I recently I was leafing through a photo book in the library when I came across a spread from 2008 of a crowd surrounding a celebrity. The photo itself wasn’t great, but something about it caught my eye: everyone was holding a compact camera. There were a bunch of cameras I didn’t recognise scattered around: a Canon Powershot, a Nikon Coolpix, a Sony Cybershot. A few years later, I took the same photo, and the camera had become a smartphone.
I get it, we carry our phones with us all the time, and they’re good enough for the selfies and snapshots most of us take. But… taking pictures with a phone isn’t much fun. I think that’s why there’s been a resurgence of interest in compact cameras. People love “vintage” compact digital cameras, and hilariously poor quality cameras from the early 2000s are selling for more on eBay than new ones thanks to viral videos. To help you save money, I’ve tested and ranked all the compact cameras you can get your hands on. These are the best compact cameras I’ve tried.
Check out our many camera buying guides, including Best Mirrorless Camera, Best Action Camera, Best GoPro Hero, Best Instax Camera, Best Camera Bags and more, as well as step-by-step instructions on how to choose a camera.
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Things to consider when choosing a compact camera
If you’re upgrading from a smartphone to a dedicated camera, there are three key things to look out for.
Size and Weight: Carrying a camera that doesn’t fit in your pocket? Part of the appeal of a pocket camera is that it actually fits in your pocket. With the exception of the Fujifilm X100VI, all of the cameras featured in this guide are small and light enough to carry in your pocket.
image quality: The bigger the sensor, the better, but the better the lens, the clearer and more contrasty your image will be. This is why I mostly recommend fixed-lens cameras: they usually have faster and sharper lenses.
Additional Features: Cell phones are decent snapshot cameras, but they rarely have a good macro lens, built-in neutral density filter, or fast autofocus. If you’re going to invest in a pocket camera, look out for these handy extras.
