The 3 Budget-Friendly Camera Kits for Travel Photography (Part 1)

Travel photography is an exciting genre that requires a sturdy camera and lens. It is not only about the performance in terms of images, but also the build quality. If you are a young photographer who wants to invest in a professional set-up, without having to pay extra money, then here are three options that can be of help.

Canon R8 with 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM

The Canon R8 is a perfect beginner-friendly entry-level camera for many. It not only houses a 24MP full frame sensor, 5-axis image stabilization, and a 2.36m-dot EVF with 120fps refresh rate. The model has weather resistance, simpler controls, and the menu is easy to navigate. The focus is fast, but you have to “fine tune things like the focus point and specifically which scene detection you want” to get things right. The image quality is quite good, and it offers exceptional JPEGs. Canon’s own 24-105mm f4-7.1 is a good option to go along with this, purely because the zoom range is very helpful. The lens also focuses fast, is quite sharp, nice colors, and is lightweight.

Nikon Z5 II with 28-75mm f2.8

Nikon Z5 II is a wonderful offering for many reasons. The device has a 24MP sensor, a burst rate of 30fps, and a 3.69M-dot OLED. The Z5 II is perfect for stills and videos alike. The model has scene detection and AI, which are both accurate and fast. The camera also focused easily on an aquarium. The color accuracy is alike the Zf. As we added in our review, “Image quality-wise, Nikon is practically giving you a full-frame powerhouse at a price that used to get you a crop-sensor camera and a kit lens.” When paired with the 28-75mm, the set-up is lightweight. The lens also has good weather resistance built into it, and it works well with slower subjects for autofocus. There is bokeh and sharpness, making it ideal for portraits too.

Sony a7c II with Tamron 35-100mm f2.8

The Sony a7c II is a full frame offering designed specifically for travel photography. It houses a 33MP back-illuminated full frame sensor, 4K video, and 759 phase-detection autofocus. The autofocus system is good for both good and low light. As we added, “Tasked with photographing a dog running straight at the camera, the camera missed a few shots but still managed to keep a majority of shots sharp.” The image quality is beautiful, the details are really nice, and the high ISO results are decent. The 35-100mm is a weather resistant lens, offers a good design, and the image quality is sharp and impressive. It also offers nice distiction with the background as well.