Travel cameras: In the frame

Smartphone snaps are fun, but if you want to take photos like a pro you need a decent camera. Caramel Quin picks models compact enough for travel Until recently, if you wanted to take really good photos, there was only one option – a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera. These “proper” cameras with interchangeable lenses were expensive and bulky, so not great for travel, but their large image sensors and manual controls meant that, with a bit of practice, anyone could take great photos. Now smaller DSLRs are available and there’s also a wealth of alternatives delivering the same quality in smaller and lighter packages, according to Gordon Laing, editor of independent reviews site cameralabs.com. “If you want the quality and flexibility of a DSLR, but not their size and weight, go for a mirrorless system camera. You get similar quality and can still swap lenses.” This style is also known as a “compact system camera” or simply a “system camera”. Not all lenses are compatible with all of these cameras, though. The widest range of lenses is for the “micro four-thirds” system, a standard created by Panasonic and Olympus. “If you want a camera that can go from wide-angle to extreme telephoto, go for a superzoom or bridge camera,” says Laing. “But be aware the quality of image from most plummets in low light.” Bridge cameras tend to have DSLR-style controls but you can’t change lenses. A superzoom is usually smaller – the size of a compact camera – but again has a built-in zoom lens with a massive range, ideal for shooting distant subjects. And don’t rule out compact cameras. They’re very portable and they’re not all equal. “If you want DSLR quality from the smallest camera and don’t need to swap lenses, go for a compact with a big sensor. Some will even squeeze into your pocket,” says Laing. Don’t get hung up on megapixels – sensor size has the biggest impact on image quality. “A camera with a ‘1in’, ‘micro four-thirds’ or ‘APS-C’ sensor will thrash the quality from a phone,” says Laing. A relatively new feature worth looking out for is built-in wifi. Use it to copy images to your phone, tablet or laptop, or to upload straight to social media. Some cameras can even be remote-controlled by smartphone app. And if the camera has NFC then it can be paired with compatible phones and tablets (such as Google and Samsung Android devices). One final shopping tip is never to believe the suggested retail price. This is a product category where the “street price” is almost always significantly less. Shop around, even on the high street, and you can easily save up to 20 per cent on the RRPs listed overleaf.

1. Sony RX 100 II Compact £599, sony.co.uk

  This little camera packs a big punch. It’s supremely pocketable, at 10.2cm x 5.8cm x 3.8cm and 281g, but inside is an unusually large image sensor. It’s up to four times bigger than the sensor in most compacts, which means it performs better in low light and all photos contain less “noise”. Its 20.2 megapixel photos and 1080p high-definition videos have plenty of detail. And it’s feature packed: manual controls, image stabilisation, 3.6x Carl Zeiss zoom lens, flip-out screen, even a hot shoe for adding an external flash or an electronic viewfinder. Best of all, for travellers, there is built-in wifi with NFC so you can wirelessly connect to your smartphone or tablet to send pictures anywhere in the world.

2. Fujifilm X100S pro £950, fujifilm.eu/uk

  Travel in style with this beautiful, retro-styled compact. At 12.7cm x 7.4cm x 5.4cm and 445g, it’s a bit big for your pocket but it won’t weigh your bag down. The synthetic leather looks great and is good to grip. The lens is also classically styled – it’s a fixed (35mm) focal length, so no zoom. This means the camera gets going very quickly. It starts within half a second, claims the world’s fastest autofocus (0.08 seconds) and has negligible shutter lag. The image sensor is even larger than the Sony’s, and it has a flash, hot shoe and viewfinder (electronic, optical and hybrid) as well as a screen, but sadly the X100S has no wifi. With 16.3-megapixel snaps and 1080p video, the looks may be retro but the quality is thoroughly modern.

3. Panasonic Lumix DMC- TZ40 Compact superzoom £260, panasonic.com/uk

If zoom is important to you, this 18.1-megapixel (1080p video) compact superzoom is stunning for the size. It’s the smallest camera featured here (at 10.8cm x 5.9cm x 2.8cm and 198g), yet boasts a 20x zoom that lets you capture distant details of a vista or photograph fauna and flora on your travels. If you’re a birdwatcher, it’s worth keeping in your pocket at all times. Image stabilisation is used to reduce the impact of camera shake, vital for a long lens. Alternatively, there’s a thread for tripod mounting. It has a flash (but no hot shoe) and built-in GPS for geotagging photos, very useful for when you upload them and need to remember the specifics of where you took them. Wifi with NFC enables you to upload photos to social media via phone or tablet. The camera can be controlled with buttons, touchscreen or via an app.

4. Canon EOS 100D Digital SLR £500, canon.co.uk

If you’ve ruled out DSLRs because they’re too big, think again. This is billed as the world’s smallest and lightest DSLR to date. The body measures 11.7cm x 9.1cm x 6.9cm and weighs 407g. Of course, adding a lens increases bulk. The price quoted is for a kit including a standard 18mm-55mm zoom lens. There’s a wide range of other lenses to choose from, too, ideal for creative types. A large image sensor means it performs well even in low light conditions, taking 18-megapixel stills and 1080p video. As well as the optical viewfinder that shows precisely what the camera sees, the Canon has a three-inch touchscreen, and its “hybrid” autofocus is great at capturing fast-moving action. There’s no wifi or GPS, but for a simple, lightweight DSLR, it’s superb.

5. Panasonic Lumix GM1 Micro four-thirds system camera £630, panasonic.com/uk

This might be the smallest system camera you can buy. Whereas some mirrorless cameras are bulky, the GM1’s body weighs only 204g and measures 9.9cm x 5.5cm x 3cm. It shoots 16 megapixel resolution (1080p video) and uses the micro four-thirds system of interchangeable lenses, which means a wide range to choose from. The price quoted includes a svelte 12mm-32mm lens. The camera’s large image sensor offers results to rival a DSLR but with far less bulk. It also boasts a pop-up flash and wifi. But there’s no room for NFC, GPS, viewfinder, image stabilisation or hot shoe. Still, it’s a compelling alternative to a DSLR and it also rivals quality compacts, because even with the kit lens it’s barely bigger than a compact.

6. Olympus OMD EM10 Micro four-thirds system camera £650, olympus.co.uk

This is a mid-priced mirrorless system camera pitched as an alternative to entry-level DSLRs. It even looks like a DSLR. And, thanks to the micro four-thirds lens mount, you have a wide range of lenses to choose from. At 11.9cm x 8.2cm x 4.6cm and 396g for the body alone, it’s a fair bit chunkier than the Panasonic Lumix GM1. In return, though, there’s enough space for image stabilisation and a three-inch tilting touchscreen. It also has a pop-up flash and wifi, like the Panasonic, and shoots the same resolution – 16-megapixel stills and 1080p video.

7. Nikon AW1 System camera £750, nikon.co.uk

And now for something completely different… a system camera that works underwater, to a depth of up to 15 metres. You can also drop it from two metres without it breaking. Even if you have no plans to scuba dive on a business trip, the AW1 is pretty much life-proof. If someone spills a beer on it, or you drop it in the toilet, just rinse it off. The price quoted includes a waterproof 1.1cm-2.8mm lens. The camera is compatible with other Nikon “one system” lenses, but it’s only waterproof when paired with a waterproof lens. Its 14.2-megapixel image sensor isn’t as large as micro four-thirds or DSLRs, but it’s still bigger than most compacts. At 11.3cm x 7.2cm x 3.8cm and 356g, it’s compelling – but mostly for its toughness.

8. Olympus STYLUS 1 Bridge camera £550, olympus.co.uk

The styling may look like a DSLR but this is actually a bridge camera, so it has a long (10.7x) zoom lens that can’t be changed. Cleverly, the lens is designed to fully retract so you avoid the bulk and the awkward shape of a DSLR. That leaves less space for an image sensor, but it’s still bigger than the sensor on most compacts and takes respectable 12-megapixel snaps and 1080p video. At 11.6cm x 8.7cm x 5.7cm and 402g, the camera is lighter than a DSLR body. A pop-up flash and clever motorised lens cap are also features on this impressive bridge camera.  

TOP TEN TIPS FOR TAKING BETTER PHOTOS

1. Keep everything in focus When shooting landscapes, use “aperture priority” mode and zoom out to the lens’s widest setting. Then select a large “f number” (focal ratio) such as f16 or f22. This will give you more depth of field, so everything’s in focus, whether distant or near. 2. Create a blur In contrast, a common technique among portrait photographers is to make the background blurry, to focus attention on their subject. To do this, begin by choosing the “aperture priority” mode, before zooming in slightly and choosing a small “f number”. 3. Shoot at night  A camera with an image sensor helps in low light, as does using “manual” mode, a small “f number” and a slow “shutter speed” of one second or more. This lets more light into the camera, but hold it steady: lean against something solid or use a tripod. 4. Use leading lines Compose images so that lines lead from one or more corners into the middle of the picture. These “leading lines” draw your eye in and create a sense of depth. Roads, fences, bridges, shorelines, lamp posts and even sun rays will do the trick. 5. Avoid subjects in silhouette If a bright window or sky is fooling the camera into underexposing everything else, switch to “manual” mode and use “exposure compensation”. Tinker until it looks right. 6. Take panoramas Many cameras have an automatic panorama mode. Instead of taking lots of photos and laboriously stitching them together, simply pan the camera around and let it do the work for you. 7. Crop carefully Experiment with cropping to Instagram-style square images or striking, wide landscapes to best draw attention to your composition. 8. Create artful “bokeh” Position your subject in front of a well-lit background, as far in front of it as possible. Set your camera up for a shallow depth of field (see “Create a blur”). Then marvel as any little highlights on the background turn into “bokeh”, blurred circles of light that look beautiful. 9. Shoot in the golden hour Just after sunrise or just before sunset, when the sun is near the horizon, light travels through more of the atmosphere to get to you. As a result, it takes on a warm red hue that makes everything look gorgeous, including your photos. 10. Cheat The pros use software such as Adobe Photoshop to colour-correct and retouch. So if you want to lose red-eye or edit out the idiot who “photo bombed” your otherwise perfect shot, do it.