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On-going survey of compact digital cameras
The ideal camera has a wide angle, little noise in high sensitivities, a big screen, and is stabilized and fast. This type of little gem does indeed exist. The other good news: there are are good compacts at low prices.
Renaud Labracherie
Updated: 2008-08-12
Updated: 2008-08-12
The tests
All aspects of a camera count in our evaluation; size, weight, rendering of colors and details, and reactivity. First, we start with the same tests for each product: All parameters are evaluated indoors on the same test scene and under the same conditions (daylight, night, etc.). Then we go outdoors and do the same. This year we significantly updated our test conditions (better quality lighting, etc.) in order to adapt them to manufacturer improvements and make them even more discriminating. While this makes it more difficult to compare newer and older models in the Side by Side photo section, it allows us to better test current and future models.
Next we further evaluate cameras in day to day use to have a better understanding of ergonomics, print quality, colors, portraits, etc. And finally, there is our Side by Side photo section, which complements this information. On that page you will find the actual test results in color, sharpness, contrast, speed, and noise.
- Speed: "older" cameras are a bit weak in startup, between shots and burst mode. Taking a photo on the fly could often be problematic. Good compacts now have speeds that are less than 2 seconds. The most reactive come from Canon with startup and the time between shots being about a second.
- Stabilization: (almost) all have this. A stabilized camera doesn’t make subjects in movement sharp, rather it eliminates, or at least considerably reduces, camera shake. In practice, when a non-stabilized camera should be at 800 ISO to produce a clean image, a stabilized model can function at 200 ISO resulting in a cleaner photo with less noise.
- Reduced noise: it’s the new obsession for manufacturers. It’s no longer enough to produce photos without a flash in high sensitivities (800 ISO, for example), now they have to be of good quality and usable. Fuji opened the way, Panasonic and then Canon followed....with good results!
- Bigger sensors: this is the characteristic that is the most often stressed, but in our opinion the least important. Yes, the latest compacts can have 12 megapixel sensors which are quite impressive. But what’s the point? We aren’t too sure and even think the contrary. In practice, 12 MP photos barely have more detail than those of an 8 MP while at the same time they are bigger files. You can store fewer in memory and noise control is even more complicated.
Read and compare for yourself the quality of images!
In fact, we recommend you judge image quality on your own. We remind you that Digitalversus is not only here to inform you but also so that you can compare the quality of any two cameras side by side. Use and abuse it! For example, there are some comparisons that are particularly interesting:
- The Canon Ixus 860 IS vs. the Panasonic Lumix FX33, the two current stars.
- The Canon PowerShot A460 vs. the Nokia N95 : the most modest of compacts versus the best photophone,
- The FujiFilm F40fd vs. the Panasonic FX12: two references in the less than 200 Euros category.
A few recommendations to finish up with. There are many cameras in our list. Take advantage of the filters below to find more precisely what you type of product most interests you. for example, only keep the best, eliminate the most expensive, etc.
Finally, maybe a compact is a bit limited for some. Bridges are often bigger in size but they have much more powerful zooms. There is a special section devoted to them and to go even further in this logic there are the reflexes. Once unaffordable, some are now offered for the same price as some of the best compacts. Their advantages are even better reactivity, improved noise control and more versatility.
