From epic landscapes to urban street scenes: the best Canon kit for travel photography

Thanks to their full-frame sensors, intuitive handling and compact size, Canon EOS R System cameras are a natural choice for the travel photographer. Add Canon's growing range of outstanding RF lenses to the mix, both zoom and prime, and you've got an incredibly capable camera setup.

But the question is, which are the best Canon cameras and lenses for travel photography? Here, we speak with German adventure photographer Ulla Lohmann and documentary photographer Jérôme Gence, who detail which kit is essential to them when they're exploring. We also talk to John Maurice, European Product Marketing Manager at Canon Europe, who provides expert insight.

With its 20.1MP full-frame CMOS sensor, a sensitivity range up to ISO102,400, up to 8-stops of image stabilisation1 and up to 20fps burst shooting, the Canon EOS R6 is an incredibly versatile camera that's perfect for travel.

"The EOS R6 is an indispensable tool for travel photography," says Ulla. "The high ISO sensitivity means I can be more flexible and react to situations much more quickly. I can also hand-hold it."

Jérôme has recently switched from his trusted Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR to the Canon EOS R5 with its 45MP full-frame CMOS sensor and groundbreaking intelligent AF. "It's an amazing camera… I really love it," he says. "People won't wait for you to take a photograph, so you have to be really quick." Jérôme continues, "When you photograph a portrait, the face can change so quickly, so I love really fast autofocus. The speed of the EOS R5's AF is just crazy."

When you want to travel even lighter, an advanced compact camera is ideal. With a design inspired by EOS cameras and an excellent 20.1MP 1-inch stacked sensor, the Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II offers a brilliant blend of performance and portability.

"When I want to take a break from a project and just go out and take some photos, I bring this camera," explains Jérôme. "It delivers such great quality photographs. You can shoot RAW, which is a priority for me. For video it's also really great."

Canon's ultra-wide RF zoom is an impressive lens that opens up a range of creative possibilities. "It's incredibly sharp," says UIla. "It is just the right lens to use for travel photography when capturing landscapes."

"The RF 15-35MM F2.8L IS USM will be more dedicated to vast landscapes or interiors," adds John. "If you want to capture the magnificence of buildings at close range, for example, you want an ultra wide lens such as this one."

"I'm always looking to stand out from other photographers, and this lens helps me do just that," enthuses Ulla. "It's a fairly heavy lens, so it's not necessarily the everyday lens you put in your camera bag, but the weight is worth it for the image quality it delivers."

Travel photographers will want to pack this lens if they want that extra bit of quality, especially if they're shooting people or working in poor light. "It has this really beautiful bokeh. It's hard to describe as you don't see it very often – but it's kind of a unique bokeh effect," continues Ulla.

If you're restricted to one lens or need to travel light, then this lens should be the one you take. With a very versatile focus range, it also sports Canon's Nano USM autofocus for quiet and fast focusing, while the 5-stop Image Stabilizer increases to 8-stops when the lens is mounted on a Canon EOS R6 or EOS R5.

"The RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM is probably the lens you're going to use most of the time," says John. "It will give you speed and a good range – you'll be able to capture both portraits and landscapes very well. It's also a lens that offers good video performance with quiet and smooth autofocus. Many enthusiasts and professionals choose this lens because it's versatile and belongs to the prestigious L-series – so you have a useful and high quality lens in one for landscape, portrait and everyday use."

The 100-500mm focal length range that the RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM offers makes it ideal for bringing distant scenes closer, and is particularly useful if you're planning to photograph wildlife on your travels.

I hesitated before buying this lens, because I wanted the RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM," explains Ulla. "But for photographing from a distance, whether that's animals, birds or people, the RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM is much, much better. I don't mind that it's only f/7.1 at 500mm, as you automatically have a fairly blurred background."

The IBIS in the EOS R6 combined with the IS in the lens makes it possible to use slower shutter speeds for more creative imagery, such as Ulla's photograph of the sea (above). The ISO range also enables you to use higher shutter speeds for fast action shots.

"Binoculars are often how you find things before you photograph them," explains John. "They're essential for wildlife, travel or even revealing stuff in the landscape that you can't quite pick out otherwise.

"The Canon 10x30 IS II binoculars are bright enough for most conditions and have a good magnification," he adds. But it's not just about those qualities, as these binoculars also feature Canon's optical Image Stabilizer technology. "That really improves the resolution," John says. "Your eyes don't have to correct for the movement that would normally occur with other binoculars, which can be very fatiguing and reduces your apparent resolution – or in other words, it improves your ability to clearly identify subjects."