Kit guide
A lightweight travel camera kit
One standard zoom on the camera covers most of a trip. Below, that kit for each of the four APS-C systems, what it weighs, and when a second lens earns its place in the bag.
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Canon RF
505 g ready to shoot
Canon EOS R50 + Canon RF-S18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM
29–72 mm equivalent in one lens · 505 g with the camera · 49 mm filter
Drawn beside it: the RF-S55-210mm F5-7.1 IS STM, 270 g more; the bag then weighs 775 g.
Sony E
510 g ready to shoot
Sony a6400 + Sony E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II
24–75 mm equivalent in one lens · 510 g with the camera · 40.5 mm filter
Drawn beside it: the E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS, 345 g more; the bag then weighs 855 g.
Nikon Z
685 g ready to shoot
Nikon Z50II + Nikon NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR
24–75 mm equivalent in one lens · 685 g with the camera · 46 mm filter
Drawn beside it: the NIKKOR Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR, 405 g more; the bag then weighs 1,090 g.
Fujifilm X
678 g ready to shoot
Fujifilm X-T50 + Fujifilm XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 R LM WR
24–75 mm equivalent in one lens · 678 g with the camera · 58 mm filter
Drawn beside it: the XC50-230mmF4.5-6.7 OIS II, 375 g more; the bag then weighs 1,053 g.
Start with one zoom
A standard zoom goes from a wide view, about 24 to 29 mm equivalent, to a short telephoto around 75 mm. That covers a street, a room, a person and a detail across the square without changing lenses. Every camera here is sold with one, and it is also the lightest zoom each maker offers, which is why it is the pick for this job.
The lightest of the four kits is the Canon EOS R50 with the Canon RF-S18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM, at 505 g ready to shoot. The heaviest is the Nikon Z50II kit at 685 g. That is 180 g between them, carried all day.
When a second lens is worth carrying
Add a lens only for a view the zoom cannot give. A telephoto zoom brings in what the standard zoom leaves small: wildlife, a face across a market, a detail high on a building. A bright prime (f/1.4 to f/2) helps indoors at night, where a kit zoom at f/5.6 needs a slow shutter speed. If neither of those is your trip, the second lens is weight you carry without using.
What to pack with it
A spare battery weighs 42 to 83 g, depending on the camera (each camera's page gives its battery's weight), and doubles the shots between charges. If your camera charges over USB, a charger can top up the battery inside it between outings; some need a USB Power Delivery charger. One filter is enough for most trips: a clear protector or a circular polariser in your zoom's filter size. The kit builder adds both and shows the bag's total.
Build your own kit · Lenses by subject
Facts from the makers' specification pages. How we check