Best Compact Cameras
Canon Powershot G7X II
Incredible camera – Was looking for a reasonably priced but high quality camera for vlogging and to capture great photos of my family. The quality that is produced by… Read more
this camera is amazing and the sound with the vlogging comes through crystal clear. So many features and settings to play around with that I’m still yet to test but can only enhance the detail
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000
Exceptional – Have now owned this for 6 months, and it's taken most of that time to get my head round it, but I conclude it is exceptional, the best camera I have… Read more
ever owned ( including low end film slrs and dslrs) and amazing value.
It has introduced me to RAW stills and 4K video which I now shoot most of the time.
Best features:
Zoom lens is long, and fast for its length (f2 at wide, f4 at long end.)
4K video stunning ( and you can take an 8mpixel still from any frame , in the camera, and save it in the camera.)
Raw or Raw+jpg mode beautfiful, and you can tweak a Raw still in the camera, and save it in the camera.
Viewfinder, fabulous, big and rich
Fold out screen is big and twists every which way.
Flexibility of a long long zoom in 1 fixed lens....it might look huge or feel bulky but it is nothing compared to a big dslr with a bag of lens you would otherwise be lugging around. But ergonomically perfect for big hands like mine.
Many many modes and software options, I love the dedicated mode bezel on the top, and the quick menu changes make most adjustments easy.
Idiot proof full-auto modes.
Price and value for money are exceptional.
Room for improvement?:
Needs a dedicated aperture ring on the barrel. ( juggling aperture & exposure time on the back bezel is not cool.)
You will probably need a spare battery.
Needs a headphone socket for monitoring video sound. ( though there is a visual bar indicator for audio on the screens.)
Instruction manual can be confusing but can't they all?
If you can afford it, buy it's new version, the FZ2500, as it remedies most of the deficiencies, and adds even more features, but if not, you will adore the FZ1000.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ70
Best camera ever – Unable to carry heavy cameras anymore, I bought my first Lumix, loved it and upgraded. Mostly take seascapes and seabirds, that need minimal editing… Read more
and are used for publication. People are amazed by the zoom in such a small camera and the quality of my pictures. Am looking forward to upgrading to a TZ90 next.
Canon PowerShot SX70 HS
Good for amateur bird photography – High zoom (1350mm equivalent) makes it good for identification purposes at home. Reasonably light and compact. Can't charge battery in situ; android… Read more
transfer app is currently useless, so you need to use a cable for transfer to a PC; not good at low light; relatively inexpensive at several hundred dollars. You are not going to be able to enlarge a photo to "poster size" without pixelation - A4 is fine. Am yet to try "tracking" or many features and using all automatic setting. Suits my needs for at home bird identification.
Canon Powershot G7X III
Best camera to take social media pictures, would highly recomend it to anyone looking for a simple yet effective lens solution.
Nikon Z 5
Love this camera! – Awesome features, takes great photos and is exactly what I wanted in a camera! Show details
Sony ZV-1
Brilliant little camera – PROS: It takes superb video, focuses superquick, offers great sound and is excellent for stable shooting too. For the size, unequalled. CONS -… Read more
Battery life isn't great, and it could do with a touchscreen not all-button operation. Still think it's great value for money though.
Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV
The Sony RX10iv in many ways is the best camera answer of all time for me – I knew it would be good from all the reviews I have studied. It has some unique features that aren’t available in other form factors at this price… Read more
point. It is commonly stated that it’s expensive. But expensive compared to what? It has a 24-600mm lens which cleverly adapts to 1200mm with something Sony call ‘clear image zoom’. At 1200mm there is no degradation of quality which is generally pretty stunning across the whole zoom range. Video either in HD or 4k is really, really good. I also bought an inexpensive ultra wide angle adapter and there is no degradation of quality, except that it vignettes slightly at the widest end. But I can sort this out with editing software. Fortunately there is a tiny crop in 4k and there is no vignetting with the ultra wide angle adapter which is handy. 24mm is considered wide but getting it under 20mm for me is the holy grail. The Sony autofocus system is as good as it gets. 2-3 years ago there was no such thing but now you really can be a one man film crew. Sony don’t have fully articulated screens for self videography but the wifi/nfc/Bluetooth works well to use a mobile phone as a viewing screen. This camera has a killer feature being proxy recordings for 4k video. This covers off on the price of admission in so many ways and is ultimately why I bought it, even though I have a similar duplicate Panasonic camera. The only thing the Sony RX10iv doesn’t have is a built-in ND filter. I purchased a screw on after market nd filter and I am not as confident it will autofocus 100% of the time. But everything has a work around so I am investing the time to learn the best ways to use it as is. The Sony menu takes time to learn and set up properly on the custom menus and buttons. But during that process I learnt all about the camera to make quick and efficient changes. Most other cameras are using touch screens for all sorts of adjustments but with this Sony you can only use it for autofocus. But the customizability is done differently on a Sony and I have quickly gotten used to it. I bought it mainly for video even though I have been photographically centric in the past. This camera is so versatile for photography in a way that a much more expensive dslr or mobile phone could every be. The zoom lens is kind of brilliant. The 24 frames per second shooting capability has to be experienced to be believed. HDR photos are super impressive. Being a one inch sensor theoretically means it is not optimized for low light photography but learning to use it, suggests to me I am going to get some sensational low light results if I need them. I have seen plenty of youtube videos that have convinced me of that. Ultimately it is getting back to the quality of lens that makes this camera special and from a price point of view, for the quality of the output, it is much much cheaper than a good dslr with multiple lenses. Having said all of that, I have no need of the 600mm end of the lens ... or do I now that it has opened up a whole new world to me? I have done distant photography and test videos of all manner of fast moving cars, people and architecture and I am really happy with the prospect of how my photography will evolve. In the past I have had multiple lenses for dslr and micro 4/3 cameras and I have never used them because it’s a pain with lots of equipment. But in the Sony RX10iv it’s all in the one camera and it does everything very well. And yes, it’s a bridge camera which is not associated with professional work. But I can see how this can be used professionally so it’s a keeper and a steal for what it does. Yes you can buy cheap cameras and really good mobile phones like a Galaxy S9 which I use all the time for professional web based photography. The S9 for me is amazing but it can’t cover all the bases like the Sony RX10iv does.
Sony ZV-1 II
Decent for vlogging; Great for video calls – The Sony ZV-1 II is a compact powerhouse designed for content creators and vloggers. Its 1-inch sensor captures sharp 4K video with excellent… Read more
low-light performance. The standout feature is its reliable autofocus, including eye-tracking and product showcase mode. The vari-angle touchscreen and vlogger-friendly features like a built-in ND filter and microphone make it a go-to choice. However, its battery life might require additional batteries for extended use. Overall, it's a top pick for creators needing a portable yet high-quality camera.
Kodak Pixpro AZ528
Sony ZV-E1
Sony ZV-E10
Nikon Z 50 Body Only
Panasonic Lumix DC-S9NGN
Nikon Z FC Body Only
Nikon Coolpix P950
Sony ZV-1F
Sony ILME-FX30
Fujifilm Instax Mini 99
Kodak PIXPRO WPZ2
Very poor quality pictures – Extremely poor quality pictures , the worst I have experienced of any digital camera. A overpriced camera for the poor quality it delivers . Like everything now days , made in China cheaply then resold using the good name of Kodak
Disappointing product and after sales support – I purchased 48mp waterproof camera on 14th September 2024 and with the first use in water less than meter deep, camera died. It wouldn't turn on even… Read more
after following the troubleshooting steps. It's still under warranty but the supplier wants me to pay almost half the cost of unit for repairs. Not a great quality product. Would not recommend purchasing it. Total waste of money!!
Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII
Made in China quality – Camera came with a faulty view finder that would not pop out on activation. As the camera was unused for a few months Sony initially Sony refused to… Read more
refund. Whilst they sent me a new camera in the mean time which I did not want or request I finally received a refund after having to wait for Sony to assess the returned unopened camera and accept that under the ACL the viewfinder not working properly was a major failure and I was entitled to a full refund regardless of Sony's 'returns policy'.
Of greater concern is that I left a 1 star review on the Sony website for this model with the same title as this review and it was confirmed via their automated system, it does not show on their website obviously having been withheld.
https://www.sony.com.au/electronics/cyber-shot-compact-cameras/dsc-rx100m7/reviews-ratings
This lack of transparency means that I will NEVER buy another Sony product EVER AGAIN.