The 5 Best Cameras For Hiking And Backpacking - Fall 2024

The Fujifilm X-T5 is the best camera for hiking that we've tested. It has a sturdy, weather-sealed body, a relatively portable design, and plenty of small APS-C lens options that make for a highly portable kit. Fujifilm's old-school dedicated exposure dials also give you more hands-on control over your settings. But the real highlight of this camera is its sensor—at 40.2 megapixels, it's the highest-resolution APS-C sensor on the market. It has excellent dynamic range, with enough resolving power to give you plenty of room to crop in and adjust your photos.

The camera also features in-body image stabilization (IBIS), which can help you capture stable handheld shots at slower shutter speeds, so you can leave the bulky tripod at home. Beyond that, the X-T5 has a fantastic battery life for a mirrorless model, making it a great choice for long hikes and backpacking excursions. If you want to save some money, its predecessor, the Fujifilm X-T4, is still a great choice, though it uses a lower-resolution sensor and is a tad bigger and heavier.

If you want something a little easier on the wallet, check out the OM SYSTEM OM-5. A Micro Four Thirds (MFT) camera like this is a great choice for hikes thanks to its portable size and smaller lenses. The OM-5 is a well-built camera with good ergonomics for its size and a weather-sealed body that the manufacturer advertises as dustproof, splashproof, and freezeproof.

It also has some neat extra features, including computational photography modes to get higher-resolution composite images or make it easier to get long-exposure shots. To top it off, its five-axis IBIS system is highly effective for getting steadier shots without a tripod. The battery life isn't as good as on the Fujifilm X-T5, but this is still a fantastic choice for adventurous photographers who want something compact and feature-rich without spending a fortune. If you can find one for less, the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III is the OM-5's predecessor and a great cheaper alternative with a largely identical feature set, though it uses an older processor and lacks certain features, like LiveND.

The Fujifilm X-T30 II is another great mid-range option for hiking. While it doesn't have IBIS, it's just as small and lightweight as the OM SYSTEM OM-5, making it easy to hike and travel with. Unlike the OM SYSTEM, it uses an APS-C sensor, so it's a bit better suited to low-light shooting, and it's compatible with a wide range of different lenses. They won't be as compact as Micro Four Thirds options, but there are plenty of portable and high-quality primes for Fuji's X mount.

That said, there's a trade-off in build quality here. This model has no weather sealing, so you'll have to be more careful in adverse weather conditions. On the upside, its dedicated exposure dials make adjusting settings very easy, and you can play with its preset film simulation profiles to change up the look of your JPEGs in-camera. Ultimately, if you can live without weather sealing or built-in stabilization, this is an excellent little camera for the money. It's worth noting that its follow-up, the Fujifilm X-T50, is out now and includes improvements like a higher-resolution sensor and IBIS, but it's significantly pricier, making the X-T30 II a better deal for most photographers in this price range.

If you're on an even tighter budget, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is one of the best-value options for hiking and backpacking. It's a step down from the OM SYSTEM OM-5 and the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III in the Olympus lineup, but it offers a lot of the same features that make the OM-5 a standout for backpackers and adventure-seekers.

For one, it's incredibly lightweight and portable, and since it's part of the MFT system, you'll have plenty of compact and relatively affordable lens options to choose from. On top of that, it's one of the few budget options to feature IBIS, making it easier to get clear handheld shots at slower shutter speeds. While it doesn't have a very effective autofocus system, it's still a great choice if you want something simple and compact on a budget. Another good choice at this price point is the Canon EOS R50, which is a tad cheaper and has better autofocus but lacks IBIS and is less portable overall. While the E-M10 Mark IV doesn't feel as well-built as pricier models and has no weather sealing, it checks a lot of boxes at a price that's hard to beat for those just getting started in photography.

While an interchangeable lens camera will give you the best image quality and the most versatility, a point-and-shoot like the RICOH GR III is an excellent take-anywhere camera. It's incredibly compact, easily fitting into a jacket pocket or small bag, and thanks to a high-res APS-C sensor and a sharp built-in lens, it's tough to beat its size-to-image-quality ratio. Dynamic range is excellent on this thing, and its relatively wide aperture gives you some leeway in low light. The fixed 28mm full-frame equivalent lens is a great fit for landscapes and wider shots, but if you prefer a narrower field of view, the RICOH GR IIIx has a 40mm lens that may suit you better.

The camera's minimalist design makes it easy to shoot with, and it feels well-built overall, though it isn't weather-sealed to keep out dust and moisture. The fixed screen can also make it difficult to shoot at different angles. Of course, since it's so compact, it has a more limited battery life, so you may want to pack a spare battery or power bank for longer hikes. Still, if you want to eliminate the need for a bulkier kit without sacrificing image quality, this truly pocketable camera is the way to go.