What Camera Should I Buy for Travel?

A superzoom is often a format that is snubbed by photography enthusiasts. For many travelers however its probably the most logical logical choice. If you want a camera that can do it all at a very affordable price, then the Panasonic FZ40 is the latest in a long line of Panasonic superzooms with that alluring "L" name on the front of the lens.

In the case of the FZ40, one lens gets you all the way from 25mm to 600mm. Obviously there will be some optical compromises in that range, however this camera does a very good job of keeping everything reasonably sharp.

If you're pressed for cash, you could also look at some of the older models such as the FZ35 which this model replaces.

There's no way of getting a great shot if you don't have your camera with you. The s95 is the sort of camera that fits unobtrusively in your pocket. There's no excuse to leave this camera behind in your hotel room on a night out.

This Canon manages to squeeze in an oversized sensor, an f2 lens, and a pretty decent manual control system. The front control dial is one of the nicest to use on any camera system.

The big downside to this camera is its price-tag. Many will no doubt wince at paying $400 for a pocket sized camera, but in many ways the price tag is a reflection on the fact that this is a premium product designed for a consumer that understands what lies within such a camera.

This is the camera many travelers have been waiting a long time for.

Its not a camera that wins on a comparison of spec-sheet checklists - especially next to DSLRs that have higher megapixel counts. Instead its been optimised to take great photos. Just as importantly Olympus seems to understand that this camera needs to fit into its system. After a series of near-hits with the PEN system, Olympus have fixed the things they got wrong on the EPL1 and put together a camera that is bang on the money, and works with all the PEN system accessories.

As a bonus for scuba divers, Olympus is going to continue its tradition of supporting its cameras with an underwater housing, and this one is no exception. Compared to the EPL1 housing its also trimmed down a little (this is a good thing) by removing the optional EVF area. The price of this should be around the US$500 mark.

If you're interested in shooting HD video as well as high quality still images, then the Panasonic GH2 is in a class of its own.

A big difference between this and every other mirrorless camera is the increased processing power that the GH2 has thanks to its three CPUs - this means faster autofocus, better quality video, and that the camera is able to do things others simply can't - like crop mode full HD video, slow motion and high speed effects.

Strangely Panasonic sees this camera as filling a "niche". Others however are looking at this format as the DSLR of the future. This is the perfect camera if you want DSLR style handling without the bulk and an added bonus of outstanding video. Overall a pretty compelling package!

Its over 2 years since the 5D mark2 was released, but it still doesn't have a clear rival. There really isn't a camera that matches the Canon as an all-round budget full-frame DSLR yhat can produce stunning 1080HD video images.

For travelers that have keeping weight down as a priority, there are "lightweight" lenses available to match this camera: in particular the 17-40mm f4 and 70-200mm f4 provide plenty of quality at weights that are travel-friendly. Put in a prime for portraits and you end up with a very versatile and (by full-frame standards) affordable kit. Alternatively, the 24-104mm kit lens covers a fairly wide and useful range from wide angle to medium telephoto as an all-in-one solution.