Cameras

Buying guide: 10 best compact cameras you can buy right now

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Comments (25)
  1. Dr. Shawna Lemke Jr. says:

    I read a post that was talking that Sony is going to provide the super zooming in their smartphone.
    here is the link – http://greybmusings.wordpress….

    Now I believe that most of us will prefer a smartphone and as Sony is always providing quality in its smartphone cameras. I think the handycams gonna find a good competition.

  2. Theo Dooley MD says:

    Hi Angela,First thank you for sharing this great reviews and guide!I am a huge fan of underwater world and i have tried Nikon d10 and AX100.No offense but finally i sent them to my friends since they worked not really well…Right now i am using Pentax WG3,have you heard about this one?Have a look at this one http://www.bestunderwatercamer… and http://www.Amazon.com .It is really worth it.
    Thank you again!

  3. Emerald Nolan says:

    which camera do you have Rec Lapse and motion detection

  4. Dr. Treva Fay I says:

    You have totally missed out the best beach sports underwater camera the gopro hero 3 black edition check it out

  5. Katheryn Legros says:

    Do you know what compact means???

  6. Prof. Carroll Kulas I says:

    The best way to make a good choice for buying a digital camera is by reading reviews from people who actually purchased the camera. Amazon is the perfect place to accomplish this, as a matter of fact, here is a list of cameras with the best reviews: http://amzn.to/1hHu9MO – I would have been really lost without this.

  7. Dock Spinka says:

    I think that even in 2013 you still need to compare these new fantastic compacts to the "old" Panasonic LX7. I believe that LX7 will still stand the test of camparison by some camera-buyers.

  8. Prof. Neva Haag says:

    these are not compact. get it together folks

  9. Queenie Kilback says:

    I really wish you guys had reviewed the Sony Cybershot DSC-WX150. I am debating between that, the SX260 HS, and the ZS20. I have a HX9V right now, but I will probably sell it as it is too big to carry around on a regular basis (my fear with the SX260).

    Anyone have and suggestions, comments on this?

  10. Prof. Lizzie Williamson V says:

    I have recently bought a second hand Canon and am finding it difficult to get clear shots. Is this likely to be a sensor cleaning issue? I'm pretty new to this but am surprised at how shaky the shots are!

    Thinking of sending it off here: http://www.thecamfix.co.uk/can… to see what can be done.

    Any advice?

  11. Mattie Botsford says:

    Having just re-read the review from Feb'12 on the Fuji X-S1 bridge camera, and now reading the review on the Fuji HS50EXR bridge camera,(their latest HScamera) it looks as if the favourite is the HS50EXR, and yet the X-S1 is in their 'X' range so should be the better camera?? Does anybody have experience of both cameras and or a good like-for-like user comparison?
    Thanks All.

  12. Eulalia Koss says:

    Can anyone advise between Panasonic gx7 and Sony NEX-6 or maybe NEX – 7?

  13. Zechariah Berge says:

    With 4K HD Video and underwater capabilities you missed on the GoPro Hero 4 Black camera.

  14. Mr. Keyshawn Leuschke says:

    Buy a second hand Fuji X-E1 and make sure all the firmware is up to date and you'll have a camera capable of producing top quality pictures either as a superior no brain holiday point and shoot or as an easily usable enthusiasts compact camera.
    Sure it's not absolutely the latest model but I know from personal experience just what a capable camera it is.

  15. Raven Skiles II says:

    Check out the video reviews of the waterproof Canon D20 it takes some amazing photos for a compact, and is alot less bulky then using a housing on dslr http://underwatercamerabuyer.c

  16. Ms. Margret Monahan says:

    I was looking for a good waterproof camera and I also worte a post (in Italian) on my blog about that: "Come non scegliere una macchina fotografica nel ventunesimo secolo."

    I have some question for this blog now about cameras reviewed here.

    Panasonic FT5/TS5: seems timelapse has a lot of problem and is locked to a maximum of 60 frames (3 sec video !!) and you can sat minumim pause of 60 seconds and is not easy to find a DC power supply.

    Sony: poor features IMHO

    Coolpix: no timelapse

    Olympus TG-810: better than TG-2 but does not record in fullHD !!

    Fuji XP-30: better than XP200 but no fullHD

    Pentax WG3-GPS: good camera but very poor quality images, a lot of "noise" on the big CMOS !!

    Canon: poor features IMHO

    Can you confirm allsome of this problem ?

  17. Macie Hudson says:

    If this is the best cameras of 2015, why are the comments 2 years old? Why does the URL say "best-compact-camera-2013"?

  18. Kaya Schaefer says:

    E.c. ok some of my cameras are not better but still no timelapse or other

  19. Bethany Stiedemann says:

    What about Ricoh GR, Canon S120 or Sony rx100's series?

  20. Norma Kirlin says:

    Really great post i liked the way you have added the all collection.

    cyberockk

  21. Ms. Estefania Pfannerstill says:

    Canon PowerShot G15 is my favourite compact, if you hurry you can buy it for $429 at http://digitalcameraspy.com , better hurry though they only had 2 left in stockat this price when i bought mine

  22. Kyleigh Schimmel says:

    Not a photography fanatic and recently bought a Fujifilm JX550 compact as I thought it was a simple point and shoot (was I wrong) I'm not a great fan of "Digital" and this camera for me is a digital nightmare, too many setting options, and how do I get rid of all the displayed icons in the viewfinder – they even come out on photos I've taken, and the date stamp wont turn off! This camera has to go – straight in the bin unless I get some help. The user manual is no help.

  23. Ian Beatty Jr. says:

    So guys… what IS your judgement, concerning these superzoom cameras? I´m just about to buy one, but can´t decide, even after reading all the reviews above. I already have a Canon 600d, but would like a small very capable superzoom. I used to have a Canon Powershot SX1 with 20 X zoom, and I loved it. But what should I choose now? Please help ASAP!! Cheers from Denmark, Carsten.

  24. Shaniya Skiles says:

    I love the Nikon Coolpix P600

  25. Miss Gisselle Sipes says:

    I own an X-S1 (and a bunch of higher-end cameras), I don't own an HS50EXR. I'd still place my bets on the X-S1.

    The HX50EXR is probably a more traditional bridge camera. It's cheaper (at least based on original price, not necessarily street price), it's got a totally insane zoom range, it's smaller (the X-S1 is about the size of a smaller EOS Rebel DSLR), etc. Being newer, it also has some more trendy features: more video modes, high speed video, etc. They both shoot in raw, which is pretty important if you're trying to cross that "bridge" away from simple P&S models.

    However, here's the thing… given the sensor sizes and the lenses, the X-S1 is all "real" pixels (same sensor as the X-10). Based on diffraction limits at MTF-50, the 2/3" sensor in the X-S1 and an f/2.8 lens, the camera could support up to about a 14Mpixel sensor without selling you "marketing pixels".

    On the other hand, the HX50EXR, with it's 1/2" sensor and f/2.8 lens, can only really resolve about 12Mpixel worth at f/2.8… so you're paying for 4 million marketing pixels. It's not that it's the marketing pixels themselves that matter, but between increased noise and lower dynamic range (the result of pixels stepping on one another due to diffraction-based blurring), you're getting a lesser image than if they had used a 12Mpixel sensor. It's not a dramatic difference, simply because it's not a dramatic overstep, but it's real.

    I think part of the rejection of the X-S1 was its original $800 price tag. It was, after all, an X-series camera, which implies a correct design (eg, no marketing pixels), a better quality Fujinon-branded lens, etc. But there just was no market for a higher-end bridge camera in 2012… maybe not even now. You could get a much better Micro-Four-Thirds or even entry-level Canon or Nikon (though not was as good a lens) for the same or less money. Of course, with street prices of the X-S1 as low as $300, the equation changes a bit these days.

    So, that said, why do I have an X-S1? Well, mostly for concert venues. I can't bring my Olympus OM-D or Canon 6D into most concerts or festivals or even some museums without a press pass. But they let the X-S1 through because it doesn't have an interchangeable lens… that's the criteria. But I have a stranger application… I think most bridge cameras are sold to people who want a DSLR but can't afford one. And I was pretty happy to have the X-S1 at Firefly last June… there was dust everywhere, but that's a well sealed camera (another "X" thing)… I would have had to send the Oly or Canon out for cleaning immediately… the X-S1 I could clean myself, nothing gets inside. It's also a heck of a lot lighter than a big Canon… not lighter than the OM-D E-M5, but I'd need a bag of lenses along with me. And when you're shooting a stage from a distance, a 600mm equivalent isn't a bad thing to have along.

    All that said, lots of the press is recommending the Panasonic FZ200, which uses a Leica-branded constant f/2.8 lens (35mm equivalent 28-672mm) to get around their use of the traditional tiny 1/2.3" sensor. I'd expect the Panny to perhaps outperform the X-S1 at very long focal lengths, but the X-S1 to take the prize at shorter lengths. The smaller sensor does allow for a smaller camera, too, which I think its often a figure of merit for this class of camera.

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