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Updated Nov 27, 2024
It’s sad to say, but the golden age of compact cameras is pretty much over, thanks to the rise of smartphone cameras that are, in many cases, good enough for most people. Manufacturers seem to realize this, too; we last updated this list in 2023, and since then, there haven’t really been any new additions to it. The ones that remain can also be difficult to find in stock, even when the companies that make them say they’re still a part of their lineups.
However, that doesn’t mean the category is completely dead. Even today, there are several types of compact cameras, and some have capabilities that pretty much no phone can match. This list calls out the few that are still available and looks at what they’re good for – because there are still cases where a compact camera is a great option.
Our recommendations:
Enthusiast compacts
The final niche in which it’s difficult for a smarphone to compete is for enthusiast photography. No matter how good smartphone image quality gets, it’s difficult for a phone to provide the feeling of connection to the process of taking photos that an enthusiast compact with lots of direct controls can offer.
We’ve picked three cameras with large sensors that deliver good image quality, zoom lenses and direct controls. Both Sony models have built-in electronic viewfinders, for shooting when it’s bright outside, again giving a more pleasant experience than trying to use a smartphone.
Best enthusiast compact: Canon PowerShot G7X III
20MP Type 1 Stacked CMOS sensor | 24-100mm equiv. F1.8-2.8 lens | 4K/30p video capture
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| Photo: Dan Bracaglia |
Buy now:
What we like:
- Nice grip and well-placed controls
- 4K/30p recording with live streaming to YouTube
- Fast burst shooting
What we don’t:
- Lens is soft at wide-angle
- Limited battery life
- Contrast-detect only autofocus
The Canon PowerShot G7X III is an enthusiast compact built around a 20MP Type 1 (13.2 x 8.8mm) Stacked CMOS sensor with a bright 24-100mm equivalent F1.8-2.8 zoom.
The large sensor, and zoom that covers a really useful range help set it apart from a smartphone but it’s really the clicking control dial around the lens and the dedicated exposure compensation dial that help you feel you’re in the driving seat of the photo-taking process that makes us enjoy it so much.
This is one of the cameras that’s frequently out of stock, but in November 2024 Canon assured us that it’s still in production and that the company is “working to meet the consumer demand of the PowerShot G7 X Mark III.”
Read our Canon Powershot G7X III review
See the Canon Powershot G7X III studio scene
Also worth considering
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VA is also worth a look, offering a short, bright 24-70mm equivalent zoom. This is a little shorter than the one on the Canon but we’ve found it to be more consistently sharp, on the units we’ve tested. It has a pop-up viewfinder, adding to the appeal but also to the price. The Sony’s autofocus is faster and more dependable than the Canon’s but we prefer the handling of the Canon, thanks to its exposure compensation dial and clicking front control wheel.
Best do-it-all compact: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII
20MP Type 1 Stacked CMOS sensor | 24-200mm equiv. F2.8-4.5 lens | Hybrid AF system
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| Photo: Dan Bracaglia |
Buy now:
What we like:
- Industry-leading autofocus
- Excellent image quality
- Oversampled 4K video
What we don’t:
- User interface can be overwhelming
- Low light performance limited by slow lens
- Slippery grip
- Expensive
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII is built around a 20MP Stacked CMOS sensor and a long, flexible 24-200mm equivalent lens. It’s not as bright at the long end as the zooms on the Mark VA or the Canon G7X III but it provides a lot more reach, still in a compact package.
Read our Sony RX100 VII review
See the Sony DSC-RX100 VII studio scene
Waterproof cameras
Waterproof cameras are another specialty that smartphones can’t necessarily displace. Many flagship phones are waterproof to a decent degree but you shouldn’t try to submerge them to any appreciable depth. Waterproof cameras also tend to be pretty rugged, designed to withstand a lot more mistreatment than a phone will withstand, meaning you can carry them with you at all times, without ever having to worry about it. Great for bikers, climbers and custodians of small, inquisitive but not necessarily careful children.
Best waterproof camera: OM System Tough TG-7
25-100mm equiv. F2.0-4.9 lens | 12MP Type 1/2.3 sensor | Waterproof to 15m (50ft)
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Buy now:
What we like:
- Bright, wideangle lens
- Built-in GPS, compass and manometer
- Raw image capture allowing creating edits
- Range of accessories
What we don’t:
- 12MP is fairly low
- Lens isn’t very bright at long end
- Limited battery life
- Relatively expensive
The OM System Tough TG-7 is a rugged, waterproof compact with a 25-100mm equivalent zoom lens. It is fully waterproof down to a depth of 15m (50 ft).
The OM System isn’t the only rugged waterproof still on the market, nor the cheapest, but it has several major factors in its favor. The first is that it lets you shoot Raw images, which gives you the ability to correct the white balance, which even the best cameras tend to get wrong when shooting underwater. Another factor is that there is a range of accessories for the TG-7, including a light guide that directs light from the built-in flash into a circle around the lens, letting you illuminate close-up objects.
Beyond this there are a few details that different users may find handy: it has an unusually wide-angle lens with a bright maximum aperture, helping the performance underwater and in low light. It also has a built-in GPS, compass and pressure sensor that lets you log your adventures. These all add up to a camera that’s worth the added expense, we feel.
Read our hands-on with the OM System TG-7 article
Long zoom cameras
Perhaps the greatest weakness of smartphones is their lack of zoom capabilities. Many of the best phones have a camera with a slightly longer focal length and then try to crop into their images and use AI algorithms to try to approximate the fine detail to give the impression of zooming, but this has its limits.
Dedicated cameras aren’t constrained by the need to slip into your pocket, which can afford them the space to have an optical zoom lens to gain you more reach than your smartphone can deliver. There can be a trade-off: the small sensors required to put lots of zoom in a relatively small camera will be outshone by the computational cleverness that modern smartphones will bring to bear on their images. But superzoom cameras can gain you the kind of reach that no current smartphone can get near.
Best long-zoom camera: Panasonic FZ1000 II
20MP Type 1 BSI-CMOS sensor | 25-400mm equiv. F2.8-4 lens | 4K/30p video capture
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| Photo: Dan Bracaglia |
What we like:
- Relatively fast lens with versatile focal range
- Fully articulating touchscreen
- Responsive AF performance
What we don’t:
- “Flutter” when focusing is distracting
- Substantial crop in 4K
- Body feels too “plasticky” for its price
The FZ1000 II predates Panasonic’s switch to phase-detect autofocus, so it tends to hunt for focus. However, it can shoot at burst rates up to 7fps, and its 25-400mm equiv F2.8-4 lens gives you plenty of reach while still offering a fair amount of light-gathering ability.
Read our Panasonic FZ1000 II review
See the Panasonic FZ1000 II studio scene
The retired champ
In its day, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV offered better performance and autofocus than the Panasonic, though at a substantially higher cost. In 2024, however, it’s no longer available at retail, and the FZ1000 II is. If you manage to find an RX10 IV somewhere and are interested in a long-zoom compact, it’s still worth snapping up – it’s possible it’ll be the best of its kind that was ever made.
Best ultra-zoom camera: Nikon Coolpix P1000
16MP 1/2.3″ BSI-CMOS sensor | 24-3000mm equiv. F2.8-8 lens | 4K video capture
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| Photo: Barney Britton |
Buy now:
What we like:
- Focal range cannot be matched by any camera
- Respectable image quality, given camera’s purpose
- Raw support
- Well-built, with logical control layout
What we don’t:
- Large and unbalanced when zoom is extended
- Lens is slow at long end, reducing sharpness
- No touchscreen
- Poor battery life
The Nikon Coolpix P1000 is a small sensor camera with a vast zoom lens. The Type 1/2.3 (6.17 x 4.55mm) sensor will be out-performed by a good smartphone’s clever merging of multiple images but the Nikon’s gargantuan 24-3000mm equiv lens is its selling point.
The small sensor means image quality isn’t the camera’s strength, but its frankly ludicrous zoom reach means it can photograph distant subjects in a way no other device (smartphone or dedicated camera) can.
Read our Nikon Coolpix P1000 review
See the Nikon Coolpix P1000 studio scene
Vlogging cameras
Smartphones are great for vlogging, but a dedicated vlogging camera can shoot better quality video, have more sophisticated microphones (and provide options for connecting better mics), and can autofocus very reliably, dependably delivering YouTube-ready footage.
Best vlogging camera: Sony ZV-1 Mark II
20MP Stacked CMOS sensor | 24fps burst shooting | 4K/30p, 1080/120p video
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| Photo: Shaminder Dulai |
Buy now:
What we like:
- Low rolling shutter
- 3-way mic array
- Touchscreen interface for vlogging
What we don’t:
- Limited body buttons/dials
- No stabilization for stills
- 8-bit color not ideal for grading
The Sony ZV-1 Mark II is one of three ZV-1 models and is by far the best. Its wide-angle 18-50mm equivalent F2.8-4.0 lens is ideally suited to self-shot video. Its excellent autofocus includes options such as ‘Product Showcase’ that focuses on the presenter, unless an object is held up to the camera.
See the Sony ZV-1 Mark II studio scene
Why you should trust us
This buying guide is based on cameras used and tested by DPReview’s editorial team. We don’t select a camera until we’ve used it enough to be confident in recommending it, usually after our extensive review process. The selections are purely a reflection of which cameras we believe to be best: there are no financial incentives for us to select one model or brand over another.
Author:
This article comes from DP Review and can be read on the original site.
