Do You Still Use A “Real” Camera When You Travel? Why? 📸🎥

Why Our DSLR’s Gather Dust While Our Android Phones Shine

It started innocently enough. On a whim during a trip to Germany, we left our cameras at home – too heavy, too much hassle for what was supposed to be a relaxed holiday. For us, it was a huge leap of faith to even consider going without a camera.

As avid photographers, virtually every time we travelled, we’d pack multiple DSLRs, lenses, power cords, chargers, Micro SD cards etc. and spare batteries – all crammed into a couple of bulky (and heavy) camera backpacks.

Instead, on that trip I relied on my then-Samsung A8 phone (16-MP primary sensor + 8-MP secondary sensor) – Gail used her trusty TCL 20 Pro (48-MP main camera with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), a 16-MP ultra-wide lens alongside a 32-MP front-facing camera) to take pictures of castles, villages and towns on our trip.

To our surprise, the photos weren’t just “good enough.” They were vibrant, detailed, and ready to post to social media or keep in our travel files on our computers for use on TravelBloggers – without a single edit. No fiddling with RAW files in Lightroom / Photoshop on a clunky laptop – just point, shoot and share. After returning home I upgrading from my Samsung to the Google Pixel 8 Pro and that was the difference between night and day – a HUGE upgrade.

That Trip Was A Turning Point. ✈

Our smartphones were getting better and better cameras with each upgrade…. not only that, but they added video to the mix. Our DSLR’s don’t have video, although newer ones do. But that wasn’t all – there were a lot of benefits to travelling without lugging around a couple of cameras and heavy camera bags with lenses everywhere we went – or worrying that if we left it in the car, would it be there when we got back. No more struggling to stuff our bags into the overhead bins on planes – or worse, the airline taking them from us and stowing them in the cargo to ‘help’ us out.

The Dawn of a New Era: When Smartphones Outpaced Our Gear 📱

Fast forward to today, and my Pixel 8 Pro has become my sole travel companion for photography. Gail’s trusty TCL 20 Pro is still as good as the day she got it. My phone is bigger than I’d rather have and it actually weighs quite a bit for a phone, but’s it’s still easier to handle than a camera – especially for those split-second “gotta shoot” moments. We both have phone cases with rings on them to slip your fingers in and stabilize the shot with the added benefit of stopping them from falling out of our hand.

Let’s be honest, we’ll always be upgrading our phones – the phone companies demand it by offering us stupid deals on a new phone (I paid $120 for a $1,600 phone!) With each upgrade comes a better phone, and in turn better camera and updated software.

Here’s some of the main reasons why we ditched our DSLR’s entirely…

🎒 Benefit No. 1: Travel Light, Stay Nimble

Our Canon setup probably weighs in at around 5-7 lbs with lenses – each. My Pixel 8 Pro comes in at 7.5 ounces and fits in my pocket
I can wander for hours without sore shoulders or an aching neck, snapping shots on a whim
No more missing fleeting moments while unzipping a camera bag or changing a lens
I’m carrying my phone anyway – the camera is already in my hand
Nothing screams TOURIST more than a camera with a long lens around your neck
Unlike an SLR, you can attach your phone to a selfie-stick and get shots that otherwise are impossible.

Extra Accessories To Consider / We Recommend

* Phone Tripod & Selfie Stick with Remote – versatile and a great price too ($19.99). https://amzn.to/3XkIyth
* We also have remote controls to trigger the shutter when using a stick ($6.99) – https://amzn.to/4iBvo4P
* Phone Flexible Tripods with Wireless Remote ($12) – https://amzn.to/48iOM1H
* Google Pixel 8 Pro case with Slide Camera Cover w/Screen Protector – https://amzn.to/499m4Bx
* This is the one I have… Google Pixel 8 Pro case with Slide Camera Cover + Screen Protector ($9.99)

Affiliate links: As an Amazon Associate, we earn as small commission (no additional cost to you) from qualifying purchases

Benefit No. 2: Pro-Level Photos, No Heavy Gear

With a 50-MP sensor wide lens and OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) in the Pixel 8 Pro, even printing gallery-sized pictures isn’t out of reach – not that we do that anymore, but if we wanted to we don’t have to worry
The Pixel 8 Pro’s 48-MP ultra-wide and 48-MP 5x telephoto deliver stunning results – I use them all the time
Colours pop, details stay sharp and Night Sight nails low-light shots without a tripod – something my DSLR struggled with while being handheld
We can take selfies if we wish with our phone (10.5-MP camera with ultra-wide lens) – couldn’t dream of doing that with a DSLR
Pro Controls (manual ISO, shutter speed, focus) let me shoot RAW + JPEG for easy editing – or instantly sharing – something my DSLR could never do!!
The telephoto’s 5x zoom captures distant details without cropping, perfect for landscapes or wildlife
With a metal body and Gorilla Glass, even if I drop it, it’ll still work – a DSLR? Maybe, maybe not but it’ll cost a lot to repair
Gail’s TCL 20 Pro is no slouch either, it comes with 48-MP main camera, a 16-MP ultra-wide lens, a 5-MP macro sensor (phenomenal macro pictures) and a 2-MP depth sensor, alongside a 32-MP front-facing camera with a dedicated RGB sensor for accurate skin tones
New phone cameras are so good they even eliminate camera shake with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and there is no fear you are ruining the picture by shooting in “digital zoom” where the picture is cropped from a small original picture
With lens options of wide, ultra-wide and telephoto available instantly – and with just a simple swipe of the screen – the DSLR is now a dinosaur

Benefit No. 3: AI Smarts Save Time

The Pixel 8 Pro comes with features like “Magic Editor” which removes unwanted objects from shots
“Best Take” that fixes group photo mishaps
“Real Tone” ensures accurate skin tones, great for diverse scenes
“Video Boost” enhances 4K clips with smooth stabilization, no gimbal needed
These can be used on the go – no computer required

Benefit No. 4: Streamlined Workflow

With a DSLR, we’d transfer SD card files to a laptop, edit, then share on social media – don’t forget to back up your pictures! The Pixel 8 Pro & TCL 20 Pro skips all that – shoot, edit, and post via 5G or Wi-Fi. Editing and sharing happen instantly, no cables, no card readers. Best of all… Google Photos backs up instantly, no worries if the camera stops working or the file gets corrupted during transfer – that’s a life-saver!!

Benefit No. 5: Cost Savings

Lenses for my DSLR cost hundreds of dollars each; the Pixel covers wide-angle through telephoto for free
You’re buying a new phone anyway – lens and software updates come free
No additional cost to upgrade your SLR that becomes outdated quite fast in the digital era

Redefining Travel Photography

Of course, there are still a few things a dedicated DSLR camera can handle better/differently. For example: depth of field on a fast lens and the tactile feel of adjusting settings manually (or the pain of actually doing it within the setting menus). For niche shoots like astrophotography or a REAL close-up from a distance, a DSLR’s with long lens still has an edge. But for travel blogging – social posts, web images and 4K video – the smartphone Pro’s versions deliver everything we need.

However, the reality is, we hardly ever reach for SLRs anymore – in fact we haven’t taken them out of the closet for probably 5 years or more!! The line between “casual” and “professional” travel photography is blurring. For us, photography has always been about capturing and sharing the feeling of being there – not the technical, detailed perfection.

Final Thoughts – Embrace the Shift, Capture the Moment

If you’ve been hesitant to leave your big camera(s) at home – try it on your next trip. Let your phone be your camera and see how much lighter the journey will be – you’ll be shocked at how freer you will feel! For us, the benefits outweigh the trade-offs, virtually all of the time and you can get angles and pictures your traditional cameras could only dream of. Surprising not once have we said to each other “I wish I had my camera instead of this phone to take pictures right now.”

With the Pixel 8 Pro and the TCL 20 Pro, there’s no longer any need to view the phone camera as a “good enough” backup, it’s a serious tool in its own right! Switching to the smartphone made travel photography fun again, allowing us to focus on the journey.

If your DSLR is weighing you down, try a smartphone-first trip. It’s not about perfection; it’s about presence. Ask yourself: Is the extra weight worth the shots you might miss? For us, the answer’s a resounding no. Grab a smartphone with a good camera, a few accessories, and hit the road – your stories, shoulders, arms (and back) will thank you!

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About TravelBloggers…
Iain & Gail started blogging in order to inspire and motivate people to travel the world from their perspective – specializing in having the most fun while using the least amount of money…travelling on the cheap without sacrificing comfort.

** In the end you will only regret the things you didn’t do **