The 6 Best Mirrorless Cameras For Travel - Fall 2024

Among mirrorless options, the Fujifilm X-T5 stands out as one of the best cameras for travel photography. It's aimed at enthusiast photographers, with old-school exposure dials that make it easy to adjust settings on the go. It also has a relatively portable design and sturdy build, with weather-sealing for added peace of mind when shooting in poor weather conditions. Beyond its sleek exterior, it also comes equipped with one of the highest-resolution APS-C sensors on the market, with a whopping 40.2 megapixels, so it captures incredibly detailed images with plenty of leeway to crop and adjust your photos, as well as excellent dynamic range for high-contrast scenes.

If that wasn't enough, it has an excellent battery life for a mirrorless model and features Fujifilm's most advanced autofocus yet, with intuitive AF tracking and subject detection for a wide range of subjects, including people, birds, and vehicles, so it'll perform well no matter what subjects pique your interest abroad. The wide range of well-made and portable lenses available for Fuji's X mount is another bonus. Overall, the X-T5's combination of image quality, portability, and photography-first design make it our top pick for the intrepid travel photographer.

If you're looking for the best possible image quality, the Sony α7C II is hard to beat for high-level, magazine-worthy travel photos. It's one of the most compact full-frame bodies on the market. While that compact size does mean fewer custom buttons and an uncomfortably small viewfinder, especially compared to the larger Sony α7 IV, these are small sacrifices to make if you need portability but still want the greater dynamic range and noise handling that comes with a full-frame sensor.

Though the camera's 33-megapixel sensor is its real selling point, it also boasts a long battery life, a sturdy weather-sealed build, and one of the best autofocus systems on the market, not to mention a wide range of both native and third-party lens options. Although full-frame lenses are often bigger than APS-C or Micro Four Thirds alternatives, you can still pair the camera with some relatively compact prime lenses to get a travel-ready setup. If you want to save some money, the original Sony α7C is a steal, considering how similarly it performs for photography, though it has a slightly lower-resolution sensor and uses an older processor and older version of Sony's AF system.

Micro Four Thirds (MFT) models like the OM SYSTEM OM-5 are practically made for travel photography. Though there's a slight trade-off in low-light noise handling with an MFT sensor, the camera can still capture beautiful images, especially when paired with a good lens. Beyond that, it's packed with some neat computational features, like a digital ND filter and a high-resolution composite mode to capture stunningly detailed landscapes. Plus, the MFT system has a long lineup of lenses, including more compact options that'll make for a more portable overall kit.

On top of that, the OM-5 is weather-sealed and ruggedly built, giving you some peace of mind while traveling. Built-in image stabilization allows you to get clear shots at slower shutter speeds, and the camera has a decent autofocus system, though it falls short of the standard set by brands like Sony and Canon. Battery life is also underwhelming, but this model is still a sure bet if you're looking for a portable and feature-rich camera system at a reasonable price point. If you can find it for cheaper, the older Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III offers near-identical performance, though it uses an older sensor and lacks a few extra features found on the OM-5, like 'Live ND.'

As far as mid-range options go, the Fujifilm X-T30 II is an excellent choice with a highly portable body. Like the higher-end Fujifilm X-T5 above, it has a sleek retro-inspired design with the same exposure dial setup, giving you more hands-on control over camera settings on the fly. The camera's APS-C sensor also captures excellent image quality, with film simulation profiles that let you change up the look of your photos in-camera.

While competitors like the Sony α6400 (or another of its α6x00 series siblings) might have better autofocus, the combination of physical controls and Fujifilm's excellent in-camera processing make this camera a blast to shoot with. Throw in a solid selection of fast prime lenses, and you've got a great camera for travel photography, particularly if you're interested in capturing people or street scenes. That said, there's no IBIS here, and the camera is less versatile for videos and vlogs because of its tilt screen. If you're willing to stretch your budget, the newer Fujifilm X-T50 rectifies some of the X-T30 II's drawbacks, with IBIS for those who need it and the same high-res sensor as the X-T5, but it's significantly pricier.

If you're on a tighter budget, the small and mighty Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV offers a ton of value for its price. Like the higher-end OM SYSTEM OM-5 above, it uses an MFT sensor, making for a more portable overall kit with a more budget-friendly price tag. While its low-light noise handling isn't as good as larger-sensor options, you can still get excellent results with the right lenses, and there are plenty of affordable lens options in the MFT system. Overall, it's a great option for beginners, with simple controls and plenty of creative shooting modes that allow you to play with different photography styles.

Beyond that, this is one of the few cameras at this price point with in-body image stabilization, which can help reduce camera shake in videos or make it easier to get clear handheld shots at slower shutter speeds. That said, this model doesn't have the most reliable autofocus, so if that's important to you, the Canon EOS R50 is a good alternative with a larger APS-C sensor and a more effective AF system. Just be aware that there are fewer lens options for Canon's RF mount, and the lenses are generally bigger.

If you're more inclined to shoot videos while traveling, consider a vlogging camera like the Sony ZV-E10. It's small and lightweight, so it's easy to toss into a bag and take on the go. While it doesn't have a viewfinder like any of our picks above, its fully articulated screen is perfect for vlogging, allowing you to monitor yourself while shooting. It also has vlogging-friendly features like a detachable windscreen to reduce ambient noise, specialized focus modes, and a great battery life.

It's worth noting that the camera doesn't have built-in stabilization, and its e-stabilization feature can introduce a distracting wobble effect, so you're better off using an optically stabilized lens if you want to keep the camera shake to a minimum. If you need more advanced internal recording features, like 10-bit capture and higher frame rate options, the newer Sony ZV-E10 II has you covered, although it's notably pricier. Otherwise, the ZV-E10's relatively low price, convenient size, and great video quality make this a solid mirrorless camera for most travel vloggers.