by Michael Satterfield
I travel a lot and while I love my
Canon 70D and the great images it captures, sometimes it is not the most practical or in some places I have been it’s just isn’t safe to walk around with several thousand dollars of equipment around your neck or in a backpack. I tell stories, take photos, and make videos for a living so having something that I can carry with me at all times to capture moments is important. Here are four options I have used in the last several months.
$399.99
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| Imperial Palace, Tokyo Japan, Shot with the Sony Xperia X-Performance |
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| Alamikamba, Nicaragua, Shot with the Sony Xperia X-Performance |
Featuring a 23-megapixel camera that shoots 1080p video, a beautiful screen, smooth video autofocus, and unique photo apps the
Sony Xperia X-Performance has become my “go-to” point and shoot.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- SD Slot for extra memory
- Easy to use
- Captures amazing color and detail
Cons:
- Button placement makes using any kind of clamp holder for tripod shots or using a gimbal awkward.
- Wind noise is hard to cancel out when recording video.
$649-$969
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| Road to Alamikamba, Shot with iPhone |
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| Mt Bromo, Indonesia, Shot with the iPhone |
The
iPhone comes with a 12-megapixel camera and has the ability to shoot 4K video. The ease of using the IOS operating system and built-in camera applications make this a good option if you want to carry a single device.
Pros:
Cons:
$499.00
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| Ferrari, Rancho Mirage California, Shot with the DXO ONE |
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| Alamikamba, Nicaragua, Shot with the DXO ONE |
This 20.2-megapixel camera has some incredible technology built into it, giving you manual control and a micro SD slot means you can shoot like a DSLR but without all the gear. The
DXO ONE application converts the iPhone’s screen into a viewfinder and control center where you can adjust aperture, focus, and ISO settings.
Pros:
- SD Slot
- Easy to use
- Shoots RAW
Cons:
- Cost (Plus the cost of an iPhone)
- Only works with iPhone/iPad
- Has to be charged and using your iPhone screen runs down the phone battery as well.
- It doesn’t work with most phone cases, leaving your expensive phone unprotected.
$399.99
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| Flat Iron Building NYC, Shot with GoPro. |
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| Swimming in Mexico, Shot with GoPro |
As a video camera, the GoPro is one of the most versatile cameras in the world. Strap it just about anywhere and get some amazing footage, as a still photo camera it is not great unless you are planning to shoot photos in extreme environments. It shoots 12-megapixels and the latest model has the ability to shoot RAW images.
Pros:
SD Slot
Shoots RAW
Water/Shock Proof
Compact and Light Weight
Cons:
It can take a while to change settings when toggling through the menu.
Applications can be buggy.
While I own and use all of these Cameras/Phones at different times, and none will replace my DSLR, if I could only keep one of these four options it would be the Sony Xperia. It’s quick, simple to use, and takes amazing photos on the fly and shoots very good video. Plus it has an SD slot and costs half as much as the average iPhone. Check out some of my videos shot with these cameras on The Gentleman Racer YouTube Channel.
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Michael Satterfield
