Top 5 Best Compact Cameras In 2024

Many individuals believe that their smartphone in their pocket has the best little camera. However, that isn’t always the case. In some situations, we believe there is still a justification for a specialized compact, even though the finest camera phones in 2024 may achieve amazing results. A huge sensor, a super-zoom lens, or just the act of shooting could be the cause of that.

After testing a ton of small cameras, we know that the best option depends on your shooting preferences. Because of its superb quality, good stabilization, and tactile retro design, we are huge fans of the Fujifilm X100VI. Our guide covers all the small possibilities, from new film cameras to pocket vlogging gear, because it won’t be for everyone.

We’ve condensed the findings of our in-depth assessments into each category below to offer you a clear picture of the top small cameras available. To help you identify the best choice for your needs and budget, our list is broken down by use-case. Our candid input, which is based on actual testing, informs everything..

Table of Contents

• No 1 Sony ZV1
• No 2 Ricoh GR3
• No 3 Olympus Tough TG6
• No 4 FUJIFILM X100V
• No 5 Sony DSC RX17

Top 5 Best Compact Cameras In 2024

No 1 Sony ZV1

The greatest small vlogging camera available is the Sony ZV-1. It is a potent pocket video choice with few competitors thanks to its combination of a brilliant lens, excellent autofocus, and design elements like the side-flipping screen. The ZV-1 is still the best video all-arounder in its weight class, despite some basic usability issues and image stabilization that may disappoint those looking for incredibly smooth walking footage.

The best pocket vlogging camera available at the moment is the Sony ZV-1. It combines design changes that make it perfect for YouTube video shooting at home or on the go with the greatest video features of the Sony RX100 series, including its industry-leading autofocus technology.

Its primary strength is the marriage of Sony’s Real-time tracking and Real-time Eye AF technologies with a brilliant 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8 lens. These, along with the ZV-1’s 1-inch sensor—larger than those used in modern smartphones—make it simple to record excellent vlogs with steady focus and aesthetically pleasant background blur.

Although they may not seem noteworthy, these are actually quite vital. They distinguish the ZV-1 as a video-first camera that can also take stills, in contrast to the RX100 series. Additionally, the ZV-1 is the greatest portable tool available for YouTubers and vloggers because to its side-flipping screen, hotshoe, and microphone port, even though it lacks features like an EVF and lens control ring.

No 2 Ricoh GR3

the GR IIIx is largely identical to its two-year-old GR III sibling, for good and for bad. Enthusiasts of GR cameras adore the camera’s unmatched portability, responsiveness, ease of use, and crisp DNG raws. Additionally, the GR IIIx is perhaps more adaptable given that it has a new 40mm f/2.8 lens. Similar to the GR III, you want this camera in your pocket at all times, so any compromises made to make it small—like a short battery life—are acceptable. Nevertheless, a tilt-screen would be useful.

The Ricoh GR IIIx is the most recent in a long line of discrete tiny cameras that are small enough to fit in your pocket but manage to pack a sharp, fixed focal length lens and a huge APS-C sensor.

The Ricoh GR series has established a specialized market and is especially well-liked by street and regular photographers who like the camera’s fast reaction, easy handling, and, more recently, its Snap Focus feature for capturing pivotal moments. They have therefore long been staples in our lists of the top travel and compact cameras.

While 40mm is more equivalent to a phone’s portrait lens, a 28mm lens is practically the same focal length as a smartphone’s regular camera, making it the most widely recognized focal length. The fact that 40mm is what you focus on and 28mm is what you can see is another way to understand the difference between the two focal lengths.

No 3 Olympus Tough TG6

Four years after its launch, the Olympus Tough TG-6 compact camera, which still holds the top rank in our list of the finest waterproof cameras, was recently discontinued by OM Digital Solutions. With the release of the OM System Tough TG-7, a successor, we can now see why.

The box is familiar, but it has a new name because OM Digital Solutions purchased Olympus. Almost all of the core Tough-series characteristics remain the same, including a 12MP 1/2.3-inch sensor (around the size of a typical smartphone sensor), a 25-100mm F2.0-4.9 lens with super-macro focusing, and class-leading build quality with IPX8-rated waterproofing up to 15m.

Whether you’re on the beach, going for a swim, or hiking up a mountain – you’ll want a tough camera that you don’t have to worry about, one that keeps out water and grit, like the TG-7. It contains the same GPS, compass, thermometer, and barometer as the previous model, so you can map out your journey and pin your images taken along the way with exact location and information like altitude. Though power-hungry, it’s really useful stuff that isn’t typically found in cameras.

Furthermore, the Hero 12 Black and Osmo Action 4, both fixed-lens cameras with strong in-body image stabilization, are not the same as the TG-7. Although it isn’t as good as other cameras for films taken while moving—you can’t tie it to the handlebars of an off-road bike to get smooth footage—it is a more adaptable photography camera with a respectable zoom range and an amazing macro setting.

No 4 FUJIFILM X100V

With numerous improvements over the 2023 trendy camera, the Fujifilm X100V, the X100VI is the new finest premium small camera for the majority of users. This street photography expert now has better handheld shooting capabilities because to the X100VI’s in-body image stabilization. Along with Fujifilm’s greatest autofocus technology to date, there’s also the company’s more adaptable and high-resolution 40MP APS-C sensor, which gives you more options for cropping your images when the lens doesn’t have zoom. All of this is encased in the iconic fixed 23mm f/2 lens and distinctive hybrid viewfinder that have made Fujifilm so beloved. The X100VI seems to be the line’s pinnacle; what other ways might Fujifilm enhance its well-reviewed X100 series formula other than using various fixed focal length lenses to increase the range? For the time being, we have a new premium compact champion on our hands; the wait was well worth it, and you’ll want to use this camera every day. We’ll have to wait and see where Fujifilm goes next.

The X100VI might be seen of as a Fujifilm X-T5 housed in an X100 series chassis. This has 6.2K video, a 40MP sensor with greater resolution than before, and in-body image stabilization for the first time in the series. The greatest autofocus Fujifilm has ever offered is also included, along with tracking and subject identification for people, animals, birds, and cars..

A few of the X100V’s features now seem like oddities: only one UHS-I SD card slot restricts the video and burst-shooting capabilities; weather-sealing can only be accomplished with a lens adaptor attached; and maybe the lens focal length (35mm, the full-frame equivalent) is restricting for people who prefer to shoot wider, especially since we could crop to 35mm with ease thanks to the additional pixels. However, the Fujifilm X100VI is a fantastic small camera that is unmatched by others.

No 5 Sony DSC RX17

The RX100 VII offers plenty of zoom power, with a lens that matches a full-frame 24-200mm in terms of coverage. Though it only captures roughly half the light, it is longer than the 24-70mm design utilized in certain other models in the series, such as the RX100 VA. The Canon G5 X Mark II, which features a 24-120mm f/1.8-2.8 zoom, is a comparable camera with a little zoom and a brighter lens.

The RX100 VII weighs 10.7 ounces and measures 2.3 by 4.0 by 1.7 inches (HWD), making it not the lightest or slimmest compact available. However, its weight is a result of intricate optics and a construction that uses more metal than plastic, and it fits comfortably into jacket pockets. Although it lacks a visible handgrip of any kind, photographers who would like one can purchase grips from third parties or first parties.

Rear buttons allow you to play and delete photographs, access the on-screen Fn menu and more comprehensive text-based menu system, and start and stop films. A flat command dial with directional buttons that change the drive mode, EV adjustment, and flash output connects them.

How to choose the best compact camera

Although you would think that all tiny cameras are the same, there are three important factors to consider before choosing one.

1) Prime vs zoom lenses:
With a compact camera is that the lens is non-interchangeable, so the one it comes with will have to do all the jobs you want the camera for. You may be happy with a single focal length prime lens, or you may prefer the extra scope of a zoom. The focal length range on these varies enormously – from 3x up to over 100x on a

2) Viewfinder:
If you find you use the rear screen on a camera most of the time, you may not need an eye-level viewfinder – and this does give you more scope with your camera selection. Some photographers, though, would be lost without a viewfinder.

3) Sensor size:
It is not just about megapixels: image quality also improves by using a larger sensor. Full-frame is the biggest size sensor found on compacts, but full-frame compacts are very expensive and have a fixed wide-angle lens. If you want a zoom, the biggest-sized sensor is APS-C which under half the size of full frame. But if you want a big zoom in a pocketable camera, then you will need a model with a 1in sensor (about a third of the size of an APS-C sensor). An MFT sensor is smaller than an APS-C sensor, but bigger than a 1in one.

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