Photography

I'm not big into souvenirs, I'd much rather have a few nice photos to hang on my walls then some goudy nik-naks .

I've long ago discovered that you don't need very expensive cameras to travel with. First, you read about so many horror stories of camera gear getting stolen, or dirtied, or batteries dying. Second, the quality of your photos often depend on your familiarity with the camera and your knowledge of photography. Megapixels only matter if you plan on doing large prints (or severe cropping) and zoom length is rare to use (usually you can walk closer to get a better shot).

I travel with 2 cameras, both Sony.

The first is a standard point and shoot. It's small, good for fitting in your pocket for nights out at the bar, or for moments you are looking to be less conspicuous as a tourist.

The second if a Sony H9 camera. This has a larger megapixel size that I use for landscape shots that I might want in a higher resolution. I capture all my photos in the highest resolution so I don't have to keep switching and accidentally shoot in the wrong mode, so the smaller camera works wells with smaller file sizes.

Both cameras are incredibly cheap (you can get the latest H-series for $350, but I would get earlier models).

An advantage to using the same model is having interchangeable batteries and memory cards in case one runs out of space. Or if it breaks and you need a new camera you'll be able to reuse some pieces.