Nowadays there鈥檚 no such thing as a bad digital camera. The iPhone you have in your pocket takes stunning images and every single mirrorless or DSLR being released by the major brands is capable of capturing images that could land on the cover of 国产吃瓜黑料.

But with great choices come hard decisions. The camera market is so crowded you鈥檒l have to do some research to find the model that includes the specific features you want鈥攂e that amazing autofocus, enormous file size, or an affordable price. We鈥檝e put together a list of the new mirrorless cameras that stood out during our testing to provide a starting point.

Updated March 2025: We’ve added a new top pick from Canon and a splurge pick from Leica. Prices and info have been updated for 2025.

At a Glance

• Best Overall:
• Best Value:
• Simplest:
• Splurge:
• Frequently Asked Questions
• How We Test Every Camera

Best Overall

Canon EOS R5 Mark II

Weight: 1.3 lbs (body only)
Size: 5.45鈥� x 3.87鈥� x 3.48″
Sensor: 45 megapixel full-frame stacked BSI CMOS sensor

Pros and Cons
鈯� Ultra-fast frame rate
鈯� Great autofocus
鈯� Compact body
鈯� Not the prettiest

It鈥檚 been a decade since Canon launched a camera as game-changing as their 2005 compact, affordable, yet fully-featured 5D DSLR, but the new R5 Mark II promises to have a similar impact in the mirrorless category. Thanks to a smart balance of size and specs, the R5 Mark II is bound to have a longer-than-normal shelf life with pro and amateur photographers alike.

The R5 Mark II鈥檚 appeal centers on three main things: a compact and easy-to-carry camera body, a 45MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS sensor that allows the camera to capture up to 30 frames per second (fps), and high-powered autofocus.

The croissant-sized camera body weighs just 20.7 ounces, making it a great choice for those who prioritize moving lightly on outdoor adventures. In the frames-per-second game, 30 is 10 more than you get with similar cameras like the Nikon Z8, and more than enough to capture a skier streaking past in a high-g turn or a cyclist ripping down a descent. And with an 眉ber-smart autofocus that uses machine learning to help shooters easily lock on and track a variety of different subjects, I was almost guaranteed to nail the shot every single time

The R5 Mark II doesn鈥檛 produce the same image quality as the Sony A7RV (the most resolution-packed mirrorless camera on the market). But the Sony files are a pain to store because they take up so much hard drive space, making them too big for 90 percent of shooters, even the pros. Canon opted for a more reasonable file size, that can still produce images that are high-quality enough to grace magazine covers and gallery walls.

One niggle is that the Canon camera body, compared to those from Nikon and Sony, is not as pretty to look at. But in the end, who cares when it produces beautiful photos?

Best Value

Sony A7CII

Weight: 15.1 oz (body only)
Size: 4.9鈥� x 2.8鈥� x 2.5鈥�
Sensor: 33-megapixel full-frame Exmor R BSI

Pros and Cons
鈯� Small
鈯� Full-frame sensor
鈯� Fair price
鈯� No auto-focus joystick
鈯� Not ergonomic with Sony鈥檚 largest zoom lenses

The Sony A7CII is our top pick because it鈥檚 small but mighty and the best option for those of us who like to adventure. At just over a pound and about as thick as three iPhones stacked together, it鈥檚 travel friendly and comes with a giant full-frame sensor that captures 33-megapixel images, advanced auto-focus, and interchangeable lenses. In short, it鈥檚 a pro-level camera that鈥檚 significantly better than any current phone camera (or any phone camera we鈥檒l likely see in the next five years).

The interchangeable lenses you can use on the A7CII add bulk and weight, but Sony makes two that are the perfect add-on. Less than three inches long and about the diameter of a paper-towel tube, they鈥檙e much smaller than most standard lenses but fast enough to capture great photos in low light, wide enough for landscapes yet not too wide for portraits, and built with high-quality glass so it produces tack-sharp images

This camera is best for those who primarily want to shoot photos; but if you want to shoot video, you get beautiful 4K footage and incredible image stabilization for handheld shooting.

The A7CII costs $2,198 and the 35 millimeter f1.8 lens adds another $748, which brings the total to just shy of $3,000 for the basic setup. That may seem high, but it鈥檚 in the ballpark for a pro-level, full-frame camera that has the chops to shoot everything from action to landscapes.

Read our full review of the Sony AC7II here

Simplest

Fujifilm X100VI

Weight: 1.15 lbs
Size: 5鈥� x 2.9鈥� x 2.2″
Sensor: 40.2-megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS 5 HR

Pros and Cons
鈯� Easy to transport
鈯� Simple to use
鈯� Rich photos
鈯� No interchangeable lenses
鈯� Not a full-frame sensor

The X110VI won a spot on this list for three reasons: it鈥檚 small, relatively simple, and captures gorgeous images. About the size of three iPhones stacked together, the camera weighs just 1.1 pounds so backpackers, bikepackers, hikers, skiers, or anyone who鈥檚 moving fast won鈥檛 feel weighed down. You won鈥檛 want to pack it in a running vest, but the camera is certainly small enough to fit in your daypack, or even the chest pocket of your ski shell.

Some photographers will chafe at the idea of not having interchangeable lenses, but we love the simplicity of this camera. With just one, high-quality 23mm f/2 (35mm equivalent) lens to work with, you鈥檙e forced to be a more creative photographer. If you want to zoom in, you鈥檒l need to walk closer. Need to capture a landscape? Back up or climb a hill. The 35mm focal length isn鈥檛 perfect for portraits, but it doesn鈥檛 distort the subject and can be made to work if you鈥檙e careful about your framing.

Why not just pack your iPhone 15 Pro (or newer) since it鈥檚 also portable and actually has three lenses? Because the X100VI is a camera (versus a phone with a built-in camera), Fujifilm is able to pack in a significantly bigger sensor (40.2 megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS 5 HR) compared to what you get with an iPhone. That bigger sensor drinks in more light and therefore creates more detailed photos and also does better in low-light situations.

The X100V isn鈥檛 as powerful as a full-frame Sony or Canon camera, but it鈥檚 the perfect travel-sized option that captures better quality photos than an iPhone.

Splurge

Leica Q3 43

Weight: 1.5 lbs (body only)
Size: 5.12鈥� 脳 3.15鈥� 脳 3.62鈥�
Sensor: 60.3 megapixel full-frame CMOS

Pros and Cons
鈯� Sleek
鈯� Ultra-sharp glass
鈯� Indestructible
鈯� Expensive
鈯� Limited in its uses

I let out a guffaw when I first heard the price for this camera. For $7,000, you can buy two Sony A7CIIs and several high-quality Sony lenses or one Canon R5 Mark II and a suite of their top-shelf lenses. So why the hell would you throw down $7,000 for one camera and one fixed lens? Because it鈥檚 a Leica.

Despite the outrageous price tag, Leica has a strong hold on me for two main reasons.

First, the brand has an incredibly storied past. Photographers toting Leicas have shot many of the world鈥檚 most important photos like the shot of the young girl fleeing a napalm attack in Vietnam, the iconic portrait of Che Guevara that鈥檚 on T-shirts and pins worldwide, and that rainy day photo of James Dean walking through Times Square. This history gives Leica more street cred than any other camera company and makes photographers want to use one in hopes that they, too, can one day shoot a photo that counts.

Second, Leica makes a damn nice and beautifully simple camera. It starts with the ultra-sharp glass, making the photos produced by the f/2 43mm lens on the Q3 crisper than those shot by a Nikon, Canon, or Sony. A fixed 43mm lens might be a little long for people who are used to fixed 28mm or 35mm lenses, but it鈥檚 great for portraits and street photography and still wide enough to capture a crowd or a landscape.

The Q3鈥檚 lens is matched to an ultra-high-res 60-megapixel full-frame sensor that shines in low light and produces rich images that look as good on Instagram as they do on your wall. Instead of a host of buttons and dials on the top of the camera, the Q3 controls are paired down and the camera features far fewer custom options. This is intentional because the camera is not designed for shooting Premier League soccer, but instead is meant to be toted along on your trek through the Alps or into the streets of New York City.

Many photographers have film Leicas that are decades old and still work great because of their unmatched build quality. The Q3 is no different thanks to an all-metal outer that will put up with drops, scrapes, bumps, and anything else you can throw at it during your adventures.

The Q3 might be compared to other pieces of high-end outdoor equipment like a carbon-plated running shoe, an ultra-light camping tent, or a set of all-terrain tires. These pieces of gear are not for everyone, should not be used in every instance, and cost a lot more money than other options. But for people who use these specialty pieces of gear for their intended purpose, they make a real difference.

Frequently Asked Questions

What鈥檚 the Difference Between DSLR and Mirrorless Cameras?

A DSLR has a mirror inside the camera body that reflects the light coming through the lens and shoots it up to the viewfinder. When the shutter button is pressed, the mirror moves out of the way to let the light from the lens hit the digital sensor.

In a mirrorless camera there is no mirror, so the image you see through the viewfinder is electronically generated and the light goes straight from the lens to the sensor.

Which Is Better鈥擠SLR or Mirrorless?

You could spend a week combing through threads about whether DSLRs or mirrorless cameras are better, but the short answer is this: mirrorless cameras are the future and that鈥檚 where you should spend your money.

Some people like that the viewfinder on a DSLR is optical, not digital, but the digital viewfinders these days are so good that you鈥檒l never have any problems. Some people like the larger form factor of DSLRs when handling big lenses, but it鈥檚 easy to add an extra grip to a mirrorless that makes these smaller cameras just as easy to handle.

The advantages of the mirrorless camera, on the other hand, are numerous and growing. They鈥檙e smaller to start because there is no mirror, and therefore easier to transport on adventures. You can also shoot silently, since there鈥檚 no mirror moving around, which is an advantage in situations where you鈥檙e capturing wildlife or other sensitive scenes.

There used to be more lenses for DSLR cameras, but all the major companies now have a full line of high-quality mirrorless lenses, and the prices have also come down so you can easily find affordable but high-quality mirrorless cameras these days

How Much Does a Decent Camera Cost?

You should plan on spending at least $2,000 for the body. That gets you a pro-level camera that uses interchangeable lenses and comes with all the best features, like a full-frame sensor and high-quality autofocus. If you can make the jump to $3,000, you get even better resolution and all the new autofocus features that make shooting sports a breeze.

What Are Key Features to Look For?

If you鈥檙e going to invest in a mirrorless camera, get a full-frame sensor. These large sensors have incredible resolution and great low-light performance. From there you鈥檒l need to decide what kind of photographs you want to make.

Shooting sports? Go for a mirrorless camera that has a really high frame rate and all the newest autofocus technology. More focused on landscapes and portraiture? Go for a camera that shoots high-resolution or high-megapixel images.

How We Test

• Number of cameras tested: 10
• Number of testers: 5
• Number of pictures taken: 70,000 +
• Hours spent figuring out each camera: Over 50 hours total

You鈥檝e probably heard the term 鈥渃amera geek.鈥� I bring this up because our tester pool was full of digital nerds. All the testers are former or working photojournalists who鈥檝e followed camera development for the past 20 years and love to geek out on new specs and features. They spend hours debating which camera is the best overall, which is the best for sports, which is the best for portraits, and love to argue about where the technology is going next.

All this enthusiasm made our job easy because we just had to distribute the cameras and let them go crazy. For this test, the cameras traveled all over the United States and Europe and captured everything from bike races to beach vacations.

What made a camera rise to the top of our test was a blend of performance and usability. Our testers looked for cameras that performed, whether that was accurate autofocus or great low light captures, and then also gave notes on how easy it was to get the camera to do what you asked. Were the dials in a convenient place? Was it easy to hold the cameras with a larger lenses? Did the camera bog you down on longer adventures? To be honest, the final decisions were quite hard but these were our clear favorites.

Meet Our Lead Tester

Before Jakob Schiller was a columnist at 国产吃瓜黑料 he spent almost a decade working as a photojournalist at newspapers around the country. He鈥檚 old enough to have shot film, but since the rise of the digital camera, has taken well over 1,000,000 photos on various DSLRs and smartphones. He loves photography because it facilitates adventure and captures important historical moments, but he鈥檚 also a tech lover and can geek out with the best of them about things like resolution, autofocus, and shadow detail.

The post Our 4 Favorite Mirrorless Cameras for 国产吃瓜黑料rs and Travel Junkies appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

When asked which camera takes the best photos, professional photographers like to quip that 鈥渢he best camera is the one you have with you.鈥� It鈥檚 a tongue-in-cheek way of saying that you should never worry too much about your gear. Use whatever you have, then do the work to find, frame, and capture a high-quality photo. The photographer matters more than the camera.

That mantra has become easier to follow now that we all have high-powered cameras in our pockets thanks to companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung. I鈥檝e been blown away by the camera in the new iPhone 15 and think that we鈥檝e finally reached a point where camera phones can produce images that we鈥檇 be happy to print and hang on our wall (a true test of image quality).

That said, I鈥檒l eat my hat if Apple ever finds a way to make an iPhone that鈥檚 just as good, in every way, as a pro-level digital camera. Because phones are designed to be more than just cameras, they have to compromise, allowing companies like Sony, Nikon, Canon, Fuji, and Leica to still make a significantly superior product.

Case in point is the new . It鈥檚 smaller than a traditional mirrorless camera鈥攊t weighs just over a pound and is about as thick as three iPhones stacked together鈥攑laying on the trend that people want something that鈥檚 easy to travel with. Yet the small size doesn鈥檛 limit its functionality: You still get a giant full-frame sensor, advanced auto-focus, and interchangeable lenses, making it a pro-level option that鈥檚 significantly better than any current phone, or any phone we鈥檒l likely see in the next five years.

See how it stacks up against our other favorite mirrorless cameras

Sony A7CII

Specifications

• Price: $2,198
• ISO range: 50-204800
• Weight: 15.1 oz (body only)
• Size: 4.9 x 2.8 x 2.5 inches
• Sensor: 33-megapixel full-frame Exmor R back-illuminated CMOS

Pros and Cons
鈯� Small and light
鈯� Comes with a full-frame sensor that performs well in low light
鈯� Works with all of Sony鈥檚 high-quality E-mount lenses
鈯� Fairly priced
鈯� No auto-focus joystick
鈯� Does not match ergonomically with Sony鈥檚 largest zoom lenses

All gear in this guide was tested by multiple reviewers. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

Review: Sony A7CII Mirrorless Camera

After testing the A7CII alongside many other newly-released full-frame digital cameras, I think it鈥檚 the best camera on the market for those of us who like to adventure. Weight and size matter on an all-day hike, multi-day ski tour, or when you want to haul a camera along on a 100-mile road ride, and the A7CII is small and light enough to never really bog you down or get in the way.

The interchangeable lenses you can use on the A7CII add bulk and weight, but Sony makes two that are the perfect add-on. Less than three inches long and about the diameter of a paper-towel tube, they鈥檙e much smaller than most standard lenses but fast enough to capture great photos in low light, wide enough for landscapes yet not too wide for portraits, and built with high-quality glass to produce tack-sharp images when paired with the well-tuned sensor on the camera (more on that later).

Because the A7CII is a full-frame camera, it works with Sony鈥檚 entire line of E-mount lenses. If you鈥檙e a birder and want to save a little weight on the camera but still bring along a 70-200 millimeter f/2.8鈥攐r heck, even the new 300 millimeter f/2.8鈥攜ou鈥檇 be more than happy with the image quality. The ergonomics of holding a big lens matched to a small camera are not ideal, but doable if that鈥檚 where you land.

The full-frame sensor on the A7CII captures 33-megapixel images that are plenty big and detailed enough to produce stunning prints or magazine covers, but not so big that you鈥檒l fill up unnecessary space on your hard drive. Like all Sony full-frame sensors, this one offers a wide dynamic range, so you can always go into Adobe Lightroom and tone down the highlights and pull out the shadows to create a balanced image, even when you鈥檙e shooting in lousy light.

For travel and adventure photographers who are shooting on the go and almost never bring along any external lights, knowing that you鈥檒l always get a usable鈥攊f not absolutely gorgeous鈥攊mage takes away the stress and allows you to focus on your framing and the moment.

One big update on the A7CII is a front adjustment dial that sits just below the shutter button. It鈥檚 an important addition to the A7CII because that dial allows you to quickly and easily adjust your shutter or your aperture if you鈥檙e shooting in shutter or aperture priority mode. If you want to shoot manually, there鈥檚 another dial on the back of the camera where your thumb sits so you can control aperture and shutter speed at the same time.

The only ergonomic drawback, one that I admittedly had to get used to, is the lack of an autofocus joystick. On Sony鈥檚 larger cameras, like the A7RV, there鈥檚 a small joystick that sits in the upper righthand corner on the back of the camera which easily allows your thumb to move the spot focus point around. I love that joystick because I can quickly, with just a flick of my thumb, tell the camera exactly where to focus, be that in the middle of the frame, down at the bottom, or in an upper corner.

The workaround on the A7CII is to turn the rear dial into your joystick. Ergonomically, this works fine because it鈥檚 easy to press the dial up, down, or side to side to move the focus point. The downside to this is that it requires reprogramming the standard setting.

When you get the camera out of the box, the rear dial is set up to allow you to change your frame rate (how many photos the camera takes when you hold down the shutter) and ISO. If you reprogram the rear dial to act as your autofocus joystick, as I did, you lose the ability to change frame rate and ISO quickly. These features can be changed otherways, but it鈥檚 a little more difficult. Side note: the A7CII shoots up to ten frames per second, which is plenty for capturing high-octane action shots.

Some photographers will not turn the dial into the autofocus select mechanism because the A7CII has phenomenal autofocus tracking. You can tell the camera to latch onto a subject by aiming the focus on the human, animal, insect, or even a car or a plane you want to track, and then half-pressing the shutter. The camera then tracks that subject no matter where it moves in frame, negating the need to manually move your autofocus point.

This technology has gotten significantly better in the past few years and allows the photographer to track subjects in dynamic and fast-moving situations. To switch subjects, you just line up your focus point and half-press the shutter once again.

I鈥檇 recommend the A7CII primarily for shooting photos; but if you did want to shoot video, you get beautiful 4K footage and incredible image stabilization for handheld shooting.

The A7CII costs $2,200 and the 35 millimeter f1.8 lens adds another $748, which brings the total to just shy of $3,000 for the basic setup. That may seem high, but it鈥檚 in the ballpark for a pro-level, full-frame camera that has the chops to shoot everything from action to landscapes.

There are similar cameras out there that are small but mighty, but within that testing pool, the Sony still comes out on top. The Fuji X100V, which has a loyal following and a similar price point, does not have the same high-level functionality as the Sony, and the images are not as good, in my opinion. There are rumors about an that will improve that camera鈥檚 specs, but even that will likely still leave Fuji behind Sony in the rankings.

Leica also released the recently, which is just as compact and makes beautiful Leica-quality images. But that camera comes in at $6,000 with a lens. For Leica loyalists, that price tag might be easy to rationalize; but for others, it might be too hefty.

The post This Is the Most Travel-Friendly Pro Camera We鈥檝e Tested appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

When I was traveling the country back in the mid-2000s doing photojournalism internships at various newspapers, I constantly heard the staff photographers say they were going to 鈥渕ake鈥� a photo. That word stood out to me because up until that time I, and most people I knew, had always said 鈥渢ake鈥� a photo.

When I asked these photographers why they swapped words, they told me that they preferred 鈥渕ake鈥� because their entire job was to enter a situation and construct a photo. To do so, they considered factors like light, moment, composition, and distance in order to create a photo that captured what was most important or visually appealing.

All this work was much better described by the word 鈥渕ake.鈥� To them, the word 鈥渢ake鈥� implied that they just waltzed into a situation and grabbed a photo out of thin air instead of putting in the hard work needed to build the photo that would appear in the next day鈥檚 paper.

I, of course, immediately adopted that lexicon and have used it ever since. It鈥檚 a constant reminder that good photographs are created through a process, just like good writing. Every time I get a photo assignment, I remind myself that the photo isn鈥檛 going to just appear. I have to work hard in order to make something worth capturing.

I鈥檓 giving you this background because one of the tools that has helped me and many photographers 鈥渕ake鈥� the best photographs possible is the prime lens. 鈥淧rime鈥� means that the lens is a fixed focal length鈥�35mm, for example鈥攁nd does not change focal lengths like a zoom lens such as a聽 24鈥�70mm.

These fixed-length lenses are important tools in the photo process because without the advantage of a zoom, the photographer is forced to move in order to make the photo. Instead of standing in one place and using a zoom to get closer or farther away from a photo subject, a photographer using a fixed-length prime lens has to back up or walk closer. In the process of moving around, photographers often learn more about what they鈥檙e capturing. They find new angles, get a better sense for the action, and become more in-tune with whatever is going on in front of them.

The famous photojournalist Robert Capa once said, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.鈥� He wasn鈥檛 saying that the best photos are captured just inches away, but that to create great photos, photographers should not be afraid to be intimate with whatever they’re photographing. They need to be in the action and next to the subject to really capture what鈥檚 going on. A zoom lens allows a photographer to stay at a distance, while a prime lens forces a photographer to be in the middle.

Because prime lenses have fewer mechanical parts, they鈥檙e often less expensive and offer better quality glass for the price鈥攃reating noticeably sharper, more defined images. You can pick up a or prime lens from most major brands (Canon, Nikon, Sony, and others) with mid- to high-quality glass for just a couple hundred dollars, and that lens will be capable of covering a wide swath of photographic situations. The same inexpensive prime lens will have a wider aperture than all but the most expensive zoom lens. This lets in a lot of light, enabling faster shutter speeds, shallower depth of field, and the ability to make sharp photos in low-light situations.

For those zoom-lovers who have hated my argument to this point, I agree that zoom lenses still, and will always, have their place. It would be nearly impossible to cover an NFL or soccer game without a long telephoto zoom lens that allows photojournalists to zoom in on and track players at a distance. Nature photographers also rely on zoom lenses to create intimate photos of animals that are constantly on the move or are too dangerous to approach.

Many photographers love a quality wide-angle zoom lens because it covers so many situations. At 24mm you can shoot a wide-open landscape and then use the 70mm part of the lens to shoot a portrait. In high-action situations, like a protest, for example, it鈥檚 nice to have a zoom so you can quickly shoot a variety of situations without having to swap lenses.

These days, the glass quality on zoom lenses is also phenomenal. It used to be that if you wanted razor-sharp images where every pixel was crisp, you had to use prime lenses. But many modern zoom lenses I鈥檝e tested from top companies create images that are equally sharp. The only drawback is that these sharp zoom lenses are wildly expensive.

So what should you buy? Pro photographers realize that if they want to have a complete lens kit, it鈥檚 going to include both prime and zoom lenses. Many photographers I know rely mostly on prime lenses, but they also carry zoom lenses just in case they鈥檙e shooting sports or other events where a zoom comes in handy.

For photographers just starting out, I, and most of the photographers I know, would suggest starting with prime lenses. With primes you鈥檒l save money, increase the lenses鈥� photographic capabilities, and be forced to move around, which will help teach you how to make better photos. As your photo skills grow you鈥檒l start to see what zoom lenses are needed to complete your kit, and you can invest accordingly.

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If travel is a gateway drug, photography is the next hardest substance. Blended, the two make a potent cocktail. On ski trips, backpacking trips, and forays into foreign cities, the search for a unique photograph has often brought me to places I might not have otherwise explored, like a peak or neighborhood that wasn’t on the itinerary.

And like most drugs, this speedball doesn’t come cheap. If you think ski gear is expensive, check out the prices on a decent camera setup. The addiction doesn’t end at electronics, either; there鈥檚 mirrorless lenses, tripods, straps, and filters to go with it.

As a writer and photographer in the outdoor industry, I’ve had the opportunity to test nearly every adventure-oriented camera bag you can buy. But what I wanted most was an efficient way to carry my camera while scrambling around mountains, forests, and deserts all over the world. It only took me six years to find it.

On my quest, I professional adventure photographers like Jimmy Chin, Jeff Johnson, Savannah Cummins, and Chris Burkard about the bags, straps, and pouches they use in the field. (Admittedly, these stories were as much for my own benefit as for yours.) Their insights confirmed my hunch: there are countless ways to carry a camera in the backcountry, but there is no single best way.

Undaunted, I trawled Instagram to learn what other photographers were using and scoured blogs and vlogs for brands and products I might’ve overlooked. I didn’t expect to find the one above the Arctic Circle, in Norway, aboard a 90-foot fishing vessel repurposed for ferrying travelers to the remote anchorages of Senja and other nearby islands. I was there with nine others to ski remote peaks and, many of us being photographers, hauling twice as many cameras as people to document the adventure. I immediately noticed that two of the members of our group used the same accessory for camera carry: a compact, triangular, black pouch with a zippered top made by Hyperlite Mountain Gear called the (from $109).

Like the ultralight backpacks and shelters that Hyperlite is known for, the Camera Pod is made from a Dyneema composite fabric skin. Dyneema, formerly called Cuben Fiber, is an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, essentially a super-ultralight fiber that’s 15 times stronger than steel by weight. The Dyneema in the Camera Pod’s composite skin is melded to a 150-denier polyester fabric to thicken it up for use outdoors. Between that and an inner lining made of an even thinner Dyneema, a layer of quarter-inch-thick closed-celled foam adds padding. All this is to say that the thing is lightweight鈥攁 large Camera Pod is 106 grams, slightly heavier than a stick of butter鈥攜et extremely impact resistant. Oh, and it’s water resistant against rain and snow, too.

The Camera Pod comes in two sizes. Regular fits small mirrorless and point-and-shoot cameras, and large holds bigger mirrorless and DSLR setups. Beyond fabric and form, there are eight webbing loops, including one on each corner, for securing to a belt or backpack. It’s a hell of a lot simpler than other camera backpacks, shoulder bags, and organizing cubes with their folding Velcro dividers and magnetic access points.

In Norway, split boarded up and down peaks with his Camera Pod fixed to his backpack’s hipbelt, holster-style, and was able to draw his camera and capture a moment with a few seconds’ notice. I asked him what he liked about it, and he said, “鈥嬧�婭t gives me the confidence to keep the camera outside of my pack and on my hip or my chest no matter the weather. I find myself carrying it more and taking more photos than if I had to dig my camera out of the pack.” He鈥檚 brought his camera rock and ice climbing, on surf trips, and even on a 5,000-mile moto journey across Africa. I had to have one.

My Camera Pod鈥檚 first big trip was a four-day bikepacking adventure through northern New England via back roads and rail trails. Beyond pedaling 60 miles each day, I was tasked with documenting the trip for an editorial story about a cycling apparel brand. With a couple of zip ties and a piece of bungee from my local gear shop, I rigged the Camera Pod to my handlebars and frame so my camera was nearly as accessible as my water bottles.

A good camera bag provides two things: protection and easy access. Many do this well鈥擨 like ($280) and ($130)鈥攂ut few to none do this for skiing, climbing, or riding a bike 250 miles, and those that claim to often dedicate too much space to cameras and lenses.

No, the Camera Pod can’t carry a full multi-lens kit, but any bag can do that with an aftermarket organizer like Peak Designs鈥� ($50). Instead, the pod is complementary to whatever vessel you carry the rest of your gear in. Tied directly to your hip or chest, it allows you to spend less time digging around in a bag and more time focusing on the shot.

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Peak Design Travel Tripod ($600)

The components of Peak Design鈥檚 clever carbon-颅fiber tripod all nest together, allowing it to fold down to about half the size of other travel models. It weighs in at a mere 2.8 pounds, and the ball-head mount lets you shoot in any orientation.

Atlas Athlete 颅Camera Pack ($395)

Atlas鈥檚 40-liter 颅hauler carries like a hiking pack. The rear-access compartment keeps equipment secure, with room for everything else in an origami pocket that lets you shift space around.

G-Technology G-Drive Mobile 颅Storage Drive ($480)

Transfer up to 560MB per second with this 颅water- and dust-颅resistant, two-颅terabyte solid-state drive. It鈥檚 crushproof to 1,000 pounds and smaller than a deck of cards.

Lexar Professional 2000x SDXC UHS-II Card and Reader ($180)

This SD card has read and write speeds of up to 300MB and 260MB per second, respectively, so you can transfer RAW files in no time.

Incase DSLR Sling ($90)

This ten-liter, water-颅repellent DSLR sling holds more than you鈥檇 expect, with pockets and padded dividers to keep 颅camera, lenses, laptop, and acces颅sories organized. The burly polyester outer is trail-ready.

Hangtime Koala Phone Harness ($25)

Your phone shoots great video, but climbing with it can be risky. (Just ask Tommy Caldwell, who once dropped his off the Dawn Wall.) Keep your device safe with this harness and bungee tether.

BlackRapid Sport Camera Strap ($74)

Camera straps are a pain. But this breath颅able sling from BlackRapid holds hardware comfortably, so you鈥檙e ready to shoot from the hip. Excellent for street photography, events, and hikes.

Hydro Flask Trail Series Bottle ($50)

The last thing you want weighing down your camera bag is a heavy water bottle. Hydro Flask鈥檚 stainless-steel 32-ouncer is double vacuum 颅insulated, leakproof when shut, and 25 percent lighter than its other bottles.

F-stop Medium 颅Accessory Pouch ($39)

Wrapped in a durable, 颅water-resistant nylon outer, this clamshell pouch has four small mesh pockets and a large zippered section with adjustable dividers.

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Photographers will dig today鈥檚 gift. The ($150) from Peak Design can fit a full camera body and two lenses. The internal padded dividers can be adjusted to tightly cradle all that gear. Even if you鈥檙e not toting聽a DSLR, the Sling works just as well for carrying a day鈥檚 essentials around town. Enter to win here.

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Peak Design is known for its intuitive and feature-rich camera accessories and packs, and its latest offering lives up to that billing. Here, Will walks us through the specs of the 45-liter ($300), which ships in December.

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You want to bring your camera hiking聽but don鈥檛 want to haul around a full camera bag? I've聽been there. Having invested so much into a DSLR or film setup, you still want to have some protection.

贰苍迟别谤听迟丑别 聽($60).聽The Base Layer is like a sleeping bag for your camera: it pairs聽a聽nylon face fabric聽with 600-fill聽down insulation to keep the contents padded聽and safe. If the weather turns nasty, a hidden rain fly pulls out of a hidden stuff pocket, slips over the padding, and is secured by a聽simple clip.

Using the Base Layer is easy鈥攕imply drop your camera in lens first, roll up the bag's top (which looks a lot like a dry-bag closure), then聽clip it all together. It unclips in seconds, so you won't miss any spontaneous shots as you fumble聽around with your camera case.聽

The pouch fits most DSLR and聽mirrorless cameras with small lenses (no 70-200mm聽F2.8's). It easily stores聽my聽old Ricoh KR-5 film camera with a 50mm lens attached. In short, if聽you're looking for something to add a little protection to your camera body without adding much bulk to your pack, the Base Layer is a great option.

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