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Compact camera types
What, there's more than one type of compact camera? There certainly is. In fact the term 'compact camera' needs explaining because 'compact' cameras now come in all shapes and sizes.
In fact the one thing that separates compact cameras from digital SLRs and compact system cameras is not size at all, but that that the lens is fixed – you can't swap it for a different one.
You need to keep this in mind when you're choosing a camera, and we'll talk more about lenses as we go through this guide.
- Best cheap camera
- Best high-end compact
- Best bridge camera
- Best travel camera
- Best waterproof camera
Where do you start? Compact camera types
The range of compact cameras on offer can be confusing, but the trick is to break them down into five different types:
Compact cameras vs DSLRs and CSCs
There is some crossover between high-end compacts and bridge cameras and digital SLRs and compact system cameras, so just in case you're still not quite sure which of these to choose, here are the main pros and cons of compact cameras:
Compact camera pros:
- Size: You can slip a point and shoot compact or travel camera into a shirt or trouser pocket.
- Cost: Compact cameras are (usually) much cheaper than DSLRs and CSCs
- Simplicity: Most compact cameras are designed for novices, so you can just pick them up and start shooting
- All-in-one convenience: There are no extra lenses to buy and, if you choose a bridge camera, you'll get a zoom range you'd need two or three different DSLR lenses to match.
Compact camera cons:
- Picture quality: Most compact cameras use tiny 1/2.3-inch sensors. This limits the picture quality – it's fine for snaps, but for big enlargements or for shooting in low light you need a camera with a bigger sensor (some high-end compacts do now have bigger sensors).
- Controls: Only the more advanced compact cameras will let you set things like the lens aperture, shutter speed and focus manually, and the small size can make this more fiddly.
- Lens restrictions: Compact cameras don't take interchangeable lenses, so you can't simply buy a new lens in the future if you want to shoot different things – you'll need to buy a new camera.
- Not everyone likes a small camera. They're easier to carry around but can also be trickier to use.
For many people the pros of a compact camera will outweigh the cons, and if that sounds like you, then keep reading...
Point-and-shoot compacts
If you just want a camera that's small enough to slide in your pocket and simple enough to take care of all the technicalities, a regular point and shoot compact camera is ideal. These range from the cheap and cheerful but perfectly adequate, right up to stylish fashion accessories.
But it's these regular compact cameras, particularly the cheaper ones, that are facing the biggest competition from smartphones. After all, you've always got your phone with you, and it takes perfectly good snaps – so why would you carry a separate camera?
Compact cameras vs smartphones
The image quality from a smartphone is often perfectly adequate, and you get the added convenience of instant sharing via the cellular network. Many compact cameras have wi-fi which connects to a smartphone, but they still rely on the smartphone for sharing pictures with the wider world.
The other advantage of smartphones is that they can run a wide range of applications. They can shoot a photo, edit it, apply a wide range of special effects and share it with others really easily.
But compact cameras still have some advantages. One of the biggest is a zoom lens – smartphones often offer digital zooms, but this reduces the picture quality. Even a cheap compact camera, on the other hand, might have a 5x or even an 8x zoom to get you much closer to your subject.
Compact cameras are also a little bit easier to handle. Smartphones have the perfect shape for phone calls but a tricky one for photography. It's easy to leave your finger over the lens by mistake, and the wide, thin shape doesn't give you much of a grip.
And the fact is that many people prefer to keep different devices for different needs. Some people would rather carry a camera for photography and a smartphone for socialising.
Point and shoot compacts: what to look for
Most point and shoot compact cameras use tiny 1/2.3-inch sensors, so there aren't too many differences here. These are large enough to give them a quality advantage over smartphones for the most part, though the gap is shrinking.
Some regular compacts have larger sensors than this, and the 2/3-inch sensor in the Fuji XQ1 is a good example, at twice the size of a point-and-shoot camera sensor. Larger-sensor compacts cost more, but you do see an improvement in picture quality.
The other thing to look for is the lens's zoom range. Most have a 4x zoom range or thereabouts, offering a wideangle view at one end of the range and a modest telephoto effect at the other. Some go to 5x, 8x or higher, even at the cheaper end of the market – and any extra zoom range is worth having.
If you think you might need a longer zoom range still, take a look at the page on travel/long zoom compacts – these are a very popular alternative to the regular point-and-shoot camera and offer a much bigger step up from a camera phone.
Don't worry too much about megapixels. In the early days, when compact cameras had just 8-10 megapixels, it might have made a difference. But cramming more and more megapixels hasn't worked. It sells more cameras, but any increase in sharpness is offset by increased noise (random speckling) and image smoothing (to get rid of it).
Back-illuminated sensors are a useful recent development that helps reduce noise, though only to a degree. They make the best of a small sensor size, but it's not the same as having a bigger sensor.
The better point-and-shoot compacts do now have much of the tech you see in smartphones, such as touch-screen control, built-in wi-fi and even GPS. You should expect to get full HD movie modes, too.
High-end compacts
High-end compact cameras are designed to offer the controls and sometimes even the image quality of a digital SLR or mirrorless compact system camera – but it's not necessarily an either/or decision. Lots of photographers with SLRs will go looking for a smaller camera that will fit in a jacket pocket on occasions when their main camera would just be too bulky, but they still want a serious level of control and image quality.
The emphasis here is on larger, better sensors, high-quality lenses and lots of manual shooting options, and this is the area that's seen some really big changes recently.
High-end compacts: what to look for
Point-and-shoot compacts have a plethora of time-saving exposure presets and scene modes, and these are fine for those who don't have the time or the inclination to get involved in the technicalities.
But if you want to take creative control of your camera and try more advanced photographic effects, you need a camera that lets you select and adjust PASM exposure modes – these are Program mode, Aperture priority mode, Shutter priority (or Tv) mode and Manual.
Many advanced photographic techniques rely on being able to control the camera's shutter speed and lens aperture manually, and that's what these PASM modes do.
A high-end compact camera will also let you shoot 'raw' files as well as JPEGs. The JPEG format is fine for everyday use because the camera delivers a ready-made digital image you can share and edit straight away. But for the best possible quality you need access to the raw data saved by the camera's sensor. This creates much bigger files (you won't be able to store as many on the memory card) and you'll need to raw conversion software on your computer to turn them into editable images, but you will be able to get better quality from the camera.
Look out for cameras with viewfinders, too. You may be used to composing pictures on the screen on the back of the camera, or your smartphone, but apart from making you walk around like a glass-eyed zombie, they can be really hard to see in bright light.
Some high-end compacts have optical viewfinders, but these only work with relatively short zoom ranges. They can be quite cramped, with lots of distortion and don't always show the full area the camera will capture.
Increasingly, camera makers are using EVFs, or electronic viewfinders instead. Early examples looked grainy and responded sluggishly, but today's EVFs are sharp, bright and much more responsive.
High-end compacts with EVFs are more expensive and may be larger, but it's definitely a feature worth having.
Most of all, though, look out for the sensor size. Until recently, high-end compact cameras mostly used 1/1.7-inch sensors or thereabouts – large enough to offer a useful improvement in quality over regular point-and-shoot cameras, but a long way short of the sensors used in SLRs and compact system cameras.
But that's changed. Canon started the ball rolling with its PowerShot G1 X and a sensor just a tad smaller than APS-C, and since then, Canon has launced the G7 x, a high-end compact with a 1-inch sensor roughly half way in size between normal compact camera sensors and those in DSLRs.
For many, this will give the best of both worlds – a big jump in quality but a camera that's still small enough to slide into a pocket.
Sony uses a 1-inch sensor in its excellent RX100 cameras, but perhaps the most impressive technical advance, though, is in the Panasonic LX100, which has a Micro Four Thirds sensor squeezed into a compact camera sized body. This sensor is just a little smaller than APS-C and used in Panasonic and Olympus compact system cameras.
High end compact lens specs
The other key area for high-end compacts is the lens. Most come with a 3-4x zoom range, which is fine for everyday photography. But do look out for lenses with a wide maximum aperture – and one that stays wide across the whole zoom range. This will give better performance in low light and more attractive depth of field effects.
Look for maximum lens apertures of f/1.8-f/2.8. Some high-end compacts will offer this at their widest zoom setting but then drop to f/4.5-5.6 at their longest zoom setting, which is pretty weak.
Really keen enthusiasts, however, may be prepared to sacrifice a zoom lens for a larger sensor. The retro-styled Fuji X100 series, for example, has an APS-C sensor and a fixed 35mm equivalent lens. You're more restricted in your compositions and you have to use your feet more, but many find a fixed focal length lens encourages better photography.
Bridge cameras
So-called 'bridge' cameras have been around almost as long as regular point-and-shoot models. They're designed to 'bridge' the gap between compact cameras and digital SLRs, by providing many of the manual controls you get on a digital SLR with huge zoom ranges, so that this one camera can shoot almost any kind of subject, from wideangle landscapes or interiors to long-range telephoto or sports shots.
This kind of camera is ideal as a kind of do-it-all solution, but only if you're prepared to accept some compromises.
For a start, bridge cameras aren't small. They have the body shape and styling of a digital SLR, and in some instances they're almost the same size. These are no longer pocket-sized cameras! At the same time, though, most have the same 1/2.3-inch sensors as regular point-and-shoot compact cameras. This is because the size of the sensor and the size of the lens are closely related. You need the small sensor size to get superzoom lenses of a manageable size and cost.
Or at least that's how it's been until now.
Bridge cameras: what to look for
Panasonic and Sony have broken the mould with the FZ1000 and RX10. Neither can quite match the zoom range of the Canon SX60 HS or other traditional bridge cameras, but both have far larger 1-inch sensors which deliver a big boost in picture quality and have really brought sensor size to the fore.
The Panasonic and Sony aside, this is a key area of compromise with bridge cameras. Small sensors deliver decent enough results within their limits, but the quality plummets at high ISO (sensitivity) settings, and you'll never get the same level of quality as an SLR or compact system camera, or even a high-end compact.
The lens can be a weakness too. A massive zoom range is one of the key selling points for a bridge camera, but he longer the zoom range, the more complex the lens – and compromises can creep in with the quality, too. At full zoom, the lens will generally be noticeably 'softer', and may see more distortion and chromatic aberration (colour fringing) than you get with shorter zoom settings.
This means that although these cameras look perfect for extreme long-range photography, this is where the picture quality is most likely to suffer. The autofocus system may struggle to keep up with moving subjects, and although bridge cameras come with image-stabilisation systems, the sheer level of magnification you get from a 50x or 60x zoom lens means this may not be enough to keep the picture steady.
Don't let this put you off buying a bridge camera, but do keep these limitations in mind. If versatility is more important to you than outright quality – or if you've seen the results from a bridge camera and you're perfectly happy with them – then a bridge camera can offer an unbeatable combination of versatility and value.
There are other features which can make them more useful still. Bridge cameras usually offer the PASM exposure modes you need to take control of the camera's shutter speed and lens aperture, but some also offer the option of shooting raw files as well as JPEGs. This offers the opportunity to process the files yourself to eke out a little more image quality.
Some bridge cameras have articulating rear displays, and these are extremely useful for shooting at low angles, in confined spaces (where there's no room to get behind the camera) and maybe for grabbing the odd selfie!
Wi-fi and touch-screen control are also worth having – it's especially useful to be able to control your camera remotely using your smartphone, and wi-fi enabled cameras will have free apps for this.
Travel zooms and waterproof cameras
Of course, lots of photographers fancy the zoom range of a bridge camera but in the pocket-sized body of a regular compact. That's why travel/long zoom compact cameras are a big growth area.
We call them 'travel' cameras because that sums up what they're best at. They're small enough to carry anywhere when you're on a trip, and they have a big zoom range – big enough for wideangle shots in narrow city streets and long range shots of animals, architecture and people.
There are compromises, but not as many as you might think. Travel compacts mostly use the same 1/2.3-inch sensors found in regular compact cameras, so the quality is adequate rather than exceptional – but most people will be looking at these cameras as alternatives to regular compacts anyway, so that's not necessarily a problem.
And the zoom range still isn't quite as wide as that of a bridge camera, though travel compacts can often get surprisingly close. Early models might sport a 10x zoom range, but today you can get pocket-size travel cameras with 20x or even 30x zoom ranges. Not so long ago, that would have been pretty good for a bridge camera.
Lens quality does vary. For the makers, it's quite a challenge to get such a long-range lens to retract into the camera body when you switch the camera off, and yet still get good picture quality all the way through the zoom range. As with bridge cameras, you can expect to see some drop-off in sharpness at longer zoom settings.
But some travel zooms are more than just souped-up point-and-shoot cameras. The Panasonic TZ70 is a prime example because it brings in a lot of the features you find in high-end compact cameras. It offers PASM exposure modes, for example, and it can shoot raw files as well as JPEGs. Panasonic has even managed to squeeze in an EVF (electronic viewfinder).
Waterproof/adventure cameras
This is a whole new area for compact cameras that started slowly but is now really capturing people's imagination. For not much more than the cost of a regular point-and-shoot compact you can get a camera that will survive being immersed in water, dropped or even frozen.
You do need to look out for the usual camera specifications, including sensor size and zoom range, but these don't vary a great deal for this kind of camera. Most have 1/2.3-inch sensors and a 3x zoom lens.
The key specs relate to the camera's physical construction – its waterproofing, shock-resistance and cold-proofing.
The waterproofing is easiest to measure. Water pressure increases with depth, so it's easy for makers to specify a maximum depth rating for their cameras. Basic models may be waterproof to a depth of 3m, but the better ones can go down to a depth of 10-15m. If you want to go deeper than that then you have to enter the specialised world of waterproof housings and diving equipment.
Shock-proofing is not quite as clearly defined. For most of these cameras, the makers say they will survive a drop of up to 2m, but the circumstances will clearly have an effect on this. Dropping a camera on a domestic floor is not the same as dropping it on to a jagged rock.
Cold-proofing is harder to define, too. Makers might say their camera is 'cold-proof' down to a temperature of -10 degrees, for example, but you may want to shoot in colder places than this, or that a regular camera will still work in cold conditions as long as you keep it protected between shots.
In any event, these waterproof/adventure cameras are far more rugged than the regular sort and the ideal camera for mounting biking expeditions, swimming, climbing or even trips to the beach with the family.
Action cams
If you want a camera to capture your adventurous lifestyle, you're rapidly becoming spoilt for choice, and while there are tough point-and-shoot compacts that can take real punishment, they're no longer the only option.
There is some real crossover here with action cams, which are designed principally for shooting video but can also take stills too.
Hopefully, this has given you a clearer idea about the range of compact cameras on the market, and it's helped you narrow down the choices. Don't forget to click the links to find out more about each type and which models we really rate.
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