I'm not much of a photographer even by amateur standards, so I figured my phone would be good enough to take some vacation photos for the memories.
A third of my phone shots are bad because I didn't have a telephoto lens, and half of those are just garbage.
I have a soda can size 55-210 and I'm never using lightweight travel as an excuse to not bring it again.
I got a Sony RX-100 for trips, I recommend it, the image quality is great and it has quite a bit of zoom (though I forget the exact lengths).
I also have a 5D, and the 95% of the difference between the 5D and the RX-100 is the increased ergonomics, so if you aren't shooting seriously/professionally, you don't really have to bother with anything above a cheap, good Sony.
> a soda can size 55-210
Anything you would recommend?
Canon, Sony, Fuji, Nikon. Lenses map to camera system bodies, so it's hard to just recommend a particular lens to someone without context.
I personally think most brands' 70-200 f/2.8 delight more than any 55-210 'kit' lens, which is often f/3.5-5.6. This is just based on my experience and letting people who have never used an interchangeable lens camera take and develop shots.
If someone is serious and going to step up from a cellphone to do some of this, my advice is to not mess around with something cheap like the discounted old APS-C body and lens kits that are usually outperformed by a cell.
Get a recent mirrorless body with good IBIS, and buy a nice prime and a telephoto zoom. High resolution (40-60MP) bodies can enable some tremendous landscape or crop opportunities. Focus on what a dedicated camera does better than a phone - interchangeable lenses, incredible autofocus and high shutter speed action, bokeh and compression (lens dependent), etc. Full-frame 35mm vs APS-C is the primary decision you have to make, any kit you're getting is affected by it.
The physics of bigger lenses, quality of esp. the full-frame lenses, the quality of the large sensors are a real treat for even new photographers.
I'd like to second GP's reply and add that if you get a full-frame mirrorless camera and a couple of adapters, the world is your oyster for cheap, old lenses on eBay.
Figure out what you like on the cheap, and if you want to upgrade to a modern lens, you know what you're seeking for comparatively little money.
Technical version: Infinity focus is determined by how close the lens gets to the focal plane of the film or sensor. The various lens mount standards (some manufacturer specific, some widely genericized) specify the distance between the mounting flange and the focal plane. Mirrorless cameras can have a smaller flange distance than SLR's (because there's no mirror that has to swing through the space), and so you can optically adapt pretty much anything to mirrorless.
Optically being the operative word. You'll lose metering modes that depend on the camera getting info from the lens by either physical or electrical means. If you're shooting landscapes or product, this is unlikely to be a problem. If you're shooting action, you may want to disregard this suggestion.
EDITED TO ADD:
I haven't kept up with the mirrorless world since I bought mine, but if you're doing this get one where the image stabilization is implemented in the body.
Depends on what kind of action. Sunny 16 and hyperfocal distance lets you get away with a lot.
Nope, I'm at the stage where making the best of cheap used gear is still way above my skill level. My opinions are worse than useless.