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Buyer's Guide 2024: Best Of Compact Cameras

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    • Top-of-the-line pocket cameras make pro features more portable

    By Jon Canfield


    This Article Features Photo Zoom

    Olympus SP-570 UZ
    The Olympus SP-570 UZ is styled like a D-SLR, but includes a lens most D-SLR owners could only dream about. With a 20x optical range of 26-520mm and fast aperture of ƒ/2.8-4.5, you'll rarely be out of range with this camera. The 10.1-megapixel camera also has dual image stabilization-both sensor shift and digital image stabilization. The SP-570 UZ has a 2.7-inch LCD, electronic viewfinder and ISOs from 64 to 6400.

    For a compact camera, the frame rate is impressive: 1.2 fps in full resolution and 13.5 fps at a lower 3-megapixel resolution. The SP-570 UZ includes 31 shooting modes, along with several shot assistance modes like Perfect Shot Preview, Histogram and Frame Assist to help with composition. A Panorama mode automatically stitches up to 10 of your images.

    Quick Specs
    Size: 4.7x3.3x3.4 inches
    Weight: 15.7 ounces
    Storage: xD Picture Card
    File Types: RAW, JPEG, AVI
    Estimated Street Price: $429

    Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3
    The 10.1-megapixel Lumix DMC-LX3 packs a number of high-end features into a diminutive package, including the Leica Vario Summicron lens with a 24-60mm zoom, a fast ƒ/2.0-2.8 aperture and Panasonic's Mega Optical Image Stabilization. This lens is very wide for a compact, and the fast maximum aperture of ƒ/2.0 is equally rare. You also can add Panasonic's optional Wide Conversion Lens to the mix to get an even wider angle view of 18mm.

    All composition and focusing is done via the three-inch LCD. The DMC-LX3 offers three aspect ratios, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9, and can capture an image in all three formats simultaneously. There's also a multiple exposure mode, which allows you to overlay up to three frames for creative effects.

    Quick Specs
    Size: 2.3x4.3x1.1 inches
    Weight: 9.3 ounces
    Storage: SD/SDHC
    File Types: JPEG, QuickTime
    Estimated Street Price: $499




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    4 Comments

    1. oooom makes this comment

      Saturday 24 January, 2024

      Canon has major problems with their manufacturing. Too many Canons fail because of hardware issues. Search the web for "Canon lens error" to see the long list of customer complaints.

    2. Doug H makes this comment

      Saturday 17 January, 2024

      The G10 is an amazing camera with image quality superior to any compact on the market. From ISO 100-400 noise is nonexistent. Above 400 noise is still considerably better than any other compact, but of course short of a DSLR. The color and tonal range is better than most DSLR's.The G10 also has the most incredible feature set of any camera on the market today. I have made 13x19 inch prints my fellow professionals thought came from my DSLR. I have put this camera to the test for seven weeks now and can recommend it without reservation.There is a very good reason why so many professionals use the Canon G series for personal use. The G10 is simply the best compact on the market.

    3. Zoe Hellar makes this comment

      Tuesday 9 December, 2024

      After reading all of this article , I have to agree on all of your compacts for 2024. A good evaluation Zoe

    4. Ray Smith makes this comment

      Thursday 4 December, 2024

      The G10 is useless above ISO 100 and even at that setting produces prodigious amounts of noise in shadow areas. The built-in noise reduction algorithm reduces detail even at ISO 100. Long exposures also produce much too much noise. The noise issue totally negates the ability to print images at 13x19 or higher. This is a function of jamming so many photo-sites into the same size sensor.

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