These cameras make every trip look better than it felt

Like those metallic-coloured digital cameras of the early noughties, the classic Kodak Brownie cameras from 1900 and all the way back to those gigantic beasts that captured images on glass plates, another revolution in the camera world has taken place.

On the way out are DSLRs, and on the rise is the mirrorless lens. Fear not if you’ve got a DSLR, they’re still producing quality images and are absolutely going to do the job, but advantages of a mirrorless camera are that they are more compact and lightweight, have way faster shutter speeds and boast far better video capabilities compared to current DSLRs.

The best mirrorless camera ‘for almost everyone’, according to the New York Times, is the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV. The best part? One of these will set you back only AU$1,400, which is pretty decent for the quality that you’re getting here.

Processor TruePic™ VIII
Effective Resolution (approx.) 20.3 MP
AF System FAST AF 121-point contrast detection
ISO Sensitivity AUTO ISO: Customisable, LOW (approx.100) – 6400, Manual ISO: LOW (approx.100), 200 – 25600
Flash TTL Flash, GN = 5.1 (ISO 100･m) / GN = 7.2 (ISO 200･m)
Viewfinder Resolution Magnification / Coverage Eye-level OLED electronic viewfinder, approx. 2.36M dots Approx. 100% / Approx. 1.23x (-1m-1, 50mm lens, Infinity)
Monitor 3.0-inch tilting monitor (electrostatic capacitance touch panel), Approx. 1037k dots (3:2), Tilt type: Upward tilting: Up to approx. 80 degrees, Downward tilting: Up to approx. 180 degrees (selfie compatible)

FROM AU$899

You could think of a million new features, wild technological advancements and improving camera quality to 100k. Or you can just make the battery last longer.

That’s the big, yet simple change from the GoPro HERO 11 to the GoPro HERO12 BLACK, but don’t underestimate how important this is. We wonder how much crazy underwater animal footage, gnarly bike jumps or epic tubes in the surf have been due to the end of a battery.

The new GoPro delivers 70 minutes of continuous recording at 5.3K60, over 95 minutes at 5.3K30, and over 155 minutes of continuous recording at 1080p30. If you were to invest in a second battery, that means—theoretically—you could record uninterrupted for almost two and a half hours.

It can also go underwater to a depth of over 30 feet, and you no longer need special housing to do it. Rad.
As well as this, there’s a real push for social media connection at GoPro. This new release can shoot horizontal-vertically (if that make sense) and then there’s the GoPro Quik app, which will automatically turn your video footage into a short video montage, saving time at the other end.

FROM AU$650

When the legends at DJI say that they’ve got something new, it’s time to listen.

These guys are machines. They only released the DJI Osmo 3 a few months ago, and they’ve already followed that up with the DJI Osmo Action 4.

It’s got 360-degree HorizonSteady stabilisation mode – meaning it doesn’t lose its shit when twisting and turning, or doing mad kickflips. The great thing about the DJI Osmo Action 4 is that it compensates for poor lighting situations really, really well, meaning you can keep shooting as the sun goes down on the mountain or the beach.

It also boasts a whopping two and a half hours of battery life—longer than comparable cameras on the market—and the battery is apparently freeze-resistant, which is handy if you’re in the Arctic.
This is an excellent choice for vlogging, adventure sports, trekking, and anything where lighting/timing is fickle.

FROM AU$629

The GoPro 11 only came out earlier this year, but there’s already three new variations on the market from this relentlessly innovative tech juggernaut.

The HERO11 Black Creator Edition is an all-in-one content-capturing machine, which includes several handy features to help you be a professional vLogger, like a light, a mic and mounting options.

For those that know what they’re talking about: there’s pro-quality 5.3K video, HyperSmooth 5.0 video stabilization, enhanced audio, powerful LED lighting and 4 hours of 4K recording per charge.

For those that don’t: there’s absolutely everything you need to make your trip look way cooler than anyone else’s.

FROM AU$1,629