Best travel camera in 2025 (UK)

The Canon EOS R10 mirrorless camera is a great DSLR alternative, with deep-learning autofocus tech and high-speed shooting at 15fps. That gives you the dexterity to capture split-second moments. If video is a priority on your travels, this camera captures 4K video at 30fps, or cropped 4K at 60fps.

The autofocus comes courtesy of a Dual Pixel CMOS AF II focusing system, which is programmed to recognise people, animals and vehicles. A 24.2-megapixel sensor captures every detail and boasts a wide dynamic range. It even excels in low light conditions. Meanwhile, WiFi connectivity allows you to share images or upload to cloud storage, which is super handy.

Perhaps handiest of all if you’re buying for travelling, is how compact and lightweight it is. It’s also well suited to beginners. And though £1,000 sounds like an awful lot in real-world terms, for a camera it’s good value.

There are a few downsides: Canon has produced just a couple of lenses so far to choose from, while a lack of weather proofing might require some travel planning (if you’re going somewhere wet, you need to think ahead). Some reviewers have also marked it down for the small viewfinder and for missing a headphone jack. At a beginner level though, these aren't big issues.

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The GoPro Hero 13 Black is latest edition from the highly popular range of action cameras. Like its predecessors, it’s made to withstand gnarly activities. It's waterproof, scratch resistant, and more than capable of handling some rough and tumble. While we’ve also ranked the Olympus Tough T-7 for a similar level durability (see below), what’s different with the GoPro is the mounting option. It's a first person camera that gets in the thick of the action — surfing, cycling, climbing, or any other kind of daredevilry.

There's also the sheer quality of its 5.3K video, which combines with various colour, aspect ratio, and angle modes. It’s a hugely versatile bit of kit. The GoPro Hero 11 includes the company's HyperSmooth stabilisation technology (with multiple levels of stabilisation), time lapse modes for night time recording, hindsight and scheduling features, and 24.7mp still images. It also offers slo-mo and easy editing via the GoPro Quik app.

There's a new add-on feature, too: A selection of Lens Mods that fit over the built-in lens and offer upgraded shooting modes, including ultra wide, macro, and anamorphic. The kicker of course is that they cost extra. That said, the GoPro Hero 13 Black is reasonably priced (for a premium camera, anyway), which takes the sting out of additional accessory costs.

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The Nikon D780 is among the most expensive options on this list, but with a high cost comes high quality. It’s the first Nikon DSLR camera that uses a hybrid on-sensor autofocus system – a sensor and AF combo borrowed from Nikon’s range of mirrorless cameras. The result is exceptional live focusing and 4K video. Indeed, it offers 4K photo and video recording, and fantastic image quality even in low light environments. Eye-detection features make the D780 a particularly great choice for taking holiday portraits. 

It's great at continuous shooting, with burst rates up to 12fps depending on which mode you use, allowing you to capture fast-moving people, animals, vehicles, or anything else you see. There’s a stack of other features too. For instance, you can shoot 4K video up to 30fps, or increase the fps in Nikon’s DX and HD modes. Other features include fast response to changing light conditions, an impressive ISO range, and versatile shutter speeds.  

The camera can also connect to your smartphone and computer via WiFi and Bluetooth for immediate image and video sharing. Not only that, you can actually control the camera remotely using Nikon’s app. And while this price is for the camera body only, you can splash out extra — around £2,500 in total — for a version that also includes a lens.

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The Kodak Step Touch is like a modern day version of the classic Polaroid, a camera made for family holidays or trips with your pals — a camera for making memories and keeping them forever. All you need to do is point, snap, and you'll get an instant photograph. Indeed, it prints at the touch of a button, using Kodak Zink Photo Paper (included in the package).

But the Kodak Step Touch does much more than old school Polaroid cameras. You can record HD video (not quite 4K quality), create photo collages, and edit your images (add borders filters and make all sorts of other tweaks) within the Kodak Steps Print app. You can also share photos directly to social media.

If physical pictures are your thing, don’t worry about them getting damaged on your travels. The photo sheets are 2 x 3 inches each, and have a special coating to protect against smudges, water, and holidaying wear-and-tear. The printing is actually inkless. Instead, the photo sheets are embedded with colour crystals that activate whenever you print your instant photograph.

The downside is the ongoing costs whenever you need to top up your stock of Kodak Zink Photo Paper. And remember that it's made for fun photography — not for serious photographers who are journaling their travels.

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A purpose built action camera the Olympus Tough TG-7 is a rugged, hardy companion that’s all kinds of adventure-proof (including waterproof, shockproof, dustproof, crushproof, and freezeproof) and comes equipped with adventuring essentials, such as a compass and GPS. If adventuring in extreme conditions or taking a walk on the wild side is your idea of holidaying, the Tough TG-7 is your new travel buddy.

Its waterproof capabilities are perhaps the standout feature, because this camera has advanced underwater shooting features. These include underwater macro and microscope shooting, plus wide, snapshot, and HDR underwater features. Macro modes in general are another bonus. These are particularly good for photographers who have an eye for the minutiae of the great outdoors.

Underwater shooting is helped by a 12mp sensor. It's a relatively small sensor but it performs well in low light conditions. And don’t doubt the quality of its images for a second. Anti-reflective coating on the lens helps reduce distortions, while the lens itself is built for high-resolution images. It also produces 4K video, continuous burst shooting, and slo-mo. Other modes include time lapse, interval shooting, and social media-friendly vertical video.

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The Sony Alpha 6400 is part of Sony’s ever-popular Alpha range. This particular model has been around for a few years, so there are some behind-the-times limitations with its design. Sure, it’s not the highest-spec model, but it's still highly rated for being superb value for money. You might actually find this camera a better pound-for-pound option than more expensive Sonys.

It has a sharp, fast-responding autofocus and uses an advanced subject-tracking algorithm to recognise eyes and faces, allowing you to autofocus in real time. It also offers a solid burst shooting rate of 11fps.

Some reviewers have marked down for having no built-in image stabilisation (which you can find in other Sony Alpha models) and for lacking a headphone jack (but much modern tech has ditched the headphone jack).

Where it has the edge is in its vlogging-friendly features. It shoots 4K but also has a 180° tiltable LCD monitor. In other words, it flips over so you can easily frame shots of yourself as you vlog about your travels. It also supports handy post-production features.

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No, the Panasonic TZ99 isn’t a world beater. But it isn’t trying to be. What it is, however, is a brilliantly compact travel camera with a very capable 30x optical zoom lens. There are other compact cameras that perform better, but the travel size plus zoom capability make this a distinct model. 

In terms of features, it’s bigger than the pocket-sized stature would suggest. It has a 1-inch, 20.3MP CMOS sensor — bigger than you’d usually find on a compact camera of this level — which is backed up by a 5-axis anti-shake system, which keeps all those oversized features stable as you shoot handheld. And, of course, there’s the zoom, which will capture great photographs from the farthest distances. It has a nice feature that allows you to quickly zoom out and in again and refocus, allowing you to keep track of moving subjects.

If video quality is important, the TZ99 goes toe-to-toe with more expensive cameras. It delivers 4K at 30fps and also produces still images at a 4K resolution. There’s no viewfinder but like other cameras in this roundup, the tilting touchscreen display is good for vlogging or travel journals. WiFi connectivity allows you to upload to social media and share to followers.

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