The last 12 months have not been very kind to the digital compact camera market. Sales have slumped particularly at the lower end and companies like Sony and Olympus have suffered significant reductions of around 30% in volume.
A lot of the slump is attributed to the rise in Smartphones. It is no longer enough for a compact camera to just produce reasonable results; to stand a chance against Smartphones, they must offer that something extra.
In this article we list our choice of the ten top compact cameras currently in the market place.
H. S. Billimoria
Canon PowerShot G15
The G-series from Canon has now acquired a reputation for producing high quality compact cameras that have attracted even enthusiasts and professionals. The G15 is the latest in the range and one of very few compact cameras to offer an optical viewfinder. The G15 has a 12.1-megapixel 1/1.7-inch Type CMOS sensor. The 28-140mm lens has an aperture varying from f/1.8 at the wide-angle end to f/2.8 at the telephoto end. Sensitivity can be adjusted between ISO 80 and ISO 12800 and the camera can capture full High Definition video at 24 frames per second. The 3” LCD provides good resolution with 922K dots. Images can be captured either in RAW or JPEG format. The G15 handles extremely well and produces superb pictures. We, however, miss the tilt and swivel screen of its predecessor. Also at its listed price of Rs.34,995, the G15 appears a tad over priced.
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Canon Powershot G1X
Canon’s G1X has now been in the market for over a year and is aimed at seasoned photographers who are looking for excellent build quality in a compact camera. Sporting a heavy metal body, the G1X features an optical viewfinder as well as a tilt and swivel LCD panel. The camera comes with a 14.3MP sensor and has a 28-112mm f/2.8-f/5.6 lens. Canon has used the latest DIGIC 5 image processor and the camera delivers very good low-light performance. The G1X also features an advanced image stabilisation system. On the test bench, the G1X impressed our team with its excellent noise control, outstanding White Balance performance and quality images. The autofocus, however, was sluggish and the camera’s close focussing capability is very modest. Price: Rs. 47,995
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Fujifilm Finepix X100
The ‘X’ series from Fujifilm have carved out an enviable reputation for this erstwhile film based Japanese company. The X100 comes with a 12 MP APS-C size CMOS sensor and is paired with a 35mm equivalent f/2 lens. The ISO range of the camera can be extended to ISO 12800 at full resolution. Full High Definition 1280 x 720 video can be captured at 24 frames per second. The 2.8” LCD screen at the rear has 460,000 dots resolution. The camera can shoot both in RAW and JPEG at 5 frames per second burst. We were impressed with the X100’s noise control and the hybrid viewfinder. The XF1 produced pleasing pictures with good accuracy. On the negative side, the Autofocus was rather slow and the camera does not feature Image Stabilisation. Price: Rs. 68,999
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Nikon Coolpix P7700
The Coolpix 7700 is Nikon’s top professional compact. Like the Canon G15, the Nikon features a 12.1 megapixel 1/1.7-inch Type CMOS sensor which captures images across a sensitivity range of ISO 50 to ISO 3200 which can be extended to ISO 6400. The camera sports a 28-200mm f/2 to f/4 lens and a 3” LCD monitor which is articulated and features 921000 dots. The Coolpix P7700 also features VR (vibration reduction), accepts both JPEG and RAW files, records full High Definition video with stereo sound and has a standard 8 frames per sec burst mode which can be increased.
This Nikon compact produces very good results with an impressive Auto White Balance system. The only negative was its write time when shooting in RAW mode which is rather slow. Autofocus, we feel, was also slower than the competition. Also there is no optical viewfinder. Price: Rs. 24,950
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Nikon Coolpix A
Ordinarily, SP would not have carried a camera that has not been reviewed in detail. However, the new Nikon Coolpix A has such attractive specs that we had to add it to the list. The A is Nikon’s response to compact cameras with prime lenses introduced in the recent past by the likes of Sony and Fujifilm. The A comes with a 16.2 MP APS-C sized CMOS sensor. This is the same sensor that is found in the Nikon D7000. The 18.5 mm (28mm equivalent) f/2.8 lens is a fixed lens attached to the camera. The A shoots up to ISO speeds of ISO 25600 and can capture images also in RAW. The 3” 920,000-dot LCD helps monitor the image to be captured. Up to 4 frames per second continuous shooting and High Definition video shooting are some of the other features. The camera also boasts of 19 scene modes and comes in a choice of two colors, black and titanium. Given its mouth watering specifications, the Nikon Coolpix A is certainly a cameras to be shortlisted. Price: Rs. 54,950
Olympus XZ-2
The Olympus XZ-2 is the successor to the XZ-1. The XZ-2 is powered by a new 12MP back illuminated 1/1.7-inch Type CMOS sensor and features a 28-112mm f/1.8 to f/2.5 Zuiko lens. The 3” LCD monitor comes with 920,000 dots and is tiltable. Unique to the XZ-2 is a hybrid control ring surrounding the lens. This ring can be used to adjust aperture, shutter speed, focus or zoom. The grip on the XZ-2 is also unique in that it is removable. The XZ-2 features sensor based image stabilisation and the LCD screen is touch sensitive. The camera also has a provision to add an electronic viewfinder via the hot-shoe.
Overall, the Olympus XZ-2 is a very capable and pocketable compact camera and comes very close to Olympus’ own PEN series in terms of performance. The only negative is perhaps Olympus’ complicated menu system and the LCD which only tilts but does not swivel. Price: Rs. 31,990
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Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ40
Panasonic’s TZ series (Travel Zoom) have been extremely popular and have sold record numbers for the brand. The TZ40 is the successor to the TZ30 and for the first time features a 18.1 MP MOS sensor. This sensor is partnered with a new Venus Engine processor which enables the camera to shoot continuously at 10 frames per second. The optical zoom has a focal length from 24-480mm with the aperture varying from f/3.3 to f/6.4 through the zoom range. The TZ40 supports GPS and WiFi and is compatible with both IOS and Android devices. Full High Definition movie recording and a 3” 920,000 touch screen complete the specs. The Leica lens ensures optimum picture quality and overall results are impressive. Sadly, you still cannot store pictures in the RAW format. Price: Not Available
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Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ200
The FZ200 is a bridge camera from Panasonic’s stable. Uniquely, it comes with a 25-600mm 24x Leica optical zoom lens with a constant f/2.8 maximum aperture. A 12.1 MP high sensitivity MOS sensor of 1/2.3-inch Type size captures images either in RAW or in JPEG. Full High Definition video is also available and the LCD monitor at the rear features 460,000 dots and is a tilt and swivel monitor. The FZ200 also features a high resolution electronic viewfinder. Ergonomically, the FZ200 scores with all the controls falling in place very easily and the build quality is good considering that it is a bridge camera and not a D-SLR camera.
On the test bench, the FZ200 impressed with its good and fast autofocus, reliable metering and overall image quality. It is certainly amongst the most impressive bridge cameras in the market at the moment. Price: Rs. 34,990
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Sony Cybershot DSC RX1
The RX 1 is the first compact camera in the world to feature a full size sensor. The CMOS image sensor used by Sony is capable of 24.3 megapixel. Permanently attached to the camera is a Carl Zeiss Sonnar 35mm f/2 lens. The lens can be switched to macro mode and has a filter diameter of 40mm. The RX1 is loaded with features and can shoot High Definition video. The built in LCD screen is 3” in size and features 1.22 million dots. The camera produced extremely sharp pictures and was very close to D-SLR quality. Anyone wanting a compact camera that produces high quality results should look at the RX1. On the negative side, due to the full frame sensor, the lens is rather large compared to the camera body. The LCD screen is also fixed and the camera surprisingly cannot capture RAW images. Price: Rs. 179,900
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Sony Cybershot RX100
ony’s RX100 is unique in that it comes with a 20.2 MP 1-inch Type CMOS sensor. The 28-100mm lens has an aperture varying from f/1.8 to f/4.9. The camera records both JPEG and RAW images and capture full High Definition videos. The 3” LCD screen boasts a high resolution of 1.2 million dots. The camera is also exceptionally light at 240 gms and has a very neat and clean appearance. Both, image quality and handling, are top notch and the RX100 is certainly a camera to be considered if you want a high quality compact camera that is also pocketable. The only slight negative is the high retail price. Price: Rs. 34,990
