The Best Lenses for Travel Photography Right Now

Elliot Ford
Apr 3
5 min read

Updated: Jul 23

Travel photography is about more than just capturing places it's about bottling moments, emotions, and the fleeting quality of experience.

Whether you're wandering through ancient streets in Lisbon, hiking the Scottish Highlands, or catching sunrise in Tokyo, the lens you bring makes all the difference. A good travel lens should be versatile, compact, and optically sharp enough to do your adventure justice.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through some of the best lenses for travel photography in 2025, across mirrorless and DSLR systems, from wide primes to telephoto zooms.

We’ll look at what makes a lens great for travel, which options suit different camera brands, and why you don’t always need the biggest or most expensive glass to take incredible images on the road.

What Makes a Great Travel Lens?

Before diving into specific lenses, it’s worth identifying the qualities that matter most when you’re travelling:

Portability

You don’t want to lug around heavy gear all day. Lighter, more compact lenses make shooting more enjoyable, especially on long walks or hikes.

Versatility

One minute you're shooting landscapes, the next you're capturing street portraits. A good travel lens needs to handle a range of subjects.

Image Quality

Sharpness, colour rendition and contrast should be top notch, even in challenging light.

Build Quality

Weather sealing is a big plus. You never know when you'll face rain, dust or snow on the road.

Autofocus

Fast, quiet autofocus is essential for fleeting moments, especially in busy markets or candid street scenes.

Best All Round Travel Lenses (Zoom)

Let’s start with the most popular category: versatile zooms that cover everything from wide to short telephoto. These are ideal for one lens travel setups.

Sony 24 to 105mm f/4 G OSS (Full Frame E Mount)

Why it’s great: This lens balances reach, sharpness and size perfectly. The constant f/4 aperture offers good low light performance, and it’s tack sharp across the range.
Bonus: Optical SteadyShot helps when shooting handheld at slower shutter speeds.
Weight: 663g

Ideal for Sony Alpha shooters who want one lens to do it all from sweeping vistas to street portraits.

Canon RF 24 to 105mm f/4L IS USM (Full Frame RF Mount)

Why it’s great: Robust build, excellent stabilisation and Lseries quality in a manageable size. The zoom range is spot on for travel versatility.
Bonus: Sharp even wide open, and fast, quiet Nano USM autofocus.
Weight: 700g

If you shoot Canon mirrorless, this is arguably the best one lens solution for travel.

Fujifilm XF 18 to 55mm f/2.8 to 4 R LM OIS (APS C X Mount)

Why it’s great: Don’t let the kit lens label fool you. This compact zoom punches well above its weight in terms of sharpness and speed.
Bonus: Built in stabilisation and lovely colour rendition typical of Fujifilm glass.
Weight: 310g

Perfect for Fuji users looking to travel light without sacrificing quality.

Nikon Z 24 to 70mm f/4 S (Full Frame Z Mount)

Why it’s great: Compact for a 24 to 70, sharp across the frame, and sealed against the elements.
Bonus: Minimal focus breathing great for video as well as stills.
Weight: 500g

A strong, weather sealed performer for Nikon Z travellers wanting reliability and IQ in one package.

Best Prime Lenses for Travel Photography

If you're after maximum image quality, low light performance or want to keep things light and creative, primes are an excellent choice.

Sony 35mm f/1.8 (Full Frame E Mount)

Why it’s great: This lens is fast, sharp, and compact the perfect street and everyday lens.
Bonus: Excellent subject separation for portraits and great in low light.
Weight: 280g

The 35mm focal length is a travel classic wide enough for context, close enough for intimacy.

Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2 R WR (APS C X Mount)

Why it’s great: Equivalent to 35mm full frame, this little lens is weather sealed, fast, and razor sharp.
Bonus: Silent autofocus and gorgeous filmic rendering ideal for travel storytelling.
Weight: 180g

A fan favourite among Fujifilm shooters, especially for street and documentary style travel photography.

Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM (Full Frame RF Mount)

Why it’s great: Affordable, sharp, and super lightweight. Great for portraits and detail shots while travelling.
Bonus: Close focusing and creamy bokeh.
Weight: 160g

A fantastic second lens to throw in your bag for more intimate, shallow depth of field shots.

Best Lenses for Landscape and Architecture

Sometimes you want to go wide. Really wide. For those vast mountain ranges, cityscapes, and interiors, these lenses shine.

Sony 16 to 35mm f/4 PZ G (Full Frame E Mount)

Why it’s great: Ultra wide with minimal distortion and great corner to corner sharpness. Power zoom is handy for video too.
Bonus: Compact for what it does ideal for travel vloggers.
Weight: 353g

Fujifilm XF 10 to 24mm f/4 R OIS WR (APS C X Mount)

Why it’s great: Excellent image quality, stabilisation, and a new weather resistant build make this a top travel wide angle.
Bonus: Constant f/4 is great for steady exposure control.
Weight: 385g

Canon RF 14 to 35mm f/4L IS USM (Full Frame RF Mount)

Why it’s great: L series quality in a travel friendly size. The 14mm wide end opens up dramatic perspective options.
Bonus: 5.5 stop image stabilisation and weather sealing.
Weight: 540g

Best Lightweight Telephoto Options

Telephoto isn’t always top of the list for travel but it’s surprisingly useful for compressing landscapes, capturing wildlife, or getting candid portraits from a distance.

Olympus M.Zuiko 40 to 150mm f/4 PRO (Micro Four Thirds)

Why it’s great: Equivalent to 80 to 300mm in full frame, yet still lightweight and weather sealed.
Bonus: Internal zoom and professional build.
Weight: 382g

Sony 70 to 350mm f/4.5 to 6.3 G OSS (APS C E Mount)

Why it’s great: Powerful reach in a compact form. Excellent for wildlife, compressed landscapes, or sports.
Bonus: OSS stabilisation and solid image quality throughout the zoom range.
Weight: 625g

Final Thoughts: One Lens or Two?

The ultimate travel setup depends on your shooting style:

For one lens simplicity: A sharp, versatile zoom (like a 24 to 105mm) is often the best choice.
For creative flexibility: A two prime setup (e.g. 35mm + 85mm) lets you travel light while enjoying superb quality.
For minimalists: A fast 35mm or 50mm prime may be all you need to capture the essence of your journey.

Wherever you're headed, choose lenses that match your story, your pace, and your passion. Because in travel photography, the best lens is the one that helps you see and share the world more beautifully. — Elliot Ford, Photography & Camera Gear | The Tech Advisor