Smartphones are now photographic powerhouses, so should you still consider buying a compact camera? In some cases, yes – here’s why.
Smartphones have evolved so spectacularly that their point-and-shoot brilliance is just one of the many of the icons on our homescreen. So are dedicated compact cameras really still relevant, or worth buying? They certainly have a fight on their hands. In the space of ten years, phone cameras have turned from after-thoughts into multi-cam, high-resolution, computational wizards that can handling challenging scenarios from low light to popping-portraits. One-trick-pony, point-and-shoot compacts that offer similar (or worse) picture quality to recent smartphones didn’t really stand a chance in the face of such vast investment and progress from our multi-purpose pocket devices. So how exactly are compact cameras still relevant, even desirable, in 2021? Far from conceding, camera manufacturers have redefined what is expected from our pocket cameras and we are continuing to enjoy the fruit today. Here are all the kinds of increasingly capable compact cameras that are still relevant today – and our thoughts on which ones you should still buy. With point-and-shoot compacts mostly phased out in 2021, the most cutting-edge compact cameras (outside smartphones) can be categorized into seven main groups; premium, big-sensor, travel-zoom, rugged, action, instant and what we’ll call vlogging cameras. Here’s a brief run-through of each type. In 2012, the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 was announced and redefined what a compact camera is. By including a much larger 1-inch image sensor, high-quality fast lens and sturdy metal body, the premium compact was born. Seven iterations on with the Sony RX100 VII (above) facing wide competition, premium compacts are more expensive than ever, but they pack incredible features that can make those life memories look all the better. One step up from premium compacts (in terms of size) is what we call the big-sensor compact. While it’s sometimes a stretch to label them ‚compact‘, these cameras include either an APS-C or full-frame sensor paired with a moderate wide-angle, fixed-focal length and fast aperture lens. Ideal for low light, environmental portraits, street and reportage photography, they include cameras like the Fujifilm X100V (above) and Ricoh GR III. A travel zoom is based on two main qualities; compact size and a vast optical zoom range. A case in point is the Panasonic TZ200 (above) with its 15x optical zoom range, covering anything from landscapes to close-ups of far away action – it’s a slip-in-your pocket camera for traveling and offers better optical zoom than the latest smartphones. Rugged compacts such as the Olympus TG-6 (above) are designed to withstand the toughest environments, being fully waterproof, shockproof and freezeproof. When your smartphone’s just malfunctioned after a brief dunking in a paddling pool, the appeal of rugged cameras is all too clear. An action camera is a tiny, mountable box-camera with an ultra-wide-angle lens that’s primarily designed to capture your adrenaline-filled adventures in 4K. Immortalized by GoPro but with many other brands jumping on the bandwagon, the latest GoPro Hero 9 Black (above) is worth checking out. Instant cameras synonymous with Polaroid are in an entire category of their own. Downright fun and simple to use, their charm is their appeal, providing immediate mini photo prints to keep or share. Our current favorite entry point is the Fujifilm Instax Mini 11, though there are now genuinely compact alternatives like the Polaroid Go (above). One final category rides the current surge in demand for vlogging cameras. Although many cameras can vlog, in 2021 we are seeing cameras primarily marketed and designed with the solo vlogger in mind, such as the compact Sony ZV-1 (above). The laws of physics restricts the physical size of image sensors and lenses in a smartphone.
