Updated: January 2021
Every day, I get questions about my travel gear and photography equipment for travel. I want to disclose that I am not a professional photographer but I do love sharing my travel experiences through beautiful photos, videos, and vlogs.
Over the years I’ve tried a number of things, improved upon my photography and editing skills, and found some favorites along the way.
So, here is the best photography equipment for travel blogging!
The Best Camera Bodies
For the Beginner Blogger
Fujifilm X-T30
This camera is great for people that are just starting to get their feet wet in photography and will mostly be shooting on automatic settings!
This mirrorless digital camera is one of my favorite to shoot with when I’m out exploring for the day. Of all the cameras I have used over the past few years, I’ve found that it has the best automatic settings. In addition to the pretty vintage style, the body is super lightweight and small in size, making it more discreet than other models.
If you want to test your skills at manual shooting, you are able to easily adjust the combination of aperture, shutter speed, and shooting functions while concentrating on picture taking- so you have options! The X-T30 also features a handy touch screen so it’s super easy to use!
More details on Fujifilm X-T30!
For the Aspiring or Advanced Photographer
Fujifilm X-T4
This is my favorite Fujifilm camera to date! The image quality is amazing—perfect for capturing my travels—and the X-T4 has an updated design for improved handling and shooting efficiency. My favorite update is that the rear 3.0″ 1.62m-dot touchscreen LCD now features a vari-angle design to suit working from high, low, and front-facing angles. The body is also weather-resistant and the external dials are a trademark FUJIFILM feature that I love.
The autofocus on X-T4 is impressively fast and accurate for both photographers and videographers alike. For video, in addition to the Full HD/240p high-speed recording which gives you a maximum 10x slow-motion effect, the X-T4 features digital image stabilization and image stabilization Boost mode.
This camera is perfect for professional photographers and for those looking to take their photography to the next level.
More details on Fujifilm X-T4!
For the Travel Vlogger
Sony RX100 VII Premium Compact Camera
This is my favorite point and shoot camera for video! Inside its compact body the RX100 VII is packed with everything it takes to deliver gorgeous images. The 24–200 mm zoom lens is complemented by super-fast AF, new Real-time Tracking, and Real-time Eye AF, plus enhanced image stabilization and an external microphone jack for high-quality movie shooting.
What makes it so awesome for vlogging is the preview screen’s tilt option of 180 Degree up and 45 Degree down, so you can always see your frame, even when you’re shooting yourself. You can check out some of the vlogs I’ve shot on the camera HERE!
More details on the Sony RX100 VII Compact Camera!
For the Adventure Traveler
GoPro HERO9 Black
The new GoPro HERO8 Black perfect for on-the-go travel and outdoor adventures—it’s waterproof and more durable than ever.
From shooting sunrise time lapses in Indonesia to diving deep into the Blue Hole off the coast of Belize, I don’t go anywhere without my GoPro, the 3-way Mount, and extra GoPro batteries.
More details on GoPro HERO8 Black!
For Any Traveler
Apple iPhone Unlocked SmartPhone
If an SLR camera isn’t in the budget for your next trip, snapping photos on your iPhone is a great alternative for taking travel photos.
A smartphone is not only good for taking photos and editing apps but also as a WiFi remote for your camera!
More details on Apple Unlocked iPhone!
Lenses
FUJINON XF18-55mmF2.8-4.0 R LM OIS Zoom Lens
This 18-55mm lens is a small standard zoom, and the first lens I got for my Fujifilm X Series camera. In my opinion, it is the most versatile and affordable kit lens in the Fujifilm X Series and great for day-to-day shooting. It’s one of the most compact zoom lenses I’ve seen, making it perfect for travel.
FUJINON XF16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR Zoom Lens
In recent years, the Fujinon 16-55mm f/2.8 lens has become my new go-to over the 18-55mm for a few reasons—it has almost the same focal range as the 18-55, but has an extra 2mm (16-18mm) allowing for a slight wide-angle view (it captures just a bit more of the scene when fully zoomed out)!
FUJINON XF10-24mmF4 R OIS Wide Angle Zoom Lens
Ever wanted to get an epic shot, but all the elements wouldn’t fit in the photo? You’ll need a wide-angle for that!
Having a wide-angle lens is awesome for landscape shots or shooting indoors in tight spaces. I typically use it when I want to shoot a large building or monument or give something scale. If there’s not a lot of room to capture the entire scene, I’ll always switch to this lens.
FUJINON XF35mmF1.4 WR (Prime Lens)
There are two 35mm lenses in the X Series lineup, I prefer this model for its f/1.4 aperture.
It is most useful for shooting images with a closer subject and shallow depth-of-field, and while working in low-light conditions.
Check out My Travel Photography Gear (Perfect for Female Travelers)!
Photography Accessories
Fujifilm Instax Smartphone Printer
Print Instax photos by sending images from your smartphones to the small, portable printer by using the free Instax Share app!
ONA The Bowery Camera Bag
This bag fits your camera, a lens, and a few small personal items! Remove the strap and the bag functions as a protective camera organizer inside of a larger bag.
Manfrotto Compact Tripod
The perfect tripod for stable video and travel photography.
SanDisk 64GB Extreme SDXC UHS-I Card
For use with the X-T3 camera and shooting 4K video.
SanDisk Extreme Pro 32GB SDHC UHS-I Card
High-speed, UHS-I technology for a quick read and transfer speed.
miniSD/microSD Memory Card Case
Keep all of your memory cards organized in this portable, hard carrying case!
4TB Portable External Hard Drive
It is imperative to backup photos and videos, so I use this hard drive. It also automatically save photos from your social networks in cloud storage!
GoPro 3-Way Mount
This mount can be used as a camera grip, extension arm or tripod for ultra versatility and a variety of shots with your GoPro.
GoPro Jaws Clamp Mount
Clamp your GoPro to objects ranging in size from 0.25” to 2” — great for extreme sports.
iPhone Accessories
Lifeproof Waterproof iPhone Case
Be sure to protect your smartphone from water damage, but also capture underwater shots!
Olloclip 4-IN-1 Camera Lens Kit
This 4-in-1 lens includes a Fisheye Lens, a wide-angle lens, a 10x and 15x macro lens, plus 2 lens caps!
Apps
AppsCheck out my favorite smartphone photo-editing apps + my ultimate guide to smartphone travel photography!
Want to learn more about photography?
Photography Guide
My years of solo-travel meant that I needed to learn how to travel light with camera equipment and develop professional editing skills for photos taken by others.
Read More
My Travel Photography Gear
(Perfect for Female Travelers!)
Here’s the complete list of my cameras and lenses by Fujifilm that I bring on my travels!
Read More
Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you make a purchase. That income goes to supporting this website and keeping it free for you and everyone else! As always, ideas and opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.
Do you have any experience or opinions on the Fujifilm X-T1? I have been living in Berlin and went home for Thanksgiving my local camera store didn’t have the X-T2 and I kept being so indecisive between cameras and looked at sony and some other things but didn’t have time to order anything online and no other stores (like target etc.) had it near me but I really wanted to up my camera game for the rest of my time traveling abroad. So I got the hero5 session and X-T1 and was thinking I could trade up maybe when I get back…
But if you have any advice on the X-T1 that would be amazing! Or just on how to start learning the ins and outs of your camera when you first get it…
Thank you so much for this post it was really helpful! (And I wish I realized you wrote the X-T10 not the T1 but hopefully the T1 is good training for the T2)
Hey Kiersten!
Any tips for carrying around your camera all day? I’m going on vacation soon and want to be able to snap pictures everywhere but worry about having my fancy camera around my neck the whole time, and also don’t want to deal with too much extra bulk. Do you carry a bag with you?
I carry a day bag big enough to hold my SLR– check out Lo & Sons Claremont Bag or ONA’s day bags 🙂