As you venture out to explore your dream destinations, you'll undoubtedly want to capture your experiences just like most travelers. With the best photography gear for traveling, you can not only capture memories of a lifetime but also create exciting visual stories with your photography. That's why you need the right travel photography gear.

Unfortunately, though, finding the right photography gear is often challenging for most travelers, as there's a sea of products. The odds of ending up with the wrong or unnecessary equipment are quite high, and you may not realize it until when you're ready for real action during the trip. In this post, we'll provide you with travel photography gear recommendations that can make your trip memorable and fun.

So what's the best gear for travel photography?

You're spoilt for choice when it comes to the best travel photography gear. But in this case, we mean the gear that you'll actually use. Basically, a camera that suits your needs, a small lightweight tripod, extra battery, memory card, camera bag, and a few other accessories.

Camera

A camera is, without a doubt, the most essential tool. It's tempting to ditch your camera, as new smartphones already have a good camera in hand. However, you may not get the most of your travel photography.

An expensive camera doesn't always translate to the best photos - a great photographer can create beautiful shots no matter what camera they use. Find one that suits your needs and learn how to use it best. Another factor to keep in mind is weight. Get a camera that you don't mind lugging around for an extended period. Otherwise, having it will be pointless.

Many professional travel photographers often use DSLR cameras. But there's another camera option that continues to soar in popularity in the travel photography industry and is the mirrorless cameras. Now a day, mirrorless cameras can rival high-end DSLR, and many pro photographers have opted to switch.

DSLR vs. Mirrorless Cameras Which one Is Best For You?

DSLR cameras are often used by professional photographers, and prices can range anywhere from $1500 – $5500. However, this doesn't mean it's the only option. Again, an expensive camera doesn't equate the best photos or the best camera for you. There are plenty of cameras that are more affordable in the DSLR world. Canon and Nikon offer a vast range of DSLR cameras. Keep in mind that DSLR tends to be bulkier and heavier than a mirrorless camera.

DLSR cameras we like:

Entry-Level DSLR with room to grow

• Canon T7i / 800D

• Nikon D750

• Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Mid Level DSLR with room to grow

• Nikon D850

• Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Mirrorless cameras, on the other hand, are smaller and lighter. Regardless of that, though, the cameras can produce quality that rivals professional cameras. They are travel-friendly, and many brands like Sony, Fuji, Olympus, and Panasonic offer fantastic options.

Some of our favorite mirrorless cameras are:

Full Frame Mirrorless Camera

• Sony A7iii

• A7R iii

• Nikon Z 7

• Panasonic Lumix S1R

Cropped Sensor Mirrorless Camera

• Fujifilm GFX 50RSony a6600

• Fujifilm X-T30

• Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III

Which camera is best for you? It all boils down to your needs and budget. A great way to see if a camera is for you, you can rent it and test it out for a few days.

Small Lightweight Tripod

A tripod is an excellent gear for travel photography, although not many people prioritize it in their list. Without this piece of equipment, taking images that require slow shutter speed can prove more challenging. It's not easy holding the camera steady with your hands.

Even though you may not be a fan of low-light photography, a tripod will also allow you to take photos of yourself when traveling solo. You will find this way better than asking strangers.

Since you'll most probably be out exploring for an extended period, we recommend finding a travel-friendly tripod. Some tripods on the market today can range from very heavy and expensive to very lightweight and inexpensive. The downside with most low-end tripods is that they're not sturdy enough and can affect images through vibrations.

For lightweight but sturdy tripods, you can't go wrong with carbon fiber tripods. They are a favorite among travel photographers. For a more budget-friendly tripod, check out aluminum tripods. When purchasing tripods, keep in mind the maximum load, which is the maximum weight it can hold.

Another option, if you are not into carrying a tripod all day, is a Gorillapod. It's a flexible, probable, and compact tripod that you could easily fit in your camera bag.

Small Tripods we like:

• MeFOTO Backpacker Tripod

• Novo Explora T5

• Manfrotto 190XPro4

• Benro Go Plus Travel

• Joby GorillaPod 1K

Memory Card

This is an additional gear you should not forget to carry on your next trip to your dream destination. A few memory cards are especially essential if you're planning a long trip or capturing RAW files. The RAW file format takes up a lot of space pretty fast. If you're not well prepared, you may be forced to delete photos in-camera to make room for your next shot.

Also, sometimes relying on a single, high capacity storage system for all your photos is a risky thing to do. What if something happens and you can't access the storage system? You don't want to say goodbye to all your photos, which took you weeks or even months to capture.

External Hard Drive

Shot a ton of amazing photos? Let's back it up. Carrying an external hard drive is essential to back up all your photos. SD Cards can be unreliable sometimes, so it's best to have copies of all your amazing photos.

Extra Battery

Cameras are typically designed with rechargeable batteries. Therefore, investing in at least one spare battery is highly recommended. It can be very disappointing to run out of battery power when you're in the most picturesque location, and you have no way to charge the battery.

If you're using a mirrorless camera, you may need more spares of battery and a portable charger. Unfortunately, this type of camera system often drains batteries very fast. If your camera uses a USB cable to charge, you can get a portable charger that can charge your camera and phone!

Cleaning Cloth

We wind up our list of the best photography gear for travel with a cleaning cloth. Your camera will get dirty as you go out, and dirty lens can wreak havoc on your photos. Needless to say, you'll have to wipe dust, dirt, debris off the lenses a few times during your trip. The easiest and most affordable way to go about it is, of course, using a cleaning cloth. Removing oil and fingerprints will require applying a lens cleaning solution to the cloth.

Camera Bag

You will need a camera bag to carry your photography gear. GATTA Stylish camera bags crafted with functionality in mind, it's perfect for taking on any adventure around the world. They are designed to carry your camera gear essentials on your day out exploring. Nobody will know it's a camera bag.

Final thoughts

There's no need to fill your bag with plenty of stuff that you may not even use during your trip. In fact, too much of it will compromise your comfort if you're going to carry it every day for extended periods. With our recommendations for travel photography gear - that you will actually use, - you can now concentrate on what matters most! Having the time of your life and capturing awe-inspiring images.