Pcmag Best Compact Cameras 2018 Easy to Use
Digital point-and-shoot cameras were the preferred tool of many a family a photographer, but smartphones have overtaken them in popularity, ease of use, and imaging acumen in recent years. If you've got the latest iPhone, Galaxy, or Pixel in your pocket there's little reason to shop for a basic compact.
But there are still reasons to buy a camera with a fixed lens. You may opt to use a no-frills smartphone, and if that's the case you can enjoy an upgrade from a real camera. Ergonomics are another, even smaller cameras are a bit more natural to hold for photography than smartphones.
Dedicated cameras offer more zoom power than phones too, and some include larger image sensors to add a bit of soft background blur to your photos. Others are built tough to survive drops and go underwater without worry.
Shopping on a Budget
Compact cameras come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from pocketable models with zoom lenses to premium fixed-lens entries from Fujifilm and Leica. We'll cover the high-end options further down the page. For this story we're covering fixed-lens cameras with modest zoom power. If you're after a superzoom model, check out our picks for the best bridge cameras.
Mere mortals shopping for a basic camera should be prepared to spend a couple hundred dollars to get one of quality. Most of these cameras are older—it's been a few years since Canon refreshed its basic PowerShot Elph line, and other brands have seriously scaled back the number of models available.
The past year saw more retraction, the camera market has become a victim of our ongoing chip shortage, and manufacturers are more prone to devote manufacturing resources to higher-priced interchangeable lens models. Many of the small cameras we've recommend in the past to budget customers have vanished.
We recommend you shop based on brand when trying to find a camera in the $300 and under price range. You'll have the best luck with a camera from Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Panasonic, Ricoh, or Sony. We recommend you skip cameras from other brands, including famous photo names Kodak and Vivitar—these are licensed products, and not of high quality.
Spending More Is Worth It
You'll have more options and walk away with a better camera if you can afford to spend a bit more. For around $400 you can get our favorite waterproof model, the Olympus Tough TG-6. It's not indestructible, but it's close, and is a good fit for divers with a 50-foot waterproof rating, and offers high magnification macro and an f/2 lens for use in dimmer light.
If you don't need a tough camera, you should look for a model with a 1-inch class image sensor when shopping for a midrange or luxury compact. The Panasonic LX10 is the most affordable 1-inch camera that you can find in stock—it's selling for around $600 at press time. We missed reviewing it, but it has a solid reputation and a bright F1.4 lens. You can spend more on a Sony RX100 series, Canon G7 X Mark III, or Panasonic LX10 for better optics and more features. We also love the Canon G5 X Mark II, but it's out of stock at most retailers, and we don't know when it will go back on sale.
On the very high end you can opt for a camera with a sensor as large you get with interchangeable lens models. The Canon G1 X Mark III and Panasonic LX100 II have zoom lenses, while the Ricoh GR III and IIIx and Fujifilm X100V use primes. These cameras match consumer APS-C and Micro Four Thirds mirrorless models in image quality.
And if you're a luxury shopper you can go full-frame. The Leica Q2 and Q2 Monochrom, Sony RX1R II, and Zeiss ZX1 represent the current crop of fixed-lens cameras with full format image sensors. They're all multi-thousand dollar propositions, but enthusiasts who can afford them are sure to enjoy the experience and walk away with stunning photos.
Beyond the Confines of Your Pocket
For a look at every camera we've reviewed, and not just those that are easy to slip into your pocket, feel free to peruse all of our camera review. If you're looking for something a bit more capable than a pocket camera, you can check out our overall favorites from across all categories, or you can think about smaller mirrorless camera with swappable lenses to document your life.
Source: https://uk.pcmag.com/digital-cameras/15908/the-best-point-and-shoot-cameras
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