Best Camera for Backpacking

If you need the best camera for backpacking to take incredible travel photographs, check out my review of 15 weather sealed hiking cameras. It can be an action camera, bridge camera, dynamic range camera, ultralight camera or a basic DSLR, it all depends on your purpose and budget.

Long journeys force your photography equipment to endure extreme working conditions: cold, heat, ultraviolet light, dust, snow, rain, impact shock and high humidity.

While selecting a backpacking camera for photography, you should primarily consider the required technical specifications and your level of photography skills.

Look though the following 15 DSLR, compact, mirrorless, and highest megapixel cameras you can take with you while travelling, for backpacking or hiking.

Sony continues to be a go-to brand for mirrorless cameras as its Sony Alpha a6300 (14.8 oz) is the best camera for amateur photographer who likes extreme shooting. This Sony camera captures breathtaking imagery, records 4K video footage, and is weather sealed. Compared to the previous model in the series that had an 800x600 viewfinder, the Sony a6300 hiking camera has a resolution of 1024x768 pixels, although the increase stands at the same value of 0.7x. The camera’s preferences allow you to choose between two viewfinder refresh rates: 60 and 120 Hz. The upgraded 4D Focus system is able to focus on dynamic objects in an impressive 0.05 of a second, while also creating minimal noise even when set to high exposure values.

Regarding ISO, you can capture photographs without worrying about noise up to 3,200. If set to 6,400, you’ll notice a drop-in sharpness, but the quality will still be high since this setting became acceptable for cameras with an APS-C matrix. However, if the lighting conditions are poor, you can use ISO 12,800 and still achieve decent quality.

The D7500 allows you to take clear, highly-detailed photos with rich tonal gradations. You’ll appreciate its exceptionally accurate object recognition feature and the terrific picture quality even at higher ISO settings. The quality of recorded 4K/UHD videos is also extremely impressive. Moreover, you can use the built-in Picture Control system to easily create photos and videos that match your artistic style. Lastly, the EXPEED 5 quick image editing feature guarantees fantastic image quality across the entire ISO range.

This camera provides fantastic image quality for backpacking photos. Its ultra-compact, high-aperture optical circuit includes six elements in four groups while covering a focal length of 28mm (35mm equivalent). The optimal combination of low-dispersion high-resolution lenses and glass aspherical elements produces a fantastic, high contrast, and sharp image with realistic colors. Furthermore, the minimized chromatic aberrations and distortions allow you to receive the sharpest and clearest image in the history of GR.

If you’re looking for rugged DSLR cameras, this one is capable of handling anything: underwater explorations, traversing through bumpy terrain and aerial adventures. Hero Black can endure rain, dust and snow, while the single button control makes it simple to use. Once you’ve recorded the footage, you can use the touchscreen to view or edit it. Depending on the selected resolution, the user can choose between various viewing angles, including standard, ultra-wide, and a mode that removes the “fish-eye” effect. This camera for backpacking is capable of capturing 12MP RAW photographs. You can employ the WDR mode to improve the quality of the photo and video footage as it allows for capturing more details in poor lighting conditions. HERO5 Black works efficiently down to 10 meters underwater without any additional accessories. The battery, SD-card slots, the micro-HDMI and USB-C ports are hermetically sealed.

The RX100 V is the best hiking camera among point-and-shoot models. It’s small, beginner-friendly and capable of creating stunning stills and video footage thanks to an array of included features. The camera comes with a 20.1MP CMOS sensor that guarantees low-light, low noise performance. The screen tilts up to 180o, which is perfect for capturing selfies or panorama shots. The Cyber-shot RX100 V also offers expanded video functionality such as the S-Log color grade and super slow-motion mode.

Nikon’s Coolpix has a Dual Detect Optical Vibration reduction system that efficiently deals with shaking. The camera employs optical stabilization for photographs and a mix of optical and digital VR for video recording. When using the Macro mode, the P1000 can focus on a distance of 1cm in front of the lens. Moreover, the camera is also capable of capturing RAW images. Its ISO can be set in the 100-6,400 range but isn’t available in all shooting modes.

This model can be considered the best camera for backpacking due to its full-frame 24MP sensor (equivalent to 35mm film) and small size, as it’s also noticeably lighter than most DSLRs ,including its predecessor. D750 performs best in continuous shooting mode and offers 6.5fps supported by the 51-point AF mechanism that ensures dynamic objects are in focus regardless of their position in the frame. The ISO range of 100 to 12,800 is also great for recording in poorly lit environments. The top ISO range can be expanded up to 51,200. You can also set up angled shots thanks to the 3.2” LCD display that can be flipped 135o up or 90o down, enabling more framing possibilities. Nikon D750’s shutter has a guaranteed lifespan of 150,000 clicks and a max exposure setting of 1/4000s. This camera supports Full HD with up to 60fps and has headphone and microphone ports.

You can use this camera to take stunning photos under any shooting conditions. The TG-6 remains waterproof up to 15 underwater, can sustain a fall from a height of 2m, offers dust protection, and can endure low temperatures (down to -10°C) and collisions while also offering anti-fog coating. The combination of a high-resolution F2 lens, the TruePic VIII processor, and a 12MP image sensor provides the freedom necessary for taking high-quality photos in any situation. Even in poor lighting, your photos will turn out looking bright and colorful.

An important point is that in Nikon family, this lens is stated as the absolute record-breaker for zoom range among models with constant lens speed. The advantages of f/4 in the entire diapason of focal lengths are obvious when it comes to shooting with insufficient lighting. You may work with shorter shutter speed by shooting with your hands and not increasing the ISO too much or cover the aperture slightly to get better sharpness.

An important point is that in Nikon family, this lens is stated as the absolute record-breaker for zoom range among models with constant lens speed. The advantages of f/4 in the entire diapason of focal lengths are obvious when it comes to shooting with insufficient lighting. You may work with shorter shutter speed by shooting with your hands and not increasing the ISO too much or cover the aperture slightly to get better sharpness.

Beginner photographers that like to go hiking are most likely interested in getting a camera that is simple to control while providing pro-level results. That’s exactly what you can expect to receive with the a6400. It’s a lightweight model that is perfectly suited for backpacking trips while offering terrific picture quality, portability, and user-friendliness.

Probably the biggest strength of this model is its low-light performance. As such, hikers who spend the night outdoors can take some breathtaking photos even in near darkness. Another aspect I appreciate about this camera is the broad selection of lenses it supports.

It is the best hiking camera with 4K video resolution. With this hiking camera, you are also free to select the settings of a drive and autofocus modes and the white balance. Of course, you can adjust the focus point by tapping your smartphone screen. The manufacturer claims that the camera takes 7 frames per second in serial shooting mode. The declared maximum duration of the series without reducing the shooting speed with Compact Flash UDMA 7 memory card is 21 images in RAW and until the memory card is full in JPEG.

The resolution of photos taken with this backpacking camera reaches record-breaking 45.7 MP. At that output, we get the images up to 8,256 x 5,504 pixels. The matrix of this size allows you to easily work with one lens of 24-70 mm type and then crop the photo according to your preferences. The Nikon D850 shoots at a speed of up to 7 frames per second. The camera records 4K and up to 30 frames across the entire area. There is also an electronic stabilizer and all sorts of features for videographers. One of the interesting innovations is focus-picking or the highlighting of sharpness edges while manually focusing. The camera also supports HDR and multi-exposure modes. Nevertheless, a much more impressive function is the ability to create timelapse-video and focus shift. You can specify the date and time when the shooting begins, the interval (up to 24 hours in increments of 1 second), the number of iterations and shots in each of them. Among other things, the Nikon D850 boasts an abundance of wireless interfaces. Everything you could ever want to get from the best backpacking cameras – WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC.

The Insta360 Go 2 is a fantastic wearable model that is perfectly suited for recording time-lapse and general hiking videos, similar to the more popular GoPro and DJI Pocket 2. It weighs a mere 27grams and can be clipped to a strap or your shirt, as you won’t even notice it while you’re conquering the trail. Even though it isn’t capable of recording in 4K, you can still receive fantastic results with 2K footage thanks to the terrific stabilization system. Additionally, you can use a tripod or a selfie stick to elevate the quality of your work even further.

If you like recording vlogs on your hiking trips, then you can’t go wrong with the Sony ZV-1. This model will not only allow you to take vibrant photos but also apply a fantastic slow-motion effect to your recorded videos. The captured footage looks exceptionally sharp and you’ll particularly appreciate the camera’s ability to record landscape scenery like waterfalls in slow-motion.

The color reproduction offered by this model is highly impressive. If you point the camera at yourself or your companions, you’ll enjoy incredibly appealing skin tones. In conclusion, if you’re interested in both taking photos and recording videos using a single camera, then the ZV-1 is arguably the best option for any backpacking enthusiast.

LUMIX point-and-click digital cameras are widely popular among hiking enthusiasts because of their reliability and convenient functionality. The DC ZS70 offers a fantastic optical performance of a 30x (24x 720mm) Leica DC VARIO ELMAR lens supported by a state-of-the-art 5-axis hybrid optical image stabilization system. The camera is packed into a compact, lightweight body. Traditionalists will appreciate the manual controls of the lens while the eye-level digital viewfinder makes this camera very easy to use.

People interested in innovative features will like the provided WiFi connectivity while 4K photo and video support will ensure they create content in the highest quality possible.