At this point in the pandemic, companies are selling fewer cameras than at any time since World War II. According to Business Insider, as far back as 2018, more than 85% of all photos were made with smartphones. Also, the lack of travel opportunities during the pandemic has discouraged vacationers from buying new cameras, since they don’t know when they will be able to use them.
Several famous camera manufacturers are redefining their businesses. Some such as Canon, Nikon and Sony are moving away from selling inexpensive consumer models, while others such as Olympus are focusing on medical optical products. Sony is also supplying sensors to other manufactures. When it comes specifically to travel cameras, Sony, Nikon, Canon and Fujifilm seem to be trying to get more customers to “upgrade” to more expensive and heavier full frame “pro” cameras and lenses.
Canon’s success in driving the cost of their entry-level full-frame camera and lens below $1,000 confirms the success of this strategy. Even if they just break even on the camera, they will recoup the money by selling many more lenses.
But, after taking more than 20,000 travel photos on more than 40 cruises and writing three books on cameras and travel photography, I suggest that travel camera aficionados ignore their efforts.
Keep Your Gear Light and Small
Travel photography may be reached its highpoint during the Vietnam War. Photojournalists were sent to Asia to cover the conflict. They also made Americans aware of the exotic appeal of Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan. Their photos depicted scenes of raw emotions and violence; but also of civilians going about their everyday lives and soldiers having fun in the sun.
The photojournalists were introduced to the cameras developed by the Japanese after World War II. Sporting names such as Nikon, Canon, Konica, and Ricoh, these cameras were based on high-priced German brands such as Leica. They evolved until they became some of the finest cameras in the world.
The war photographers’ favorite was the Nikon F film camera that was released in 1963. It sold for $388, complete with a razor-sharp 50mm f1.4 lens. Weighing about 1.5 pounds, it was called the “hockey puck” because of its ability to withstand abuse. The cameras could fit, along with 3 lenses, into the pockets of a military field jacket or a small camera bag. A single negative had a width of 35mm (1.5 inches)—a size that later would be called a digital “full-frame” camera.
Thanks to their lightweight Nikons and Canons, photojournalists told the readers of Life and Look magazines what their children were doing a half-world away. When the reporters returned home, they changed travel photography for 50 years. Photo enthusiasts learned that smaller was better, and that all the gear they needed should fit a 5-8 pound camera bag.
Use Cameras With Full-Frame Sensors Only When Necessary
When digital photography came along about two decades after the Vietnam War, the size of the sensors—which were the electronic counterpart of film—was a fraction of an inch. Equipped with tiny zoom lenses, travel cameras shrunk in size until many fit in a shirt pocket or small purse. But the superb optical quality of the film cameras was missing. Digital cameras were considered almost toys until the sensors became larger.
The problem was that, while the camera bodies could be reduced, the lenses had to become larger as digital photography became more viable. The Nikon 35mm film camera in the early 1960s, weighed less than 5 pounds, complete with the Nikon “holy trinity” of a 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm lens. The Nikon F’s weight with any one of these lenses was less than 2-pounds.
Now, in 2022, the weight of Nikon’s newest digital mirrorless creation, the Nikon Z9 with a 24-70mm f2.8 zoom lens, is about 6 pounds. Just ask yourself: How many camera-toting seniors want to deal with a 6-pound camera while they’re on vacation? Will the additional 4 pounds of weight improve the quality of their photos?
George Barris shot the famous images of Marilyn Monroe a few days before she died, on Santa Monica beach in 1962 using a predecessor of the Nikon F film camera. Do you think he would have achieved the spontaneity of these photos if he was handholding a six-pound brick on the beach? At one time during the shoot, Marilyn took some photos of him. Do you think she could have done this if she was using the Nikon Z9 that—in addition to its weight—probably has hundreds of possible settings?
When is a full-frame camera needed? I’d say, only if you want to frequently produce enlargements greater than a 20×30, or if you know your subjects will take up just a small portion of the raw image. The latter may occur, if you’re shooting an airshow and want shots of individual airplanes. For that, you will either need a full-frame camera or an extreme telephoto lens. In those cases, many canny photo buffs rent these items of photo gear. It’s surprisingly inexpensive even for an entire cruise or vacation.
Cameras With Slightly Smaller Sensors
The next sensor size down from full-frame are cameras with “APS-C” sensors. While about a third-smaller than full-frame sensors, they are easily capable of producing 20×30″ enlargements, or maybe 30×40” prints if your subjects fill the entire frame. Either size is large enough to display in your home or sell in art galleries. Even the major camera manufacturers who sell cameras with both sizes of sensor acknowledge that, in most cases, it’s difficult to tell which sensor size was used to take a specific photo.
An APS-C sensor magnifies a lenses’ focal length by 50%. A “wide-angle” 35mm lens became the equivalent of a “normal” 50mm lens. Likewise, a “normal” 50mm APS-C lens becomes the equivalent of a 75mm semi-telephoto. This cuts down the weight of the lenses considerably.
The one-Inch sensors that Sony designed about a decade ago revolutionized travel photography.
- The Sony RX100-M7 camera features a 24-200mm lens (more than twice the reach of the Holy Trinity), but is the size of a pack of cigarettes.
- The Sony RX-10-M4, with the same sensor, has a spectacularly sharp 24-600mm zoom lens and only weighs 2.5-pounds. It can capture great sports or wildlife shots from more than a hundred yards away.
I routinely produced superb 16×20” enlargements from both of these cameras.
What About Smartphones?
The Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max fits in a pants pocket and, with its 3 lenses, has a reach of about 28-56mm (about 2/3 the reach of the holy trinity). It has a sensor the size of a fingernail and no viewfinder. These are bummers if you use it in glaring sunlight, need a true telephoto lens, or want to make greater than 11×14” prints.
Otherwise, the Apple 13 is close to an ideal travel camera. It’s always with you, it’s weatherproofed, and you already know how to use it. It’s also a terrific backup camera for those who can’t accept these compromises. This has reduced the market for travel cameras still more, since the common wisdom was never to travel without a backup camera.
NOTE: Steve’s latest travel camera is a Leica CL with an APS-C lens mount. He uses an Elmar 18-56mm f3.5-5.6 zoom for general outdoor shots, a Sigma 30mm f1.4 for indoor and night photos, and a Lumix 85mm f1.8 for street shooting and closeups of people. The camera body and 3 lenses each weighs less than 14 ounces. Steve says he can take this kit anywhere in the world, without any more gear other than his Apple iPhone Pro Max.
Dr. Steve Frankel and his wife have cruised on most of the Seabourn, Silversea, Crystal, Azamara, Oceania, Regent, and Windstar ships. He writes a weekly column, Point-to-Point, for Travel Research Online (TRO) that’s read by more than 80,000 travel advisors and industry leaders. Steve is the founder of Cruises & Cameras Travel Services, LLC. He has been recognized as a “2021 Top Travel Specialist” by Conde Nast Traveler magazine and a “Travel Expert Select “by the Signature Travel Network. His specialties are luxury small-ship cruises and COVID-19 safety measures, and has a doctorate in Educational Research with minors in Marketing and Quantitative Business Analysis. He’s also earned a Certificate in Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University. Previously, he managed qualitative and quantitative research in the private & public sectors. He’s a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, and has written 13 books and hundreds of articles. His email address is steve@cruisesandcameras.com.