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Novo-monde Travel tips

Best compact camera 2020 (point and shoot camera) to travel the world

Last Update:25/08/20203 COMMENTS

sony rx100
The Sony RX 100: 1st compact camera with a 1-inch sensor

If you want a small and discreet camera that takes much better pictures than your smartphone, the Compact camera family (or point and shoot camera) might be for you. In recent years, the Compact cameras have made huge progress, thanks in particular to the arrival of the Sony RX 100, which introduced a 1 inch larger sensor (these point and shoot cameras with larger sensors really made this type of camera popular again). Compact cameras are particularly interesting for travelers who do not want to carry a camera and several lenses when they go on a trip. They also have the advantage of being super discreet, which can be a good bonus in some countries.

last update : 10/01/2020

Which compact or point and shoot camera to choose: the criteria

Without going back over all the criteria for choosing the right camera, which I have already mentioned here, I will just go back into a few interesting points for the case of the point and shoot cameras:

  • Sensor size: As I explained in the other article, sensor size is a very important criteria in choosing your camera, especially in the compact camera family.sensor sizes for digital cameras You will notice in the table below that I only compare point and shoot cameras with sensor sizes of at least 1 inch. I made this choice because I don’t think it’s worth buying a compact camera with a smaller sensor… Otherwise, it is better to use a good smartphone with a sensor of similar size. With these 1 inch sensors, you will get much better image quality in low light or high light contrast situations than with your mobile phone.
  • Compact camera = 1 lens: point and shoot camera means only one fixed lens! And as in the photo the lens is as important as the body, you will have to make sure that the lens of your compact is good and versatile. The idea is to have a lens that lets in as much light as possible (small f-number) and has an acceptable focal length in order to be able to zoom in sufficiently if necessary (a 24-70 equivalent is already a good start).
  • Electronic viewfinder: The electronic viewfinder is the element that allows you to put the camera in front of your eye and frame your photo without using the screen. It is almost a norm in the mirrorless range but by far not all point and shoot cameras offer electronic viewfinders. Personally, I find these viewfinders essential for taking pictures in situations where there is a lot of light, which makes it difficult to use the screen. And honestly, I couldn’t do without a viewfinder now.
  • pasm camera modeslearn how to use your camera modes (PASM): More than a criteria, it’s an advice I give you. All the cameras below allow you to use the PASM modes (which I explained here in the article on how to choose your camera). So do yourself a favor and learn how to use them and try not to always use the automatic mode of your camera. By using these modes you will really take full control of your camera and learn to make the right settings according to the situation and the picture you want to take.

 

The comparative table below is interactive. You can choose the devices you want to compare, remove the lines that do not interest you… and to reset the table, simply reload the page. For a better reading, do not compare more than 2-3 models on mobile and 6-7 on computer.

Choose de compact cameras you want to compare










CriteriaSony RX 100Sony RX 100

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Sony RX 100 M3Sony RX 100 M3

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Sony RX 100 M4Sony RX 100 M4

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Sony RX 100 M5Sony RX 100 M5

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Sony RX 100 M6Sony RX 100 M6

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Panasonic LX15Panasonic LX 10

Buy it onlineSee on ebay

Panasonic TZ 100Panasonic ZS 100

Buy it onlineSee on ebay

Panasonic TZ 200Panasonic ZS 200

Buy it onlineSee on ebay

Panasonic LX100 IIPanasonic LX100 II

Buy it onlineSee on ebay

Canon G9X M2Canon G9 X M2

Buy it onlineSee on ebay

Canon G5X M2Canon G5 X M2

Buy it onlineSee on Ebay

CriteriaSony RX 100

Buy it onlineSee on EbaySony RX 100

Sony RX 100 M3

Buy it onlineSee on ebaySony RX 100 M3

Sony RX 100 M4

Buy it onlineSee on ebaySony RX 100 M4

Sony RX 100 M5

Buy it onlineSee on ebaySony RX 100 M5

Sony RX 100 M6

Buy it onlineSee on ebaySony RX 100 M6

Panasonic LX 10

Buy it onlineSee on ebayPanasonic LX15

Panasonic ZS 100

Buy it onlineSee on ebayPanasonic TZ 100

Panasonic ZS 200

Buy it onlineSee on ebayPanasonic TZ 200

Panasonic LX100 II

Buy it onlineSee on ebayPanasonic LX100 II

Canon G9 X M2

Buy it onlineSee on ebayCanon G9X M2

Canon G5 X M2

Buy it onlineSee on ebayCanon G5X M2

Characteristics of the camera
effacerPrice350-400$550-600$600-650$800-850$1100-1150$500-550$500-550$650-700$900-1000$400-500$800-900$
effacerWeight240gr287gr295gr299gr301gr310gr310gr340gr392gr206gr340gr
effacerSize102 x 58 x 36 mm102 x 58 x 41 mm102 x 58 x 41 mm102 x 58 x 41 mm102 x 58 x 43 mm105.5 x 60 x 42 mm110.5 x 64.5 x 44.3 mm111 x 66 x 45 mm115 x 66 x 64 mm98 x 58 x 31 mm111 x 61 x 46 mm
effacerToughness – Waterproofing1/51/51/51/51/51/51/51/51/51/51/5
effacerBattery life330 pictures230-320 pictures230-280 pictures210-220 pictures220-240 pictures260 pictures260-300 pictures250-370 pictures240-300 pictures235 pictures180-230 photos
effacerSpeedmin exp : 1/2000
img/sec : 10
min exp : 1/2000
img/sec : 6.7
min exp : 1/32000
img/sec : 16
min exp : 1/32000
img/sec : 24
min exp : 1/32000
img/sec : 24
min exp : 1/4000
img/sec : 6-10
min exp : 1/16000
img/sec : 6-10
min exp : 1/16000
img/sec : 10.1
min exp : 1/16000
img/sec : 11.2
min exp : 1/2000
img/sec : 8
exp min : 1/25600
img/sec :20
Sensor
effacerSize1 inch1 inch1 inch1 inch1 inch1 inch1 inch1 inch4/31 inch1 inch
effacerResolution20.2mpx20.1mpx20.1mpx20.1mpx20.1mpx20.1mpx20.1mpx20.1mpx17mpx20.2mpx20.2mpx
effacerISO range125-6400125-12800125-12800125-12800125-12800125-12800125-12800125-12800200-25600125-12800125-12800
Lens
effacerFocal range (full frame equivalent)28-10024-7024-7024-7024-20026-7825-25024-36024-7528-8424-120
effacerMax aperturef1.8/4.9f1.8/2.8f1.8/2.8f1.8/2.8f2.8/4.5f1.4/2.8f2.8/5.9f3.3/6.4f1.7/2.8f2/4.9f1.8/2.8
Additional functionalities
effacerIn body or lens stabilizationLens stabilizationLens stabilizationLens stabilizationLens stabilizationLens stabilizationLens stabilizationLens stabilizationLens stabilizationLens stabilizationLens stabilizationLens stabilization
effacerViewfindernoelectronic viewfinder with 1,440,000 dots (480’000 pxs)electronic viewfinder with 2,359,296 dots (786’432 pxs)electronic viewfinder with 2,359,296 dots (786’432 pxs)electronic viewfinder with 2,359,296 dots (786’432 pxs)noelectronic viewfinder with 1’166’000 dotselectronic viewfinder with 776,600 dotselectronic viewfinder with 921,600 dotsnoelectronic viewfinder with 2,360,000 dots
effacerScreenfixed screen with 1,228,800 dots (307,200 px)tilt screen (vertically) with 1,228,800 dots (307,200 px)tilt screen (vertically) with 1,228,800 dots (307,200 px)tilt screen (vertically) with 1,228,800 dots (307,200 px)tilt screen (vertically) de 1,228,800 dots (307,200 px)tilt screen (vertically) with 1’040’000 pxsfixed screen with 1’040’000 dots (413,300 px)fixed screen with 1,240,000 dots (413,300 px)fixed screen with 1,240,000 dots (413,300 px)fixed screen with 1’040’000 pxstilt screen (vertically) with 1,040,000 dots (345,600 px)
effacerVideofull HDfull HD4k and full HD4k and full HD4k and full HD4k and full HD4k and full HD4k and full HD4k and full HDfull HD4k and full HD

Best Compact Camera (point and shoot): my opinion

If you have a tight budget, the 1st version of the Sony RX 100 is now incredible value for money. For a little over 350$ you will have a compact expert with a 1-inch sensor, stabilization and a versatile lens. However, at this price you will not have an electronic viewfinder and the ISO range is not the best. But still, we’re talking about 350$!

panasonic zs100If you have a little more budget, I would choose either the Sony RX 100 M4 or the Panasonic ZS 100. For less than 5-600$, you get the two high-performing cameras with electronic viewfinder and 4k video. The RX 100 has a slightly brighter lens and a tilting screen while the ZS 100 has a larger focal range. It’s up to you to see what’s most important for you.

Of course if you don’t have a budget limit, go for Sony’s 2 high-end compact cameras (the Sony RX100 M5 and the Sony RX100 M6) which are incredible in absolutely every aspect. The M5 has a slightly brighter lens while the M6 has a wider focal range and is thus a more versatile (on the other hand you have to pay the price!). In this price range there is also the Canon G5X M2 which is a great alternative to Sony since late summer 2019.

I also recently added the Lumix LX100 II which is a rather interesting device because it is the 1st compact with a micro 4/3 sensor that remains really small (less than 400gr). In addition, the lens is very bright for beautiful pictures in low light and a beautiful depth of field for a camera of this size.

Best compact (point and shoot) camera : my choice

sony rx100 m4If I had to choose only one of these cameras at the end of 2019, I would undoubtedly choose the Sony RX100 M4. Since the release of these big brothers the M5, M6 and M7, its price has dropped (around 600€) which makes it for me the compact camera with the best quality/price ratio on the market at the moment. It has a tilting screen (for selfies 😉 ), a very bright lens, it shoots in 4k, shoots up to 16 frames/sec please… the top of the top for a very low price.

See the Sony RX100 M4 online

See the Sony RX100 M4 on ebay

P.S. This article contains affiliate links so if you buy a compact camera by clicking on one of our links, we will get a small commission. Please also note that we are not sponsored by any brand and this is our sincere opinion about the best compact cameras in 2019. Finally, you will not find any Amazon links in this article because we do not support the questionable ethics of this company.

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maria Kadoglou

    11 months ago

    Could you please tell me if these cameras have a manual focus possibility?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Benoit

      11 months ago

      Hey Maria,

      All these cameras have manual focus possibilities if you want to 🙂

      Reply
      • Maria Kadoglou

        11 months ago

        Thank you, Benoit.

        Reply

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