Best compact cameras – 2021

In this article, you will find the best compact cameras for each price range.

If you are new to photography, and you want to buy a compact camera but you don’t know which one, this article is for you!

In the first article of my #LearnWithSara column I wrote about the various types of digital cameras; to find out if a compact is the right camera for you, click here!

To help you choose, in this article you will find what in my opinion are the best compact cameras available on the market at the moment, one for each price range.
Obviously the choice is very wide, so I did some research and selected the ones that in my opinion have the best value for money.

Here are the best compact cameras!

1. BEST COMPACT CAMERA UNDER € 100

The cheapest compact camera I want to tell you about is the Canon IXUS 185.
It is a slim and versatile 20 megapixel camera with 8x optical zoom and the ability to create HD movies.

Obviously it is not a camera capable of taking professional shots, but in its price range it provides excellent performance and is suitable for those who want to approach photography for the first time.

To see it on Amazon click here!

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES IN THIS PRICE RANGE:

1. 8x Optical Zoom
2. 28mm wide angle lens
3. Zoom Plus 16x (the digital zoom range where the image is not noticeably grainy)
4. Camera resolution of 20 MP
5. Easy Auto function (automatically detects the scene and chooses the right settings for you)
6. HD movies (720p)

STRONG POINTS COMPARED TO THE OTHER COMPACT CAMERAS PRESENT IN THIS ARTICLE:

1.Lighter (126g)
1.Smaller (95.2 x 54.3 x 22.1mm)

2. BEST COMPACT CAMERA UNDER €200

In the price range below € 200 I have selected as the best compact camera the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-WX350.

It is a small and light compact digital camera, equipped with a 20x optical zoom and Exmor R CMOS sensor to combine precision images with excellent portability.
This sensor allows you to take shots with sharp and bright details.
In addition, this camera allows you to obtain decent results even in low light conditions, thanks to the wide ISO range of 80-12800

This compact also allows you to shoot Full HD videos, and thanks to the Steady Shot feature your videos will be stable, even when you walk or zoom.

Too see it on Amazon click here!

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES IN THIS PRICE RANGE:

1. 20X Optical Zoom (a higher zoom range means the lens is more versatile)
2. ISO up to 12800 (with higher light sensitivity (ISO), the sensor absorbs more light)
3. Video quality with 1080x60fps resolution
4. Continuous shooting at 10fps high resolution (continuous and fast shots are useful for moving photos)
5. It has AF tracking (once you choose the subject and press the shutter, the autofocus will follow it)
6. 1240 mAh battery power (higher battery power may indicate longer battery life)
7. 500mm maximum focal length (longer focal length allows more focus on a small part of a scene, and offers a narrower angle of view than shorter focal lengths)
8. Supports AVCHD format (file-based format for digital recording and high-definition video playback)

STRONG POINTS COMPARED TO THE OTHER COMPACT CAMERAS PRESENT IN THIS ARTICLE:

1. Better portability

3. BEST COMPACT CAMERA UNDER €300

In this price range I want to tell you about the Canon PowerShot SX620 HS.

I personally own this camera and I assure you that it is the best in terms of value for money!

It is a compact camera equipped with an extraordinary 25X zoom, which is capable of recording Full HD movies, and allows you to share and shoot remotely thanks to Wi-Fi technology with NFC.
Personally I find the latter function very useful for quickly transferring photos from the camera to the phone or PC, and for taking self-portraits by controlling the shot remotely.

To see it on Amazon click here!

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES IN THIS PRICE RANGE:

1. Camera resolution of 21MP (A higher megapixel count means the camera is capable of capturing more detail. However, the megapixel count is not the only important factor that determines the quality of an image.)
2. Manual focus and shutter speed
3. 25X Optical Zoom
4. Main camera aperture f / 3.2 (With a larger aperture the sensor can capture more light helping to avoid blur and also allowing for a faster shutter speed. It also provides a depth of field that allows you to blur the background to focus attention on the subject.)
5. Maximum focal length 625mm
6. Continuous autofocus during video recording (images remain sharp and sharp when recording movies)
7. Support a remote smartphone
8. HDMI output (Devices equipped with an HDMI or mini HDMI port can transfer high definition video and audio data to a display.)

STRONG POINTS COMPARED TO THE OTHER COMPACT CAMERAS PRESENT IN THIS ARTICLE:

1. Higher camera resolution (21 megapixel)

4.BEST COMPACT CAMERA UNDER €400

In this price range I recommend the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX90V.

It is a compact camera with Zeiss quality 30X lens, capable of offering a natural and flawless rendering for portraits, close-ups and landscapes from all perspectives, with sharp sharpness and uniform contrast.

It is equipped with an 18.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor with extra light sensitivity.
The BIONZ X processor allows you to reproduce truly lifelike images with truer colors and exceptionally precise textures.
Furthermore, unlike the previous ones, it has an LCD screen that can be tilted at 180 degrees, to facilitate framing.

To see it on Amazon click here!

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES IN THIS PRICE RANGE:

1. Electronic viewfinder (it is very easy to focus the image with the digital zoom and there are also some that have additional information on the display)
2. Optical Zoom 30x
3. Maximum focal length of 720mm
4. Built-in optical image stabilization (stabilizes the image and effectively reduces camera shake)
5. Maximum shutter speed of 1/2000 s (a faster maximum speed allows you to take pictures of subjects at high speed without blurring)
6. Ability to create panoramic photos (allows you to take multiple photos by capturing different parts of the scene by merging them together in a single photo.)
7. 180 ° tiltable LCD display
8. Integrated GPS (geotags photos and videos to always know where they were made)
9. Remote control from smartphone

STRONG POINTS COMPARED TO THE OTHER COMPACT CAMERAS PRESENT IN THIS ARTICLE:

1. Greater Optical Zoom (30x)
2. Longest maximum focal length (720mm)
3. Longer exposure time, up to 30s (You can use this slow shutter speed to get more vivid night photos, or to capture the trajectory of moving objects such as speeding cars.)

5.BEST COMPACT CAMERA UNDER €500

For this price range I want to tell you about the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX99.

It is a compact 18.2 megapixel camera with a back-illuminated Exmor CMOS sensor which, thanks to the advanced BIONZ X image processing system, offers superb image quality.
With a wide zoom range from 24mm wide angle to 720mm telephoto, the HX99 is an extremely versatile camera.
It has image stabilization, a high-contrast and very bright OLED electronic viewfinder, and thanks to touch focus, you just have to touch the subject on the LCD to focus it.

Plus, the HX99 is the first in the HX series to record 4K Ultra HD video!

To see it on Amazon click here!

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES IN THIS PRICE RANGE:

1. Equipped with Touch Screen and Touch Autofocus
2. Electronic viewfinder (viewfinder displays a real-time preview and shooting information)
3. Integrated optical image stabilization
4. Maximum shutter speed of 1/4000 s
5. Ability to create panoramic photos
6. 4K Ultra HD video (3840 x 2160 pixels)
7. Remote control with smartphone
8. Integrated GPS
9. Autonomy up to 370 shots
10. Save photos in RAW format
11. HDR mode (allows you to automatically take photos of high dynamic range)

STRONG POINTS COMPARED TO THE OTHER COMPACT CAMERAS PRESENT IN THIS ARTICLE:

1. Faster maximum shutter speed (1 / 4000s)
2. Features HDR mode

6. BEST COMPACT CAMERA OVER €500

Finally as a top-of-the-range camera, I want to tell you about the Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II.

It is a compact camera capable of shooting sensational images thanks to the 20.1 megapixel 1-inch stacked sensor and DIGIC 8 processor, which work in synergy to deliver incredible color and clarity. In addition, the 5x zoom lens, thanks to a large aperture of f / 1.8-2.8, allows you to get perfect shots even in low light conditions.

To see it on Amazon click here!

DISTINCTIVE FEATURES IN THIS PRICE RANGE:

1. Equipped with a removable screen
2. Touch screen and Touch Autofocus
3. Electronic and tilting viewfinder (With a tilting viewfinder you have more flexibility in positioning the camera when taking a shot.)
4. Dual Tone Led Flash (flash equipped with LED lights with different color temperatures, able to offer a better balance in the colors of photos and videos.)
5. Continuous shooting at high resolution 30fps (continuous and fast shots are useful for moving photos)
6. Save photos in RAW format
7. It has a motion stabilization sensor (the image sensor (rather than the lens) moves to counterbalance camera shake)
8. Can be controlled remotely (a remote control allows you to control the device remotely)

STRONG POINTS COMPARED TO THE OTHER COMPACT CAMERAS PRESENT IN THIS ARTICLE:

1. Longer exposure time, up to 30s (You can use this slow shutter speed to get more vivid night photos, or to capture the trajectory of moving objects such as speeding cars.)
2. Continuous shooting at high resolution 30fps
3. It can be controlled remotely
4. Higher screen resolution (a higher screen resolution provides a sharper image, making it easier to review photos.)
5. Has the timelapse function (a series of photographs taken from the same position for a long time are merged together to create a short video)
6. It has a moving stabilization sensor
7. Large main camera aperture (f / 1.8)

These are the best compact cameras by price range.
If you have any suggestions, feel free to write them in a comment below!

I hope you enjoyed the article.

See you soon!

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