I’m not great with photography. I’m not sure if it’s a patience thing, or a lack of creativity thing. Can I just not be bothered to line up the perfect shot, or am I just unable to see the perfect shot?
Steve’s really good at stuff like that though. In fact, he’s started an Instagram account for our family and friends, and is deliberately trying to take really cool photos to see if he can get more likes than the last photo posted. Small things and small minds, hey?!
Me, I’ve taken to taking photos of Steve taking photos, just to amuse myself. Here’s a little sample of my favourites!
Steve photographing a monkey in Malaysia
Photographing hippos in Chiang Mai zoo.
And, finally, photographing the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.
But I do believe you can get some really smashing pics out of a really good camera, even if, like me, you’re not all that knowledgeable on photography! And, despite the camera on your trusty old smartphone being high quality, that’s not the main function of a phone, and a proper camera is always best. Check out one of these four options:
· Point-and-shoot camera (around $200), easy to use and high-quality images.
· DSLR (around $550), a fancier camera with better images.
· Mirrorless (around $500), in between the two above.
· GoPro (around $400), for the truly action-packed trip.
If you’re a beginner photographer and are fine with that, the point-and-shoot and the GoPro have the shortest learning curves. Up for some learning? DSLR and mirrorless cameras have automatic settings to get you started, but you’ll need to experiment and practice in order to perfectly capture that sunset.
If you’re accident-prone or expecting to need a tough camera, the GoPro is your best bet. Point-and-shoots can handle a drop onto a soft surface but won’t hold up if dropped on a hard surface. DSLR and mirrorless cameras are both pretty fragile, although mirrorless cameras are very slightly less likely to break. Traveling light? The point-and-shoot and the GoPro are both small and easy to tote around. DSLR and mirrorless cameras both have lenses that you might want to carry with you, and DSLRs are fairly big and heavy, while mirrorless cameras are about the size of a point-and-shoot.
For the best picture quality, DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have big sensors and interchangeable lenses for very high quality still images. Point-and-shoots also have pretty great image quality, and while it can be tricky to adjust the exposure and white balance right with GoPros, they take really amazing time lapses. The battery life on your point-and-shoot will last you about 190-250 pictures, and DSLRs can shoot still images all day without a recharge. Mirrorless cameras run out of battery incredibly quickly, and GoPros can handle about 2.5 hours of continuous video shooting before dying.
No matter what your trip entails, you’ll want to capture every moment- and for that, you’ll need the perfect travel camera for the occasion. Say Cheese!
