Comparison of Compact Cameras

We carried out a large survey between 22nd and 25th August 2019, amongst 890 people who had gone on a long trip. We asked them many questions about the devices they used to take their photos. Learn more about our methodology

25% of long-term travellers took a compact camera.

Most used brands

The most used compact camera brands by RTW travellers are:

• 34%: Sony
• 24%: Canon
• 19%: Panasonic Lumix
• 10%: Olympus
• 6%: Fujifilm
• 5%: Nikon
• 2%: Leica

Most used models

We’ve grouped the devices together by series, as some old models are no longer on sale today.

Sensor

The sensor is one of the most important parts of a camera. It converts light rays into electrical signals. A large sensor makes it possible to have a shallow depth of field (which in turn makes it possible to have a subject in focus and a blurred background) and offers better rendering in low or contrasting light.

The number of megapixels isn’t a determining factor when choosing a camera. All cameras sold today have enough megapixels to make satisfactory enlargements.

The higher the maximum ISO sensitivity, the more light the sensor can store and therefore take indoor photos without flash or photos of moving subjects.

Lenses

On compact cameras, the lenses aren’t interchangeable.

The focal length of the lens determines how much your subject will be magnified. Its maximum aperture is stated in this way: f/number(s).

The smaller the f, the larger the aperture, allowing you to take photos in low light, without needing to increase the ISO sensitivity or use your flash.

Size and weight

Compact cameras are smaller and lighter than other cameras. With the lens, they weigh between 14.1 ounces and 2.2 pounds (400 grams and 1 kilo). The bigger your camera, the more it’ll weigh down your bag and attract unwanted attention, and the harder it’ll be to get out to capture scenes from everyday life.

Video

Lots of compact cameras now shoot in 4K resolution (or UHD) which offers more detail, precision and clarity than shooting in Full HD. 4K also has the advantage of allowing you to crop. This is particularly useful for stabilising your image in the post-production editing process, since the software doesn’t need to insert pixels. But, be careful, as 4K requires a lot of storage space, as well as a high-performance computer if you plan on video editing.

Screen

The larger the rear screen and the number of megapixels, the easier it is to view photos and navigate. A rotatable screen also makes framing easier. A touch screen simplifies menu navigation and lets you scroll through photos, just like on a smartphone.

Speed

The higher the maximum shutter speed, the more blur-free photos you can take of moving subjects. However, the compact cameras that we compare here all have the same shutter speed: 1/2000s. Burst mode allows you to take several images in a row automatically. The higher the maximum burst speed, the more likely you are to get a good shot.

Connectivity

• WiFi: this is the most common connection on cameras. It’s high-speed and is used for downloading your photos or displaying the viewfinder on a smartphone or tablet when controlling the device remotely. However, it’s energy-consuming and requires you to disconnect your phone from the Internet.
• NFC: this is a limited-range and low-speed connection. It’s used to directly pair two devices without a password. With the arrival of Bluetooth Low Energy, the usefulness of NFC has become questionable.
• Bluetooth: this connection consumes very little power and doesn’t require you to disconnect your phone from the Internet. It maintains a constant connection with a smartphone to synchronise the camera clock, automatically retrieve GPS coordinates to add to photos and continuously upload photos to your phone.
• Built-in GPS: this lets you add GPS coordinates to photos. It’s not essential when the device has a Bluetooth connection (see above).
• Mic input: this allows you to connect a better quality microphone than the one already built into the camera.
• Flash bracket: this lets you attach an external flash or other accessories.
• USB: a USB 3.0 connection is ten times faster than a USB 2.0 connection.

Stabilisation

With optical stabilisation, it’s the lenses that move in the lens so that the image follows the movements of your camera. 5-axis stabilisation combines optical stabilisation with mechanical stabilisation in the sensor to compensate for five different movements. Electronic stabilisation is usually the least efficient.

Battery life

Mirrorless cameras’ battery life is usually shorter than that on DSLRs. It varies a lot from one model to another. You could carry an extra battery and a portable charger to avoid running out of power. But, that’ll increase the weight of your gear.

Shockproof and waterproof

Some compact cameras, like the Olympus Tough TG-6, are designed to withstand drops from a person’s height and to be able to take pictures underwater, which can come in handy if you’re diving or snorkelling when travelling.

In this table, we compare the technical features and prices of models which, according to our survey, are the most used by long-term travellers. We’ve also included the most recent models from the same series, even if they weren’t used by our survey respondents.

	Sony RX100	Sony RX100 Mark III	Sony RX100 Mark IV	Sony RX100 Mark V	Sony RX100 Mark VI	Canon G7 X Mark II	Canon G7 X Mark III	Canon G5 X	Canon G5 X Mark II	Olympus Tough TG-5	Olympus Tough TG-6	Lumix TZ100	Lumix TZ200
Guide price	$190 (£250)	$550 (£480)	$660 (£580)	$800 (£700)	$970 (£850)	$630 (£550)	$800 (£700)	$585 (£510)	$970 (£850)	$290 (£250)	$450 (£390)	$370 (£325)	$860 (£750)
Release year	2012	2014	2015	2016	2018	2016	2019	2015	2019	2017	2019	2016	2018
	Our survey
Number of survey respondents who chose this model	11	10	5	0	0	7	0	7	0	6	0	5	1
Overall score out of 10	7.4	8.2	8.4	New model. not enough respondents	New model. not enough respondents	8.3	New model. not enough respondents	8.3	New model. not enough respondents	7.7	New model. not enough respondents	8.2	New model. not enough respondents
Photo quality out of 10	8.3	8.6	8.8			8.4		8.5		8		8.6
Video quality out of 10	6.8	8.4	8.6			8.3		7.8		8.3		8.8
Responsiveness out of 10	7	8.2	8.4			7.7		8		8		8
Ergonomics and functions out of 10	7.7	8.4	9.4			7.9		8.8		8.2		8.4
	Dimensions
Body length	102 mm	102 mm	102 mm	102 mm	102 mm	106 mm	106 mm	112 mm	111 mm	113 mm	113 mm	111 mm	111 mm
Body depth	58 mm	58 mm	58 mm	58 mm	58 mm	61 mm	61 mm	76 mm	61 mm	66 mm	66 mm	65 mm	656 mm
Body height	36 mm	41 mm	41 mm	41 mm	43 mm	42 mm	41 mm	44 mm	46 mm	32 mm	32 mm	44 mm	45 mm
	Weight
Weight with battery and memory card (CIPA standard)	240 g	290 g	298 g	299 g	301 g	319 g	304 g	377 g	340 g	250 g	253 g	310 g	340 g
	Sensor
Sensor size (name)	1″	1″	1″	1″	1″	1″	1″	1″	1″	1/2.33″	1/2.33″	1″	1″
Sensor size (in mm)	13.2 x 8.8 mm	13.2 x 8.8 mm	13.2 x 8.8 mm	13.2 x 8.8 mm	13.2 x 8.8 mm	13.2 x 8.8 mm	13.2 x 8.8 mm	13.2 x 8.8 mm	13.2 x 8.8 mm	6.2 x 4.6 mm	6.2 x 4.6 mm	13.2 x 8.8 mm	13.2 x 8.8 mm
Number of effective pixels	20.2 Mpx	20.1 Mpx	20.1 Mpx	20.1 Mpx	20.1 Mpx	20.1 Mpx	20.1 Mpx	20.2 Mpx	20.1 Mpx	12 Mpx	12 Mpx	20.1 Mpx	20.1 Mpx
Sensitivty (ISO range)	125 – 6 400 ISO	125 – 12 800 ISO	125 – 12 800 ISO	80 – 12 800 ISO	80 – 12 800 ISO	125 – 12 800 ISO	125 – 12 800 ISO	125 – 12 800 ISO	125 – 12 800 ISO	100 – 12 800 ISO	100 – 12 800 ISO	125 – 12 800 ISO	125 – 12 800 ISO
	Lens
35mm equivalent focal range	28-100 mm	24-70 mm	24-70 mm	24-70 mm	24-200 mm	24-100 mm	24-100 mm	24-120 mm	24-120 mm	25-100 mm	25-100 mm	25-250 mm	26-390 mm
Maximum aperture	f/1.8-4.9	f/1.8-2.8	f/1.8-2.8	f/1.8-2.8	f/2.8-4.5	f/1.8-2.8	f/1.8-2.8	f/1.8-2.8	f/1.8-2.8	f/2.0-4.9	f/2.0-4.9	f/2.8-5.9	f/3.3-6.4
Optical zoom	3.6x	2.9x	2.9x	2.9x	2.9x	4.2x	4.2x	4.2x	5x	4x	4x	10x	15x
	Video
Video size (name)	Full HD	Full HD	4K	4K	4K	Full HD	4K	Full HD	4K	4K	4K	4K	4K
Video size (in pixels)	1920 x 1080 pixels	1920 x 1080 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	1920 x 1080 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	1920 x 1080 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels
Number of frames per second	50 frames/s	50 frames/s	30 frames/s	30 frames/s	30 frames/s	60 frames/s	25 frames/s	60 frames/s	25 frames/s	30 frames/s	30 frames/s	25 frames/s	30 frames/s
Sound	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo
	Screen
Size	7.5 cm	7.5 cm	7.5 cm	7.5 cm	7.5 cm	7.5 cm	7.5 cm	7.5 cm	7.5 cm	7.6 cm	7.6 cm	7.5 cm	7.5 cm
Number of dots	1,228,800 dots	1,228,800 dots	1,228,800 dots	1,228,800 dots	1,228,800 dots	1,040,000 dots	1,040,000 dots	1,040,000 dots	1,040,000 dots	460,000 dots	1,040,000 dots	1,040,000 dots	1,240,000 dots
Touch screen
Rotatable
	Speed
Max. mechanical shutter speed	1/2000 s	1/2000 s	1/2000 s	1/2000 s	1/2000 s	1/2000 s	1/2000 s	1/2000 s	1/2000 s	1/2000 s	1/2000 s	1/2000 s	1/2000 s
Max. burst speed in high definition	10 frames/s	10 frames/s	16 frames/s	24 frames/s	24 frames/s	8 frames/s	20 frames/s	6 frames/s	20 frames/s	20 frames/s	20 frames/s	11 frames/s	10 frames/s
	Connectivity
Wifi
NFC
Bluetooth
Built-in GPS
Mic jack
Flash bracket
USB	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0
	Other specifications
Stabilisation	Optical	Optical	Optical	Optical	Optical	5-axis	5-axis	5-axis	5-axis	Electronic	Electronic	5-axis	5-axis
Viewfinder		Electronic 1 440 000 Mpx	Electronic 2 350 000 Mpx	Electronic 2 350 000 Mpx	Electronic 2 350 000 Mpx			Electronic 2 360 000 Mpx	Electronic 2 360 000 Mpx			Electronic 1 166 000 Mpx	Electronic 2 300 000 Mpx
Built-in flash
Battery life (CIPA standard)	330 shots	320 shots	280 shots	220 shots	240 shots	240 shots	265 shots	210 shots	230 shots	340 shots	340 shots	260 shots	370 shots
Weather resistance										Waterproof (15 m), shockproof (2.1 m), crushproof (100 kgf), freezeproof (-10°C)) and dustproof	Waterproof (15 m), shockproof (2.1 m), crushproof (100 kgf), freezeproof (-10°C) and dustproof
	Where to buy?
Buy on	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon

Less than $500 (£400)
Lumix TZ100

In our opinion, in this price range, it’s the Lumix TZ100 that offers the best value for money:

• 10x optical zoom, in comparison to 4.2x for other cameras in this price range.
• It has a 1” type sensor that gives better image quality than 1 / 2.33” type sensors.
• It supports 4K video.
• It has a touch screen.
• It’s fast. It can take 11 shots per second in burst mode.
• It features 5-axis stabilisation.
• It has a 1,166,000 megapixel electronic viewfinder.

Less than $850 (£750)
Lumix TZ200

In our view, in this price range, it’s the Lumix TZ200 that offers the best value for money:

• 15x optical zoom, compared to 5x for other cameras in this price range.
• It has a 1” type sensor that gives better image quality than 1 / 2.33” type sensors.
• It supports 4K video.
• It has a touch screen.
• It can connect via Bluetooth.
• It features 5-axis stabilisation.
• It has a 2,360,000 megapixel electronic viewfinder.
• Its battery life lasts pretty long for a compact: 370 shots.