Todays compact cameras are more than adequate for travel.

After a two-week vacation in Europe I thought I would offer some observations based on my photographic experiences during the trip. All equipment was purchased with my own money and I am not sponsored by any manufacturer. These are simply my experiences and perhaps you will find my opinions based on them useful. If you have questions please ask. I’ll do my best to reply in a timely manner.

When I got back into photography two and a half years ago I spent countless hours researching the various makes and models of cameras and lenses available. Technology had certainly changed since my film shooting days in high school a number of years ago. I’ll spare the details and get to the point: I chose to buy an Olympus EM-5 mark ii and a variety of lenses. By DLSR standards this is a small system. However, after packing the camera, lenses, batteries, charger, tripod, etc. into my backpack it didn’t feel quite as compact as it originally did.

And during this time I have been impressed with the image quality and the editing latitude afforded by the RAW files from this camera. But could I get similar results from something smaller? Short answer: yes. Out of curiosity I purchased a Canon G7X mark ii earlier this year. It is a compact camera with a zoom range of 24mm to 100mm with a maximum aperture of 1.8 at 24mm. It has a one-inch 20.1-megapixel sensor and captures RAW files (and that’s as technical as I’ll get).

I wasn’t completely confident that this camera would produce the prints I was hoping for so I packed both camera kits. In the end that was a mistake. My EM-5 and lenses stayed in the hotel safes as we traveled about while the G7X with a leather wrist strap was my constant companion. It was unobtrusive and it fit in most pockets (cargo shorts) when not needed. I also carried an extra battery with me but never needed it. This new camera was basically everything I needed to create vacation snapshots in one compact package.

How flexible are the files for editing? More than enough. I generally underexpose my shots by 2/3 of a stop to preserve highlights and then recover shadow detail in post-processing. One example below is a shot taken in the canals of Venice. The buildings creating the walls of the canal were quite dark and lacking detail in the original file but the final edit had all the color and detail that I remember seeing with my eyes. And to be fair the images from this camera contain more noise than my larger camera (which produces more noise than cameras with larger sensors than it has) but this is easily managed in Light Room (my editing software).

Almost any camera today will produce images that look great on a computer screen but I prefer to print some of my pictures as well. The G7X didn’t disappoint here either. I had several 5X7 and one 8X10 test prints printed at my local Costco and they look excellent in my opinion. I even had the image below printed at 12X18 and it is definitely worthy of being hung on the wall. Will it pass as fine art to pixel peepers? Probably not. Is it a moment from a great trip that I’ll be happy to look at every day? Absolutely.

My conclusion is that I no longer find it necessary to carry a substantial kit to create great images for my personal use. If fine art or commercial images are the goal then I believe one should utilize more appropriate equipment. But if the goal of your photography is to create snapshots and prints for the desk or wall then almost any camera will do. Even my iPhone can produce images that look pretty good printed at 8X10. But I prefer a camera in my hand even if slightly less convenient.

For more examples of images made by the G7X mark ii feel free to see my Instagram gallery (Instagram.com/publicthinker/). I believe all of the images from Europe I posted there are from the G7X except the images of the Eiffel Tower at night and the Arc de Triomphe. I am quite pleased with this camera and if you are serious about cutting down on bulk and weight without sacrificing much image quality it might be worth researching this camera. The Sony RX100 series and Panasonic Lumix LX10 would also make excellent travel companions. 

My final (unoriginal) thought: the camera you have with you is the best camera to use. There is no need to buy something new and don’t be afraid to use the camera in your phone. There are advantages and disadvantages to nearly every camera you can buy. Enjoy the world and take pictures. Create memories. And don’t let your equipment become the focus of your journey.