Best Compact Cameras
Top 10 Rated Compact Digital Cameras 2024
By Brian Jones
As we chose the top 10 compact digital cameras, we considered a number of factors that set the winners apart from the rest. These qualities include:
1. Number of megapixels to produce sharp, detailed images
2. Optical zoom that doesn’t degrade the picture quality
3. Lightweight, slim, portable design
4. Large and bright LCD preview screen
5. Easy-to-operate buttons and menu controls
6. Little to no lag between shots
7. Battery life and ease of recharging
8. Minimal noise or graininess in low-lighting shots
9. Various preset modes including an easy auto mode
10. Face recognition feature that optimizes focus and exposure for portrait shots
11. Value for the price
You’ll find a selection of digital cameras here, from basic point and shoots for beginners to more advanced bridge cameras for the serious photographers.
|
Colors: Black, Blue, Red, Silver, Violet |
With 10.1 MP, the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX7K compact digital camera produces superbly sharp photos. You are going to see minimal noise and/or blurriness all sorts of photographs…read more
|
Available in 3 colors |
An easy-to-use digital camera from Canon with excellent HD video recording capabilities and wifi built in, this model is amazingly priced at $199.99. 1080p HD video recording…read more
|
Colors: Black, White |
This relatively low-priced ultra zoom camera acts as a bridge between point and shoots and an DSLRs. It has a powerful zoom for a compact camera at 15x. The 16 MP sensor…read more
|
Colors: Black and Red |
Canon has a great reputation for beginner digital cameras. This is a perfect example. You get a sturdy, durable, and compact digital camera that features a 3-inch LCD screen…read more
|
Colors: Black, Red |
The Olympus SZ-15 compact digital camera has an impressive optical zooming spec of 24x. This means you can get super clear shots from very far away…read more
|
16 Megapixel CMOS sensor |
The one feature on this camera that makes it stand out is the powerful zoom. No other camera in this class boasts a 15x optical zoom digital zoom…
read more
|
Colors: Black Red |
Nikon’s Coolpix L series is aimed at beginners and those familiar with cameras alike. The L820 digital camera produces sharp pictures at 16 MP, even from far away with the amazing 30x optical zoom…read more
|
Color: Black |
This is one feature rich camera. And a big improvement over previous models. It is a slim, lightweight digital camera with a 16 MP sensor. The twist on this Samsung digital camera is the additional LCD screen…read more
|
3 Colors Available |
This Sony digital camera is a great little point and shoot model that takes sharp, bright photos. The body is nice and compact as well. We were amazed by the sweep panorama mode…read more
Compact Cameras Buying Guide
Understanding Pixel Count in Your Digital Camera
When you look at a photograph taken with a digital camera, you see a clear, crisp image. What you don’t see are the millions of pixels that make up the image. Pixels are the miniscule blocks of color that put together make up a picture. Each pixel has a numeric value from 0 to 255 and comprises three colors: red, green, and blue. Those three colors, each assigned a number from 0 to 255, blend together in unique combinations to make up any color you can imagine. Think of it like mixing paints.
Digital cameras are distinguished by their pixel count. The greater the pixel count, the sharper the image and the more you can blow up the picture without losing its clarity. Pixel counts in cameras range from 1 million, or 1 megapixel (MP), to 14 million. If you have ever tried to print or develop a low-resolution image, say from the Internet, then you know it turns out pixelated with the blocky pixels visible.
How many megapixels do you need in your digital camera? If you like developing a lot of your prints, decide what size photos you prefer:
- If you’re a casual photographer or you like making prints of family photos, you’ll be happy with a 3MP camera, which makes sharp 4”x6” and 5”x7” prints.
- If you prefer large 8”x10” photographs, then a 4MP or 5MP camera will yield a clearer image at that size.
Some cameras give two pixel counts. There’s the total pixel count, which includes all the pixels on the sensor surface. The pixels on the edges are typically dropped in the final image. The effective pixel count measures all the pixels in the image after the edge pixels are taken away.
 |
Brian Jones has had a passion for photography and anything related for the majority of his life. One photography class in high school was all it took to get hooked on everything to do with the subject. He became more focused on learning about camera equipment as he experiemented with everything available… See more about Brian |
Featured Camera Articles
Samsung Galaxy Camera on AT&T Network
Android based cameras are a very new thing to the digital photography world. You might ask: What about the camera on my Android phone? Well, that’s not exactly what is going on here. An Android based camera has all the features of a dedicated camera, with the ability to connect to the internet, share on social networks… [more]
Digital Zoom vs. Optical Zoom: What’s the Difference?
Many digital cameras include both digital zoom and optical zoom. It’s helpful to understand the difference between these two zooming features when you’re trying to get a close-up view of something far away. Optical zoom maintains a high clarity as … [more]
A Guide to ISO Settings on Your Digital Camera
If you have ever visited an aquarium, then you know it’s difficult to get a good shot of the fish in the tanks awash with light and color because the room is otherwise really dark. A shot taken in auto mode might turn out dark and underexposed, and using a flash could … [more]
More Top 10 Lists
Top 10 Point and Shoot Cameras
Digital point and shoot cameras have come a long way since their beginnings. These cameras combine extreme portability with the newest technologies, like image stabilization, to capture the best looking image easily. We selected the 10 best point and shoot cameras based on the … [more]
Top 10 Digital SLR Cameras
The most important factors that we looked for in selecting our top 10 digital SLR cameras included: 1. Megapixels, 2. Video and audio quality, 3. Button and menu interface, 4. Battery life, 5. Anti-shake technology, 6. ISO level and minimal noise, 7. LCD screen size and … [more]
Top 10 Nikon Lenses
Digital SLR cameras are becoming much more of a consumer camera than they use to be. People are getting in touch with the photographer inside and want to step up their game. Cell phone cameras and smaller point and shoot cameras just aren’t going to do it anymore. A DSLR comes with… [more]
Top 10 Canon Lenses
Canon has a vast array of lenses that will complement any situation perfectly. The trouble comes with choosing which one is right for you. We looked at 10 of the best Canon lenses and rated them with the following criteria: General-purpose vs. specialized use, Low light performance… [more]
Top 10 Camera Bags
Now that you have your camera in hand, it’s time to take it every where with you. You don’t want to be without your camera when that picture perfect moment occurs right before your eyes. The right camera bag will make all the difference in the world when it comes to lugging your camera gear around. That’s why it’s so important to choose the right one for your style of shooting… [more]
Top 10 Tripods
Tripods are an essential piece of photography equipment. They allow photographers to achieve a stability in their pictures that could not be had in hand holding the camera. Sometimes a shot required much slower shutter speeds or the photographer is trying to catch movement with out shaking the whole camera… [more]
Top 10 Photo Printers
In today’s world we all have a camera within reach almost at all times. Our camera phones are capable of taking wonderful pictures and our dedicated digital cameras are small enough to fit in our pockets. So what are we going to do with all of these photographs? That’s easy. Make prints! With a photo printer you will be able to have hard copies of your favorite memories in literally less than a minute…. [more]
More Compact Cameras
Filed Under: Compact Cameras • Digital Cameras • Electronics • Featured • Top 10 Lists
