with your smartphone.
Camera Cleaning Gear
Are you a clumsy travel photographer that tends to smudge the lens with an oily fingerprint while trying to put a lens cap on? I know I do.
Or what about being in a tourist attraction that is going through renovations and dust is everywhere and accumulates on the camera lens?
You never what to use a Kleenex or your shirt to clean your camera lens because it can cause scratches on the lens that are impossible to fix.
There are many great options available for cleaning your camera lens while on the go, but if you are looking for compact camera cleaning kits I would go with an air blaster system, moisten cleaning wipes, or lens cleaning pen.
An air blaster cleaning device like the Giottos Rocket Air Blaster easily removes dust and debris from cameras, lenses, and filters with a powerful blast of air.
Moisten cleaning wipes Easily remove smudges and dirt. Safe for use on lenses with anti-reflective coatings. High-tech ammonia-free formula cleans effectively without leaving streaks or residue.
A lens cleaning pen like the Nikon Lens Pen Cleaning System easily removes fingerprints from lenses, filters, or camera viewfinders.
Camera cleaning kits are essential travel camera gear for every traveler wanting clean and clear travel photographs.
Camera Strap
If you are traveling with a smartphone or point-and-shoot camera, you don’t need a camera strap to hold your camera.
But, if you are carrying along with you doing your travel a DSLR or mirrorless camera, having a camera strap with you helps you carry your camera easier and prevent you from dropping your expensive camera and lens out of your hand if someone bumps into you.
Or if someone tries to steal your camera out of your hand which almost happened to me in San Francisco years ago.
Great camera straps like the Black Rapid Sport strap or Presidio Camera Strap are designed to comfortably wear across the body and can be used with camera kits weighing up to 6 lb.
Keep your camera secure with this important travel camera gear.
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Memory Cards
If you are traveling with a mirrorless camera, DSLR, or drone, having memory cards that are large enough and fast enough to store a whole trip worth of photos is a travel saver.
Having the right memory card will help you store precious photographs and videos throughout the trip, so you can focus on enjoying your trip.
I suggest a powerful PRO SDXC UHS-I Card like the SanDisk 1TB Extreme that delivers performance and elevates your creativity.
High-end memory cards offer shot speeds of up to 90MB/s and UHS speed Class 3 (U3) recording, so your camera is ready to capture stunning, high-resolution, stutter-free 4K UHD video.
Plus SanDisk Extreme PRO SD UHS-I card is temperature-proof, waterproof, shock-proof, and x-ray-proof which is perfect for your travel camera gear.
Camera Flash
If you are packing a DSLR or mirrorless camera, having a flash is perfect when you are expecting to take a lot of night photography or when you are trying to light up a subject in the foreground during the day.
Neewer’s Speedlite flash is the perfect travel camera gear flash that is compact for holding in hand, convenient for carrying around. Plus they are compatible with most DSLR cameras, and cameras with a hot shoe on them.
Bottom Line: If you use Neewer’s Speedlite flashes correctly, you will love the pictures it helps you produce!
External Hard Drive
If you are looking at taking a lot of travel photos or videos along your journey, your memory cards might not be able to do the job.
Having an external hard drive with you helps you with storing your travel photographs so you can continue to use your memory cards further throughout the trip.
If you are looking for an external hard drive to add to your travel camera gear kit I suggest the LaCie Rugged hard drives.
Why? they have external hard drives that offer a capacity of up to 5TB in an ultra-compact portable hard drive.
You can seamlessly connect to USB 3. 0 computers, transfer content fast with speeds of up to 130MB/s, and trek confidently with all-terrain durability of drop, crush, and rain resistance.
Plus LaCie rugged drives even include a complimentary one-month membership to the Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps plan for access to awesome photo and video editing apps, as well as a two-year limited for long-term peace of mind.
International travel plug adapters
When you are traveling internally, regardless of what type of electronics you decide to pack for your trip, having an international plug-in adapter that can charge multiples electronic devices is a travel saver.
Definitely an important travel camera gear accessory for wherever you go.
Drone
I like traveling with a drone when I am doing hikes along the Hawaiian coast or the Seira mountains. They are great for achieving incredible Ariel videos that are jaw-dropping.
I like DJI drones because they offer compact yet powerful camera drones that are the perfect creative companion, capturing your moments in a way that effortlessly elevates the ordinary into extraordinary.
I use the Mavic Air 2 that captures impressive 48MP photos with a 1/2-inch CMOS sensor while the 3-axis gimbal provides 4K/60fps video.
Just keep in mind that were ever you take your drone make sure that you are paying attention to the local rules of flying.
You don’t want your expensive travel camera gear taken away from you from the authorities or having to suffer huge fines.
Action camera
If you are looking for a compact camera that is tiny and waterproof and wanting to take incredible videos or pictures, maybe have a look at an action camera.
If you are an adventure type, they are a fantastic camera to bring along with you during your action-packed holiday.
Companies like GoPro and DJI offer great action cameras that are small enough to fit in a front pocket and be camera-ready all the time while you are traveling.
But, if you are not the adventure type, it might not be necessary to buy, but it may force you to get out of your comfort zone and explore with this great travel camera gear piece.
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Worried about your camera skills?
Worried about your camera skills? Take some photography courses before you go!
There are some great online courses that you can take your present photography skills and elevate them to heights you never thought were possible.
When I started travel photography, I was horrible. I had no clue about framing, focus, and pretty much everything else when it came to taking great travel photographs.
But, from taking that some great online courses mentioned below, I have moved my way up from the beginner point and click photographer to a more intermediate framing and focus travel photographer in no time.
GorillaPod Mobile Vlogging kit
A do-everything, go-anywhere kit that’s been expertly crafted for mobile content creators, the GorillaPod Mobile Vlogging kit lets you rig up your phone and give your content real impact. You’ll have everything you need in one box.
Includes:
- Gorilla Pod Mobile Rig
- Beamo Mini LED
- Wavo Mobile microphone
- Audio cable for mobile phone & camera
- Apple MFI certified lightning connector
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this post on the best tools to pack with you to take the best travel photographs ever.
In my experience of taking travel photography, which still isn’t much, I have learned along the way that having the right camera equipment just makes taking travel photographs so much better.
If you are just thinking about traveling with a smartphone to take great pictures, don’t forget to pack those extra smartphone camera tools to kick your smartphone picture’s up a notch.
As for DSLR and mirrorless cameras, having the right camera gear like lenses and a reliable tripod set you up for success.
Happy traveling! And take some amazing pictures along the way.
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