Summer is in full swing, and it’s the season for travel on the open road. The American Road Trip has been synonymous with summer since there were cars and highways, and for many, it’s simply a time to experience new places and take a break from the normal routine at home.
For others though, these trips are the perfect time to test or grow. Some may be wanting to jump into photography or videography for the first time. Others are looking for opportunities to grow their creative hobby they have had for years. Regardless of the timeline, many see these summer road trips as the perfect opportunity for photography in general, and begin looking for a camera that can fit those needs.
As a photographer who launched the start of his career from a long, cross-country road trip, I know about the hunt for cameras. There were a lot of camera options out there, but there were four purchase criteria I focused on that truly helped with filtering out the multiple options: price, quality, performance, and size. Several years later, while camera options have changed, those four purchase criteria are still incredibly important when choosing a camera, especially when you’re newer to the industry.
So in the spirit of the road trip season, I’ve compiled the top four cameras for your summer road trip, that fit the four criteria above, and are high-performing, quality-built, lightweight and portable, and stay under the $1,500 price point. Simply put, these cameras the perfect starting point for the creative who is passionate and serious about using their summer adventure as a catalyst for their career.
Canon EOS RP ()
The Canon EOS RP is one of Canon’s newest cameras on the market, and the second body from the full-frame, mirrorless camera lineup, called the EOS R series. It is Canon’s lightest and smallest full-frame EOS camera, which makes it perfect for travel and trips on the road. However, that doesn’t mean this camera is light on performance and features.
Build with 26.2 Megapixel Full-Frame CMOS sensor and DIGIC 8 Image Processor, the EOS RP is made for high image quality. It’s also fast, with a Dual Pixel CMOS AF for fast and accurate autofocus. For reference, that’s the same autofocusing system that Canon uses for the legendary Canon 5D Mark IV.
The EOS RP also is very easy to operate and use, even in bright and sunny conditions, thanks to a bright, vivid electronic viewfinder and vari-angle touchscreen LCD, with touch and drag autofocus on the screen.
On the video side, it has the ability to shoot high enough quality video for most creatives or vloggers needs. The best part? You get all of these features and performance, from a full-frame camera built from Canon’s legendary build quality, and at a price that is sure to surprise and intrigue many photographers out there.
Sony a6400 ()
The Sony a6400 is APS-C or crop-sensor camera, but don’t let that scare you away, thinking this camera can’t compete, because it certainly can. The Sony a6400 is a super lightweight, travel-friendly camera, that is built to impress and perform.
Built with a 24.2-megapixel Exmor CMOS sensor and a new-generation BIONZ X image processor, the a6400 delivers beautiful, high-resolution images, at the highest level of clarity. It also has fantastic low-light performance, with the maximum standard ISO sensitivity at ISO 32,000, and can impressively shoot at 11 fps, which is lightning fast.
More great features of the Sony a6400 include the real-time tracking and enhanced real-time eye autofocus. This camera is not just small and fun to shoot, but it’s intelligently designed, and definitely deserves a look before your road trip.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II ()
Now enters the two medium-format, Micro Four Thirds cameras, which are incredibly attractive options for many photographers.
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II is simply a fantastic camera with amazing features. Build with a lightweight and compact body that is splash-proof, dust-proof, and freeze-proof down to -14 F, this camera can handle most anything that the road can throw at it.
But the performance is where this camera truly shines. The OM-D E-M1 Mark II can shoot quality images at 20 MP, which, thanks to the camera’s impressive in-body 5-axis optical stabilization, it can shoot 50 MB images in “High Res Shot Mode,” which is more than impressive. The OM-D E-M1 Mark II is also the fastest camera in its category, shooting 20 MP at a blazing 60 fps with the electronic shutter, and 18 fps with the mechanical shutter.
The camera is also accurate and reliable, built with a high-speed Dual Fast AF system that boasts an amazing 121 cross points of “On-Chip Phase Detection plus Contrast Detection AF.” Simply put, the OM-D E-M1 Mark II is a medium-format camera, that offers big time results, at a fantastic price point.
Panasonic GH5 ()
The Panasonic GH5 is another medium format, Micro Four Thirds camera, and it is known for its legendary versatility. If you are a creative that is deciding between photography and videography, or wanting to pursue both, this camera is the perfect tool for you.
The GH5 shines in photography, thanks to the combination of a 20.3MP Digital Live MOS sensor and new Venus Engine 10 processor, which allow for beautifully detailed images that showcase incredible colors and texture. Panasonic also removed the low-pass filter on this camera, which allows for much sharper images and higher dynamic range.
In regards to video capability, there’s a reason why many videographers swear by this camera. The GH5 shoots at 4K 60p/50p and offers professional-grade, internal 4:2:2 10-bit 4K video recording. Add in-body, 5-axis Dual Stabilization, and you have a camera that can truly perform, and create amazing, high-quality video.
Like the OM-D E-M1 Mark II above, the GH5 is durable, rugged, and splash-proof, dust-proof, and freeze-proof to -10 F, so there is no need to be worried when bringing this camera out into the field or on the road. If you’re a creative that is still deciding between photo or video, or both, the GH5 is a fantastic option to pick up before your next big summer adventure.
