The first consideration is how much you enjoy photography. If you basically only take photos on your vacation travels and holidays, a point-and-shoot camera ranging in price from $70 to $150 will suffice.  There are a profusion of brands and models.  Choose one that is simple to operate and easy to grasp in a couple of days.

Almost all of the pictures we post on this website, as well as most of the photos on our social media links were shot with my TG-3. Olympus has recently released a new model, the TG-4.   Has anyone tried it yet?

What subjects do you like to shoot? If your answer is sports or wildlife, be sure to get a camera that can shoot in rapid bursts (at least 10 frames per second).  It should also have a sufficiently fast shutter speed to stop the action, combined with good light sensitivity, which will largely be controlled by your choice of lens (ideally about 2.5 – 4.0).

Lenses run from about $299 to almost $20,000 (not a typo!). Unless Canon comes out with a better model in the next year or so, the 7D Mark ii will be my next purchase. I’m sold on it.  Disclosure: no compensation from Canon could make me say this if it was not true.  I do not receive anything for this recommendation.  I just love the camera.

With so many camera options to choose from—point and shoot, DSLR (digital single lens reflex,) phone cams and others—good vacation photos become very confusing. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Which is best suited for your vacation photos?  Unfortunately, only you can answer that question.  There is no one right answer.  Here are some simple considerations to help you narrow your choices.

There are even a number of models that can be used up to 50 feet underwater, which is fabulous if you swim, snorkel or dive. This actually describes my current camera – an Olympus TG-3.  It takes beautiful photos without any major training or poring over instructions.  It also has many more capabilities!  It takes great underwater photos, beautiful night shots, and has so many settings that it has taken me a year of tinkering to really get a solid understanding of the features of this camera.

If you are a true minimalist as far as carrying and caring for equipment, a camera phone with video might be an ideal solution for you. Some folks claim that camera phones are as good as dedicated cameras. As a general statement, I have not found this to be true.  But then, I have not tried every camera phone either.  The yellow lab on the left was shot with an iPhone 6s.  What do you think?  Let us know.

One of the best DSLR cameras on the market in the non-professional space is a Canon EOS 7D Mark ii. It is the choice of wildlife biologist photographers and folks with children or grandkids in sports.  It is NOT cheap.  The body alone, without a lens, can range from $1,399 to $1,799.  In addition, you must choose the best Canon lens you can afford to capture animals and athletes in low-light, fast-motion conditions.

I can’t cover every camera make and model out there in a short post. However, one key consideration overrides all equipment concerns.  That is the development of a good photographer’s eye.  An experienced photographer can get a great shot with the most inexpensive of cameras because she has mastered the artistic aspects of framing and composing shots, balancing light and color, positive and negative space, and the value of a simple, uncluttered approach from a unique angle.

The 2 pix at left were taken with the same camera, but the lower (vertical) shot was by a good friend and great photographer, B.J. (Jill) Quan.  Her work is fabulous.  Note how the same subject is more interesting and engaging.  That, my friends, is the photographer’s eye, for which there is no substitute.