Ahead of my last holiday, I went on a quest to find the best camera so I could get some great holiday shots. But where to start? I decided to go straight to the source. I quizzed the photographers and editors on the RUSSH team for their top picks. I also tried one or two new devices myself.

Off the back of this expert advice and the recommendations, I've pulled together a non-exhaustive list of the best cameras. Of course, there are many amazing device out there, but these are the ones that come specifically recommended by our creative team, the ones we've actually tried. If you're looking to get into photography, try these. And remember, according to photographer and RUSSH Contributor Kitty Callaghan "point and shoot cameras are very simple cameras so it shouldn’t be a massive investment."

Fuji X-T3 - digital

RUSSH campaigns manager and photographer Olivia Repaci asked one of her photographer friends about the Fuji  X-T3. They said: "I lean to the Fujis since it has all the dials – aperture/iso/shutter speed/exposure compensation – there which make it easier to learn what each thing does."

This is an older model, but perfect for a beginner as you can find them quite affordably on the secondhand market. The grip is small and there are enough customisation options that you can start playing around with these as you learn more and more. If you want a step up the Fuji X-T4 and the X-T5 are considered sister models, but will a few extras that can help you improve your video content. But most beginners will be more than happy with the X-T3

Nikon Z fc - digital

If you're not a fan of hunting around on the second-hand market, you can try the Z fc. Photographer, Olivia Repaci confirms this camera has a similar experience to the Fuji X-T3 – with lots of potentially customisable controls – but it's still available to buy new.

This model also comes in a range of different colours so you can choose something with lots of personality. Nikon also claims that this camera has the widest lens of any comparable model. It performs beautifully in low light. It's also been updating with video content creation in mind, so it actually has a decent microphone.

PowerShot G7 X Mark III - digital

After Beauty Editor Emily Algar took her recent trip to Sicily, her photos were so incredible that her camera was essential for this list. She used the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III. It's a device that has been designed with social media content creation in mind, whether it's for TikTok, Instagram or YouTube.

One of the most helpful features is that the LCD panel flips up so you can view your framing before taking selfie content. It's also more compact than some of the others on this list. In terms of customisations, there aren't as many as on the Fuji or the Nikon, it's not a camera that will allow you to deep dive into the world of photography. Instead, this is a device that has optimised to make content capture as easy and beautiful as possible.

Canon EOS R50 - digital

I took this one with me on holiday to Croatia and Greece. And I think it's the perfect travel camera. It was surprisingly light and easy to stash in a bag. It had excellent automatic settings for someone like myself who doesn't know how to manually adjust. But it has plenty of manual settings and features for someone more like my partner who likes to be able to customise his exposure and focus. If you're wanting one step up from digital-lensed or compact cameras, this is perfect. You can actually change out the lens on this camera, meaning it can grow with you as you learn more about photography.

Sony CyberShot RX100 - digital

When I took my first trip to the Cinque Terre in 2018, my partner and I took a Sony CyberShot RX100 Mark I. It was the perfect camera for our trip. We weren't looking to spend a lot of money, but we wanted something that could capture colour and had a few customisable exposure setting so we'd be able to get some nighttime shots. Well this camera delivered in spades, the recreation of the blues was unbelievable and we were able to get some beautiful shots of the Ligurian cliffs at night. It was the perfect camera for two people who knew less than nothing about photography, but wanted to experiment.

This of course is not the camera I took, but a superior and updated version. If you're ready for something with a detachable lens, and too many customisations, you can start here.

Olympus MJU Zoom Panorama 70 - film

Are you wanting to go down the film camera route instead? A direct recommendation from photographer Kitty Callaghan who recommends spending no more than $300 on a point and shoot film camera. This is her favourite hands-down as it's full automatic and very easy to use. You can buy them second hand in a few places including eBay.