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.
The most used compact camera brands by RTW travellers are:
We’ve grouped the devices together by series, as some old models are no longer on sale today.
Brand and Series | Model | Number of Users Amongst Our Survey Respondents | Release Year |
---|---|---|---|
Sony RX100 Series
|
Total | 31 | |
RX100 Mark VII | 0 | 2019 | |
RX100 Mark VI | 0 | 2018 | |
RX100 Mark V | 0 | 2016 | |
RX100 Mark IV | 5 | 2015 | |
RX100 Mark III | 10 | 2014 | |
RX100 Mark II (no longer sold) | 5 | 2013 | |
RX100 | 11 | 2012 | |
Sony HX Series
|
Total | 7 | |
HX99 | 1 | 2018 | |
HX90V | 1 | 2015 | |
HX60V (no longer sold) | 3 | 2014 | |
HX50V (no longer sold) | 2 | 2013 | |
Sony TX Series
|
Total | 1 | |
TX30 (no longer sold) | 1 | 2013 | |
Canon G Series
|
Total | 19 | |
G7 X Mark III | 0 | 2019 | |
G5 X Mark II | 0 | 2019 | |
G9 X Mark II | 1 | 2017 | |
G1 X Mark III | 1 | 2017 | |
G7 X Mark II | 7 | 2016 | |
G5 X | 7 | 2015 | |
G3 X (no longer sold) | 1 | 2015 | |
G7 X (no longer sold) | 1 | 2014 | |
G12 (no longer sold) | 1 | 2010 | |
Canon SX Series
|
Total | 8 | |
SX740 HS | 2 | 2018 | |
SX730 HS | 1 | 2017 | |
SX720 HS | 1 | 2016 | |
SX620 HS | 1 | 2016 | |
SX700 HS | 1 | 2014 | |
SX240 HS (no longer sold) | 2 | 2012 | |
Canon D Series
|
Total | 1 | |
D30 (no longer sold) | 1 | 2014 | |
Panasonic Lumix TZ Series
|
Total | 19 | |
TZ200 | 1 | 2018 | |
TZ90 | 3 | 2017 | |
TZ100 | 7 | 2016 | |
TZ80 | 3 | 2016 | |
TZ70 | 2 | 2015 | |
TZ60 (no longer sold) | 1 | 2014 | |
TZ40 (no longer sold) | 2 | 2013 | |
Lumix LX Series
|
Total | 4 | |
LX100 | 2 | 2014 | |
LX15 | 1 | 2016 | |
LX5 (no longer sold) | 1 | 2010 | |
Olympus Tough Series
|
Total | 12 | |
TG-6 | 0 | 2019 | |
TG-5 | 7 | 2017 | |
TG-4 (no longer sold) | 4 | 2015 | |
TG-3 (no longer sold) | 1 | 2014 | |
Fujifilm X Series
|
Total | 7 | |
X100F | 2 | 2017 | |
X100S | 1 | 2013 | |
X100 (no longer sold) | 2 | 2011 | |
X30 (no longer sold) | 2 | 2014 | |
Nikon Series
|
Total | 6 | |
W150 (no longer sold) | 1 | 2019 | |
W300 (no longer sold) | 1 | 2017 | |
A900 (no longer sold) | 1 | 2017 | |
P520 (no longer sold) | 1 | 2013 | |
P7700 (no longer sold) | 1 | 2012 | |
AW100 (no longer sold) | 1 | 2012 | |
Leica D-Lux Series
|
Total | 2 | |
D-Lux 7 | 1 | 2018 | |
D-Lux (no longer sold) | 1 | 2017 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
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
|
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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
|
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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 |
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Where to buy?
|
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Buy on | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
In our opinion, in this price range, it’s the Lumix TZ100 that offers the best value for money:
In our view, in this price range, it’s the Lumix TZ200 that offers the best value for money: