4 Amazing DSLR Cameras for the Aspiring Travel Photographer

Are you a Travel Photographer? Photography while traveling can be taxing for a variety of reasons. Several include making sure that you have the best camera for your needs whether that being vlogging, content creating, wildlife photography (maybe to you photographing Safaris)

As in general photography, with travel photography you will find that a true DSLR camera will far outweigh the specs of your standard point and shoot camera. Whether that’s an entry level camera for beginners, a mid-range camera or a high-end full frame mirrorless camera for professional photographers and enthusiasts.

If you want the right sensor size, lots of megapixels, fast shutter speeds, and high quality video with the convenience and versatility of interchangeable lenses, you’re going to want to upgrade to a DSLR camera. Look in any professional travel photographer’s camera bag, and you’re likely to find a full frame camera, DSLR camera, mode dials for presets you may need and with an arsenal of kit lenses and filters for every lighting situation. Whether you're looking for you (or a friend!), here are 4 amazing travel cameras in the DSLR camera form factor for the aspiring travel photographer.

The best DSLR cameras will provide superior image quality over standard action cameras.

Best DSLR Digital Cameras

What types of features and specs help you decide which camera is best for travel photography? Which are the best DSLR cameras to suit your needs.

When purchasing a new camera which you are gearing up for travel photography, having the right camera body, camera lens with a wide angle, zoom lens and telephoto lens with superb focal length is paramount in obtaining that high resolution excellent image quality.

The best mirrorless cameras in a DSLR form factor are going to give you superb features like body image stabilization, multiple SD card slots at times for SD cards and Memory Duo cards, optical viewfinder, EVFs or an electronic viewfinder and weather sealed tech.

So let’s discuss some of the best SLR camera systems with the build quality and features in one to give you that exceptional image quality for traveling photographers photographing in a variety of lighting conditions

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 30.4 MP Full Frame CMOS DSLR Camera

Welcome to the fantastic Canon EOS Mark IV. A full frame mirrorless camera body far more powerful than the Canon rebel or with specs that more than justify the price tag on this excellent choice in video cameras.

Some of the exceptional specs that you can expect to find on this DSLR camera are as follows:

• Fast and smooth usage with the Digic 6+ Canon image processor with up to 7.0 FPS continuous shooting speed to get high quality image you want.

• New 30.4 Megapixel full-frame CMOS image sensor for versatile shooting in virtually any lighting conditions, with ISO range 100-32000 which can be expanded to 50-102400 (equivalent ISO).

• 4K HDR Dynamic Range Motion JPEG video (4096 x 2160) at 30 FPS or 24 FPS; in-camera still frame grab* of 4K 8.8-Megapixel sensor images; multiple video options include Full HD (1920x1080) up to 60 FPS, and HD up to 120 FPS.

• Superb Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus system for responsive and smooth AF during video or Live View shooting; LCD monitor has a full touch-screen interface.

• 61 AF points with expanded vertical coverage with 41 cross-points, and AF possible at all 61 AF points with many lens + extender combinations effective at f/8.

• 150,000-pixel RGB+IR metering sensor helps provide precise exposure metering, helps detect flickering lights and allows for enhanced scene recognition and face detection capabilities.

• Dual Pixel RAW, in-camera Digital Lens Optimizer during JPEG shooting and Diffraction Correction technologies.

• Built-in Wi-Fi, bluetooth and NFC connectivity provide easy sharing to compatible smart devices, select social media sites and the Canon Connect Station CS100 device. This camera works with the patented Canon Camera Connect App as well for connectivity and post production.

• GPS system provides geotag information including auto time syncing via satellite. Great when traveling to different time zones and less work for the user.

• Mounted on the patented Canon EF mount to easily change out lenses. Lenses which are meant for a different mounting system will require a mounting adapter.

• Included in this camera packaging are: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Body only are as follows: Battery Pack LP-E6N, Battery Charger LP-E6, Eyecup Eg (Not shown), a Wide Strap, Cable Protector, Interface Cable IFC-150U II, EOS DIGITAL Solution Disk which includes software for your PC when connecting your camera allowing for easy file transfers and uploading of your content to social media. Canon USA Authorized Dealer Full USA Warranty is standard.

Sony a7III Full Frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera 

The mid-range Sony a7 III DSLR camera coming in at an attractive price point for a full-frame sensor over an APS-C sensor, is a great travel camera. This camera body is designed for shooters looking for advanced features on a full-frame camera. This compact camera might just be the one for Vloggers, enthusiasts or even professional photographers.

Some of the exceptional specs that you can expect to find on this DSLR camera are as follows:

• A superb 24.2MP Back-Illuminated 35mm Full-frame Image Sensor

• BIONZ X image processor and the longest battery life of any mirrorless camera at the time of it’s release.

• 4K HDR video recording and 24.2 megapixel image sensor.

• 15-stop dynamic range, with 14-bit uncompressed RAW shooting,

• ISO settings from 50 to 204,800 for all lighting conditions including low light.

• Up to 10 fps Silent or Mechanical Shutter with AE/AF tracking

• 693 phase-detection with 425 contrast Autofocus system points and an amazing 93% image coverage so you know your getting the image quality you desire.

• Additional autofocus systems with Eye-AF with AF-C; Direct AF point 4-way multi-selector; touch AFShow More

• Included in this camera packaging are: the Sony Alpha a7 III Mirrorless Digital Camera with 35mm Full-Frame Image Sensor (Body Only), the Rechargeable Battery NP-FZ100, an AC adapter, shoulder strap, body cap, accessory shoe cap, eyepiece cup, micro USB cable and Sony’s provided USA warranty.

Nikon D850 45.7MP Full-Frame FX-Format Digital SLR Camera

The Nikon D850 is a great body camera with professional level specs and features. This larger sensor camera one of the best mirrorless cameras on the market was initially developed five years ago by Nikon and is still going strong as a great new camera especially for travel photographers.

Below are some of the specs and features you will find on this camera which will assist you in travel photography and overall photography in general.

• Nikon-designed back-side illuminated full-frame image sensor  

• 45.7 megapixels of crisp and solid resolution and outstanding dynamic range

• Virtually no risk of moire which is a third pattern of the image which forms when combining the first two of the subject and what is added by the camera sensor

• Up to 9 fps continuous shooting at full resolution with full AF performance

• 8K and 4K resolution time-lapse movies with additional sharpness and detail 4K UHD or Ultra High HD video recording in dynamic range with slow motion shooting at FHD (1920x1080p) up to 120 FPS

• Tilting touchscreen, Focus Shift shooting mode, generous battery performance

• The lowest base ISO (ISO 64) of any DSLR or mirrorless camera

Panasonic LUMIX GH6 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Camera Body

Welcome to the Panasonic Lumix GH6 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Camera.

The specs on this fantastic mirrorless camera are amazing at the price tag it’s set at. Let’s delve into some of these features.

• Unlimited video recording with the GH6. This is the first Panasonic LUMIX camera to offer 4:2:2 10-bit C4K/4K 60 FPS unlimited internal recording. This camera is ideal for mobility and will offer ease of use for travel photographers.

• Providing high image quality at low compression using a CFexpress card, which records videos in Apple ProRes 422 HQ codec.

• Dual image stabilization with body stabilization and Lens image stabilization to ensure you get that shake free image quality this great DSLR camera will give you.

• High resolution image sensor

• Mode dial with Panasonic codes in parentheses like Program AE (P), Aperture Priority AE (A), Shutter Priority AE (S), Manual Exposure (M), Creative Video (P/A/S/M), Custom 1, 2, 3, 4 presets and Intelligent Auto which will have the camera preset the settings based off your lighting conditions.

• Included OLED live electronic viewfinder (EVF) with approximately 3.6 million dots and a viewfinder eye sensor.

• Cutting edge connectivity with bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi AC for extremely fast transfer and upload speeds. Vloggers will love having access to the 5GHZ faster Wi-Fi AC standard.

• USB-C connectivity with Power Delivery (PD) for extremely fast read/write speeds with power charging.

• Included in this packaging of this great DSLR camera are: The Panasonic LUMIX GH6 25.2MP Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds Camera Body, a superb Battery Pack DMW-BLK22 with charger and AC adapter, USB cable, a conversion cable with holder, a shoulder strap, body cap, eye cup, hot shoe cover, a flash synchro socket cap and Panasonic’s USA authorized dealer Warranty.

Honorable Mention

Another consideration in the best DSLR cameras for you would be the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark ii Travel Camera. Lightweight and ergonomically comfortable, this is a travel camera at a great price point. If you are a beginner in the world of photography looking to travel, you will be hard pressed to find a camera with this ease of use, mobility and price tag. Packed with versatility, connectivity options and nice specs this DSLR camera can record in 4K video up to 30 FPS and has a 5 axis in body stabilization go ahead and vlog your travels without the worry of shake and blur. This camera is great for Travel Photographers as handheld shooting is a breeze.

Whichever camera you decide to get, it's going to be your travel companion. So be sure to give it some thought and check out these amazing options for some of the best DSLR cameras around. At the end of the day, choose the camera that's going to let you enjoy each and every moment of your travels!