When traveling, you always spot something truly special to capture.
To do that, whilst on a budget, you’ll need to find some travel cameras under $500 – where to start, though? Let me help you with you that.
Quick Answer: Best Travel Cameras Under $500
- Very Easy to Use and Stylish – The Most Pratical Option
- Solid steady-shot Camera – Great for Low Lighting
- Durable and Reliable – Perfect for Underwater Shots
- Budget Camera with Long battery Life – The Cheapest Option
- Travel Buyers Guide – Travel Cameras For Under $500
When you decide to start traveling, it soon becomes apparent that one of the most important things that you can do is get a good camera.
Finding the best travel cameras under $500, though, is likely to prove quite the challenge.
Table of Contents
Best Travel Cameras Under $500
Of course, there are some particular features that you might want – but let’s ask the question, what is a good travel camera?
Travel Cameras: How To Choose Yours
Here are some common requests for a good quality camera:
- Sturdiness: Obviously, you want to find a camera that can take a bang. While you never want to drop anything, it will happen eventually: knowing your camera can handle the force of the fall is very important!
- Size: You also want to find a camera that feels good in your hand and gives you the help that you need to keep things nice and smooth. Size is very important, so make sure that you can keep it in your hands without worrying about dropping it.
- Weight: The best cameras under $500 for travel usage will be comfortable to hold and never too heavy. If you need to take a shot from a precarious location, you want a camera that is going to stay in your hands without feeling too heavy.
- Suitability: Depending on where you are going, such as underwater, you want something with water depth protection. You also want something with good white balance control, to help avoid the excessive natural lighting from ruining your shots.
As you will likely notice, there are more than a fair few cameras to pick from out there.
If you are looking for a decent camera for traveling and unsure of where to start, I have a good list of different cameras below for you to consider.
Whether you’re looking for 4k cameras under $500 or just something suitable for moving images, you have some decent options here.
Best Travel Cameras Under $500
Take a look at the list below for some top-quality travel companions under the $500 mark, providing wonderful value.
Sony A5100
- 179 AF points
- Records in Full HD
- Easy snap sharing
Want to get some amazing snaps and send them home to your loved ones? This allows for quick and easy uploading and sharing with your smartphone via Wi-fi.
The impressive 24MP shots allow for every shot to feel perfect, making sure that you have no problems at all in delivering the kind of shots that you want. If you have something far-off you wish to snap, this camera rocks.
GoPro HERO7 Black
- Super stable video shots
- Waterproof at 33ft
- 4K60FPS video shots
When you want something very professional indeed, this is one of the best cameras on the market. Very easy to use and stylish design allows for high-quality shots.
The easy to use time-lapse shots allows for you to move around with total ease, whilst making sure that not a single frame of the shot is going to be blurred.
Olympus Tough
- 12MPH hi-speed image sensor
- High-quality motion sensor
- Waterproof to 50ft
Great for daring divers and ambitious minds, this is the ideal choice of a camera when you need a travel camera under $500.
Got plenty of features included as well as dustproof and crushproof, ensuring that you have a very impressive camera that can last for many years. Also great for using in foggy and otherwise challenging conditions for taking traditional holiday shots.
Sony RX100
- 20MP camera quality
- 3.6x zoom offered
- Great for low lighting
If you need to take a particularly challenging shot, you will find that this makes it nice and easy for you to do just that.
The high-quality nature of the camera allows for a much cleaner shot to be taken without stability issues, with burst-mode shots providing very impressive video quality. Also comes with a solid steady-shot solution for precision.
YI 4K Action and Sports Camera
- 4k image recording possible
- Easy to use
- Long battery life
Whilst searching for the best camera under $500, if your aim is to find a camera that can get quality snaps for up to 120 minutes of recording time, this is a good camera to start with.
It has plenty of detail within the shots, providing you with a solid 12MP on any still image. It also allows for you to make longer records; perfect for vloggers who travel.
Sony FDRX3000/W Underwater Camcorder
- Durable and reliable
- Perfect for underwater shots
- 4K time-lapse shots possible
When you need a high-quality underwater camcorder that can do the job that you want and need in a short period of time, this is the place to start.
It’s the ideal choice for those who want to get stable shots under the water, with a 12MP camera for still shots and also providing you with some of the best waterproofing around, with protection a far down as 197ft.
Panasonic DC-ZS70 Lumix
- 20.3MP camera provided
- Highly impressive 4K shots
- Comes with charger pack
As probably one of the best choices of travel camera under $500 for a budding professional, this makes an excellent choice of camera.
The freshness and strength of the camera ensure that it can easily absorb a physical hit, making it great for those who might be taking shots from more challenging and precarious positions where damage might become possible. Definitely a good quality camera for travel!
Canon EOS M10 Mirrorless Camera
- 18MP CMOS sensor provided
- Perfect for manual shots
- Creative Assist-enabled
If you need a camera that can do the job that you need for more creative photography when on the go, you should be sure to start here.
It’s the kind of high-quality camera that should make your life much easier, ensuring that every shot can be as stable and as effective as possible. Perfect for those looking for the best budget camera for traveling and who are worried about blurring.
Best Travel Cameras Under $500
Now that you know what to look out for, you should be able to start preparing to pick up one of the best travel cameras under $500.
While it still might be a tough pick, each of the above cameras comes with a promise of quality, consistency, crispness and detail in your shots.
Since this trip is one that you will hopefully remember for the rest of your life, these photos should help you to remember the truly tremendous times you spent traveling.
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Need More Packing Inspiration?
Hopefully, you’ve found the perfect camera for your travel.
Feel like you need more travel gear for your trip?
- Anti Theft Camera Bag – Protect your camera on the road.
- Travel Drones – See this list of travel drones.
- Luggage Tracker – Never lose your bag on the road again.
- Anti-Theft backpacks – Deter theives with these day packs.
- Travel Iron – The most portable travel irons.
Or, maybe you’re even considering buying a gift for a fellow traveler? Check out our best travel gear page for even ideas on what to carry.
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