Which Sony Compact Camera is Best for Travel Photography?

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Which Sony Compact Camera is Best for Travel Photography image

I usually shoot a DSLR or a mirrorless camera for my professional work and will often use one of those for my personal and fun photography as well. Sometimes, though, I want a smaller camera and less other stuff to carry around, such as when traveling other than for work. But I still want high-quality images.

A Sony compact camera is a great solution. Very compact and with a single lens built-in to the camera, these are very convenient. The image quality is superb with their larger sensors compared to many point & shoot (P&S) style cameras and excellent lenses. As a bonus, they also have high-quality video modes.

I found the examples of Sony compact cameras I’ll present to you at MPB. They are my favorite online platform for fantastic deals on the latest and older photography equipment, including camera bodies, lenses, video gear, and accessories. And with options to buy, sell, or trade your gear with MPB, you have plenty of ways to update your camera, lenses, and accessories.

After showcasing my Good, Better, and Best Sony compact camera options, I’ll highlight why I love shopping for cameras, lenses, and other equipment at MPB - and why you should be shopping there too!

What to Look for In a Sony Compact Camera

What to Look for In a Sony Compact Camera image

What do I look for in a Sony compact camera for travel or fun? I check out three basic things, sensor size, lens quality, and adjustable controls. You might think those are pretty sophisticated things to ask for in a P&S-style camera, but Sony compact cameras are made for sophisticated photographers like you and me.

These three Sony compact cameras each use a 20MB 1” Type sensor for imaging. A 1” Type sensor is significantly larger than many of the P&S camera’s sensors, such as the 1 /2.3” type. Sony’s 1” Type sensor measures 8.8mm X 13.2mm while the smaller average P&S sensor is only 4.7mm X 6.3mm, making the 1” Type almost four times larger in area.

common sensor sizes in digital photography image

The graphic above shows the common sensor sizes in digital photography compared. A 1” Type sensor is also the sensor size used in many advanced and prosumer level 4K capable video camcorders, of which Sony is a premier manufacturer. In other words, there are really good sensors in these Sony compact camera options.

All three of my choices for Sony compact cameras sport Carl Zeiss optics, Zeiss lenses are world renowned (for over 150 years) for optical excellence. Also, each camera has exposure and focus modes from fully automatic to completely manual and can record still images in RAW and JPEG file formats.

Good Sony Compact Camera - RX 100

Sony Cyber shot RX100 image

In our Good slot for Sony compact cameras is the original Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 compact zoom camera introduced in 2012. It is built around a 20MB 1” Type sensor and a 10.4-37.1 f/1.8-4.9 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* zoom lens equivalent to 28-100mm in Full Frame format.

It has a durable metal body chassis, Sony Steady-Shot image stabilization, records video in 180p resolution, ISO 125-6400 expandable to 25,600. It is one of the most compact of this advanced P&S or bridge camera style and has an easy-to-use back panel and lens ring control inputs for adjusting modes, exposures, and focusing.

Since it’s an over ten-year-old camera, the pricing is extremely favorable. I found examples on MPB ranging from around $234 Excellent condition to $284 Like New condition, all having the MPB 6-month warranty.

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Better Sony Compact Camera - ZV-1

Sony ZV 1 image

A newer camera (introduced in 2020) from Sony as our Better option for Sony compact cameras is the Sony ZV-1 vlogging-friendly camera. I found examples on MPB for as low as $524 in Like New condition or $484 in Excellent condition.

Part of what makes this Sony compact camera land in our Better slot is the 4K video recording. Z-V1 has oversampled 4K video and Full HD to 120 fps. It supports HLG and S-Log2/3 for easier color grading and has a vlogger-friendly, fully articulating touchscreen display.

A Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 9.4-25.7mm f/1.8-2.8 zoom lens gives a Full Frame equivalent of a 24-70mm lens. It has a high-capacity built-in mic and jacks for external mic and headphones. Still imaging files include RAW and JPEG, and it has an ISO range of 125 to 12,800, though the high ISO is a little noisy.

Best Sony Compact Camera - RX 10 Mark III

Sony Cyber Shot RX 10 Mark III image

Firmly in my Best slot for Sony compact camera for fun and travel is the Sony Cyber-Shot RX 10 Mark III camera with Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 8.8-220mm f/2.4-4.0 built-in zoom lens. A true bridge camera design, the large zoom lens is a Full Frame equivalent of a 24-600mm lens.

Introduced in 2016, I found samples from MPB in Like New condition for $889 and as low as $794 in Excellent condition. With that wide and long of a range in the zoom lens, there’s hardly any situation this camera would fall short of handling.

Like the other two Sony compact cameras in this list, it has extremely accurate metering with exposure modes encompassing everything from fully manual to completely automatic and everything in between. This camera also records 4K video, has an ISO range of 64 to 25,600, and has an articulating view screen.

Watch this YouTube video from David Manning describing why he also thinks the Sony RX 100 Mark III is the best travel camera.

Though it’s the largest and heaviest Sony compact camera on my list, it is still much smaller and lighter than having an interchangeable lens camera with equivalent lenses. It's truly a great choice of a Sony compact camera for fun and travel.

Other Sony Compact Cameras for Travel

Sony Cyber Shot RX 100 Mark VII image

If you want to know what other options for Sony compact cameras exist, check out what MPB has in stock, such as the latest Sony Cyber-Shot RX 100 Mark VII, available for $1079 in Like New condition.

Fans of small interchangeable lens cameras might like the APS-C format Sony Alpha A6500 camera with the Sony E PZ 18-105mm f/4.0 G OSS zoom lens. In Full Frame format, look at the Sony Alpha A7C camera body with Sony FE 24-105mm f/4.0 G OSS zoom lens.

Where to Buy Your Sony Compact Camera

Where to Buy Your Sony Compact Camera image

MPB is a trustworthy and reliable online platform selling all sorts of used photo and video gear at amazing prices. Buying big-ticket items such as cameras and lenses as pre-owned gear can save you a lot of money for your photography gear budget.

MPB’s cameras, lenses, and other equipment are meticulously hand-inspected by highly-trained product specialists and backed by a six-month warranty and seven-day return/exchange window.

The product descriptions and conditions are clearly listed for each item, so you know exactly what you’re getting. This allows you to make your purchases confidently and worry-free.

I have bought, sold, and traded countless pieces of photography gear throughout the years using MPB’s easy-to-use online platform, and I have never been disappointed by the results. You can trust MPB for your next purchase of a Sony compact camera for travel and fun, just as I have many times before for all sorts of photography gear!