9+ Best Compact Camera | Unrivaled Guide & Products Overview 2022

In recent times, advanced compact cameras are also becoming increasingly popular, which combine good image quality with the small size typical of compact cameras. They cost more but are incredibly comfortable to use.

Bridge cameras

The bridge cameras are a middle ground between the compact and SLR. They are larger than the former and smaller than the latter, and in terms of quality, they are closer to compact cameras than reflex cameras. However, they have advantages: the lens, not interchangeable, usually has a long-range zoom, and the overall weight is still less than that of a reflex. They are the right choice for those who need a zoom capable of covering many focal lengths, but also for those who do not want to compromise too many in terms of portability.

Mirrorless

The mirrorless is now the best compromise in terms of quality and size. They have a compact body, but the lens is always interchangeable and more or less protruding. The shooting quality of a mirrorless camera is in many cases comparable to that of reflex cameras and some more modern models are in some ways superior to their bigger sisters also in terms of shooting quality, as well as pure speed. DSLRs often have a higher number of controls along the body, which is why many professionals continue to prefer them, however, mirrorless cameras are capable of defending themselves in many situations.

Action cam

Among compact cameras, even super-compact, are increasingly spreading action cam. These are small video cameras that can be introduced into any environment and even worn with special accessories, hooked to vehicles and racing cars, even underwater. The most famous action cameras are the GoPro, but now there are many producers who churn out in quantities and in all price ranges.

Technical features

Before throwing yourself on the choice of your new compact camera, I’ll explain some definitions that you absolutely must know in order not to grope in the dark in front of the list of technical specifications of each model available on the market.

Sensor

The sensor is a chip that transforms the optical image captured by the lens into digital format, with the result being ultimately processed by the image processor. It consists of pixels that capture light and color information to form the complete image. It is usually believed that the larger the number of pixels, the better the image quality, however, the statement that the sensor size is more important is more true.. In the compact point-and-shoot and in the bridges the sensors are generally small, while in the mirrorless it is also possible to find APS-C sensors (typical of mid-range reflex cameras, with dimensions of about 23 x 15 mm) or Full Frame sensors (typical of high-end reflex cameras, with dimensions of about 24 x 36 mm).

Megapixel

The total number of pixels found in a sensor is defined in Megapixels (which counts the total million pixels of the sensor). A higher value is not always synonymous with higher shooting quality, with 12 or 16 Megapixels already representing optimal values ​​for many circumstances even for prints in the most popular formats. The final quality depends more on the combination of sensor (technology used, amplitude) and objective (lens quality).

ISO

The ISO value indicates the sensitivity level of the sensor to light. Setting a higher value on the camera results in brighter shots in low light, but with lower quality sensors you risk increasing noise (noise and artifacts in the image). Each camera behaves differently as ISO sensitivity increases, so to check the aptitude of the model of interest it is good to do an online search on specialized sites.

Lens and zoom

Nearly all cameras, including compact, have a lens with optical zoom. Each lens supports one or more focal lengths, where focal length refers to the distance between the sensor surface and the center of the objective lens when its focus is set to infinity. The 50mm lenses are called normal, the smaller than normal wide-angle lenses, the upper telephoto lenses. The zooms are lenses that have interchangeable focal lengths, either by means of a button or by means of a ring on the same lens (especially on mirrorless). There is no need to give too much weight to digital zooms since they do not add detail to the images but are made through software “tricks”. The optical ones, on the other hand, really offer added value.

Video recording

Most, if not all, cameras can record video. The standard for recording video in Full HD, which represents a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, while the latest models can also go up to 4K Ultra HD. Videos can be recorded at 30 fps (frames per second) or even at 50 or 60 fps for smoother and more solid animations. Some models, especially action cameras, also support 120, 240, and more frames per second, useful for recording slow-motion videos.

Connections

In addition to wired connections, such as HDMI, Mini-HDMI, or slots for SD, microSD, and external microphones, most modern compact cameras can also support wireless connections, such as Wi-Fi, NFC, to connect to devices such as smartphones, computers, and tablets. for file sharing. Furthermore, some models can geolocate photos (i.e. insert information on the location of the shot in the metadata) through the integrated GPS module.