Travelling overseas - DSLR or phone? (for the 100th time!)

Get a zoom lens for your phone camera. I would not want to lug a big camera around.

We went on a trip recently and I took my DSLR. I only used it a few time. The rest of the pictures were taken with my phone. The camera rarely left the room. I decided after that trip that my main camera will now be my phone. It was easier to enjoy the trip without carrying the DSLR around. Now, if we go mainly on a car trip, where we drive everywhere, then I may take the DSLR. But if we are going to be doing a lot of walking and activities, then the phone it is!

Also, before our last trip, I took an online iPhone photography class. It was great and he explained a lot of the different settings, composition, and how to take different types of shots (night, action, portrait, etc).

A few years ago I took my DSLR camera to Walt Disney World. I think I lasted about 2 or 3 days with it. It was heavy and awkward to carry around all the time and I ended up at Walmart buying a small P&S camera. Next time we went we used the phone and iPad.

Phone.

I never travel without my DSLR. My favorite type of photography is travel photography. Currently I'm planning a trip for DH and I for May of 2024. 3 weeks in Germany traveling by train most of it switching towns/cities every 2 days. I'm taking my Nikon D 3300 (which is a really small, lightweight body) with a 18-200mm lens and also a wide angle lens. I have tiny hands so I really prefer this small body plus it's really light weight. DH is bringing his own camera gear (also a DSLR plus 2 lenses). 

I'm different though. I rarely take photos with my Iphone. It's never felt comfortable to me-it's too skinny. I took my first photo course as an elective in college in 1979 and fell in love with photography. I even changed my major and instead of becoming a teacher I became a photographer. My DSLR feels natural in my hand-like it's a part of me. Using a light weight body like the D3300 makes travel photography much easier and fun. They don't make them anymore-I think the current mode is the 3500, but you can pick them up used fairly inexpensively. I've had mine for over 6 years I think and I love it. Before that I had a Nikon D40X for years and years and used it until it died. Literally. 

Phone.

Honestly, if you have a newer phone, you can do enlargements. I’ve done some 16” x 20” prints from my phone that turned out very well. I haven’t needed anything bigger than that. I have so many more photos from just walking down the streets with my phone because it’s there in my hand, rather than stopping, adjusting my DSLR, composing the shot, etc. So much can be done in post production and I then spend the time to more carefully crop and adjust the light levels.

In our 3 years in Belgium, there was only once that I wished I’d had my DSLR with me. And we were driving to a brocante, so it’s not somewhere that I would have expected to need my good camera. And it was a field of poppies with hefty Belgian Blue cows, so not a horrible loss. I took it with my phone and it turned out just fine.

MY DSLR every time. I am always happier with the pictures. I wouldn't bring multiple lens, I have a Tamron 17-70mm I like. 

Phone - I never use my DSLR anymore and haven't in years.

My trip to Italy last year was the first year that I did not take my dslr and I didn't miss it one bit. I have some great lenses for the dslr, but we wanted to travel light. I still came back with so many great pictures! Cell phones can take some great photos now! Like a couple of others have said, watch some tutorials either on YouTube or Instagram and you will quickly learn out to get the most of your cell phone camera!

I think it boils down to what you will do with them after. I carry my dSLR because *I* can tell the difference between my phone pics and big camera and I much prefer my big camera. The weight doesn't bother me and I've got a pretty good system of swapping it out if I need to in a jiffy. ie: attempting to capture the low light situation in Ollivander's wand ceremony with my dSLR was not as easy as just snapping while the video was going on my phone. Yes, I dual wield at times. No regrets ever.

dSLR 4-ever!

If you want to just use a phone, consider buying a gimbal. I was able to get some nice videos using the gimbal. Mine has a little tripod that I can attach. It's pretty compact, so not too bad to carry in a bag. It's nice to get steady video sometimes. Gimbals aren't a must, but they are nice to have as an accessory if you like to take videos of your trip.

I really think this all comes down to preference. There is no right or wrong answer. Enjoy your trip!

Unless you are planning on selling or blowing up images (or maybe doing a lot of wildlife extreme zoom and you have a pro lens), I would just stick with the phone at this point (assuming you have a newer phone with multiple lenses--I have the iphone 13 pro max and it is more than capable for travel photography ).

I have a good camera, and I haven't taken it anywhere since 2019, and even then, I ended up using my phone most of the time anyway.

I would definitely take my DSLR (Nikon D3300). I cannot for the life of me frame a photo with my iPhone for outdoor pictures. I can’t see the screen in bright sunlight to tell what I’m shooting. I prefer to look through my viewer instead of using the digital screen.

I don’t mind using an iPhone for indoor photos, but my outdoor photos turn out so much better with my DSLR.