Photography can easily become an expensive endeavor. And, if you add travel to the photography mix, the cost of taking professional-quality photos skyrockets even more. However, there is still cheap travel camera gear available to those of us who are on a tight budget.
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I’ve personally purchased and tested all of the following camera bodies, camera lenses, drone equipment, lighting equipment, sound gear, backup camera batteries and camera storage, and I can honestly say that I love this cheap travel camera gear as a professional travel photographer.
Without further ado, here are the best cheap travel camera essentials that I use on every trip.
Cheap Travel Camera Gear Overall Scores
Here’s a quick overview of what you can expect when purchasing the cheap travel camera bodies and lenses listed below.
| CHEAP TRAVEL CAMERA ITEM | Inclusions | Cost | Performance | Weight | Overall | ||
| Canon EOS Rebel SL3 DSLR | Body & kit lens | $$$ | Excellent | Light | 9/10 | ||
| Sigma 35mm F/1.4 for Canon | Prime lens | $$$ | Best | Moderate | 9.5/10 | ||
| Canon EF 75-300mm F/4-5.6 | Telephoto lens | $$ | Excellent | Light | 9/10 | ||
| Sigma 18-35mm F/1.8 for Canon | Wide angle ens | $$$ | Excellent | Moderate | 8.5/10 | ||
| Sony Alpha a6100 Mirrorless | Body & kit lens | $$$$ | Excellent | Very light | 9/10 | ||
| DJI Mavic Air Drone | Fly More Combo | $$$$ | Proficient | Very light | 7/10 |
Here’s a quick overview of what you can expect when purchasing the cheap travel camera accessories listed below.
| CAMERA ACCESSORY | inclusions | Cost | Performance | Weight | Overall |
| BAGSMART camera backpack | Backpack | $ | Excellent | Light | 9/10 |
| Neewer ring light | Ring light & carry bag | $$ | Best | Bulky | 8.5/10 |
| QIAYA clip-on ring light | Mini ring light | $ | Excellent | Very light | 8.5/10 |
| Rode VideoMicro microphone | Microphone & deadcat | $ | Best | Very light | 9.5/10 |
| Camera tripod | $ | Proficient | Bulky | 7/10 | |
| SanDisk 128GB memory card | Memory card | $$ | Best | Very light | 9.5/10 |
| SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD | External hard drive | $$ | Best | Very light | 9.5/10 |
| Backup batteries for Canon | Batteries & charger | $ | Excellent | Very light | 9.5/10 |
| Backup batteries for Sony | Batteries & charger | $ | Excellent | Very light | 9.5/10 |
| Underwater smartphone cases | 4 cases | $ | Excellent | Very light | 9/10 |
1. Canon EOS Rebel SL3 DSLR Camera
First and foremost, this camera body is ideal for travelers who are just starting their travel photography journey and want to produce professional-level content on a major budget.
Pros of the Canon Rebel SL3 DSLR:
- Fantastic beginner camera body.
- Low price range.
- Excellent quality photos when you have the right lens and manual settings.
- Interchangeable lens option.
- Comes with a 18-55mm lens (perfect for beginners).
- Flip screen for vlogging and taking selfies.
I purchased the SL2 camera body version as a beginner and still use it to produce 99% of my professional content today, four years later.
Here is an example of a photo I have taken with the Canon Rebel SL2 body. (I’ll share more with the lenses later!)
2. Sony Alpha a6100 Mirrorless Camera
On the contrary, this camera is ideal for travelers who would like to take casual yet professional quality travel vlogs, B-roll and other travel videos.
Not only does it produce high-quality content, but it is also extremely lightweight, which is essential for travel vlogging.
Pros of the Sony Alpha a6100 Mirrorless Camera:
- Stellar photo and video quality.
- 4K video shooting capabilites.
- Great for low-light environments.
- Built-in lens has a great depth of field.
- Built-in lens is wide enough for vlogging and selfies.
- Flip screen for vlogging and selfies.
- Mirrorless feature makes it safer for travel.
- Impressively lightweight and small in size (again, great for vlogging).
I purchased and currently use this Sony Alpha for travel vlogs, quick photos, quick video and as a backup camera for my Canon.
3. DJI Mavic Air Drone Fly More Combo
Similar to the Canon Rebel SL3 body, this drone camera is perfect for beginner travel photographers who want to learn how to fly a drone and who want to take aerial travel photos.
I will say that the quality of the images are not quite as good as the bigger DJI drones; however, the first generation DJI Mavic Air is still a fantastic beginner-friendly, budget-friendly drone option.
Pros of the DJI Mavic Air Drone (Fly More Combo):
- Takes great aerial photos and video footage for a fraction of the price.
- Small, compact size is perfect for travel.
- Easy to learn.
- Quick to set-up.
- Fly More Combo comes with extra batteries, propellers, propeller guards and more.
- DJI is the leading drone company.
Here are two photo examples that I took with the original DJI Mavic Air.
4. Sigma 18-35mm F/1.8 Art DC HSM Lens For Canon
This wide angle lens is ideal for travelers who want to primarily capture landscape photos and/or get as much landscape in every shot as possible without any image distortion.
This lens is also a fantastic lens for travelers who want to venture into astrophotography and night sky shots.
Pros of the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 Art DC HSM Lens for Canon:
- Wide angle for landscape photos (18mm).
- More bokeh (background blur) with lower f-stop.
- Great in low-light environments.
- Excellent for portrait and macro (close-up) photography.
- Cheaper than the Canon version without losing the quality.
- Fits perfectly for the Canon EOS Rebel SL2 and SL3 lens mounts (EF/EF-S lens mounts).
You can learn even more about this lens and other travel-friendly Canon lenses here.
Here are two photo examples I took with the Canon Rebel body and this lens.
5. Sigma 35mm F/1.4 Art DG HSM Prime Lens For Canon
This 35mm prime lens (meaning, it does not zoom in or out) is ideal for travel portraits and when the photographer wants as much background blur as possible. Because it does not zoom, it produces much clearer, sharper images.
This lens is the easiest, quickest way to make your photos look more professional.
Pros of the Sigma 35mm F/1.4 Art DG HSM Prime Lens For Canon
- The best and fastest way to make your travel photos look 100x better.
- Prime lens (one focal mm length) gives you sharper, more clear travel photography.
- Wide angle for landscape photos.
- Even more bokeh (background blur) with lower f-stop.
- Near perfect in low-light environments.
- Great for astrophotography.
- Excellent for portrait and macro (close-up) photography.
- Cheaper than the Canon version without losing the quality.
- Fits perfectly for the Canon EOS Rebel SL2 and SL3 lens mounts (EF/EF-S lens mounts).
You can learn even more about this lens and other travel-friendly Canon lenses here.
Here are two photo examples I took with the Canon Rebel body and this prime lens.
6. Canon EF 75-300mm F/4-5.6 Telephoto Lens
Lastly for cheap travel camera lenses, this telephoto lens provides excellent zoom and background compression (making the backgrounds appear larger) capabilities.
It’s ideal for travel photos with mountains, as the background compression will make the mountains appear larger and more epic in the photos.
Likewise, it’s also ideal for travel photos that require a zoom, such as safaris or other animal photography.
Pros of the Canon EF 75-300mm F/4-5.6 Telephoto Lens:
- One of the cheapest telephoto lenses on the market, without losing quality.
- Perfect for photos and environments where you need to zoom in.
- Great bokeh (background blur) for this particular f-stop.
- Built-in image stabilization.
- Fits Canon EOS Rebel SL2 and SL3 DSLR camera bodies.
- Grade-A background compression when you want the background of a photo or video to appear larger or closer.
Again, you can learn more about this lens and other travel-friendly Canon lenses here.
Here are a couple example photos I took, with the intention of making the backgrounds look bigger, with the Canon Rebel body and this lens.
7. BAGSMART Camera Backpack (Cheap Travel Camera)
Pros of the BAGSMART Camera Backpack:
- Fits all of my camera equipment and laptop at once (everything listed here — drone included)!
- High quality for a low price.
- Side zipper for easy access to cameras.
- Anti-theft latching system for travel.
- Water resistant material and comes with a waterproof rain cover.
- Front is openable for easy TSA/airport security approval.
- Trendy style (looks good in photos).
- Padded laptop pouch on the back side.
- Holds a tripod on one side and a water bottle on the other.
- Adjustable padded inserts to fit all of your own camera gear.
- One of the best camera gear purchases I’ve ever made.
8. Neewer Ring Light
Pros of the 18”/43cm Neewer LED Ring Light:
- Professional quality lighting at a lower price.
- Gives you the perfect lighting for indoor photos, YouTube videos, IGTV videos, Instagram Reels, TikToks and virtual meetings.
- Comes with smartphone and camera tripod attachments.
- Quick set-up once you learn.
- Comes with a remote shutter release, white/orange lighting adjusters and a carrying case.
9. QIAYA Clip-On Ring Light (Cheap Travel Camera Gear)
Pros of the QIAYA Clip-On Ring Light:
- Pocket-size and convenient for travel.
- You can clip it on a smartphone camera or the flip screen of a DSLR/mirrorless camera.
- Ideal for vlogging, Instagram Stories, Instagram Reels and TikTok recording in dark or poorly lit environments.
- Several brightness levels.
- Rechargeable.
- Extremely affordable.
10. Rode VideoMicro Compact On-Camera Microphone
Pros of the Rode VideoMicro Compact On-Camera Microphone:
- Compact size is perfect for travel.
- Industry standard travel vlogging microphone.
- Comes with a fur windsock to prevent unwanted wind-sound.
- Easy camera connection.
11. Cheap Travel Camera Tripod
Pros of a camera tripod:
- Perfect for taking group travel photos or your own solo travel photos (using a remote shutter release).
- Keeps camera still for long exposure shots.
- Keeps camera in the same spot for different shots in the same location.
12. SanDisk 128GB Memory Card
Pros of the SanDisk 128GB Memory Card:
- Will hold hundreds of photos in RAW file format.
- Reasonably priced.
- I’ve personally never had an issue with losing files on SanDisk memory cards.
13. SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD External Hard Drive (Cheap Travel Camera Gear)
Pros of the SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD External Hard Drive:
- Remarkably small size that is ideal for travel (pocket/wallet-size).
- Extremely easy to dump photos off of memory cards while on the road.
14. Canon Back-Up Batteries (Homesuit LP E17 2-Battery and Charger Pack)
Pros of the Homesuit LP E17 2-Battery and Charger Pack for Canon Cameras:
- Back-up batteries are a necessity when you’re traveling. You definitely don’t want to run out of battery in the middle of a travel shoot!
- These are way cheaper than on-brand back-up batteries, without losing the quality.
15. Sony Back-Up Batteries (NP-FW50 LP 2-Battery and Charger Pack)
Pros of the NP-FW50 LP 2-Battery and Charger Pack for Sony Cameras:
- Comes with a car charger for when you’re on the road.
- Like the Canon back-up batteries, these Sony back-up batteries are a must-have for travel photo and video shoots.
- Again, these are way cheaper than purchasing back-up batteries through Sony.
16. Cheap Travel Camera Underwater Smartphone Case
Pros of these underwater smartphone cases:
- Allows you to take crystal clear underwater photos without a GoPro.
- A lot cheaper than a GoPro.
- Keeps water, sand and dirt away from your smartphone.
- Brightly colored so that you don’t lose your phone underwater.
- Comes with neck strap for extra safety.
- Floats in water.
17. DJI Osmo Mobile 3 Combo
Pros of the DJI Osmo Mobile 3 (Combo):
- Gives all smartphone video footage a smooth, buttery, stabilized look.
- Compatible with all smartphones.
- Allows you to take professionally produced-looking video footage for YouTube, IGTV, TikTok, Reels, Stories, etc. using your smartphone camera.
- Comes with a mini tripod and protective case.
18. Adobe Photography Plan (Photoshop and Lightroom bundle)
Pros of the Adobe Photography Plan (Photoshop and Lightroom bundle):
- Both Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop are the industry standard photo editing softwares.
- You receive a discounted price for the 12-month subscription bundle (less than $10 per month)!
- Both are absolutely non-negotiable if you truly want to produce better visual content.
- Both softwares are accessible on desktop devices. Access to the Adobe Lightroom app is also included in the bundle.
Have any questions about this cheap travel camera gear? Ask by leaving a reply below or sending me a message on Instagram. I’m here to help!
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