Compact Cameras
Compact cameras are self-contained image-making machines. With a lens attached rather than an interchangeable lens mount, compact digital cameras give you everything you need to start shooting from the moment you take them out of the box. It’s a wide category, encompassing everything from affordable point-and-shoots to premium compacts beloved by professionals.
Smaller and more straightforward than DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, compact cameras are great for street photography, travel and a whole lot more. There are lots of different types from various manufacturers – on this page we’ll take you through them to help you find the right compact for you.
Compact Cameras
Which compact camera should you choose?
There are lots of different compacts out there, all with their own advantages, and so which to choose depends on what you want to shoot. You may want to prioritise a long zoom for distant subjects, or a small body for travelling light, or a large sensor for maximising image quality.
Prime lens vs zoom lens: which to choose?
This is one of the first questions you need to answer when picking a compact camera – what type of lens do you want to use? A prime lens is a lens with a fixed focal length, which means you don’t get any optical zoom function. If the perspective on the box is listed as 28mm, then 28mm is all you’re getting. Zoom lenses, as you might have guessed, are not so restricted, and can be zoomed in or out as a situation demands. So why would anyone choose a prime lens? It’s all to do with image quality – a prime lens can be made with significantly superior optical quality as the manufacturers don’t have to worry about packing zoom capabilities in there, so you’ll get sharper images from a prime lens. Which you prefer is down to you. As a general rule of thumb, go for a zoom lens if you want versatility, and go for a prime if you care more about sharpness and image quality. And in either case, check the focal length is in a range you’re comfortable with – wider focal lengths (8-35mm) are good for landscape and architecture, standard lengths (40-70mm) are good for naturalistic street perspectives, while longer lengths (80mm and above) are better for portraiture, wildlife and action.
Compact Camera Brands
Let’s run through the main manufacturers of compact cameras and take a quick look at the products they offer.
Canon has a broad range of compacts. Its IXUS cameras are highly affordable, made for first-time users and those who just need a simple camera that works.
Move up the scale a little and you start to see more advanced prosumer compact cameras, such as the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III. This camera packs in an APS-C sensor, which is larger than you’ll generally find in a compact, and allows it to shoot in more challenging low-light situations.
Canon has also released some specialist compact cameras like the PowerShot Zoom, which is a tiny device with an 800mm effective focal range – amazing for wildlife spotting.
Compatible with all X100V accessories, the Fujifilm X100VI features a gigantic 40MP X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor, X-Processor 5 and a new low base ISO of 125. This model takes what the world of photography loved about its predecessor and elevates it to the next level. In addition, this iteration is equipped with 6-stop IBIS, AI subject detection and the latest AF algorithm and offers 6.2K30P and 4K60P video recording.
The premium Leica brand is known for quality, and so it goes for the firm’s compact cameras. The Leica Q2 and Leica Q2 Monochrom are some of the few compact cameras with full-frame sensors, and offer absolutely outstanding image quality in a sublime handling experience. The Leica D-Lux 7 and Leica V-LUX 5, meanwhile, use smaller sensors but still provide an exemplary shooting experience with that unbeatable Leica feel.
Panasonic Lumix makes two main types of compact cameras. Its bridge-style cameras, including the Lumix FZ82 and Lumix FZ2000, are built like DSLRs and have big zoom lenses for all-purpose shooting. The smaller Lumix TZ cameras, such as the Lumix TZ200, are travel zoom cameras, pocket sized and perfect for taking everywhere.
Many Panasonic Lumix compacts use 1-inch sensors, which offers a significant quality upgrade over a smartphone while still allowing the camera bodies to be small and portable.
Sony also offers both bridge cameras and smaller compacts. One of the stars of its stable is the Sony RX100 VII, a fabulous pocket-sized compact that features a high-resolution 1-inch sensor and a pop-up electronic viewfinder. This series has been so enduringly popular that its six previous iterations are still widely available at knock-down prices.
The Sony compacts range is very broad, also including ultra-affordable point-and-shoots like the Sony WX500, and premium prosumer bridge cameras like the Sony RX10 IV.
Ricoh’s GR cameras are also fantastic for street photographers. Sleek and discreet, the Ricoh GR III pairs a fixed 28mm equivalent lens with a superb 24.24MP APS-C sensor – and if you want a longer focal length, there’s also the Ricoh GR IIIx, which provides the same setup with a 40mm equivalent lens.
Ricoh also produces a series of hardy waterproof compacts – the Ricoh WG cameras. These little wonders can take a pounding, a dropping and a dunking and still keep on snapping great pictures. The Ricoh WG-6 is a great one for intrepid explorers – it also has a macro ring light and can shoot 4K video.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which compact cameras have a viewfinder?
Plenty of them do. While we can’t provide an exhaustive list of compact cameras with viewfinders, if this is an important priority for you, here is a list of compacts we rate for their particularly fine viewfinders:
Are compact cameras waterproof?
Not generally. Some have weatherproofing that will allow them to work in the rain, but for full waterproofing, you want to look at tough compacts like the Ricoh WG-6 or the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT30.
Are compact cameras better than smartphones?
Compact cameras, even quite basic ones, offer substantial advantages over smartphones. As well as the fact that they’re easier to handle with more ergonomic design, compact cameras also tend to have two crucial advantages. The first is sensor size – many offer larger sensors than smartphones, which makes them better in low light and generally improves image quality. The second is lens quality – it’s much easier for compact cameras to field optical zoom lenses than it is for a smartphone, giving you much more shooting flexibility.
Which compact camera do professionals use?
While most professional work will require the flexibility of an interchangeable-lens camera, many carry a compact camera as a portable and nimble second camera, or just to shoot for fun. Popular compacts among professionals include the Fujifilm X100VI, Leica Q2 and the Ricoh GR III.
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