Best Backpacking & Hiking Cameras

Best Overall: Sony Alpha a6300

• Megapixels: 24.2 MP
• Tiltable LCD Viewscreen: Yes
• Weight: 14.25 ounces
• Battery Life: 400 images
• Image Stabilization: No

Pros: Great quality images and 4k video, fast autofocus, fast continuous shooting, solid metal body

Cons: The menu is confusing, expensive, fewer extra features than other options, no in-body image stabilization

What Makes this Camera Our Top Pick?

The a6300 is a mirrorless camera for photography enthusiasts. That means it blends the lower price tag of lower performing cameras with the professional grade photo potential of more expensive models.

It has an impressive 24 MP resolution and performs well in low light situations. It can record 4K video and sound using an external microphone jack. It also has a metal body design. That makes it a great option for a trip where it is likely going to get tossed in a bag or banged up through heavy use.

The biggest area where Sony improved on the a6000 with this model is by creating a magnesium alloy body. That replaces the composite plastic casing used in the past.

The alloy adds 0.63 ounces to the total weight. However, that difference is negligible when you consider the added durability and protection.

The camera is compact overall, with a nice deep handgrip on the side. It also has a built-in pop up flash. There is also a hotshoe for mounting microphones or strobe flashes.

The LCD screen is nice and large. It tilts up or down to help frame shots that would otherwise be taken blind. Unfortunately, the viewscreen is not a touchscreen, which is surprising for how large it is.

Most photographers find they can overlook that factor, though. They are happy with the camera’s overall performance.

What Do Reviewers Say?

Reviewers agree that this is a high-performance camera and is definitely more than most beginners would need, but that functionality and durability does come with a price. It costs almost twice as much as its predecessor, the a6000, but still manages to stay below $1,000 as a quality mirrorless, making it affordable for most backpackers in the market for a solid travel camera.

The C1 and C2 buttons can be programmed as shortcuts and a majority of the buttons on the camera body can be manually assigned to control any menu option. Reviewers didn’t like the menu itself, however, and felt like the six sub-menus and even more numerous menus within each was a bit cumbersome and confusing.

This poor design is balanced by professional quality images and videos, however, as the camera comes with an excellent APS-C CMOS sensor that is the same size as sensors photographers get in DSLR cameras.

The autofocus is particularly fast and precise as well, with fast continuous shooting rates that enable photographers to dabble in wildlife or action photography on their trips. Images have true color rendering and sharp details, and the Dynamic Range Optimizer setting is nice for bringing out highlights and shadows and balancing the two.

Features and Considerations

The two biggest complaints we found about this camera were the confusing menu setup and the expensive price. For photographers who want a camera that will take professional grade images without having to carry around an expensive and heavy DSLR and the accompanying a6300 compatible lenses though, this is a great option.

If you can’t afford it, however, there are some other cameras with similar functionality further down in this guide.

A Close Second: Fuji X-T2 with the 12 – 55 mm Lens

• Megapixels: 23.4 MP
• Tiltable LCD viewscreen: Yes
• Weight: 1 lb 11 ounces
• Battery Life: 340 images
• Image Stabilization: No

Pros: Interchangeable lenses, high-quality images, tilting LCD viewscreen, Inexpensive for a mirrorless camera, robust weather sealing

Cons: Expensive, interchangeable lenses are more delicate than fixed lenses

What Makes this Camera Special?

This camera allows backpackers to have the functionality of a new mirrorless or DSLR camera with interchangeable lenses and high-quality images while still maintaining the lightweight nature, durability and robust weather sealing of more traditional backpacking cameras. It’s a great in-between that can be used at home for your nieces’ and nephews’ soccer games or while backpacking through the wilderness.

The camera body has a compact design with sealed buttons and compartments for the battery and memory cards. It is a strong option for photographers who need something to be used in all weather conditions but don’t need an adventure camera that can be used deep underwater.

The autofocus system is fast and tracks well, the ISO sensitivity can be pushed quite high and there is Wi-Fi capability so you can send images to your phone, though the camera lacks GPS tracking.

Using it with a weather-sealed 12 – 55 mm lens will give you the versatility to shoot things wide angle or at a more normal focal length without having to contend with the heavier, more delicate lenses that give you a longer focal length.

This optical zoom also ensures you get high-quality images at whatever focal length you use, while point and shoot digital backpacking cameras lose quality when they digitally zoom in.

What Do Reviewers Say?

Reviewers like this camera as a DSLR alternative, as it is more compact since it is mirrorless but isn’t as expensive or high performing as other new mirrorless camera bodies with interchangeable lenses. The camera is capable of shooting RAW and can capture 4K video with stunning clarity, and the retro design is a nice touch that is attractive to many reviewers.

The camera body is all metal, making it durable and robust, but the in-camera menu system is overly complicated and confusing. Photographers will likely have to spend a little extra time sifting through the many menus once they receive the camera, but this wasn’t a reason not to purchase for most.

There is a large, electronic, live viewfinder that works really well, and the lack of anti-alias filters mean the final images are sharper than other cameras in this class.

There are also dual SD image storage card slots photographers can switch between for video and stills or use both and so they don’t have to worry about their memory card filling up very often. The 325 autofocus points also enable the AF system to work quickly and well a majority of the time.

Features and Considerations

The autofocus system was generally reviewed as being fast and reliable, but there were those who felt that it struggled to lock onto the correct focal point at times and wasn’t 100% dependable. The camera is also slightly larger and heavier than alternatives that don’t have removable lenses.

The ability to change lenses is also seen as a blessing and a curse for backpackers. On the one hand, this functionality enables backpackers to take crystal clear images and have a lot of control over the type of images they want to take by selecting different lenses.

On the other hand, the equipment is more delicate and must be kept clean and safe, which is not necessarily ideal when shoving the camera in a travel backpack and hiking or traveling around Europe on a train.

Best Compact Camera: Ricoh GR II

• Megapixels: 16 MP
• Tiltable LCD viewscreen: No
• Weight: 8.7 ounces
• Battery Life: 320 images
• Image Stabilization: No

Pros:  Built in Wi-Fi capabilities, external hotshoe, full HD video, lightweight, compact

Cons: No image stabilization, no tilt screen, not weather sealed

What Makes this Camera Special?

This is an amazingly high-performance compact camera that offers backpackers high image and video quality in a neat and tidy little package.

The design of the camera is simple and classic, and the camera as a whole is easy to use, reliable and easily portable. The large 16 MP APS-C sensor yields sharp, clear images, and the magnesium-alloy all metal body helps protect your camera even when you’re schlepping around on travel and toss it into your backpack.

The camera was designed by Ricoh with backpackers and travel photographers in mind, and is meant to give photographers a less expensive, smaller alternative to their DSLR and mirrorless cameras that would still deliver high-quality images and videos.

The camera supports RAW shooting, has a fast autofocus system and is fast enough for most applications in the field. It is incredibly lightweight and compact, meaning it can easily be tucked in a backpack pocket or even a pants pocket.

It also resembles a mirrorless camera in some design elements, including the large front grip and bigger number of manual controls, giving photographers more flexibility and making it easier to use than more traditional compact cameras. The compact design makes it unobtrusive and discreet, which is perfect for backpacking.

What Do Reviewers Say?

Reviewers praised this camera for sprucing up the slightly dated compact camera format and giving photographers something that offered benefits of mirrorless camera bodies in addition to those of traditional compact cameras.

Overall, reviewers found the images to be sharp and high-quality and loved how compact and lightweight the camera is. The design is sleek and simple, and the setup is easy to use, discreet and reliable.

There is a small pop-up flash on the side of the camera and Wi-Fi capabilities can be turned on with the Wi-Fi button next to the flash. The camera has a 9-point contrast autofocus system that is decent and often performs better than expected. It focuses quickly and accurately, though it struggles to track moving subjects.

The battery life is decent but pretty typical for a backpacking camera, topping out at around 320 frames. This is decent, though backpackers should consider purchasing and carrying additional batteries, especially if they are backpacking and camping and might not have access to an electrical outlet for days at a time.

The sensor is powerful and creates crisp, clear, detailed images. The camera lacks an anti-aliasing filter, which allows it to capture sharper images than other cameras, and images tend to be in focus from corner to corner with little to no softening around the edges.

Features and Considerations

The camera can’t shoot 4K video and lacks an external microphone or a headphone jack, meaning this is definitely not the right choice if you plan on shooting a good amount of video. It also has a slower burst shooting rate than many of the other cameras on this list, making it a poor choice for action photographers as well.

As both of those applications are relatively niche, though, this is a great option for the average backpacker looking for a good camera.

Best Adventure Camera: Nikon W300 Waterproof Underwater Digital Camera

• Megapixels: 16 MP
• Tiltable LCD viewscreen: No
• Weight: 8.1 ounces
• Battery Life: 280 images
• Image Stabilization: Yes

Pros: Waterproof to 30 meters, shoots 4K videos, affordable, weatherproof down to 14°F

Cons: Fixed F/2.8 aperture, optimized for underwater use, battery life

What Makes this Camera Special?

This camera is ideal if you are backpacking in adverse weather or plan to do a fair amount of swimming or scuba diving. It is waterproof and safe as far down as 30 meters or 100 feet, and operates in cold weather down to 14°F.

Because of these features, it is definitely a specialty camera, and won’t be as useful as other options on this list if you aren’t planning on backpacking near the water or using your camera in the water or underwater.

For avid scuba divers, snorkelers, surfers and other water sport enthusiasts, this camera is a dream. It enables photographers to capture high-quality, sharp images with quality comparable to an inexpensive mirrorless camera in all conditions and won’t be damaged by a little (or a lot) of moisture.

The design is compact and sleek, with the lens being located on the top left side of the camera next to a small flash. It is available in black orange or yellow, and the durable metal body casing is able to protect the camera for drops of up to 8 feet.

What Do Reviewers Say?

Reviewers praise this camera and the mirrorless-like images it produces and especially like how durable and versatile it is for photographers who want to use it during action or water activities.

Not all reviewers were crazy about it, as the design and intended purpose of the camera are highly specific to those who enjoy water activities and sports, but it does do an excellent job at the purpose it was designed for.

The camera has features beyond durability that are handy for adventurers and scuba divers, like an altimeter and GPS tracker, which can be easily accessed through the tool button control. The image quality is also higher than expected for the 16 megapixel sensor and give photographers room to create high-quality prints even when images are cropped extensively.

Colors are generally rendered accurately, though the flash needs to be used underwater if photographers want reds and other colors at that end of the spectrum to appear true. The final images also look vivid, clear and crisp, with a good amount of detail and low noise even in darker photos. While it struggles at night, this is not uncommon for cameras under $500.

Features and Considerations

The biggest consideration photographers should look at when considering this camera is whether they intend to use it on land or underwater. If they don’t tend to take their camera scuba diving, white water river rafting or on dirt bikes, then they probably don’t need an adventure camera with waterproof capabilities up to 100 feet underwater.

Of course, the camera does take high-quality images, so if photographers think they may occasionally use the underwater features this camera offers, it will also perform decently on land.

Another consideration for photographers is the level of quality they want to be able to achieve in their images. If they want professional images, they are going to need a more robust, professional camera than this one. It will, however, take high-quality images that are more than large and clear enough for home use and social media.

Best Traditional Compact Camera: Canon PowerShot SX720

• Megapixels: 20.3 MP
• Tiltable LCD viewscreen: No
• Weight: 9.5 ounces
• Battery Life: 250 shots
• Image Stabilization: Yes

Pros: Affordable, large sensor, compact, lightweight, Wi-Fi connectivity, 1080p HD video, 40x optical zoom

Cons: Battery life, standard non articulated viewscreen

What Makes this Camera Special?

This superzoom compact camera from Canon was designed with travelers in mind. It is the perfect blend of performance, portability and versatility for backpackers.

The camera is small and light enough that photographers can slip it into a pocket. However, it has the optical zoom equivalent of a 24 – 960 mm lens on a DSLR or mirrorless camera.

It also has an additional 80x digital zoom called Zoom Plus. That can be stretched to 120x zoom if photographers don’t mind losing a fair amount of sharpness.

The CMOS sensor is large and back-illuminated. It is paired with a Digic 6 processor to create high-quality images and video.

The camera can take full HD video and transfer images over Wi-Fi. That makes it versatile for photographers who want to be able to shoot the occasional video as well.

The brushed metal look of the body casing is attractive and hides scratches well. The rubberized grip on the front of the handhold makes the camera easy to use and not drop. It also gives photographers a little more control when shooting.

The colors in final images are bright and vibrant. They have a nice degree of saturation and contrast being rendered by the sensor. Blues are accurate. There is little to no chromatic fringing around objects in bright light.

Noise is also well controlled in final images. It may be hard to print images at very large sizes. However, the camera takes images that are more than sufficient for a majority of photographers’ needs and applications.

What Do Reviewers Say?

Reviewers loved this camera for travelers and backpackers. They were particularly impressed by the 40x optical zoom. This enables photographers to get high-quality images when zoomed in without having to sacrifice quality. That is something that many compact cameras really struggle with.

The flash is a little weak. That can yield vignetting if you are in a situation where you need to use the on-camera flash. This can typically be corrected in post-processing relatively easily.

The camera does have a maximum shutter speed of 15 seconds. That gives travel photographers the ability to use the camera for night photography if they want to and have a travel tripod.

Photographers can enable full manual control. That extends to all of the controls except setting the autofocus point. This makes doing macro or artistic shots difficult at times.

It also supports RAW format shooting. The Wi-Fi capabilities are nice because photographers can transfer images straight from their camera to their phone.

Many reviewers focused on the traditional photography functionality of the camera. However, some also commented that they liked the special effect modes that the camera had enabled.

Those include fisheye, miniature, toy camera, soft focus, monochrome, super vivid and poster. This camera is also a nice option for backpackers. It is versatile and easy enough to use at home for everyday applications. It also isn’t as specialized as many of the other cameras on this list.

Features and Considerations

The camera doesn’t have a touch screen or even an articulated tilting screen. That is a little bit of a bummer for backpackers. This makes shooting from the ground or holding the camera up higher than eye level difficult as you are shooting blind.

It also won’t give photographers the professional quality that some of the higher level more expensive cameras on this list will. That helps explain why this one is so much more affordable.

Most Versatile Lenses: Olympus OM-D-E-M5 Mark II

• Megapixels: 16 MP
• Tiltable LCD viewscreen: Yes
• Weight: 14.7 ounces
• Battery Life: 310 images
• Image Stabilization: Yes

Pros: High-quality images, durable, fast autofocus, robust image stabilization, robust weather sealing

Cons: Battery life, interchangeable lenses aren’t ideal for backpacking, no built-in flash

What Makes this Camera Special?

This mirrorless camera offers interchangeable lenses and high-quality images in a small, weatherproof, durable package. It is perfect for travelers and backpackers.

It has a number of additional features that are handy for travelers. Those include five-axis image stabilization built into the body. There is also a massive articulated LCD touchscreen. These bonus features make it a good option for shooting stills or video as well.

The camera is extremely lightweight for a mirrorless camera body, at just under 1 pound. When paired with a lightweight wide angle zoom or prime lens for travel, most photographers won’t even notice it on their shoulder or in their backpack.

Since it does have interchangeable lenses, you have to be a little bit more careful with it than other compact or adventure cameras. However, a majority of photographers who liked this model were able to create space to fit a carrying case in or on their pack.

The Olympus is able to shoot in burst mode at up to 10 frames per second. That enables travel photographers to dabble with wildlife or action photography.

It also renders color beautifully. It captures vivid, well contrasted images even in lower light scenarios.

The fast sensor and manually adjustable settings enable photographers to capture good images in dim streets at night or poorly lit rooms nicely.

What Do Reviewers Say?

Olympus is generally a good choice for travelers or backpackers who are looking for a durable, extremely portable camera that still takes high-quality images. Reviewers particularly liked how this model was versatile and produced professional quality images.

The LCD screen was also praised. It is 3 inches, articulated and a touch screen. This makes the camera easy to use for stills and even easier to use for video. That is because the controls can be changed with the touch of a finger.

While the camera does a beautiful job shooting stills, it does an even better job with video, with the sensor being stabilized to account for tilting up and down, turning side to side, rotating, moving straight up and down or straight side to side. This five-axis image stabilization is robust and is definitely handy when shooting on the go or in nature.

The camera handles grain and noise well. Noise is tolerable up to at least 6,400 ISO.

The camera is also great at manually white balancing. There are different settings already loaded into the camera to correct for warm light. They can also keep the warm tones when shooting indoors.

Finally, while the camera has a 16 MP sensor, it has a 40 MP shooting mode. That enables photographers to get a series of eight shots with better resolution.

This feature works pretty well and captures substantially more detail than photos taken without this feature. It is a nice option for photographers trying to capture detailed shots on the go.

Features and Considerations

This camera is a mirrorless camera body with interchangeable lenses. For that reason, it is definitely more delicate and finicky than compact cameras with a fixed lens (or a fun little instant camera, for that matter).

This also makes this camera more expensive than many of the other options on this list. That is especially since photographers then have to choose and purchase at least one lens.