A good compact camera should have a relatively large sensor, be small enough that you can take it anywhere, and allow you to capture images that would be impossible to reproduce with your smartphone. Whether it's the architectural details of European cathedrals, your child speeding across a soccer field, or dinner at your favorite restaurant, the Sony RX100 VII is a much better option than your phone's camera.
Its 8.3x zoom lens makes it an ideal travel companion, capable of capturing wide panoramic views or zooming in for stunning portraits and stunning architectural details.
Plus, its tilting touchscreen makes it easy to shoot from height or depth, and the physical controls can help even experienced photographers feel at home while teaching novices the art of photography. Better yet, its autofocus tracking is the best we've ever seen in a compact camera.
Note: Most of the high-end compact cameras we recommend in this guide are produced in small batches that sell out quickly. These models may be out of stock or out of stock at the stores we're linked to – an unfortunate side effect of the hype surrounding them. However, none have been discontinued and if you place an order you will eventually receive a camera. Just be prepared to wait, or buy a used one instead.
First choice
This camera isn't much bigger than a deck of cards, but it captures great images and video in almost any situation, offers plenty of customizable controls, and has a great pop-up viewfinder.
THE Sony RX100 VII isn't cheap, but it's built to handle almost anything you're likely to photograph (over water, anyway). Whether you're an experienced photographer and parent of a field hockey champion, for example, or a novice learning more about photography while capturing the landscapes and cuisine of the French countryside, this camera delivers. And it's a camera you can grow with as you improve your skills.
Its focus tracking is the best you'll find in a compact camera, and its pop-up electronic viewfinder makes it easy to compose photos on sunny days. Above all, its 20-megapixel 1-inch sensor delivers sharper images, with more realistic colors and better background blur when you want it, than the best smartphone cameras can produce.
The RX100 VII's 24-200mm lens is both wide and long enough to handle the vast majority of photo opportunities. Due to its relatively narrow maximum aperture range, it sacrifices some background blur and low-light shooting capability compared to some larger compact and mirrorless cameras, but its low-light capabilities telephoto lens and its small size make it the best all-around travel companion.
Its 4K images are also colorful and sharp, and it can output uncompressed live 4K images via HDMI. (That said, vloggers should look to our choice for vlogging.)
Great too
This powerful point-and-shoot doesn't have the most zooms or megapixels, but it offers the best balance of reach, image quality, and features of any superzoom we tested.
If you primarily shoot sports and wildlife, but prefer the simplicity and affordability of a compact camera to the complexity, bulk, and cost of an interchangeable lens camera system, choose the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300. This camera's 24x zoom lens (25-600mm) has a much wider reach than our other picks, providing enough reach for bird watchingcapture stadium sports and even document your travels (although our other picks are better for long trips, as they're much more portable).
Its image quality is superior to what you can get with other small-sensor superzooms thanks to its constant f/2.8 aperture lens, and with its ultra-fast autofocus and zoom shooting. burst, you can easily capture fast action. It has a great electronic viewfinder and a touchscreen that can open to help you take selfies or capture photos from odd angles. And its weather-resistant, DSLR-like body is both comfortable to hold and has customizable controls.
Great too
This camera looks like a classic soapbar-style point-and-shoot, but packs a big APS-C sensor and a very sharp lens. But it only takes wide-angle photos and it lacks a viewfinder.
This camera is identical to the GR III, except that its lens is a “normal” 40mm equivalent rather than wide angle. Which model is best for you depends on how and what you like to shoot.
THE Ricoh GRIII is the Platonic ideal of a street camera, especially if you like to take photos quickly and covertly. Its minimalist design won't attract anyone's attention, you can easily slip it in and out of a pants pocket, and its wide-angle field of view and unique Snap Focus feature let you quickly take photos from the hip . If you want to spend more time on your compositions, it's also a great all-around travel camera.
But the pocketability of skinny jeans comes at a cost: This camera doesn't have an electronic viewfinder (a optical viewfinder is available separately), its rear screen does not tilt and its wide-angle lens does not zoom.
If you prefer a field of view closer to that of a classic “normal” lens, Ricoh offers a variant called the GR IIIx. It's exactly the same camera as the GR III but with a 40mm f/2.8 lens. The company also recently announced the GR III HDF And GR IIIx HDFvariants that replace the built-in neutral density filter with a highlight diffusion filter that you can enable for a dreamy, old-school look.
Great too
This retro-style camera offers plenty of tactile control dials, evocative film simulations, and a hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder, all combining to create a unique shooting experience.
The Fujifilm X100VI is another popular choice for street photography thanks to its fixed 35mm f/2 lens. But instead of encouraging a run-and-gun mentality, its retro-inspired design pushes you toward a slower, more considered shooting style.
This camera is packed with features not found on most other compact models, including a unique hybrid optical and electronic viewfinder with an electronic rangefinder, a stabilized 40-megapixel APS-C sensor, and the wide range of simulations of films from Fujifilm, which aim to recreate classic film stocks in digital form. And it's inlaid with touchscreen dials that allow manual control over every aspect of the shooting experience.
It's pretty expensive, especially for a camera that can't zoom or change lenses, and if you want to fit it in your jeans, they better be JNCOs. But it offers excellent image quality and an overall shooting experience that no other compact camera can match.
