Are Point And Shoot Cameras Worth It

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The Best Point-and-Shoot Cameras for 2022

Unwilling to booty a heavy SLR or mirrorless camera? If you prefer using a camera to a smartphone, we've got some recommendations for quality point-and-shoot cameras for photographers of all skill levels.

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Digital point-and-shoot cameras were the preferred tool of many a family a photographer, simply smartphones have overtaken them in popularity, ease of apply, and imaging acumen in contempo years. If you've got the latest iPhone, Galaxy, or Pixel in your pocket there'southward little reason to store for a basic compact.

But in that location are withal reasons to buy a photographic camera with a stock-still lens. Y'all may opt to use a no-frills smartphone, and if that'southward the case you tin bask an upgrade from a existent camera. Ergonomics are another, even smaller cameras are a bit more than natural to hold for photography than smartphones.

Dedicated cameras offer more zoom ability than phones too, and some include larger paradigm sensors to add a bit of soft background blur to your photos. Others are built tough to survive drops and become underwater without worry.

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 loftier-end options further downwards the folio. For this story we're roofing fixed-lens cameras with modest zoom ability. If you're after a superzoom model, check out our picks for the best bridge cameras.

The Olympus Tough TG-6 sets itself autonomously from smartphones with its rugged, waterproof build (Photo: Paul Maljak)

Mere mortals shopping for a bones camera should be prepared to spend a couple hundred dollars to get i 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 accept seriously scaled back the number of models available.

The past year saw more than retraction, the camera market has become a victim of our ongoing chip shortage, and manufacturers are more than prone to devote manufacturing resources to higher-priced interchangeable lens models. Many of the small cameras we've recommend in the by to budget customers have vanished.

Nosotros recommend you shop based on brand when trying to find a camera in the $300 and nether price range. You'll have the all-time luck with a camera from Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Panasonic, Ricoh, or Sony. Nosotros recommend you lot skip cameras from other brands, including famous photograph 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 ameliorate photographic camera if you tin can afford to spend a bit more. For around $400 you can get our favorite waterproof model, the Olympus Tough TG-six. It's not indestructible, simply it'south close, and is a good fit for divers with a fifty-foot waterproof rating, and offers high magnification macro and an f/2 lens for use in dimmer lite.

The Panasonic ZS200 has a 1-inch sensor and a long zoom lens (Photo: Zlata Ivleva)

If you don't need a tough camera, you should await for a model with a i-inch class image sensor when shopping for a midrange or luxury meaty. The Panasonic LX10 is the most affordable ane-inch camera that you tin find in stock—it'southward selling for around $600 at printing time. We missed reviewing information technology, but it has a solid reputation and a bright F1.4 lens. You lot tin can spend more on a Sony RX100 series, Canon G7 X Mark Iii, or Panasonic LX10 for better optics and more features. We as well dear the Catechism G5 X Mark II, but information technology's out of stock at about retailers, and nosotros don't know when it will get dorsum on auction.

On the very high end y'all tin opt for a photographic camera with a sensor as large yous become with interchangeable lens models. The Canon G1 Ten Mark 3 and Panasonic LX100 II accept zoom lenses, while the Ricoh GR III and IIIx and Fujifilm X100V employ primes. These cameras match consumer APS-C and Micro Iv Thirds mirrorless models in image quality.

The Fujifilm X100V uses an APS-C image sensor and includes a hybrid optical-electronic viewfinder (Photograph: Jim Fisher)

And if you're a luxury shopper you tin can get total-frame. The Leica Q2 and Q2 Monochrom, Sony RX1R Two, and Zeiss ZX1 correspond the current ingather of fixed-lens cameras with total format image sensors. They're all multi-thousand dollar propositions, but enthusiasts who tin afford them are certain 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 like shooting fish in a barrel to slip into your pocket, feel gratuitous to peruse all of our photographic camera review. If you're looking for something a bit more than capable than a pocket photographic camera, y'all can cheque out our overall favorites from across all categories, or yous tin think about smaller mirrorless camera with swappable lenses to document your life.

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