Choosing a compact camera to shoot travel stills and videos

Far more useful reviews and real world evaluations on the web than you’re going to get here. Looks practical and fun but complex to change modes, formats, and use the included accessories well enough to make them worth owning. No camera with this amount of flexibility, feature, and adaptability is going to be as brainless as your iphone or a point’n’shoot. If you buy the ZV, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to learn how to use it and how to post produce your footage.

How waterproof and shock proof is it? Those are helpful for a travel camera.

Steve’s digicams. I haven’t use this website in few years, but they do great reviews of all kinds of cameras. Might be a good place to start. They are going to give you reviews from $100 cameras up to several thousand dollars. So you can start figuring out what you want

I've used imaging-resource.com for years. They have a feature where you can compare the same image taken with different cameras to assess quality of the image. This includes older, no longer made models so you can compare your older camera's image to the same image taken by the camera you are thinking of buying. I personally love my Panasonic point and shoot cameras. My Panasonic LF1, sadly no longer made, is a gem.

https://www.imaging-resource.com/

I have both Sony Rhave found the image quality to be excellent. Both have video capacity but I am X100 IV and RX100 VII and

Not sure what happened to my reply but here goes again:

I have both a Sony RX100 IV and Sony RX100 VII and found the image quality to be excellent and easy to operate. Both have video capabilities but I do not often make videos when traveling. The Sony product fits in a pocket, is well constructed and often appears at the top of lists for recommended travel cameras.

dana,

This is one of the best sites for detailed and comprehensive camera reviews - https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-zv-1-review . The Sony ZV-1 seems to get a favourable review.

Thanks for info to review sites.

I bought the ZV-1, and the bluetooth grip with a couple extra batteries and sd card and charger. I am glad I did. I can see that it will take a while to get used to using the menu on setting up different shooting scenarios, with very little control on the viewfinder while shooting. It is doable. The camera is well planned out, grip is really good to have and not hard to pack. You can get good video and audio from the camera and it will fit in a small pouch on your belt like a tourist sized camera. The viewfinder is not always easy to see in bright sunlight, like any camera that doesn't have an eyepiece. That is a big tradeoff. But this camera is very compact and low key. Very discreet to carry, and that makes it very practical, even the grip is easy to pack. I think it could be one of the best travel video cameras out there. One man operation for good audio/video.

the second part of adam's reply looks like a link to somewhere not recognizable like the first. Caution advised following anything down the rabbit hole. Referred for analysis

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I have since looked at a long video that tells you how to set up the camera. It was slow but helpful.
There is a function button, mode button and menu button. That makes it difficult at first, but the controls over the camera are pretty good.
I like that it has some great features. A decent built in mic, true plug in mic capability, slow mo, background focus control, and steady cam ability. I think it is about as big a camera that I am willing to take along with me while I travel. Otherwise I would just use my cell phone which is convenient, but doesn't have nearly the sound quality as the Sony. The bluetooth grip that is available is really great to have. A small external mic is too and I can carry it easily in a small fanny pack, and look like a tourist, but it is hard not too when you bring a camera other than your cell phone.