Having a compact camera that provides great quality is ideal when it comes to using a camera on a bikepacking or bike touring trip. But which camera you get does depend on what your requirements are.
I love sharing my bike adventures with my audience on YouTube on my channel. And it is my dream to continue travelling the world by bicycle and sharing my adventures. As I often use my camera everyday it gets a lot of use. For me I need a camera that stands up to the daily abuse I put it under when touring.
Maybe you don’t need a camera to vlog everyday of your life and are just looking for something that is going to capture some video and photos of your pictures, so you can capture those memories.
Many of these cameras in this post will be more then enough for those needs. These are the cameras that other bike travellers use and recommend.
My filter if you like, for choosing the cameras for this list, had to be that they were compact or small enough in body size, so that they are able to be stowed away in your pocket or handlebar bag. And easily retrieved for when you need to capture that moment quickly while pedalling.
I have used many different camera for my bike touring and bikepacking adventures. I feel I have some idea as to which are better for bike adventures compared to others. But my personal favourite and the camera I use at the moment for recording my adventures to put on YouTube is the Canon G7X.
- Canon G7X
- Sony RX100 IV
- Panasonic Lumix G9
- Olympus Mirrorless OM-D 10 MkII
- Insta 360 One X Action Camera
- FujiFilm X-Pro2
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-T55
- Olympus Tough TG6
- GoPro Hero 7 Black
- Canon SX740HS
- Panasonic DC-LX100 II
- Sony a6000
- DJI Mavic Air
- DJI Spark
Canon G7X
The G7X camera line is a powerhouse group of compact cameras, that produce some quality images and video. The camera I have is the G7X first edition. Since then Canon have made a Mark II and they just released the new G7X Mark III which I cannot wait to get my hands on.
This camera is great if you want to use it for vlogging and shooting video of yourself talking and giving ‘talking head’, narration. As it has the flip facing screen which allows you to see yourself in frame and in focus so your are not filming blind.
One of the new updates with the Mark III is that Canon have introduced a Mic port. Which for those who create videos is amazing. Audio is everything when it comes to filming videos, now that we have the ability to connect a external mic directly to the camera is a great touch. Better audio means better videos.
Much of the Mark III body and lens if very similar to the previous Mark II. However, the updated sensor for fast shooting and uncropped 4k video are some updates. It also has the ability to live stream straight to YouTube too.
The Mark II and Mark III have a body update compare to the first G7X with a finger grip design compared to the flat face of the first G7X. There have been some recent problems with the Mark III and its auto focus but Canon did release a firmware update that fixes this problem. This resulted in terrible reviews, I was considering not getting it because of such the poor auto focus out of the box. But it is comforting to know that Canon have a update which is said to fix this problem.
Overall for the size of the camera and my experience with the G7X it is a great option if you want great quality, almost similar to a DLSR but without the bulky body. They ability o whip out the camera from your pocket and capture that moment without delay is critical for me and many other when bike touring.
Sony RX100 IV
This Sony camera as you can probably tell is very similar to the G7X as they are competitive cameras. With a very similar design. The main difference with this camera is that it has 4K video capabilities. If you are one for shooting some very crisp video footage this might be a better option then the G7X. For me personally 4K would be a mess for my current Macbook air 2013 that I use to edit my videos on, as it takes a whole lot longer to render videos and 4K would slow it down considerably. And I don’t mind the 1080 HD it looks nice enough for my YouTube videos.
The auto focus on this camera is very fast and takes photos quickly when you click the button, which always helps when you need to capture those moments quickly while riding.
You can film with up to 920 fps which is way to slow, and you would be better of using the setting down for nice slow motion shots. This camera does have a pop up electronic view finder. Which the G7X does not but they both do have the pop up flash. You need to make sure if you get this camera that only some SD cards will work with the 4K.
But overall it is tough camera and works great a bicycle tour, my bike travelling friend had one and he used it for daily vlogging in Japan, and it held up very well.
Panasonic Lumix G9
This is a bit bigger of a camera compared to the first two mentioned. They are design for hiding away in your pocket which is great for bike touring. But then again sometimes I don’t really like having anything in my pockets while riding. And that brings me to the other storage option for this camera.
As it is bigger it will fit in most large traditional touring handlebar bags with not problems. It is on the boarder of being to big like a DLSR to practically use while bike touring. But just for example Alee from Cyclingabout.com uses this camera and he produces some amazing videos on YouTube that are very stunning. It is a Mirrorless 20 MP camera, that has a nice shaped body that is great to handle and the durability is said to be fantastic.
Olympus Mirrorless OM-D 10 MkII
Another Mirrorless camera option is the Olympus. It is a rather small camera considering it has a view finder built in. This camera has 4K video, touch screen. The thing that people like about this camera is its ability to create beautiful images quickly and easily. Some people say that the battery life is not the most longest lasting. But as a rule of thumb when bike touring it is a good idea to take multiple charged batteries.
Insta 360 One X Action Camera
This is a exciting camera that I am thinking about getting. To add to the variety of camera shots for my bike travel videos. It shoots, as the name suggests, 360 degree video. Producing stunning 5.7K video or 18MP photo. It has incredible image stabilisation, thanks to the FlowState which keeps shots steady. This is perfect for when getting those epic riding shots. At times I find my camera to be a bit shaky and impact the overall video quality and viewer experience.
I love how the camera creates this ‘invisible self stick’ view. Through the technology of this camera is gives you that third person view. As filming or even taking photos of yourself while you are riding is often time consuming and exhausting when you stop, set up your camera on its tripod, ride back and then ride past the camera to get the shot, then drop your bike, go run back for your camera and back to the bike, to then pack up the tripod and keep riding again. Wow, that was exhausting just talking bout it! With this camera you can get shots of you while you are riding without stopping to set up your camera, this would be a game changer for me.
FujiFilm X-Pro2
Is a great photographers camera as it allows for some great pictures for those who love to capture beauty of all the places the love exploring. This camera delivers a new level of X Series photo quality by combining the brand new X-Trans CMOS III sensor and X-Processor Pro engine.
The X-Pro2 is the only interchangeable lens camera in the world featuring a Hybrid Viewfinder system that incorporates both optical and electric viewfinders. It is also a small enough body camera that takes some nice photos that you can carry easily with you on a bike tour.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-T55
Maybe waterproofing is up there in your considerations for a bike touring camera. Much like most of your gear, it is best if it is waterproof. This camera is one of the best choices when it comes to a waterproof camera. Offering waterproof performance up or should I say down to 13 Metres or 43 foot.
It is definitely one of the most tough cameras, it build and design is best for touring being able to stand up to the demands of bike touring. One of the cool features of this camera is the torch light that would be handy when shooting in the dark.
Olympus Tough TG6
If you are looking for another tough camera as the name suggests this might be another good option for you. My G7X did not keep up physically as I did drop it on a bike tour and damaged the outer shape of the lens. This camera would stand up to such clumsiness on my behalf and even more.
It is as about tough as a compact digital camera can be; waterproof to 15m, shockproof to 2.1m, as well as being dust, crush and freezeproof. That is 2 more metres then the previous camera for waterproof performance.
If you plan to go on some epic bike travelling expeditions to the corners of the earth. Where you are pushing yourself to the limit, this is the camera you want by your side to capture those exhilarating moments for you.
GoPro Hero 7 Black
The GoPro is a combination of both rugged and waterproof. With the waterproof performance up to 10 M. It also gives you exceptional 4K video quality too. It is a very popular action camera option, perfect for getting those helmet position clips and photos.
The thing I probably like most about this camera is how small it is. Only weighing 116 grams with body dimensions of 62.3 mm x 44.9 mm. With hyper smooth video stabilisation built in. It is all you could want in a camera for bike touring and bikepacking adventures. It is defiantly on my list of gear I will be upgrading to.
Canon SX740HS
This camera could be the budget vlogger camera option. With the ability to fold the camera to a front facing position to get yourself in frame for narrative filming. Very comparable to the G7X but it comes in at $399 on Amazon.
You get the option to film your adventures in 4K video and time-lapse. The 40x optical zoom allows you to zoom in to those far distances at pin sharp detail and 80x zoom plus; the equivalent to a 24 mm – 960 mm focal length. And it is all pocket sized much like the G7X.
Panasonic DC-LX100 II
This camera is a bike travel photographers dream. It has a large 4/3 inch sensor and F1.7-2.8 LEICA DC Len for breathtaking photos quality. It gives you the option to use manual settings for creative expression. The camera comes with 4K for stunning still photography and videos.
Sony a6000
The Sony a6000 is a superb 24-MP quality camera, that comes with quick autofocus. And it is very portable for bikepacking. This is another camera that I am really considering upgrading from my G7X.
The camera also comes with an OLED Tru-Finder™, manual controls and a range of lenses for a superior alternative to bulky DSLRs. There is no real need to go out and get a DSLR as this essentially does the same but in a smaller body. If you are looking at a DSLR but wondering how you will use it on a bike tour, this might be your best alternative.
DJI Mavic Air
The last two ‘cameras’ are drones. lets start with the Mavic Air this is a newer drone compared to my Spark with I also recommend below this drone. The Mavic Air is a foldable 4K drone, that provides 21 minute max flight time. Honestly I should have waited on getting the Spark until this drone came out. As it is a smaller drone compared to the Mavic Pro with still some decent video quality.
DJI Spark
The Spark is such a small drone which is what I love the most about it. Comparing to my Phantom 3 this thing is so small. Which is the best for bike touring and even bikepacking, as it packs away very small for a drone. The downside if you want to call it that, is that it only shoots in 1080p. But considering all my video footage is in 1080 it works for me.
As it is a smaller drone it has a max 16 minute flight time, you will need extra batteries if you want to power this drone for a bikepacking adventure.
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