What are the best compact digital cameras to get in 2026 IF ANY?

We’re in the middle of a compact camera boom. It started with the TikTok celebrity Fujifilm X100 VI, continues with the barely refreshed Canon PowerShot G7 X III and has scooped up a whole raft of second-rate compacts from yesteryear and bargain-bin point-and-shoot Amazon specials that anyone can afford and no-one should buy. What’s going on?

There is one good thing to come out of all this. It seems like people have realized they need to buy cameras they actually like, that they can actually afford and which actually do everything they need even with 10-year-old tech. That is a refreshing antidote to the grinding tech wars of the big camera makers right now. Unfortunately, it’s also opened the door to a lot of rubbish cameras that were weak the first time around and look even worse by today’s standards.

So how do you sort the good from the bad and find a compact camera that is both worth buying and worth using? Let’s look at a few. Please note: this is not a comparative review with specifications and lab testing. This is personal experience of using these cameras and others like them.

Kodak PixPro C1: looks smart, horrible to use

• Kodak PixPro C1 prices: $99 at B&H | £79 at Wex

So let’s start with a cheap point and shoot camera from a brand we do at least recognize. I’m going to bypass the tidal wave of Amazon specials which are really just plastic junk. The PixPro C1 does at least have a bit of class about it. Unfortunately, the inside doesn’t match the outside. It has a tiny, feeble, slow sensor that produces image quality we would have grumbled about ten years ago. Just use your phone to take pictures – it’ll be way better than this. If you want to know more, see my Kodak PixPro C1 review on TechRadar.

Panasonic Lumix FZ80D/FZ82D: big camera, tiny sensor, bad to use

• Panasonic Lumix FZ80D/FZ82D prices: $497 at B&H | £399 at Wex

To its credit, Panasonic has responded to the current craze for compact cameras by refreshing/relaunching some of its older models. Unfortunately, it’s chosen the worst ones. The FZ82D (FZ80 in the US) is a reheat of one of Panasonic’s long-zoom bridge cameras, and while Panaonic did dabble with decent 1-inch sensors for some models, this has a small and presumably cheap 1/2.3-inch sensor used universally for point and shoot cameras back in the day. Image quality is average at shorter zoom settings, bad at long zoom (thanks to weak stabilization), and it’s not even a cheap camera. See my Panasonic Lumix FZ82D review on TechRadar.

OM System Tough TG-7: rugged, effective, pricey but decent

• OM System Tough TG-7 prices: £549 at B&H | £499 at Wex

The TG-7 is another old design, but one that’s continually refreshed by OM System. The TG-7 is only a modest improvement on the TG-6, which was a modest improvement on the TG-5, etc, but the Tough is still both useful and somewhat unique in today’s world. The sensor is small, a predictable compromise here, but the image quality is decent enough given that restriction, and this camera really does live up to its name as a go-anywhere, survive-anything camera that’s also pocket-sized. If that’s what you need in a compact camera and you can live with the small sensor, get this.

Panasonic Lumix TZ99/ZS99: small camera, big zoom, tolerable quality

• Panasonic Lumix ZS99/TZ99 prices: $698 at B&H | £519 at Wex

Like the Lumix FZ80/FZ82D above, the ZS99 is an old camera that’s resurfaced for today’s market. It features the same small sensor size, which puts a cap on the image quality, but has a long zoom squeeze into its compact, pocket-sized body. It would make a good travel camera for anyone who wants a big of flexibility and isn’t expecting mirrorless camera quality images. It will zoom further than a phone and cost less if you drop it or lose it – though this is still not a cheap camera, so don’t do either of those things.

Fujifilm X half: cheap and practical, no, stylish and different, yes

Price: $849 at B&H | £549 at Wex

Not everyone is concerned with price and practicality. Some people are looking for cameras that are stylish and just plain different, something that can re-invigorate their photography and help them see the world in a new and different way. The X half will do that, with its film simulations, deliberately restrictive film mode and default vertical orientation, which is just like quirky half-frame cameras of the past (hence the name) and has a new relevance for today’s vertical social content. Photography tech experts hate it, but you might decide that’s actually a good thing.

Canon PowerShot G7 X III: a reasonable reheat of a reasonable camera

• Canon PowerShot G7 X III prices: $879 at B&H | £819 at Wex

Here’s another blast from the past, one of Canon’s decent 1-inch sensor PowerShot models, though not the best since it lacks a viewfinder. Back in its day it was considered an ordinary but effective enough camera for vlogging and photography. Now, it’s the only PowerShot in that range still being made, and for reasons which are still hard to fathom, it’s suddenly become a craze amongst creators. It now costs more than it ever did before without adding anything new – in fact it’s rather inferior to modern mirrorless cameras like the Fujifilm X-M5 or Nikon Z30. In the world of compact cameras, fame clearly matters more than features.

Ricoh GR IV: expensive, niche and unique

• Get the Ricoh GR IV at B&H ($1,497)
• Get the Ricoh GR IV at Wex (£1,199)

We’re now entering the territory of modern compact digital cameras which are designed for modern image quality expectations and modern photography styles. The GR IV might be pushing it a bit, because each generation of this pocket-sized shooter is really an evolution of what went before, but the GR IV is certainly attracting a lot of interest today, and deservedly so. This camera is unique. It packs a 25MP sensor into a body no larger than an old-school point and shoot camera, but with image quality and controls that put it in a different galaxy. It’s expensive, there’s no viewfinder and you’re stuck with a single focal length lens, but if you can live with that then this pocket sized camera has no rivals. I haven’t used the GR IV, but you can see my Ricoh GR III HDF review on Digital Camera World.

Sony RX100 VII: old and getting older, but not getting cheaper

• Sony RX100 VII prices: $1,698 at B&H | £1,049 at Wex

The RX100 VII is not new, but it’s still quite compelling as a very compact and pocket-friendly camera with a good long-range zoom and decent-sized 1-inch sensor that make it ideal for travel photography. It even has a tiny pop-up viewfinder. Unfortunately, good as it is, the RX100 VII has also remained expensive, so it’s far from budget-friendly. I also find it rather small and fiddly to use, but a lot of people love it, so don’t pay any attention to me.

Fujifilm X100 VI: the TikTok legend that everyone wants and no-one can buy

• Fujifilm X100VI prices: $1,799 at B&H | £1,599 at Wex

It sounds like a highly-specialized camera for experts, but for some reason the X100 VI has assumed legendary status on social channels. It’s like Fujifilm only ever made small numbers and never anticipated its popularity. Everyone raves about it but it’s out of stock everywhere, so it’s all really rather academic. The big limitations are the fixed 35mm equivalent lens, price and general unavailability. With its external exposure dials, 40MP sensor, film simulations and IBIS, it’s a beatiful camera for connoisseurs but not especially versatile.

Leica D-Lux 8: expensive Leica rebrand with proper class

• Leica D-Lux 8 prices: $1,915 at B&H | £1,450 at Wex

Yes, it’s controversy time. The Leica D-Lux 8 is essentially a rebranded, somewhat redesigned Panasonic Lumix LX100 II that’s been given the Leica finish and interface design – don’t knock it, this stuff makes a big difference to how a camera feels and works. The point is that while the LX100 II was much the same but a lot cheaper, Panasonic stopped making it. But you CAN still get the D-Lux 8. This is an excellent camera, so it’s Leica’s gain and Panasonic’s loss.

Sony RX1R III: expensive Sony vanity model refreshed

• Sony RX1R III prices: $5,098 at B&H | £4,199 at Wex

On paper, the Sony RX1R III is a very desirable camera with a 61MP full frame sensor and Zeiss 35mm f/2 lens, together with a built-in EVF. It’s a camera that a lot of Sony fans had been waiting for following the launch of the original RX1R and RX1R II. Unfortunately, they had been waiting so long that probably a lot of them went off and bought a Leica Q instead. That’s the problem with the RX1R III – it’s an extremely expensive camera without the cachet of an expensive brand name.

Fujifilm GFX100RF: majestic medium format marvel

• Fujifilm GFX100RF prices: $5,599 at B&H | £4,499 at Wex

The Leica Q3 is not the only problem for the Sony RX1R III (above) because the Fujifilm GFX100RF almost doubles the sensor size and resolution of both at the same price point (or less, compared to the Leica Q3). The 28mm f/4 equivalent lens is not quite as fast, but that 102MP medium format sensor, the film simulations and mulltiple aspect ratios will easily make up for that for many users. Best of all, this camera doesn’t appear to be suffering the same availabiliy issues as the X100 VI – you can actually find it IN STOCK!

Leica Q3: practicality and prestige at a price

• Leica Q3 prices: $6,735 at B&H | £5,400 at Wex

Make no mistake, the Leica Q3 is a beautiful camera. The image quality from its 61MP full frame sensor and 28mm f/1.7 Summilux lens are superb, as is the build quality, finish and handling. It’s a mistake to judge cameras on technical specification alone becasue the handling experience is just as important, and Leica is a master at designing clean, fuss-free controls and interfaces. But if you’re paying this much, would it be better to go that little bit further and get a Leica M rangefinder. It’s a tough choice, but the Q3 is definitely more point-and-shoot friendly and is perhaps the ultimate prestige compact camera.

The state of the compact camera market in 2026

This list covers a wide range of cameras in terms of user types, price points and technologies. There are a lot to choose from, but these choices are in fact simpler than they might first appear. 

First you’ve got a whole swathe of plastic Amazon specials (sorry, Amazon) which aren’t even worth talking about.

Then there’s Kodak, marketing a lot of affordable point and shoot cameras from pocket sized cameras to long-range superzooms. They use small sensors and primitive technology that wasn’t really all that great even ten years ago, but they are cheap, so maybe the demand for this kind of low-cost, low-quality camera never quite went away.

Some of the best-known camera companies are riding the compact camera wave too, relaunching older models (Panasonic, Canon) or continuing to sell previously popular compacts into a market that’s rediscovering their usefulness. Panasonic seems to be choosing models with cheap 1/2.3-inch sensors, which is not ideal, while there are superior Canon and Sony compacts with decent enough 1-inch sensors – though at a price.

And then we get into ‘modern’ compact cameras, which are aimed at a more discerning audience. The Fujifilm X half is an affordable ‘hipster’ camera which will divide opinion but has a charm of its own and is an appealing alternative to original cult classic, the X100 VI.

From then on, it all gets rather more serious, and more expensive. With the exception of the Leica D-Lux 8 – still perhaps the best handling compact camera with a zoom – we’re into fixed focal length ‘expert’ territory.

The new and improved Ricoh GR IV has a cult following of its own as a pint-sized street and travel camera, while the Leica Q3 is the ultimate blend of status and quality (and price). It’s harder to place the Sony RX1R III because of its price and its immediate competion. And definitely don’t forget the Fujifilm GFX100RF, which costs no more than the RX1R III or Leica Q3. That in itself is amazing.

So the resurgence in compact cameras is not quite what it seems. The cheapest cameras are cheap for a reason, the mid-range models are mostly reheats of older models, and it’s really only at the top end of the market that there’s much development going on.