The Ricoh-owned Pentax is one of the few camera companies still committed to DSLRs – but it’s the popularity of Ricoh’s cult-favorite compact camera that’s behind the company’s latest growth. The Ricoh GR series is the main driver behind a return to profitability for the company’s segment that includes imaging, the Japan-based company said in its latest financial report on August 03.

The Ricoh GR series has long been a favorite as a pocketable street photography camera that hides a larger APS-C inside a body that looks like a basic point-and-shoot. But the long-awaited Ricoh GR IV arrived in September 2025 amid a growing trend for compact cameras – and the mix is proving to be a popular one.

Ricoh’s cameras fall under the “Other” category in the company’s financial reports – and with that category not exclusive to imaging, the company’s financial reports don’t often indicate how well cameras are selling. But the company’s latest report attributes significant growth to the category to strong camera sales.

Compared to the first quarter of 2025 – when the Ricoh GR IV had yet to launch – the category that includes cameras has shifted from a negative 1.4 billion yen ($8.9 million / £6.6 million / 12.6 million / CA$12.5 million) operating profit to a positive .3 billion yen ($1.9 million / £1.4 million / AU$2.7 million / CA$2.68 million).

“The camera business continued to perform strongly, driven mainly by the RICOH GR series, resulting in higher sales and profit,” said Director and CFO Takashi Kawaguchi.

Excluding the impact of currency exchange, sales were up by 27.7 percent in the “other” category over the same time last year, Ricoh said.

While the GR IV series is a key highlight for Ricoh, the last few months haven’t been without their challenges – and the company noted potential price changes – but didn’t specify which products – amid increasing costs for memory driven by AI demand. “At the same time, we will mitigate cost increases stemming from rising prices of semiconductor memory, petroleum-related materials, and other inputs through pricing measures and reviews of our cost structure,” Kawaguchi said in the report.

The Ricoh GR IV that launched in September 2025 was just the start of a fresh wave of models for the popular series. That initial launch has already been followed by the Ricoh GR IV HDF – which gives the pocketable camera a built-in diffusion filter – and the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, a pocketable camera dedicated entirely to black-and-white photography.

The Ricoh GR IV arrived in a rapidly growing list of new compact cameras – yet the series is one of the few advanced compact series that fit an APS-C sensor into a truly pocketable body. The camera’s mix of size and image quality immediately won me over. The camera’s burst speed and video specs may lag behind, but the GR IV is rare in its ability to cram an APS-C sensor into a compact camera that weighs just 262g / 9.2 oz.

When I tried Ricoh’s dedicated black-and-white camera, I was surprised by the low-light boost skipping the colored filters gives the camera – and I could immediately see the compact camera being a favorite for documentary-style work.

If the company’s latest report is any indication, I’m not the only one enamoured with the GR IV series.

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Compare the differences between the Ricoh GR series cameras. Or, browse the best APS-C compact cameras.

If you're looking for a compact camera that can handle both stills and video, this model is well worth a look.

It's been hard to find at UK retailers lately, but it's currently back in stock at Amazon.

Popular among street photographers and vloggers alike is the Sony ZV-1, now available for just £539 at Amazon. This is £80 off its usual £619 price tag.

Why the Sony ZV-1 had me rethink my street photography setup

The Sony ZV-1 is tiny, powerful, and ideal for capturing life as it happens, without drawing attention to yourself. For street photography, that's gold.

I usually shoot with my Sony A7 III, which is amazing – but also a bit bulky, especially when compared to the ZV-1. In quieter settings, it tends to draw too much attention, which completely ruins those raw, candid moments that street photography thrives on.

The ZV-1 fits in a jacket pocket, measures just 105.5 x 60.0 x 43.5mm, and is low-key enough to go unnoticed – letting you capture city life as it naturally unfolds. And let's be honest, sometimes fewer MP and a more compact size get you a better shot, simply because you can take it.

And if you've ever thought about trying vlogging, the ZV-1 is a great entry-level vlogging camera.

Sure, some call it a tweaked version of the RX100 series, but the upgrades here are tailored specifically to creators: better audio, user-friendly controls, and a screen that makes framing yourself super easy.

Yes, there are a few quirks – like the focus distance jumping when zooming in and the Active SteadyShot stabilization not quite living up to expectations.

But on the plus side, autofocus is incredibly fast, and overall, the camera feels intuitive and fun to use. So, if you can look over the zoom jumping and use a tripod or gimbal for video, the Z-V1 is great.

At £539, the ZV-1 offers excellent value for street photography and an easy entry into video content creation. And in genres like street photography, this little camera could become your (or even my) secret weapon.

Check out the best compact camera, the best camera for street photography, and the best cameras for vlogging.

I think everyone was astonished that the Godox C100 went viral. I know that I was pretty staggered when I saw that my Instagram Reel had racked up half a million views for a $40 camera that doesn't have a screen or autofocus – let alone 4K video or any kind of burst mode!

But its simplicity and quirkiness is exactly what has made the Godox C100 transparent viewfinder camera so intriguing.

This point-and-shoot camera is built around a large "intelligent transparent display" that overlays a streamlined UI on an LCD panel, enabling you to frame, fire and snap your shot without losing yourself in menus, settings and viewfinders.

On top of that, it also doubles as a light meter – meaning that this could be an essential purchase for film photographers who want to ensure their exposures are accurate.

As you can see, I had an absolute blast with mine (and yes, I know I'm shaking in the video – I got mild sunstroke and dehydration thanks to shooting in the height of the UK heatwave) but it's taken a while for it to go on general sale outside China.

Thankfully, it's now hit the major retailers in the US and UK. So if you've been looking for one, here's where to buy the Godox C100…

🇺🇸 Godox C100: Where to buy it in the US

The Godox C100 is in stock and shipping now from Adorama, Amazon and B&H Photo. It carries the same $44.90 price tag from all three retailers, but B&H is offering a Godox pouch and lanyard as free items – Adorama is asking $2.00 more for these extras.

Note that you will need to buy a microSD card, as this is not included.

• Adorama – $44.90 ($46.90 with pouch and lanyard)
• Amazon – $44.90
• B&H Photo – $44.90 (with free pouch and lanyard)

🇬🇧 Godox C100: Where to buy it in the UK

The Godox C100 is in stock with next day delivery from Amazon, priced at £39. It's also available for preorder from Wex, but at a higher price of £47. Note that you will need to buy a microSD card as this is not included with the camera.

Amazon is offering a couple of options that do include a memory card, also in stock and shipping, as well as a bundle with an 8GB card and the official Godox pouch and lanyard – but this doesn't ship until the end of August.

If you don't mind waiting a few weeks for delivery, it's nice to have a pouch and lanyard – but personally I'd opt for Amazon's bundle with a 32GB card for £48, which you can get delivered tomorrow and start using right away.

• Amazon – £39 (no memory card)
• Amazon – £46 (with 16GB card)
• Amazon – £47.50 (with 8GB card, pouch, lanyard)
• Amazon – £48 (with 32GB card)

Preorder: Wex – £47 (no memory card)

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Last time we looked at the compact camera rankings from Japanese retailer Yodobashi, we saw a brand-new release skyrocketing to No.1. Panasonic's newest premium compact, the Lumix L10, reached the top position just 12 days after its launch. Now, the retailer reports that the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III is the new No.1 compact, despite the fact that it was released nearly seven years ago.

Famously hard to find in stock, the G7 X Mark III can now command second-hand prices higher than its original retail price of $879.99 / £899.99. For example, it's currently out of stock at US retailer B&H, while used examples are listed on MPB for around $1,499.

While there's no sign of the Lumix L10 in the first half of July 2026 rankings, the best waterproof camera returns: the OM System Tough TG-7. The rankings reflect just how diverse the compact camera market has become, but product shortages remain significant, with the top three compact cameras currently on backorder at Yodobashi.com.

Yodobashi's top selling compacts, 1st Half Jul 2026

1. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III | Black | Silver (backordered)
2. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite | Silver | Black (backordered)
3. Fujifilm X100VI | Silver | Black (backordered)
4. Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / ZS99 | Black | White
5. Sony ZV-1 II | Black | White
6. Canon IXY 650 / Powershot Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A | Black | Silver
7. Panasonic Lumix TX3 / ZS300 / TZ300 | Black | Graphite Silver
8. Leica Q3 43
9. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Brown | Black
10. OM System Tough TG-7 | Red | Black

"Yodobashi Camera Best Sellers Top Ten" announces the best-selling rankings from the shopping site "Yodobashi.com" and all 24 Yodobashi Camera stores nationwide.

Japan's champion: Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III 

The Canon G7 X series has long rivalled Sony's RX100 line, but its appeal is less about winning the spec sheet and more about portability, image quality and ease of use.

The G7 Mark III combines a 1-inch sensor with a compact body and straightforward controls, making it an appealing alternative to both smartphones and larger mirrorless or DSLR cameras.

That balance has helped the G7 X become something of a cult camera. These cameras prove that you don't always need the latest specs – just tools that get out of the way and let you create.

Why is the Canon G7 X Mark III so expensive second-hand?

The G7 X Mark III's popularity has created an at-first-glance unusual situation for an older camera: used prices can now be higher than its original retail price.

But the G7 X Mark III isn't alone in benefiting from the renewed interest in older compacts.

Social media has helped fuel a point-and-shoot revival, with creators and photographers celebrating cameras that offer a different look and shooting experience from a smartphone.

The G7 X Mark III has become one of the standout examples of that trend.

With the camera now difficult to find in stock, that popularity has collided with limited supply – pushing second-hand prices well above what you'd normally expect from a camera release in 2019.

Back after three month: OM System Tough TG-7

The other notable camera in Yodobashi's latest rankings is the OM System Tough TG-7, which re-enters the Top 10 at No.10 after a three-month absence.

Unlike the G7 X Mark III, the TG-7 is built for adventure. It's waterproof, shockproof and dustproof, with a 4x zoom, RAW shooting, 4K video and useful macro mode.

It will be interesting to see if the G7 X Mark III can defend its No.1 spot, and whether the Panasonic Lumix L10 returns to the chart.

For now, though, the G7 X Mark III shows that newer doesn't always mean more desirable – especially when it comes to the point-and-shoot revival.

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I was recently in Wetzlar, Germany, the home of Leica for the launch of the high-octane Leica SL3-P full-frame mirrorless camera.

During one of the presentations, Leica's VP of global marketing and communications, Andrea Pacella, told the assembled influencers and members of the press what the best-selling Leica was. And I was shocked by what I found out.

It wasn't the Leica M range of rangefinder cameras, which built the company's reputation. It wasn't the popular D-Lux 8, which has enjoyed a great success thanks to the rising popularity of compact cameras. And it was not the Sofort 2, Leica's most affordable camera.

No, the best seller is the Leica Q range of full-frame compacts that cost upwards of $7,350 / £5,650. We love the Q3 range but, with those luxury price tags, I was gobsmacked that it was these models that sold so well.

I got to sit down with Andrea Pacella to quiz him on just why the ten-year-old Leica Q range has been such a sales success.

"The idea that there could be a market for a €5,000 compact camera in a world destined to be dominated by the smartphone – where compact cameras were selling less and less – was bold," Pacella explains.

Then he points out that Leica has a long history of bold launches – right from Ernst Leitz II's decision to risk it all on Oskar Barnack's idea of a handheld camera over 100 years ago.

Acts of courage

"There were many acts of courage after that. Launching the Leicaflex SL2, the M3, and crucially, not giving up the rangefinder when it seemed completely dead in the 1970s.

"The M5 was not successful; the market was moving toward SLRs, and the Japanese manufacturers were invading the market with cameras. There seemed to be no more space for Leica," Pacella continues.

"The same courage applied to not stopping production on film cameras when we were selling only a few hundred per year. We kept the production lines, we kept the machines, and we kept the knowledge. Then, when the rebirth of film happened – and now it is a massive hype – we were there. We were the only ones.

"We have taken a lot of these bold, brave decisions in our history; it is rooted in the Leica mentality".

The secret of the Q's success

"We didn't understand it at the time, but the product managers believed in it and eventually convinced us. What made the first Leica Q so successful was that 28mm is the exact field of view people are used to on their smartphones. The angle of view you got on an iPhone was a 28mm equivalent.

"This meant that a lot of people who weren't used to traditional photography, who weren't passionate photographers and maybe didn't even know who Henri Cartier-Bresson or Elliott Erwitt were, or what aperture and ISO meant, found a comfortable, familiar view when they looked through the camera.

"These are small things, but they are incredibly important. The other crucial factor was keeping the form factor of the M system. From a distance, the Q looks like an M. I often describe the Q as a Leica M that is easier to use, featuring a view that everyone is already comfortable with, and costing less than an M lens alone.

"At the beginning, some people would joke, 'You pay for the lens and get the camera for free'. But if you think about how much a standalone M-mount Summilux 28mm f/1.4 lens costs, the lens alone costs as much as the entire Q camera.

"It was a combination of well-thought-out, courageous elements. When you shoot with a Leica Q and see the pictures, you are blown away.

"People started understanding the beauty of shooting at f/1.4 on a full-frame sensor – having the subject in sharp focus while everything else softens away. It gives a pleasure to the eye that you simply cannot get with a smartphone."

Sales figures

Today, Leica offers a choice of three Q cameras: the standard Q3 with its 28mm lens, the Q3 Monochrom with its black-and-white sensor, and the more recent Leica Q3 43. So which is the most popular of the trio, and by how much?

Of the three, it is the Monochrom that turns out to be the niche product.

"The Monochrom was another very courageous act", explains Pacella. "I remember the comments at the time: 'They are crazy. They are arrogant. How do they think they can sell a camera that only shoots black-and-white for more money than a camera that shoots color?'

"The Monochrom cameras are a sort of act of appreciation for our core customers. We don't make them strictly for volume; we could sell the same total number of cameras just by making them in color.

"They don't fundamentally change the overall volume of the system, but they are a thank-you to the people who love that medium."

And the winner is…

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Take a look at the best Leica cameras across the entire range, along with the best Leica M lenses for rangefinders and the best Leica SL lenses for mirrorless bodies.

With a vertical sensor and Film Camera mode, the Fujifilm X Half could easily take the title of Fujifilm’s most unusual X-Series compact camera. But unusual cameras tend to come with mixed reactions – and the X Half launch was met with more mixed reactions than a bag of trail mix.

On the one hand, the Fujifilm X Half has a one-inch sensor that bests the typical cheap compact camera. With a secondary screen built just for Film Simulations and an actual “film” advance lever, the X Half is also the embodiment of the retro camera trend.

But photographers have long been asking the company to bring back older compacts like the Fujifilm X70 – a smaller, more affordable alternative to the X100 series from 2016 that, despite a lower price, still boasted an APS-C sensor, RAW and manual modes.

The Fujifilm X Half is no X70 – beyond the smaller sensor, there’s no RAW capture at all, a serious sticking point for many photographers, myself included.

But then, a year after the X Half first arrived, I finally got to try one. And as I spent weeks with the little camera, I began to dread the moment that I would have to pack it back up in a box and send the sample back to Fujifilm.

The X Half has a Film Camera mode that I put to use when I gave up camera screens for nearly two weeks, since the function locks the screens. The X Half's feature list may pale in comparison to the X100VI, but it looks like War and Peace compared to most simple screen-free digital cameras like the Camp Snap CS-Pro and the Flashback One35 V2.

Most basic screen-free cameras have fixed focus. The X Half has an actual autofocus system with eye-detection autofocus and the ability to take close-ups. And it can still shoot video (just not in the screen-free mode).

But perhaps my favorite feature from the X Half is that the camera not only packs in Fujifilm’s famous Film Simulations, but several special effects too. I love the light leak and diffusion modes, which bring two of my favorite film “imperfections” to digital, and there are even double exposures.

In that way, the X Half feels more like a grown-up version of the Instax Mini Evo – a cheap camera that I’ve even seen pro wedding photographers carry because the special effects and built-in instant film printer are so fun – but with a larger sensor and more resolution instead of an Instax printer.

I was disappointed when I read the X Half’s features and read that it couldn’t shoot RAW photos at all, but then I started taking pictures with one and I didn’t really miss the advanced file type. The X Half puts the joy of photography over technical perfection.

Yes, my own Fujifilm X-T4 cameras still bring me joy, but my giant to-be-edited pile does not.

The built-in creative tools and the Film Camera mode on the X Half felt like giving myself permission to take imperfect photographs. The imperfect moments often make the best memories.

I want the Fujifilm X Half not to replace my Fujifilm mirrorless kit, but to grab when I want to capture memories without the pile of edits, without the bulk of a larger system and with more creative tools than my iPhone.

I do still think Fujifilm made a mistake with the X Half: the price. It was about $850 / £650 at launch, which I think is too close to options like the Fujifilm X-M5 given the X Half’s shorter feature list. But the list price has since dropped by $200 / £100 and occasional sales may push it even lower than that.

After I tried the Fujifilm X Half, I ended up adding the little retro camera to my wish list – my biggest hesitation is whether to spend my next gear budget on a fun compact camera or the Fujifilm 23mm f/2.8 R WR to turn the mirrorless that I already have into a “compact camera.”

The X Half isn’t the advanced compact I was expecting, but the retro effects and Film Camera mode are a just-right balance between the joy of photography and photo quality.

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The X Half isn't Fujifilm's only unusual camera – the Instax Mini Evo Cinema has a "time travel" dial! Or, take a look at the best retro cameras.

You now have just three days left to buy the Camp Snap 2 at its lowest-ever price, with the wonderfully simple screen-free camera currently available for only $69.99 in the US and £54 in the UK.

However, this price is not going to hang around. Camp Snap has confirmed that its introductory launch pricing will end on August 3, after which the price of the camera will increase. The company says rising costs are behind the decision, so this is one of those rare occasions when waiting will almost certainly mean paying more.

The Camp Snap 2 takes everything that made the original such an enjoyable little camera and gives it a welcome refresh. It remains completely screen-free, encouraging you to concentrate on the moment rather than repeatedly checking every image, but the body is now 15% slimmer and the viewfinder has been repositioned to make framing more reliable.

You also get six built-in filters, including three vintage options, an analog look and black-and-white, all of which can be selected directly on the camera. There is no need to connect it to an app or edit every photograph afterwards, making it easy to switch between different looks while you are out shooting.

The Camp Snap 2 uses an 8MP sensor with a fixed f/2 lens, includes a 4GB microSD card and can capture up to 500 photographs from a single charge. It also charges over USB-C, has a standard tripod mount and introduces a faster shutter response, making it a more practical camera for holidays, parties, family days out or simply carrying around every day.

This is never going to replace a serious mirrorless camera, and that is entirely the point. The Camp Snap 2 is designed to be inexpensive, uncomplicated and fun, giving you something closer to the experience of using a disposable camera without continually buying film or paying for development.

At $69.99 / £54, it is already one of the most affordable ways to enjoy distraction-free photography, but you only have until August 3 to secure the introductory price. With the increase now confirmed, I would not leave this one sitting in your basket for too long.

Compact cameras and film photography continue to enjoy a resurgence, particularly among younger photographers drawn to the nostalgic look of analogue images and to cameras small enough to carry everywhere. Few, however, are quite as distinctive as the Lomomatic 110.

Following the release of the Lomography Lomomatic 110 Camera with Flash (Metal) (available for $159 / £149), Lomography has now unveiled the new Lomomatic 110 Camera & Flash Discomatic, a colorful new design edition priced at $119 / £109. Combining retro styling with a sharp glass lens, automatic exposure, and a unique sliding film advance, it delivers a shooting experience unlike almost anything else available today.

While 35mm film remains the format most photographers return to, Lomography champions the smaller 110 format, remaining the only manufacturer producing both 110 film and new 110 cameras

The new Lomomatic 110 Camera & Flash Discomatic

"Our mission to keep film alive is thriving, and we are proud to be the only current producer of new 110 film and cameras," says Lomography. It states that the Lomomatic 110 is "the sharpest, most creative pocket-sized camera on Earth", with "pictures are sharper than you’d ever imagine!"

One of the Lomomatic 110's standout features is its sliding film advance. Rather than winding the next frame with a traditional leveler, sliding the camera body advances the film and prepares it for the next shot, creating a tactile shooting experience that's as enjoyable as it is distinctive.

The Discomatic edition pairs funky design with a 23mm Minitar CX multi-coated glass lens, automatic exposure, two aperture settings, zone focusing, and adjustable ISO.

It also includes the detachable Lomomatic flash with colored filters for creative lighting effects, while long-exposure and multi-exposure modes encourage experimentation with every roll of film.

Specifications
• Film Format: 110
• Focal Length: 23 mm
• Available Apertures: f2.8, f5.6
• Shutter Speed: Auto (A) 30s to 1/250, Bulb (B) up to 30s
• Flash: Lomomatic 110 Flash
• Available ISO Settings: 100, 200, 400
• Multiple Exposure: Yes
• Tripod Mount: No
• Cable Release: No
• Battery: 1 x CR2
• SKU: hp110disco

Availability
The Lomomatic 110 Camera & Flash Discomatic is available from Lomography for $119 / £109.

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As everyone knows, compact cameras are absolutely on fire right now. And this new compact, billed as "the world's cutest collab", is virtually guaranteed to throw gasoline on that fire.

You may well have seen the Lola Camera on your Instagram or Facebook feed. The brand has made an art out of cashing in on the Y2K digicam craze, marketing its aesthetic-focused compact at Gen Zers and style-conscious photographers.

Following a Lola x Betty Boop Digital Camera launched a year ago, the company has kicked kawaii into hyperdrive with its latest collaboration.

The Lola x Miffy Digital Camera follows the same template but replaces Betty Boop (to whom my younger colleagues all replied, "Who?") with everyone's favorite rabbit mascot character (to whom they said, "Of course we know who that is").

On the outside, the latest Lola now boasts a cartoon-blue chassis with an illustration of Miffy on the front accompanied by yellow stars. Attached is a Miffy-themed friendship charm bracelet / camera strap, and the whole thing can be safely stowed in a delightfully matching Miffy pouch.

On the inside, this is the same core tech that has been inside every flavor of Lola Camera: an 8MP CMOS sensor with 20x digital zoom and 2.8-inch screen, offering native HD (720p) video and what I'm pretty certain is interpolated 4K video.

While all Lolas come with twenty creative filters, the Lola x Miffy comes with five exclusive Miffy-themed filters (outdoing the Betty Boop edition, which only came with three).

Ultimately these are expertly-branded but nontheless upcycled 2000-era digicam components, pitched at the younger generation that equates "outdated tech" with "lofi aesthetic", all wrapped up in a $109 / £79 / AU$159 bow.

Even so, I can't argue that this may indeed be "the world's cutest collab" – and I suspect it will be massive. The camera is set to launch on July 31, but it's already available for pre-order at Urban Outfitters in the UK.

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See how the Lola compares to the best compact cameras and the best point and shoot cameras from the bigger brands.

Riding on the coattails of its successful miniature TLR-style digital camera, Chinese camera brand Chuzhao is back with the Chuzhao M3, a fixed-lens compact camera that would appear to take a few design cues from the, you guessed it, Leica M3. News of this rather striking little camera came by way of Photorumors.

Under the hood there isn’t much to shout about, what with a 1/4-inch 12-MP CMOS sensor and full HD video, and fully automatic controls. But like the Chuzhao Digital Camera, the Chuzhao M3 isn’t designed to rub shoulders with the premium compact cameras of this world. I’ve yet to see the camera myself, but it’s evidently intended to be a fun and affordable departure from a camera phone, while delivering a trendy lo-fi digital camera aesthetic.

A vision in pastel

Perhaps the most striking aspect of this cheap camera is its design and color schemes. As mentioned, the name and style appear to take a leaf out of Leica’s book, with a boxy rangefinder-shaped body and small lens. On Amazon, you can opt for Gray or Pastel Purple & Mint Blue color schemes. The former is a two-toned gray with blue accents, while the latter features striking purple accents against pastel pink and mint green.

The camera comes with a detachable fill light that looks a bit like an old Graflex flash. However, it appears to be a mini LED light panel with three brightness settings. The camera also comes with a USB-A to USB-C lead, what looks like a wrist strap and an unbranded 16GB SD card, although it can take up to a 64GB. As always, it’s my recommendation to immediately replace any unbranded memory card that comes with a cheap camera.

Lens details are thin on the ground. It’s fixed, the camera is capable of AF and it’s wide, with an aperture of around f/2.8. There’s no viewfinder, which is a shame given the retro aesthetic, but there is a 1.54-inch rear LCD. The camera is said to weigh just 115g, measures roughly 89.5 x 52 x 42.5mm, and features a built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery.

The Chuzhao M3 is priced at $69.99 / £69.97 and available at Amazon.

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The retro tech craze has brought back cheap digicams – and some of the most iconic names in photography. A key example? Nearly half of the top ten best-selling cameras on Amazon Japan and Amazon US are Kodak-branded cameras right now.

While Eastman Kodak is alive and well and still producing film, digital cameras that carry the Kodak name come from a variety of manufacturers that license the Kodak name and not the New York-based brand that first created the point-and-shoot with the phrase “You push the button, we do the rest.”

The nostalgic tech and compact camera craze has proven to work particularly well for cameras carrying the Kodak name. The 1.6 MP Kodak Charmera went so viral at launch that stock was severely limited, while cameras like the Kodak PixPro FZ55 have continued to hit best-seller lists for mixing an affordable price point with a compact design and 5x optical zoom.

While Kodak is arguably one of the most well-known camera brands originating from the US, Kodak digicams have also done particularly well in Japan. The region housing key brands like Canon, Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm, and Ricoh is particularly fond of Kodak compact cameras based on Amazon’s best-seller lists.

According to Amazon Japan, the top ten best-selling cameras right now include the Kodak Pixpro FZ55 – which is on the list twice, once alone and once in a kit with a case and memory card – the Kodak PixPro C1 and the Kodak Charmera.

Other brands don’t come in until after the top four, but compact cameras like the OM System Tough TG-7, Canon IXY 650 (which is the PowerShot ELPh 360 HS and IXUS 285 in other regions), Canon PowerShot SX740, and Ricoh WG-80 also make the top ten.

The Kodak FZ55, Kodak Charmera, and Canon PowerShot ELPH 360 HS A also make the top ten on Amazon’s US best-seller list, but the Kodak FZ45 sits in the number one spot, and the retro PixPro C1 doesn’t come in until number 15.

Amazon’s best-seller lists tend to lean more towards affordable consumer cameras, where photography speciality stores tend to have more pro-level gear and mirrorless cameras on their best-seller charts. But the data from the world’s largest online retailer makes it clear – Kodak digicams are in high demand.

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The compact camera trendsetters have been particularly fond of affordable Kodak PixPro cameras, but new photos suggest that a new retro Kodak with zoom and even a film simulation dial is launching this fall, alongside a new waterproof compact.

The news comes from GT Company, a France-based distributor that sells cameras like the Kodak PixPro FZ55, the Kodak PixPro C1, as well as AgfaFoto products. The brand is set to display the newest releases at the IFA show September 4-8 in Berlin – and tucked among the new launches are two new compact cameras, the Kodak PixPro P1, a waterproof compact camera, and the Kodak PixPro C10, a camera with a 10x zoom lens.

GT Company hasn’t yet shared full details about the cameras (which are made by Kodak licensee JK Imaging), but there are a few hints that can be gleaned from the photos of the upcoming cameras – including what appears to be a film simulation dial at the top of the PixPro C10.

Kodak PixPro C10

Zoom is often a headlining feature on many compact cameras – and photos suggest the Kodak PixPro will have a 10x zoom lens with an f/3.6-6/7 aperture, equivalent to a 25-250mm reach on a full-frame camera.

But one of the reasons that Kodak has surged among trends is for the nostalgia – and what’s pictured on top of the camera could be even more enticing than the zoom. Images of the top of the Pixpro C10 show what looks like a film simulation dial.

The dial has a spot for S, N, and B&W – likely for standard, neutral, and black-and-white profiles. But there are also icons that look like a roll of film with the abbreviations “Ech,” “Kch,” and “Kco” – I suspect these could be digital filters that are designed to mimic some popular Kodak film types.

Film simulations are digital color profiles that are applied in-camera – sort of like applying an Instagram filter before taking the shot.

Mimicking Kodak film types would be a smart move. Analog and simpler tech is resurging in trends, and if the new Kodak comes with retro filters built in as well as an iconic black-and-silver look on the outside, I’m predicting such a camera could be a major hit. A recent list of best-sellers in Japan is made up of 40 percent cheap Kodak-branded cameras, so there’s definitely a high demand for these compact cameras.

Without full details ahead of the September show, it’s unclear just what tech the Kodak PixPro C10 is packing inside. The company’s Kodak-branded compact cameras tend to fall under the “cheap compact camera” umbrella, so I would expect the PixPro C10 to follow suit with a more basic sensor and set of specs.

Kodak PixPro P1

A waterproof compact camera will also be unveiled at the IFA show this fall. There are a number of Kodak PixPros that already have waterproofing, but the PixPro P1 is unusual in that it looks like it has a retro design and a tilting screen similar to the Kodak PixPro C1, a popular retro compact camera.

Making a tilting screen durable and waterproof is far more challenging than working with a fixed screen, so a tilt screen on a waterproof compact camera isn’t common (though the 2014 Olympus Tough TG-860 had one, for example).

The images of the upcoming PixPro P1 offer a few more hints that can be gleaned without a spec sheet. The camera appears to be waterproof to 5m or 16 feet. The lens doesn’t list a zoom range, though there is a zoom toggle on the back (which could be for digital zoom if the P1 doesn’t have optical zoom).

Photos hint that the Kodak PixPro P1 will come in at least two color options – a black with a more retro feel and a blue and white option.

As September launches, details like the price and spec sheets are missing for both cameras. But, based on the popularity of current PixPro cameras and the teaser images, the upcoming Kodaks could have some hit features.

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Don't want to wait until September? These are the best retro cameras right now, or browse the best point-and-shoot cameras.

The Canon PowerShot name has gone so viral that sales have increased nearly seven times in half as many years. Yet, despite the success, Canon hasn’t released any PowerShots outside of the video-focused V-series since 2019. But the latest rumors are calling for that to change before the end of 2026.

Newly circulating rumors hint that a new Canon PowerShot could be coming in September. The speculation further hints that the upcoming model isn’t a V-series video-focused model like the 2023 PowerShot V10 and the 2025 PowerShot V1.

Canon hasn’t verified these rumors – but with the growth of compact cameras, it would be strange for the PowerShot brand that so regularly dominates best-seller lists to ignore the trend. According to NPR, sales for Canon’s PowerShot series have grown nearly seven times amid the resurgence of the compact camera between 2022 and 2025.

The last time that Canon launched stills-focused PowerShots was in 2019 with the G7 X Mark III and the G5 X Mark II. The PowerShot G7 X Mark III in particular has seen newfound viral fame, making the compact camera difficult to find in stock and driving the camera manufacturer to increase production on multiple occasions.

Earlier this year, Canon did launch a new look for the G7 X Mark III as part of the 30th anniversary of PowerShot, but the camera retains the same tech on the inside.

Of course, I could play devil’s advocate here and point out that retro compact cameras are also part of the trend, with older lo-fi models seeing new growth amid the modern sharpness (and AI infiltration) of the typical smartphone camera. And if retro cameras are trending, then there’s not much reason to upgrade the tech inside a camera that’s already selling so well I can’t find it in stock anywhere.

The PowerShot G7 X Mark III isn’t one of those lo-fi cameras, however. The reason that the camera has surged in trends is likely more due to the fact that the camera mixes a one-inch sensor with a zoom lens. Zoom tends to be more flattering for portraits, as well as the real camera flash that had influencers recommending the G7 X Mark II in droves.

So far, the rumors around a new PowerShot coming in the fall are short on details, if not believability. But looking at the latest trends and sales numbers, launching a new stills PowerShot in 2026 would be a smart move for Canon.

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Browse the best compact cameras or the best Canon cameras.

As the headquarters for several of the biggest camera brands, Japan is often the first region photographers look to for key trends – but the latest list of best-selling compact cameras doesn’t include any of the usual viral suspects like the Fujifilm X100VI or Ricoh GR IV. Instead, the list starts with the retro Kodak PixPro C1 and reads like a who's-who list of cheap compact cameras.

The data comes from BCN+R, a market research company that compiles data from about 40 percent of retail sales from major electronic store chains across Japan. The company recently shared a list of the top-selling compact cameras for the first half of 2026.

Kodak dominates the list with four models – more than any other manufacturer – building on another BCN+R trend where Kodak was the leading brand in sales for compact cameras in 2025. The four Kodaks on the list come from JK Imaging, a company that licenses the Kodak name.

According to BCN+R, these are the most popular compact cameras in Japan for January through June 2026:

1. Kodak PixPro C1
2. Kodak PixPro FZ55
3. Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo
4. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS
5. Canon IXY 650m / PowerShot ELPH 360 HS / IXSUS 285 HS
6. OM System TOUGH TG-7
7. Panasonic Lumix TZ99
8. Kenko Tokina KC-AF11
9. Kodak PixPro FZ45
10. Kodak PixPro WPZ2

As a photography industry expert, the first thing that struck me about the list is that it lacks some of the most viral advanced compact cameras with larger sensors, like the Fujifilm X100VI and Ricoh GR IV. But, both of these options are so popular that they are difficult to find in stock, which could be playing a key role in those cameras’ absence.

But there could be another factor at play: Price. The list is heavily dominated by budget cameras. Only three of the options on the top ten list retail for more than US$500: The Canon PowerShot SX740 HS, the waterproof OM System Tough TG-7, and the zoomy Panasonic Lumix TZ99.

The push for less time spent on smartphones and more classic retro images has sparked a resurgence among cheap compact cameras. The cheap compact category had been all but decimated by the smartphone, but as compact cameras make a return in trends, so too do the most affordable models.

The cheap point-and-shoot isn’t making a comeback for image quality. In tests, for example, we found most smartphones will outperform the Kodak PixPro C1. But, part of the comeback is the nostalgia for less perfect images – lo-fi resolution, softer lenses, and even those orange time/date stamps in the corner can all be found without spending a lot of money.

Perhaps because the cheap point-and-shoot trend isn’t about modern image technology, several of the models on the list are a few years old, like the Instax Mini Evo, a digital-instant film hybrid packed with retro special effects launched in 2021, and the 2017 Kodak PixPro FZ55.

Importantly, the BCN+R list only includes around 40 percent of electronics sales in Japan and includes major electronics retailers that may cater more towards general consumers than serious photographers. While some models like the Canon PowerShot SX740, Kodak PixPro C1 and OM System Tough TG-7 are also popular at some photo specialty stores, looking at large photo stores like Map Camera tends to create a list that leans more towards pricier, larger sensor compact cameras.

Regardless, the BCN+R rankings indicate that even the cheap compact camera has returned from the dead – it’s not just the large sensor compacts and models with more zoom than the typical smartphone that have made a comeback.

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I think some of the best cheap compact cameras with the retro vibe are actually screen-free cameras.

While shipments across all camera categories reveal a slight dip in the latest May figures from Japan-based industry watcher CIPA, until now fixed lens compacts have been growing 30% year on year, outperforming all other camera formats.

However, for a long while now – at least two or three years – the popularity of said snapshots (a figure that doesn’t even include Kodak, Yashica or other licensed brand models that aren't made in Japan) has been dismissed as a short-lived trend by major manufacturers, including notably Canon.

But is it now time to declare that a steady, ever-growing rise in sales over that sort of extended period is no longer an anomaly? I think so.

So why haven’t the likes of Canon, Nikon, Sony, OM Digital Solutions and Panasonic responded with more affordable, pocket-sized compact offerings of their own? Especially when it increasingly does feel like they’re missing a trick?

I believe there’s a number of reasons for their continued abstinence.

For one, larger, more corporate organisations take much longer to pivot their operations to take advantage of whatever is hot property right now. Look how long Canon and Nikon stubbornly resisted switching production from DSLR to full-frame mirrorless, letting Sony steal their thunder and market share. Or how the once mighty Kodak failed to respond decisively to the digital camera boom and instead faced insolvency.

On the rare occasion that a major manufacturer has responded to the current fixed lens compact camera resurgence, it has felt a little half-hearted and ‘will this do?’. For example, re-issuing a special edition of the existing Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III, to take one example.

All the while cheap and cheerful Kodak PixPro Travel Zoom, Astro Zooms and Friendly Zoom series point-and-shoots are shipping by the bucketload and showing up higher in sales charts than the bigger boys.

Yes, Canon, Nikon, Sony et al originally abandoned production of basic point-and-shoot cameras because they felt competition from smartphones rendered such standalone snappers redundant. But additionally, in recent years their focus has almost exclusively been on ‘video first’ content-creator targeted cameras, AI-enhanced autofocus and tweaks to specification and performance, via which they can justify ever-increasing price tags.

In other words, the focus has distinctly not been on low-end, basic snapshots; the type that are currently appealing to Gen Z.

This resurgence has happened while the traditional, well-established camera manufacturers were looking elsewhere. And, having already missed the boat, the impression I get is they feel there is little point chasing after it now.

Especially if, as they originally suspected it might, the current fixed lens compact trend wanes… just as they are belatedly joining the party.

Camp Snap’s screen-free digital cameras launched as a way for kids to take a camera to a screen-free summer camp without the cost of disposable film – but thanks to the craving to curb screen addiction, the company’s retro cameras have found a following across generations.

With the small business’s success, however, comes more options to choose from. What’s the difference between the Camp Snap 2 and the Camp Snap CS-Pro?

I’ve personally used both of these cameras – I even went a week on a screen-free camera challenge and loved it so much that I went nearly two weeks instead. Both cameras share the same retro, screen-free charm, but there are several key differences to note.

Camp Snap 2 vs. Camp Snap CS-Pro: Specs

Camp Snap 2 vs. Camp Snap CS-Pro: Design

• The Camp Snap 2 is smaller and has a child-proof lock on the filters
• The Camp Snap CS-Pro is larger but has a classic design, filter dial, flash toggle, and battery life indicator

The Camp Snap 2 and the CS-Pro may both be screen-free retro compact cameras, but the two have drastically different designs.

The Camp Snap 2 design feels like a slightly more luxurious disposable camera. The camera looks a bit like a disposable, but it has a nice textured wrap that comes in a lot of different colors, and the plastic feels a bit sturdier than a disposable.

The CS-Pro, on the other hand, takes on the silver-and-black retro design that feels a bit more grown-up. The design is still plastic despite the silver color, but the silver and a black wrap feel like a classic.

The design differences span beyond just looks, however. The CS-Pro is the larger of the two, sitting taller and wider, as well as heavier. Both are pocketable, but the CS-Pro needs a bit more generous pockets.

The controls between the two also have a few notable differences. The CS-Pro has four filters available through a top dial. The Camp Snap 2 swaps filters with a button on the back, but this button can also be locked when using it as a kid camera.

Both compact cameras have a built-in flash, but the CS-Pro's is more powerful and has a toggle to turn it on and off. The Camp Snap 2's flash on is located right on the camera's on-off switch.

Another design feature that the CS-Pro has that the Camp Snap 2 doesn't is a battery life indicator. Four small green LED lights show an approximate estimation of the remaining battery. The Camp Snap 2 doesn't have this, but a low battery warning will flash on the screen when that point is reached.

Both cameras can use circular lens filters, but I think the CS-Pro's 37mm size is easier to find different options for than the Camp Snap 2's 30.5.

Camp Snap 2 vs. Camp Snap CS-Pro: Image Quality

• The Camp Snap CS-Pro has a higher resolution and a more powerful flash
• But the Camp Snap 2 does have 6 filters instead of 4

At 16MP, the Camp Snap CS-Pro has twice the resolution of the Camp Snap 2. Images from The Camp Snap CS-Pro are sharper, with more detail and larger files.

The CS-Pro also has the more powerful flash, which makes a difference when photographing something indoors from a distance.

While the CS-Pro has better resolution, it still has some retro charm, thanks in part to a cheap lens. The built-in filters also create images that feel a bit more retro, including black-and-white.

The one image quality perk that the Camp Snap 2 has is that there are six different built-in filters, where the CS-Pro has four on the filter dial. But, both cameras allow those built-in presets to be edited, so it's possible to create your own filters if you don't love the ones that come with the camera.

Another key difference to note is that there is some shutter lag -- or a delay between pressing the button and when the image is taken. The CS-Pro does a bit better at minimizing this, but there is still a small lag.

Camp Snap 2 sample images

Camp Snap CS-Pro sample images

Verdict

To put it simply, I would choose the Camp Snap CS-Pro for myself and the Camp Snap 2 for my kids.

But, of course, there are a few nuances between the two that help determine which is the right one. The CS-Pro has better image quality and a classic design for not much of a price difference.

The Camp Snap 2, however, is smaller and more affordable and comes with a child lock for those filters. Using the Camp Snap 2 certainly didn't feel like using a kids' camera if you want the smallest option and don't mind the lower 8MP resolution.

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Just a matter of days after launch, the Panasonic Lumix L10 became so popular that Panasonic Japan said the amount of pre-orders had created unexpected delays. But the camera's popularity isn’t the only thing delaying the compact camera that combines a Micro Four Thirds sensor with a 24-75mm equivalent zoom lens.

Panasonic told Digital Camera World that a minor cosmetic issue caused a temporary pause in shipments for the Titanium Gold variant of the L10, but that shipments have already resumed.

"We identified a minor cosmetic issue that resulted in a temporary pause to shipments as part of our commitment to delivering quality products," a Panasonic US representative said.

"With the issue being identified quickly, the correction has been completed by our factory, and customer shipments have already resumed. Customer satisfaction and product quality are our highest priority, and we are continuing to increase production to fulfil orders as quickly as possible."

A leaked email from a customer about a delay over a cosmetic issue sparked rumors over why the special edition variant was being temporarily delayed. The email, from Panasonic’s customer service team, noted that the interference has caused a pause in shipping.

The delay wasn't a significant one – the Titanium Gold Edition was expected to ship “July 2026” at launch, and shipments have already resumed.

Panasonic didn't note what the “minor cosmetic issue” was, but in our experience, the Titanium Gold finish held up well during testing. DCW’s Reviews Editor, Gareth Bevan, tested the Titanium Gold version of the Lumix L10 and hasn't encountered any issues.

The Lumix 10 has created such a big buzz that Panasonic Japan has paused pre-orders while the company works to ship out early adopters of the camera.

The compact’s popularity is likely due to the fact that it boasts a large sensor and a versatile zoom lens, joining the likes of the Leica D-Lux 8. Most compact cameras with larger sensors, like the popular Fujifilm X100VI and the Ricoh GR IV, use a fixed focal length without zoom – though several advanced one-inch sensor compacts offer zoom.

Along with the Titanium Gold special edition, the Lumix L10 also comes in black and silver variants.

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Amazon Prime sales are meant to be about finding great deals, but not everything that sells well is actually a bargain.

The Fujifilm X100VI became our best-selling camera across the entire sales period, proving once again just how much demand there is for Fujifilm’s viral premium compact.

There was just one major problem: it was selling for around $2,299, approximately $500 above its current $1,799 US retail price.

Shoppers were not receiving a Prime discount at all. Instead, they were paying a substantial premium simply to get hold of one of the most difficult cameras to find in stock.

I completely understand the temptation, especially when the X100VI has spent much of its life accompanied by a “temporarily out of stock” message, but please do not allow inflated third-party pricing to become the normal way of buying this camera.

Where to actually buy the Fujifilm X100VI

It is believed that placing an order through a retailer selling the X100VI at its proper retail price may now involve a wait of around a week or so rather than receiving it the next day. And some color options may take longer than others (the standard choice is silver or black).

However, waiting seven days to keep an extra $500 /£500 in your pocket sounds like a very sensible trade to me. That saving could buy several memory cards, spare batteries, a premium camera bag, a filter and hood setup…. Check out the best accessories for the X100 VI, to see what the saving could get you.

There is, of course, a reason the Fujifilm X100VI continues to attract this level of attention. Inside its compact, retro-inspired body is a 40.2MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor paired with Fujifilm’s X-Processor 5.

It also features a fixed 23mm f/2 lens, providing the equivalent field of view of a classic 35mm lens, making it a wonderful choice for street photography, travel, documentary work, and everyday shooting.

The Fujifilm X100VI also introduced up to six stops of in-body image stabilization to the series, helping photographers capture sharper handheld images in lower light. Its unique hybrid viewfinder lets you switch between an optical and electronic view, while 20 Film Simulation modes – including Reala Ace – provide Fujifilm’s much-loved colors straight out of the camera.

There is even a built-in four-stop ND filter, along with 1.4x and 2x digital teleconverter options for adding a little more flexibility to the fixed-lens design.

It's no slouch when it comes to video either, offering recording at up to 6.2K/30p as well as 4K/60p. The Fujifilm X100VI remains one of the most desirable compact cameras available, and it is easy to see why it became our most-purchased camera during the Prime sale.

Just remember that popularity does not automatically make something a deal. Wait the extra week, pay the proper price, and please keep that very welcome $500 for yourself.

The long-awaited Sony RX10 V has finally arrived, bringing one of the most capable all-in-one camera ranges firmly into the modern era. Combining an enormous zoom range with Sony’s latest autofocus and processing technology, this premium bridge camera is designed for photographers who want to capture almost anything without carrying a bag filled with lenses.

For photographers in the United States wondering where to preorder the Sony RX10 V, there are currently two confirmed options: B&H Photo and Adorama. Both retailers have listed the camera for $2,298, giving buyers a choice between two of America’s best-known specialist photography stores.

Where to buy in the US?

The Sony RX10 V is available to preorder from B&H Photo for $2,298. B&H currently lists the camera as a new item that is coming soon, making it a straightforward option for photographers who want to secure their place in the queue before the first stock begins shipping.

B&H is likely to be the natural first choice for many photographers, particularly those who regularly purchase cameras, lenses, and accessories from the retailer. As an established specialist camera dealer, it also offers the reassurance of recognized customer service, clear returns information, financing options, and optional protection plans.

Adorama is also accepting preorders for the Sony RX10 V at the same $2,298 price. Like B&H, it is one of the largest specialist photography retailers in the United States and offers financing, additional protection plans, and potential reward points for customers enrolled in its loyalty program.

Choosing between B&H and Adorama will therefore largely come down to personal preference, previous experience with each retailer, available financing, and any rewards or account benefits. Both are established options for photographers looking to secure the Sony RX10 V ahead of its general release.

UK photographers also have several confirmed pre-order options. The Sony RX10 V can currently be ordered directly from Sony or through specialist retailers Park Cameras and Clifton Cameras, giving British buyers three established places to secure the new bridge camera.

Buying directly from Sony will appeal to photographers who prefer to order straight from the manufacturer. It also provides the reassurance of dealing directly with the company responsible for the camera, alongside access to Sony’s own customer service and financing options.

Park Cameras is another strong option for UK buyers. As one of the country’s best-known independent photography retailers, it offers specialist advice, finance and trade-in services, making it particularly attractive to photographers who may want to exchange existing equipment against the cost of the RX10 V.

Clifton Cameras is also accepting preorders and provides another trusted specialist option. The retailer is known for its personal customer service and photography expertise, which may appeal to buyers who would rather preorder through an independent camera store than a larger electronics retailer.

The RX10 V is the fifth generation of Sony’s celebrated all-in-one superzoom camera and retains the extraordinarily versatile 24-600mm-equivalent ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* lens. Its 25x optical zoom covers everything from wide-angle landscapes and travel photographs to portraits, sports, birds, aircraft, and distant wildlife, all without requiring the photographer to stop and change lenses.

The lens offers a relatively bright f/2.4-4 maximum aperture and built-in Optical SteadyShot stabilization. This makes it particularly useful when shooting at longer focal lengths, where even small amounts of camera movement can affect image sharpness.

At the heart of the camera is a 20.1MP one-inch stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor paired with Sony’s BIONZ XR processing engine and a dedicated AI processing unit. This combination enables blackout-free continuous shooting at up to 30fps, supported by as many as 60 autofocus and auto-exposure calculations every second.

Sony has also equipped the RX10 V with its Real-time Recognition autofocus system, which can identify humans, animals, birds, insects, cars, trains, and airplanes. An automatic subject mode can determine the appropriate target type, while human pose estimation helps the camera continue tracking a person even when their face is obscured or they turn away.

Video capabilities have received a substantial upgrade as well. The RX10 V can record uncropped 4K footage at up to 60p, alongside cropped 4K 120p recording for high-frame-rate and slow-motion sequences.

Support for 10-bit 4:2:2 recording, All-Intra compression, S-Cinetone, S-Log3, and custom LUTs makes the RX10 V a far more serious hybrid camera than its predecessor. It should therefore appeal not only to photographers, but also to filmmakers and content creators who want one camera capable of covering a huge range of situations.

The camera uses Sony’s high-capacity NP-FZ100 battery, with a claimed capacity of approximately 630 photographs per charge. Other useful additions include a 3.68-million-dot electronic viewfinder, a tilting touchscreen, USB-C connectivity, improved grip contours, and a single UHS-II-compatible SD card slot.

At $2,298 in the US, the Sony RX10 V is certainly not an inexpensive bridge camera. Its appeal, however, lies in its ability to replace an entire collection of interchangeable lenses with one fixed 24-600mm zoom.

For wildlife photographers, travelers, aviation enthusiasts, sports shooters, and anyone who values versatility over the ability to change lenses, it promises an unusually complete photographic package. The convenience of having such a wide focal range permanently attached could also make it particularly useful for photographers working in dusty, wet, or fast-moving environments where changing lenses is inconvenient.

US photographers can currently preorder the Sony RX10 V from either B&H Photo or Adorama. UK buyers, meanwhile, can secure the camera directly from Sony or through Park Cameras and Clifton Cameras.

With demand likely to be strong after such a long wait for a successor to the RX10 IV, placing an early preorder may be the safest way to secure Sony’s latest all-in-one powerhouse from the first available stock.

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The Sony RX10 V refreshes a nearly decade-old design with modern autofocus smarts, but the new super zoom also comes with another key change: it’s the priciest bridge camera that I’ve seen yet.

I tried the Sony RX10 V and loved the mix of wide-angle, telephoto and macro all in one camera instead of a bag full of gear. But considering the price change that comes with the new luxury super zoom, I had to ask: is there a mirrorless combination that has a similar reach for a lower price point?

Enter the Sony A6700 with an all-in-one superzoom, like the Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD, which brings a 27-450mm equivalent focal length, or the Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS | C with a 24-450mm equivalent range.

No, those all-in-one zooms don’t reach as far as the RX10 V’s 24-600mm equivalent lens, but the A6700’s larger sensor (APS-C versus 1-inch on the RX10 V) and higher resolution can help make up for that difference.

The Sony A6700 has a 23% boost in megapixels, 26MP versus 20.1MP. If you cropped in the A6700 by 23%, you’d end up with a view that looked more like 550mm – a much closer perspective to the RX10’s telephoto 600mm reach.

The Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS | C still hits 24mm on the wide end and comes in at a similar weight of 615g / 1.4lb and price point to the Tamron.

The Sony RX10 V comes with a $2,299 / £2,200 / AU$3,499 price. That’s about $600 higher than the 2019 Sony RX10 IV in the US. While that seems steep, the number actually matches quite close to inflation.

According to inflation calculators, the $1,700 that the RX10 IV cost in 2019 would be about $2,160 today. (And in the US, the discontinued RX10 IV was going for even higher in mint condition.)

But while the price change isn’t too far removed from inflation, over the last several years there seems to be a growing trend for mirrorless optics that fall in the all-in-one / superzoom category.

The Tamron 18-300mm, introduced in 2021 for E-Mount, covers wide to telephoto and also shoots half macro, all without swapping lenses. Sigma's option is even newer, launched in 2025.

A superzoom won’t be smaller than the RX10 V, as the lens doesn’t collapse when powering the camera off, like with the bridge camera. But the two options do have a similar weight.

The RX10 comes in at 2.4 lbs / 1110g. Combining the weight of the A6700 (17.4 oz / 493.2 g) with the weight of the Tamron 18-300mm (21.86 oz / 620g) comes to 2.45 lbs / 1,113g. The sigma 16-300mm is about 5g less, putting it actually under the weight of the RX10 V with the A6700.

Of course, there are mirrorless lenses that can get that 600mm reach on the A6700 – like the Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC, which creates a 75-600mm 35mm equivalent on an APS-C body. But that lens doesn’t fall under the cost of the RX10 V unless paired with a more affordable body like the Sony A6400, which doesn’t have as robust an animal detection autofocus system.

The capabilities of the Sony A6700 aren’t a direct match with the RX10. On the one hand, the A6700 has the larger sensor and higher resolution, but the RX10 V wins in burst speed with 30fps over the mirrorless camera’s 11fps.

Am I glad that Sony revived its super zoom from the dead? Yes. Did I love shooting with the RX10 V? Also, yes. The RX10 V is a great camera for packing only one fixed lens camera and still hitting every genre from wide angle to telephoto to macro.

But, like with the compact camera trend, it’s worth pointing out that the RX10 V doesn’t necessarily save money over a mirrorless system.

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I can still remember clutching my beloved mirrorless camera while reading the headlines a few years back: Digicams, the so-called crappy cameras of the Y2K era, have surged in trends. As a photographer, I initially wrote off the trend as temporary, but more than three years after the digicam started making a comeback, the nostalgic point-and-shoot has only gained in popularity.

According to data from Google searches, the terms “digicam” and “digi cam” both have continued to climb in popularity in 2026, bringing searches to a ten-year high.

The transition from film to digital hit in my teen years, and I can still remember how excited I was to get my first digital point-and-shoot. Yet, the earliest digital cameras were low resolution and slow, and I eagerly made the upgrade as tech progressed to DSLRs and then mirrorless.

But then, sometime around 2022 and 2023, the digital cameras from the Y2K-era began to see a resurgence in trends, driven in large part by Gen Z and a wider trend for nostalgic tech. Searches surged for older point-and-shoot cameras with megapixel counts in the single digits, scooped up by digging through closets or searching on secondhand websites.

As a professional photographer, I was originally befuddled by the trend for low-fi cameras that take what many would argue are “crappy images” by today’s standards. I thought the trend would fizzle out quickly.

But, two key things have happened in the ensuing years that have left me, despite my original reservations, ecstatic to see the digicam trend continue. The Y2K digicam trend surged right around the time when generative AI images were becoming widely accessible – and I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

Fast forward three years, and generative AI has become better at fixing the tell-tale anomalies, like wacky fingers, and even more widely accessible. But generative AI hasn’t lost the term “slop,” nor has the trend for imperfect retro photos seemed to slow down.

The other key thing that has happened over the last few years is that the digicam isn’t necessarily something that can only be found abandoned in attics or on secondhand websites. The number of new-in-box cameras launching with lower resolution and compact designs seems to have exploded – just look at the viral 1.6MP Kodak Charmera.

The nostalgic tech trend has also sparked adjacent trends, like the screen-free camera, low-resolution compact cameras that come packed with retro filters but without the smartphone distractions (or AI).

I wasn’t truly convinced of the return of the low-fi digicam when the trend first started to emerge – and I’m still shooting with my mirrorless camera. But, I’ve grown fond of pulling out a compact camera when I want to ignore my iPhone without the bulk (and the photo editing) that comes with shooting my mirrorless camera.

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Tamagotchis were back, the Colts were Super Bowl champions and, on every radio station, Rihanna could be heard singing “Umbrella, ella, ella.” What nobody could have predicted in June 2007 was how deliveries of Apple’s very first smartphone, announced at the beginning of the year, would change the face of consumer tech forever.

The end of June marked the 19th anniversary of those first US deliveries. And when I cast my mind back to that golden age of consumer tech, it’s stark just how much things have changed – and not just in the camera industry.

But of course, here at Digital Camera World, the iPhone launch is infamous for one specific reason: it killed the compact camera. Or at least, that’s what we thought…

The camera that's always with you

In reality, it’s hard to select which specific iPhone landed the killing blow (possibly the iPhone 4) but that initial 2007 release was the beginning of the end.

The irony, of course, is that the original iPhone, while groundbreaking in many aspects such as Apple’s slick Multi-Touch functionality, didn’t actually have a great camera. Not only was it 2MP, it didn’t have autofocus and it couldn’t even record video.

For context, the Nokia N95, which was released just prior to the iPhone, had AF, a 5MP camera, built-in flash and video.

It wasn’t until 2010’s iPhone 4 that Apple really took its camera seriously. But I wouldn’t call any iPhone camera particularly groundbreaking. The quality of the camera was never the main draw. It was ever-present and accessible, and that’s what mattered most.

You didn’t have to check that the memory card was inserted and formatted. You didn’t have yet another battery to charge. And you didn’t have to remember to pick it up as you left the door and assign it a pocket.

The camera was your phone, a device that had already weaseled itself into most people’s everyday lives. You now had a camera that didn’t take up any extra space and didn’t require any extra thought. And on top of it all, the iPhone’s incredibly responsive touch controls made taking pictures effortless.

In 2009, Chase Jarvis produced a book called The Best Camera Is The One That’s With You, and the title has become a modern proverb of sorts among photographers. Well, I guess you could call Chase an iPhone photography pioneer and his book perfectly illustrates the merit of merging camera and phone.

The killing blow had been landed. So how on Earth has the compact camera managed such a successful comeback?

The compact comeback kid

When the iPhone launched, smartphones were a novelty. And the camera was a huge part of that. Selfies were a breath of fresh air (kind of) and, for the first time, people could upload pictures of their holiday or dinner onto Facebook in an instant.

Look no further than that entirely pointless app that would turn your iPhone into a virtual flip lighter to know that early iPhone culture was about experimentation and, above all, fun.

But this was a time when we were enjoying smart technology in moderation. Like any addiction, smartphones are no longer fun. The dopamine rush fools us into the feeling, but the pleasure is fleeting and the comedown is real.

We rarely interact with smartphones in a playful manner. They’ve become our bank card, road map and authentication device. Bloated by medical, insurance and grocery store apps.

They’ve seeped into the workplace, too. Not a day goes by that I don’t wonder how this personal and private computer that was bought and paid for by me has become such an integral part of my working day. So much so that I simply couldn’t function without it.

And what of the smartphone camera? Well, when it’s not scanning my face, it’s reading QR codes and occasionally I take a picture.

And yet, I don’t like taking pictures with it. Not any more. There’s a laziness in the way that I operate my camera phone. No effort. I simply hold it up, tap the virtual shutter button a few times and move on.

What’s the point? As long as I’ve vaguely framed a composition, I know that the computational photography will ensure that it’s headache-inducingly sharp with exposure blended to within an inch of its life. And… Oh look, I’ve got a WhatsApp message. Urgh, it’s just another PCP scam. Now what was I taking a photo of? Oh, the moment’s passed…

So the camera that’s always with you is now attached to something that’s serious and essential. A vessel for brain rot. In 2026, your smartphone has baggage and it’s impossible not to place that baggage on every aspect of the device – including the camera.

Some look at a dedicated camera, a CD or a vinyl, a Blu-ray or a book and think: What’s the point? It’s all on your phone. That is exactly the point! I am certain we are seeing a rise in these trends because people are consciously or unconsciously separating themselves from their smartphones.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a compact camera, a keychain camera, an instant camera or, most tellingly, a screen-free camera, people are choosing dedicated devices not just to reconnect with photography, but to reconnect with life.

Can your smartphone offer the sensory experience of tactile buttons and switches, the therapeutic benefits of slowing down and the joy of capturing moments with intent?

You cannot doomscroll on Fujifilm X100VI. You won’t get a WhatsApp message on a Kodak Pixpro FZ55. And a Polaroid Go Gen 3 won’t notify you of that work email that can wait until after the weekend.

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Sony has now brought back its popular super zoom bridge camera from the dead, reviving the discontinued series with the launch of the new Sony RX10 V. The super zoom has the same sensor and processor as the discontinued RX10 IV, but brings Alpha-series level autofocus smarts.

But the super zoom category is unusual in that it tends to find its way into the hands of photographers across every skill level – and across multiple generations. Inspired by the super zoom’s beginner-friendly design, I decided to do something I don’t normally do with a four-figure priced camera: I put it in auto mode and handed it to my eleven-year-old daughter.

The only instruction I offered (besides “please don’t drop this”) was what button to press to take a photo and how to use the toggle to zoom in and out. (She is a photographer's daughter with a hand-me-down DSLR, so she kept trying to twist the lens to zoom).

I walked the lake shore with my pre-teen as she photographed a loon, a dragonfly and a rabbit. Despite the camera being in auto mode, this is what she captured:

Did she also take some photos with motion blur and missed focus? Of course. But the camera’s auto mode simplicity speaks to the lower bar of entry for the bridge camera.

With the same sensor and processor as the previous version, the Sony RX10 V isn’t a major overhaul, but the upgrades enhance what I already love about this kind of camera: how easy they are to use. Sony has brought its Alpha series wizardry into the super zoom, which brings several subject detection autofocus modes. The camera is essentially smart enough to focus for you (most of the time).

Animal eye detection autofocus is one of my favorite wildlife photography tools, so to see Sony boost the feature in a camera made for multiple skill levels is refreshing. Those simpler autofocus capabilities are paired with a 30fps burst to help budding photographers increase the odds of getting a perfectly timed shot.

The super zoom category is one that is meant for a wide range of hands, in both skill levels and ages. I can’t in good conscience call the RX10 V a “compact” camera, but the camera is both far smaller and far simpler to use than a mirrorless camera with a 600mm lens.

I’ve recommended super zoom cameras to everyone from kids interested in wildlife photography to Baby Boomers who are more serious about birds than about photography. That’s why I’m particularly excited that the RX10 series that Sony previously discontinued has been brought back to life.

The RX10 V, of course, isn’t the only super zoom camera available – there’s the Nikon P1100 with its massive 125x zoom, for example.

But, the super zoom is a category that seems to be slowly diminishing at a time when, based on the compact camera trend, I feel like it should be doing the opposite. Give a camera a massive zoom range, and there aren’t a lot of types of photographs that it can’t capture.

The bridge camera is a casual and enthusiast camera that touches on multiple genres. Outside of wildlife photography, the RX10 V also has close focusing for macro, a wide 24mm for landscapes, and a bright f/2.8 aperture for portraits.

The same zoom and focus that boosts the camera for wildlife also means the RX10 V should be a good choice for photographing kids' sports games without the complexity of pro sports cameras.

The RX10 V isn’t made exclusively for beginners. There’s a full manual mode, and camera geeks will appreciate the larger 1-inch sensor and the f/2.8-4 aperture capabilities on the lens.

I was worried that the pocketable camera trend may kill the beloved super zoom that suits a wide range of genres and photographers – which is why I was so excited to see Sony announce the RX10 V.

But there is one feature that may discourage casual users and enthusiasts: the price. The RX10 V’s larger sensor and brighter aperture lens make it a premium bridge camera option with a price that reflects that. The camera is set to retail for $2,299 / £2,200 / AU$3,499.

That’s more than the list price of the earlier version. But it’s worth noting that, since Sony discontinued the RX10 IV, 'like-new' cameras from reputable used dealers have sat closer to the $3,000 mark.

Still, that price puts the camera at a similar cost to picking up a larger sensor Sony A6700 with a 70-350mm (105-525mm equivalent) or an 18-300mm (27mm-450mm equivalent) lens. The choice is yours, but I for one am glad that the choice exists.

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I once shot with two different Ricoh GR IV compact cameras in each pocket – the HDF and Monochrome variants – and after pulling them out of the box, differentiating between the two felt like one of those “Spot the Difference” puzzles that I used to do as a kid. Now, the Ricoh GR IV is getting a limited edition makeover this fall, and in a nod to subtle, minimalist design, fans may be hard-pressed to spot the difference.

The Ricoh GR IV 30th Anniversary Edition, teased today, July 09 in Japan, looks like this:

Compared to the original Ricoh GR IV:

Did you spot the difference?

The Ricoh GR IV 30th Anniversary Edition – which Ricoh Japan says is only a tentative name – refinishes the camera’s shutter button and rear controls to a metallic gray that’s a nod to the color of the very first camera in the series released in October, 1996, the Ricoh GR1.

The special edition camera will also ship with a metal hotshoe cover with a 30th anniversary design and a finger strap, both of which will also be sold separately, so fans who already have a GR series camera can add a subtle new update.

The 30th Anniversary Edition is a subtle change, but that minimalism ties directly into the Ricoh GR series design history. The camera is well-loved by many specifically for the fact that it doesn’t look like a camera hiding an APS-C sensor; it looks like a basic black point-and-shoot.

Inspired by the minimalist anniversary design, I dug up photos and specs of the 1996 Ricoh GR1, and my first thought was that the camera’s design hasn’t really gone through a radical change, considering the fact that the first camera was 35mm film and the current camera is an APS-C digital sensor.

Yes, there are, of course, significant changes – the digital camera doesn’t have a viewfinder, for example. But the Ricoh GR has stayed surprisingly loyal to the original design inspiration. The grip looks similar, the mode dial and shutter release have the same placement. Even the size of the camera hasn’t changed much, with both the GR1 and the GR IV measuring 2.4 inches / 61mm high, and the depth and width only a few millimeters off.

But, most importantly, the GR series has stayed loyal to the purpose of the original – to put a high-end camera made for serious photographers into a pocket. While 35mm film may have become a digital APS-C sensor, even the lenses are similar – a 28mm f/2.8 on the original, renowned for its sharpness, and a 18.3mm – which is 28mm in 35mm equivalent, f/2.8 lens on the current model.

The Ricoh GR series, 30 years later, is a lesson in the longevity of a well-loved design – so a subtle refresh feels entirely appropriate. The Ricoh GR IV 30th Anniversary Edition is planned for the fall of 2026. The price has not yet been announced, but Ricoh says only 6,000 of the special edition cameras will be available worldwide, which makes a price increase over the base model expected.

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Just 12 days after release, Panasonic has done it again. The company's new Lumix L10 has gone straight to the top of Yodobashi's latest compact camera sales rankings in Japan, becoming the second Panasonic compact in recent weeks to debut at number one.

The result gives Panasonic another chart-topping launch, following the travel-focused Panasonic Lumix TX3 (aka the Lumix ZS300 in the US and Lumix TZ300 in the UK), which achieved the same feat in Yodobashi's second half of May rankings.

It also pushes long-time favorites such as the Canon PowerShot G7 Mark III and Fujifilm X100 VI further down the rankings, despite their continued popularity.

Unlike the zoom-focused ZS300 / TZ300, the Lumix L10 takes aim at photographers and content creators looking for higher-end stills and video performance.

My colleague Gareth Bevan described the camera as "a handsome fixed-lens compact with a fantastic Leica zoom and excellent in-camera LUTs" in his Panasonic Lumix L10 review, although he noted that it doesn't feel quite as premium as the X100 VI.

Yodobashi's top selling compacts (2nd Half Jun 2026)

1. Panasonic Lumix L10 | Silver | Black
2. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite | Silver | Black (backordered)
3. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III | Black | Silver (backordered)
4. Fujifilm X100VI | Silver | Black (backordered)
5. Sony ZV-1 II | Black | White
6. Panasonic Lumix TX3 / ZS300 / TZ300 | Black | Graphite Silver
7. Canon IXY 650 / Powershot Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A | Black | Silver
8. Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / ZS99 | Black / White
9. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Brown | Black
10. Ricoh GR IV (backordered)

Panasonic does it again

The Lumix L10 joins the growing premium compact camera market with a 20.4MP Micro Four Thirds sensor paired with a Leica-branded 24-75mm equivalent f/1.7 zoom lens.

Even before the L10 reached store shelves, Panasonic Japan warned that demand had exceeded expectations. With pre-orders far higher than anticipated, the company said some customers might not receive their cameras on release day before later temporarily suspending new orders in Japan due to supply constraints.

Its success continues Panasonic's recent momentum in the compact camera market.

After debuting in the top spot for the latter half of May, the travel-focused Lumix ZS300 / TZ300 slipped to third in the first half of June chart and sixth in the latest rankings.

The Lumix L10 has now repeated that impressive debut, giving Panasonic two different compact cameras that launched straight into the numberf one spot within just a few weeks.

Compact demand outpaces supply – again

Yodobashi's latest rankings also show that supply continues to lag behind demand.

In the beginning of June ranking, three of the top ten compact cameras were listed as backordered.

That number has since risen to four, with the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite, Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III, Fujifilm X100VI and Ricoh GR IV all currently unavailable at Yodobashi.com.

Whether the Lumix L10 can hold onto the top spot in the next ranking remains to be seen, but Panasonic has already achieved something special – launching two different compact cameras that both debuted as Japan's best-selling model within the space of just a few weeks.

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Amid the compact camera craze, there’s one camera category that I’ve been hoping for a revival: the shoot-every-genre-with-one-lens bridge camera. Now, Sony has brought its larger sensor super zoom camera back from the dead. The Sony RX10 V brings back the same sensor and 24-600mm equivalent lens, but borrows the speed and autofocus smarts from the brand’s mirrorless cameras.

Announced on July 9, shortly after a teaser confirmed its existence, the Sony RX10 V is the first time the imaging giant has launched a super zoom since the RX10 IV in 2017. While Sony hasn’t touched its popular super zoom in nearly a decade, the RX10 V arrives with the same 20.1MP one-inch sensor and a 24-600mm equivalent, 25x zoom lens with a maximum f/2.8-4 aperture.

Instead, the new super zoom focuses on bringing the speed and autofocus capabilities that have arrived on Sony’s Alpha series, thanks in part to the new Bionz XR processor with an integrated AI processing unit.

The RX10 V can shoot burst speeds as fast as 30fps with a blackout-free viewfinder – matching the speed of cameras like the A7R VI. Like the A7R VI, the RX10 V also allows photographers to assign a shortcut button to temporarily boost the burst speed, easing the storage demands of such a fast burst speed.

The RX10 V also borrows another key feature that pairs well with the 600mm equivalent lens – subject recognition autofocus. I found the subject detection to work fairly well for birds and bugs – though birds already in flight were sometimes more misses than hits. That autofocus system performs 60 calculations per second, using 575 phase detection points across about 70.6 percent of the frame.

The updated processor also improves noise reduction and colors compared to the 2017 camera, Sony says. The battery life has also been boosted to the tune of about 50 percent at a 630 shot rating.

The bridge camera’s video capabilities also get a boost, as the RX10 V now uses the full width of the sensor to shoot 4K 60p, but can also shoot cropped 4K 120p. The camera also supports S-Cinetone, S-Log3, and LUT imports.

The super zoom camera is one that I reccomend often to birders who want to snap photos without the weight or complexity of a mirrorless camera and telephoto lens. But the RX10 V lens can also get in fairly close, falling just under half macro capabilities at .42x at 24mm and .49x at 600mm. That, paired with a lens stretching from 24-600mm, creates a fairly versatile camera, considering its unswappable lens.

Bridge cameras aren’t exactly compact, but the RX10 V’s 1,111g / 39oz weight is a far cry from a kit full of mirrorless lenses that includes 24mm, 600mm, and macro capabilities. That zoom lens retracts into the camera somewhat when off, leaving the RX10 with a depth of about 151.3mm / 5.95 inches.

The RX10’s design is completed with a more Sony Alpha-like grip and a multi-select joystick. The camera design also includes a tilting touchscreen, 3.686 million dot electronic viewfinder, a single UHS-I and UHS-II compatible SD card slot, and a multi-interface hot shoe. The RX10 V is weather-sealed.

Another key change, however, is the camera’s price point. At launch, the earlier RX IV sat at about $1,700 / £1,500 / CA$2,200 / AU$2,599, but after Sony discontinued the previous RX10 IV, the price from reputable used camera dealers approaches the $3K mark for like-new options.

The list price for the new Sony RX10 V sits somewhere between the RX10 IV’s original price and the older models' used price, sitting at $2,299 / CA$2,899. UK and Australia pricing have not yet been announced, but that converts to about £1,716 / AU$3,316. Shipping is expected to begin in early August.

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Looking at major retailers’ best sellers is often the first sign of an emerging trend in the camera industry – but a number of the best-selling cameras on Amazon sit in an unusual category: kids cameras.

Two of Amazon US’s top ten best-selling cameras right now are kid cameras, but shift to the instant camera category, and eight out of ten are built for kids. Amazon UK shows a similar trend, with one kid camera making the top ten, but the instant camera category is overwhelmingly filled with kid cameras.

Amazon's best-seller lists tend to lean more towards cheap cameras than photo retailers, but the number of kid cameras on the list is still an interesting insight.

As both a pro photographer and a parent, my kids started with camera-shaped teethers and worked their way up to fully functioning cameras. Yes, giving my kids cameras has meant a lot of lo-fi shots of toes, blurry photos of the dog, and lots of photos that I lovingly call “abstract art.”

But giving a kid a camera isn’t about getting high-quality photos that hang on a wall. Photography is the art of noticing things – and giving a kid a camera helps teach the next generation to slow down and observe their surroundings. When I gave my 6-year-old a compact camera inside a botanical garden, he photographed “all the pretty things” which, in his mind, included dandelions and shadows.

Beyond teaching my kids observation and sharing one of my biggest passions with them, I love kid cameras for a much more practical reason – kids are less bored with a camera in hand. When I take my kids on a short hike or a walk outside, I tend to hear less whining about boredom and tired feet when said walk is a photo walk.

Kid cameras don’t have to be expensive. In fact, kid cameras probably shouldn’t be super expensive because, well kids tend to drop things and leave toys on the floor. The cost of the cameras that I hand over to my kids increases slightly with age and responsibility and range from a screen-free cheap compact camera to my old entry-level DSLR (read: a free DSLR).

The most expensive camera that I bought for kids was for my son who was a pre-teen at the time – the previous generation of the OM System Tough TG-7 – and the camera was a waterproof, drop proof compact camera that I knew I would also borrow for beach days.

The other thing I love about the kid camera trend? Many of the best-selling kid cameras are instant cameras that also print out photos. My pre-teen decorates her room with Instax prints on a string light clip and while the cheap thermal printer variety seems to be the most popular, real instant film teaches a bit of patience and delayed gratification too.

(My only word of warning on those cheap kid cameras with thermal printers? Give them a place to keep those photos, or you’ll end up with receipt paper photos littered throughout the house, which is almost as bad as the time I thought it would be a good idea to buy a toddler not yet capable of picking up his own toys a ball pit.)

There are a lot of things that I regret buying for my kids – loud toys and toys with 1,000 pieces included. But I haven’t yet regretted buying my kids a camera – or recycling a hand-me-down camera either.

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The Sony RX1R III is now available for only £3,899 at Wex. With this deal, you save £300 off its original price of £4,199!

The RX1R III somehow squeezes a 61MP full-frame sensor and a Zeiss 35mm f/2 lens into a body that's smaller than almost anything else on the market.

It's lighter than you expect, sharper than it has any right to be, and its 693-point autofocus system is, frankly, leagues ahead of most fixed-lens rivals.

Yes, it lacks IBIS. Yes, the rear screen doesn't tilt. And yes, it costs the same kind of money as a luxury compact like the Leica Q3 – but here's the thing: nothing else gives you this combination of size, resolution, and AF performance in one sealed unit.

The 61MP sensor also enables clever digital crop modes, giving you effective 35mm, 50mm, and 70mm focal lengths at the tap of a screen. It's like carrying three primes in your jacket pocket – without carrying three primes.

If you want the smallest, most powerful everyday camera you can buy right now, this is it. It's as close to a "perfect carry" as compact cameras get.

The compact camera trend has brought a number of price hikes as demand exceeds supply, but a popular compact camera series has jumped in price due to the cost of raw materials. The Ricoh GR series, including the Ricoh GR IV and GR IIIx, has jumped in official list price in multiple regions.

Last month, Ricoh Japan announced that the list price of the popular series would increase in July due to a rise in raw materials and manufacturing costs. However, it wasn’t clear at the time if the announcement was meant only for Japan or if other regions would follow suit.

Now that the date has passed, photographers finally have the answer: that GR series price increase wasn’t just for Japan, as the price of the popular compact camera has now increased across several regions, including the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada.

The list price increase spans several models from the GR series, including the base model GR IV, the longer lens GR IIIx, and the HDF variants.

In the UK, the GR IV Monochrome has also increased in price, but the US, Canada, and Australia list prices appear to have remained the same.

US 🇺🇲

• Ricoh GR IV: Was $1,499, now $1,599
• Ricoh GR IV HDF: Was $1,599, now $1,699
• Ricoh GR IIIx: Was $999.95 (September 2021), now $1,249
• Ricoh GR IIIx HDF: Was $1,149, now $1,349
• Ricoh GR IV Monochrome: Unchanged

UK 🇬🇧

• Ricoh GR IV: Was £1,199, Now £1,299
• Ricoh GR IV HDF: Was £1,299, Now £1,399
• Ricoh GR IV Monochrome: Was £1,599, now £1,699
• Ricoh GR IIIx: Was £999, now £1,099
• Ricoh GR IIIx HDF: Was £1099, Now £1199

Australia 🇦🇺

• Ricoh GR IV: Was AU$2,099, now AU$2,199
• Ricoh GR IIIx: Was AU$1,779 at launch, dropped to AU$1,599 in 2024, now AU$1,699
• Ricoh GR IIIx HDF: Was AU$1,899, now AU$1,999
• Ricoh GR IV HDF: Unchanged
• Ricoh GR IV Monochrome: Unchanged

Canada 🇨🇦

• Ricoh GR IV: Was CA$1,899, now CA$1,999
• Ricoh GR IV HDF: Was CA$1,999, now CA$2,149
• Ricoh GR IV Monochrome: Unchanged
• Ricoh GR IIIx: Unchanged

The compact camera trend has created a rise in demand that means several trendy options are hard to find in stock, the Ricoh GR IV series included. However, Ricoh Japan said that the reason for the cost increase was due to a rise in the cost of materials and manufacturing.

Ricoh may not be alone in facing rising costs of manufacturing cameras. AI’s pressure on digital storage has caused the price for digital storage components to increase, not just for SD cards and hard drives but for camera components as well.

Other brands have also recently discussed an increase in manufacturing costs, including Canon and Nikon. Fujifilm also noted not only the rising costs of memory, but the increase in cost for silver as well.

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I said that the Nikon DL Series would sell like hotcakes today and roughly a year later, Nikon Rumors has posted a tenuous report that the doomed premium compact camera lineup could be making a more impressive comeback than Belgium did against Senegal in the World Cup. I say tenuous because none of this information has been confirmed (nor backed up by multiple sources).

It follows rumors that Nikon is working on its first full-frame compact camera and I can’t help but wonder if these rumors regard two separate releases or are actually one in the same. After all, an aftermarket EVF was touted in that rumor. Regardless, Nikon Rumors seems confident that some kind of Nikon compact is in the works, stating: “Nikon will definitely release a new compact camera.”

The ‘DL’ rumor comes with a few details, including the use of premium materials, an included leather case, Flexible Color Picture Controls, an aftermarket smart-shoe EVF, and a stacked, 24-MP 1-inch sensor. Much of this seems par for the course and while I’d prefer an EVF as standard, offering an attachment is the next best thing, I guess. The bit that worries me is that 1-in sensor. I said in my DL retrospective that if the series were to ever make a comeback, I’d like to see an APS-C sensor. And if you look at the compact camera landscape, I think that makes absolute sense.

1-inch sensors are sooo last year?

Most of the latest and greatest premium compact cameras are built around Micro Four Thirds [MFT], APS-C or full-frame sensors, and I think most consumers are getting used to larger compact cameras and the increased image fidelity that they provide. Think about it, you’re going up against the likes of the Fujifilm X100VI, Leica D-Lux 8, Ricoh GR IV, Leica Q3, and more recently the Panasonic Lumix L10. All premium compact cameras, all packing sensors that are larger than one inch.

If there’s stock in the one-inch sensor design, it’s possible that Nikon has identified an overcrowded APS-C premium compact market and is looking to operate within a sparser class of cameras. The Panasonic Lumix ZS300 (TZ300) is the latest compact with a 1-inch sensor launched by a major manufacturer.

Technically, the Fujifilm X-Half is another recent release, although its quirky vertical mount and entry-level build mean it stands alone. The Sony ZV-1 II is a video-focused device and it’s been nearly seven years since the Sony RX100 VII, although the VIII is rumored. It just worries me that consumers expect more from a premium compact camera’s sensor in 2026.

It wouldn’t be the first time Nikon has built a system around a one-inch sensor and found it to be a hard sell. People often wrongly think of the Z Series as Nikon’s first mirrorless camera lineup, but the ‘Big N’ dipped its toe into the world of mirrorless cameras with the Nikon 1 Series, which debuted in 2011.

I don’t think you can call a system that lasted up until 2018 and spawned 13 Nikon-branded lenses and 11 cameras a complete disaster, but it certainly wasn't a resounding success either. I don’t have a crystal ball, but I’ve always wondered if the 1 Series would have proven more robust if it’d been built around an APS-C-format sensor.

Of course, everything I’ve talked about today is complete hearsay. I hope we at least get a fixed-lens full-frame Nikon. And unlike the doomed Nikon DL Series, I hope whatever Nikon’s actually got cooking gets off the ground this time. One-inch sensor or not.

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Compact cameras are enjoying a huge resurgence, but the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS never really went away. Since launching in July 2018, Canon’s travel zoom has remained one of the brand’s most sought-after compact cameras, proving its popularity isn’t simply driven by today’s retro camera boom.

In 2024, Canon introduced the PowerShot SX740 HS Lite, a lightly updated version of the original camera. Despite changing just one small feature, the model has proven just as popular, recently claiming the No.1 spot in Yodobashi’s latest sales rankings in Japan.

While manufacturers often use refreshed models to introduce hardware upgrades, the PowerShot SX740 HS Lite remains almost identical to the original camera released seven years ago. That unchanged formula continues to win for buyers looking for a genuinely pocketable camera with a powerful zoom lens.

Yodobashi's top selling compacts, 1st half June 2026

1. Canon PowerShot SX740 HS / Lite | Silver | Black
2. Sony ZV-1 II | Black | White
3. Panasonic Lumix TX3 / ZS300 / TZ300 | Black | Graphite Silver
4. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III | Black | Silver
5. Canon IXY 650 / Powershot Elph 360 HS A / Ixus 285 HS A | Black | Silver
6. Fujifilm X100VI | Silver | Black
7. Kodak Pixpro C1 | Brown | Black
8. Panasonic Lumix TZ99 / ZS99 | Black | White
9. Leica Q3 43
10. Sony RX100 VII

Why the PowerShot SX740 HS Lite is high in demand

Remarkable capable yet genuinely pocketable, the PowerShot SX740 HS Lite stays true to what compact travel cameras have always done best. It combines a 20.3MP 1/2.3-inch-type CMOS sensor with a body that’s small enough to slip into a jacket pocket.

Its standout feature remains the impressive 40x zoom lens, covering an equivalent focal range of 24-960mm – giving reach smartphones can’t match.

That reach is the camera’s defining strength, making it an excellent choice for travel, wildlife and everyday photography.

Lite vs original

Canon made just one notable change to the Lite edition: it removes USB charging.

The change comes after Europe introduced USB-C charging requirements for many electronic devices. Canon has not said whether the decision to remove USB charging was related to those rules.

There’s no larger sensor, longer zoom or new shooting modes – just the same travel-zoom formula that has remained popular for nearly a decade.

Panasonic's brief time at the top is over

Just a few weeks ago, Panasonic’s newly launched Lumix TX3 (aka the Lumix ZS300 in the US and Lumix TZ300 in the UK) reached No.1 in Yodobashi’s rankings shortly after its release.

But the latest rankings see the PowerShot SX740 HS Lite reclaim the top spot, while Sony’s ZV-1 II creator camera also moved ahead of Panasonic’s travel zoom.

Interestingly, Panasonic’s premium L10 doesn’t appear anywhere in the current Top 10, despite attracting attention ahead of launch thanks to its larger sensor and stronger stills and video capabilities.

For now, photographers in Japan prioritize portability, long zoom ranges and proven models over newer premium alternatives.

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Producing a screen-free digital camera in 2026 is a wonderfully eccentric idea. Which is precisely why it appeals to me.

Of course, aside from the gimmick factor, omitting an LCD keeps production costs down. It’s allowed for a growing number of cheap and cheerful, low-effort point-and-shoot digicams like the popular Camp Snap 2 and Flashback One35 V2 to be brought to market and find engagement with an audience of younger, fledgling photographers.

For both seasoned shooters and newcomers alike, however, the inability to ‘chimp’ at captured images via a rear LCD (as there isn’t one) enables users to be more present and in the moment. Like we were in the analog film era, without even realizing it.

This form of ‘digital detox’ is something that, increasingly, we all seem to value – whatever our age or skillset.

At the higher end of screen-free photography options, there’s the Leica M11-D, which its maker argues allows for users to engage in a ‘purer’ form of photography. Even Fujifilm’s X Half compact has a Film Camera Mode that enables us to shoot ‘blind’.

It’s another way to rewind the clock to the perceived innocence of the analog era and get teens off their screens – something that, even without the bans on under-16s in the UK and Australia accessing social media, some were already gravitating toward.

Screenless digital compacts aside, pocket-money priced disposable film cameras like Fujifilm’s QuickSnap have also recently seen their own stock rise among the young. Surprisingly, today the single-use / disposable camera market is worth $1.15 billion is and expected to keep rising to $2.6 million within a decade.

The downside for users is that developing a roll of 27 snapshots can cost as much as buying the plastic, screen-free disposable unit in the first place.

Better, then, to invest in a screen-free digital camera on which an infinite number of shots can be taken without spending a small fortune – and then select only the best for print.

Like Instax and Polaroid instant cameras, there’s the anticipation of waiting to see how my captured images look when I’m shooting only with an optical viewfinder – and then having to connect the camera to a computer or smartphone to see them.

With these screen-free cameras, I’m automatically thinking less about the gear and more about the image – and that can only be a good thing.

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Dycam Inc was an American technology company based in Chatsworth, California. It was best known for developing and manufacturing the Dycam Model 1, which is widely recognized as the world's first commercially available digital camera.

Fujifilm had created and shown its Fujix DS-1P digital camera in 1988, in cooperation with Toshiba, but it was never commercially available – not even in Japan.

When the Dycam was released, in November 1990, $995 bought you a camera capable of taking 32 black-and-white, 8-bit images, each one just 376 x 240 pixels or 0.09MP. They were stored as highly compressed JPEG images, so as to fit all 32 into a single megabyte of memory.

And that memory was volatile, meaning that if the batteries went flat you lost your photos. But assuming your photos were still there, they could be uploaded to your computer using a cable.

The lens was a fixed-focus, 8.5mm (35mm equivalent), f/4.5 optic. It had a built-in electronic flash and an electronic shutter with speeds from 1/30sec to 1/1000sec (1/25sec when using flash), all packed into a very modern-looking, landline telephone-handset-style case in black plastic.

Power was supplied by two nickel-cadmium AA-sized rechargeable batteries, under the hood. Battery drain was fairly high, thus they batteries needed frequent recharging, so the camera came with a nifty recharging dock/stand.

Once charged, before you could take any photos, you had to connect your camera to a computer to download the software that made it run. Another reason to keep the camera charged!

The whole affair was pretty basic by today’s standards. But it beat the competition – because there was no competition!

The computer accessory company, Logitech, wanted to market a camera. It saw cameras as the next big thing in computer peripherals, so it licensed the basic technology from Dycam for one million dollars and set about creating its own software to run the camera.

The Logitech Fotoman-1 came out in mid-1991 with very similar specs to the Dycam, but a few differences. Because Logitech was originally a Swiss firm, rather than having it made under contract by Dycam, the Fotoman was made by the Swiss watch-making firm that had made its first mice.

The big, visible difference was that the Fotoman cameras came in an off-white shell, rather than Dycam’s black. Essential specs were identical to the Dycam, but Logitech offered improved firmware and software that offered additional features. The software was more frequently updated, too.

More importantly, though, Logitech had worldwide distribution channels, while the Dycam models were made and sold in the USA only. Thus, the Logitech sold a lot more than the Dycam and is often thought to be the first consumer-level digital camera. And it’s almost true!

Logitech’s brand recognition and aggressive marketing (free camera bag sent when you registered your purchase and similar promotions) also helped with sales.

Both cameras were classed as “consumer” cameras, but the high price (£499 in the UK) meant limited uptake. So, in the beginning, both were aimed at businesses such as real estate agents and insurance adjusters, who needed a quick turnaround.

Following the Model 1, Dycam continued to refine its technology with subsequent versions including Models 2, 3 and 4, before eventually expanding into more conventional designs.

Eventually the firm gave up on cameras and evolved into Tetracam Inc, which continues to operate as a specialist in multi-spectral imaging systems – particularly for agriculture.

Logitech abandoned the digital camera market after the Fotoman series, to concentrate on peripherals like mice and keyboards. It later became a leader in webcams, but never made or marketed a standalone digital camera again.

Read more of David Young's ongoing series on classic cameras, as well as his book A Brief History of Photography.

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As you probably know, mini camera keychains – especially Kodak keychain cameras – have been as popular as Pokémon cards lately. The craze first kicked off last year with the original Kodak Charmera, and since then everyone from Yashica to Insta360 has got in on the craze.

If you've somehow missed the trend, these keychain cameras are teeny-tiny compact cameras that are small enough to – you guessed it – fit on a keychain.

Their appeal is multifaceted. First and foremost, they're ridiculously cheap. Selling for about $35 in the US, they're affordable enough to be impulse buys and are perfect for gifting. Secondly, they're ridiculously cute and collectible. Coming in multiple colors and styles, there's a real "gotta catch 'em all" vibe.

But the Kodak keychain cameras added a third stroke of genius: blind boxes. Like a Labubu (or, indeed, a pack of Pokémon cards), Charmeras come in an unmarked box and you didn't know which of the six designs you were going to get (hence you're buying a box "blind").

I dunno about you but, as a child who grew up collecting things like stickers and trading cards, I'm a sucker for a blind box. And Kodak knew what it was doing by adding a "secret" seventh design – a super-rare version that you had a 1-in-48 chance of getting.

For a while, those secret Charmeras (with a transparent design) were being sold for $500 on eBay! The Millennium Edition Kodak keychain cameras also have a secret variant (in a very sexy chrome body) and Escura does the same with a "mystery" SnapRoll design.

However, while these keychain cameras are undoubtedly cute and collectible, it's fair to say that the image quality is far more about fun than fidelity.

If we take Kodak's keychain camera as an example, it packs a minuscule 1/4-inch sensor with just 1.4MP resolution. And there are some cheap knock-offs on Amazon with even worse quality.

So you're not exactly going to shoot a wedding on one of these, but it's a fun thing to have on your car keys or dangling from your bag – and they make perfect cameras for kids, too. I've tried out a bunch of them and, after some unscientific testing, these are the best keychain cameras I've used so far.

Best Kodak keychain camera

The one that started it all, the Charmera is the OG Kodak keychain camera – and thus, the one that set the bar. It's not a very high bar technically, though, with a tiny 1/4-inch sensor that maxes out at 1.6MP resolution for stills and FullHD 30p for video.

What is that good for? More than you might think, surprisingly! Obviously the images are never going to win you a photo competition, but they're about early era smartphone quality – an aesthetic which has a following among Gen Zers, for whom this is the "retro look" the same way that Polaroid and 35mm was retro for my generation.

Images are muddy but not devoid of charm, like shooting with a digicam from the late Nineties. They make for fun social media snaps, and the tinny video in particular has that vintage digital camcorder quality that some folks spend a lot of time layering LUTs and filters to replicate.

The rear screen is very small, making it tricky to compose images, though credit to Reto (the company that actually makes the Charmera) for including an optical viewfinder – which is even smaller and less useful, but is a nice nod to the old cameras like the Kodak Fling.

Something that my colleague Mike remarked on, which never occurred to me, is that the Charmera offers authentic retro charm – whereas the SnapRoll can only offer an imitation of retro brands.

Best film-style keychain camera

If you want a keychain camera that looks like a roll of film, the Escura Snaproll is by far your best bet – but there's more on offer than just looks!

The signature appeal of this camera is its design. Kodak's keychain cameras are cool just because they're small, but the SnapRoll is cool because it looks just like a canister of 35mm film.

Indeed, Escura has gone to great lengths to style the different SnapRoll variants after famous film stocks such as Kodak Gold 400 or Ilford Pan 400. Personally, I think that's even neater than a cute little rectangular box – and as someone who grew up shooting film, I much prefer the design of this to the Charmera.

It also boasts a bigger LCD screen, which makes it easier to frame and review your shots, and shoots both in a higher resolution and a square format – which is something that's always fun to challenge your compositions. Image quality is about on par with the Kodak, though I prefer the filters here – particularly the GameBoy-esque green filter, for which I have a soft spot.

However, video can only be captured in SD (720p) – though honestly, none of these keychain cameras take video that's very good by any conventional measure!

Best Kodak keychain camera for filters

The Charmera Millennium Editions are the second wave of Kodak keychain cameras, and possess the exact same technical specs as the original series.

What's different is twofold. First, where the OG Charmeras featured Eighties-inspired styling, the Millennium Editions features a Nineties aesthetic – with nods to things like pixel art as well as cult tech like Sony's MiniDisc, as you can see in the green one above.

(The "secret" chase variant even tips its hat to the iconic T-1000 from Terminator 2, with a liquid metal finish that's sure to have scalpers' eyes wide with anticipation.)

The other difference is also an aesthetic one, but for your photos: the Millennium Edition adds a new selection of frames and filters (including a neat Video Player frame, which looks like your photos are being viewed on something like RealPlayer or Media Player Classic).

While the original Charmera filters were pretty horrible (particularly the single-color options), here they're almost sophisticated. The new Pixel Filters offer a sort of duotone line art style – and the Coral in particular creates some very interesting results. If you enjoy creative filters, this is the one to go for.

Best keychain camera for creators

My hat is off to Insta360. Not only does it sell grips that turn the Ace Pro 2 action camera into a bona fide compact camera and even an instant camera, it also offers a housing that turns the Go 3S into a pro-level keychain camera!

That's what we've got here. The thumb-sized Go 3S slots into the Retro Viewfinder – a plastic sheath with a top-down optical viewfinder. And just like that, you've got a brilliant 4K keychain action camera.

Obviously this isn't the same sub-$50 proposition as the other cameras on this list, so some might see it as a cheat. However, if you want something keychain-sized that packs the power of a "proper" camera, this is the hands-down winner.

The Insta360 can shoot 12MP photos and 4K 30p video on a much larger 1/2.3-inch sensor, which delivers monumentally superior image quality. Seriously, it's in a completely different stratosphere – and also offers features like image stabilization, timelapse, slow-motion, open gate video and even pre-recording. It's even waterproof to 33ft!

Because there is no screen (although you can buy the Action Pod separately for about a hundred bucks, with a flipping 2.2-inch touchscreen) you'll need to pair the Go 3S with your phone – where there is an enormous amount of additional control available.

Best cheap keychain camera

If you just want something cute, cheap and photo-related to hang on your car keys or dangle from your camera bag, the Photo Creator Mini Cam is the one for you.

This keychain camera is essentially a glorified charm that takes pictures, but it's also ridiculously cheap. Right now you can find it for as little as $15 in the US and £6.50(!!!) in the UK, making it a perfect novelty purchase where images are a Brucie bonus rather than the point of the product.

And that's really the best way to think about the Mini Cam. Despite technically having more than double the resolution of the Charmera, the image quality is considerably worse for both stills and video.

However, there are a couple of unique upsides. For starters, this camera comes with a 1GB microSD card – so you can start playing with it right out of the packet. It also possesses a "flash" – although this is really just an LED that lights up, rather than anything that's going to illuminate a shot.

Again, that's really the case here: everything is for show. This is a cute little keychain camera that looks like a mini DSLR or mirrorless body, and it just so happens to be able to take photos and video. Ask nothing more of it and, for the super-low price, this is a fun little novelty item.

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I normally don't go anywhere unladen with camera gear, but on a recent trip to New York City I decided to leave my trusty Nikon Z6 II at home and take a pocket-sized compact camera in its place. So why would I go to a city that cries out to be photographed without my regular photo kit and caboodle?

I had three days in the city that never sleeps, and I wasn't planning on sleeping much either. I was going to be out and about from breakfast until eventually turning in in the early hours. I was going to be riding the subway, navigating the hustle and bustle of Times Square late at night, and taking plenty of refreshment breaks in bars.

So I really didn't need the worry of keeping an eye on my expensive camera kit all day long.

In the few days I was in the city, the mercury was hitting in excess of 90ºF (32ºC), so being laden down by a backpack filled with heavy gear wasn't too attractive a proposition, either.

In addition to my Z 24-70mm f/4 S, which isn't exactly the most svelte of kit lenses, I wouldn't be able to help myself but bring along the Z 14-30mm wide-angle for when the situation demands it. And if I'm bringing that, I might as well pack a tripod, just in case…

No, traveling light with something I could easily slip into my pocket was the way to go. And the Yashica Tank seemed like the ideal solution. It weighs next to nothing, costs under a hundred bucks, has a flip-up screen for selfies, and the model I chose looks pretty smart, too, with its leatherette-and-chrome retro look.

But the important thing is: how easy is it to use and what are the pictures like?

As a point-and-shoot camera, it's pretty simple. Turn it on, point it at whatever you want to photograph, and tap the shutter button. There's no focusing to worry about. You can zoom into your subject by up to 8x, though it's a digital zoom that merely crops into the fixed image. And you can fiddle with the exposure by pushing the zoom toggle in.

The LCD screen takes up most of the back of the camera, but I have to say that, as someone used to shooting through a viewfinder, I found composing via the screen not at all easy. It's pretty low-res and not very bright, making it tricky to see exactly what's in your shot or judge how good the exposure is.

As for the photo quality, well, you can judge for yourself by flicking through the gallery below.

Okay, so it's not going to replace my S-line Nikon Z lenses glass any time soon, and I really wasn't expecting too much for the price, but for snaps rather than 'proper' photos, it was just fine.

Not to mention that I felt quite unencumbered, being able to take photographs without the weight and the worry of my regular kit. But in all honesty, my camera phone takes better photos, the screen is easier to use and it's in my pocket anyway.

The next time I need to travel light, I think I'll stick to just that.

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UPDATE: All has now been revealed - read our news story on the launch of the Sony RX10 V - and see our full review of the Sony RX10 V review which we have been using (under embargo) for the last couple of weeks.

Miracles do happen! We have just got the news that Sony is reviving is RX10 line of bridge cameras – known for their huge built-in zoom lenses.

And unlike other bridges currently left on the market, these use a sensibly-sized 1-inch sensor offering much better image quality than the 1/2.3-inch sensors of current models can possibly achieve. The 1-inch sensor is four times bigger than the 1/2.3in sensor.

Sony has just teased on social media the imminent arrival of the next version of the RX10. "The wait is over" we are told, with the news that we will get full details on July 09 at 10:00 ET / 15:00 BST (that's midnight AEST).

ABOVE: Watch the Instagram teaser for the next Sony RX10 bridge camera

The RX10 IV was discontinued in early 2025 after almost a decade in production – but even then it had been in desperately short supply. With many major manufacturers giving up on compact cameras, it was thought that was the end of the line. Panasonic likewise had tapped out with its FZ1000 range of 1-inch bridge cameras a couple of years earlier (its current Lumix FZ80D/FZ82D bridge camera uses a 1/2.3in sensor).

So is it safe that the new RX10 will be called the RX10 V? We can't know that for certain, as the teaser gives us no details. Similarly, we don't know what specifications – if any – will change from the Sony RX10 IV, which boasted a 20MP 1-inch sensor with a 25x optical zoom, giving an effective 24-2000mm range.

The original RX10 was launched back in 2013, and this Cyber-shot series became particularly popular with bird enthusiasts and wildlife watchers who wanted telephoto reach without the fuss or bulk of an interchangeable lens system – but who appreciated the extra detail offered by the Type1 1-inch sensor.

The RX10 Mark II followed in 2015, with the RX10 III and RX10 IV fast on its heels in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

You can read the incremental changes made in the series in our Sony RX10 vs RX10 II vs RX10 III vs RX10 IV guide.

We will bring you full news of this exciting launch as soon as the details are announced on July 09 – and will aim to have a full test as soon after that as we can.

Check out our guide to the best bridge cameras currently available

I’m a pro photographer with a bag full of mirrorless gear, but the daily snapshots that I take end up being from the camera that’s always with me: my iPhone. But there's an unusual new trend growing amid the craving for slower, analog tech without the cost of film: screen-free digital cameras.

Annoyed at my iPhone’s endless stream of notifications, I decided to take photos completely screen-free for a week – but I loved it so much I lasted nearly two weeks instead.

I didn’t take a photo (or video) on my iPhone for nearly two weeks, instead trying out an assortment of screen-free cameras to snap photos of everything from my kids to the sunset. I didn't miss what I had expected – the screen – but I did find I missed two key features that many screen-free compact cameras don't have: zoom and video.

For the challenge, I used a handful of different cameras, including the Camp Snap CS-Pro and the disposable camera dupe from Flashback. I allowed myself one camera that technically has a screen – the Fujifilm X Half – but locked the screen and shot entirely in the camera’s film mode, which displayed only camera settings on the screen and didn't allow me to actually view any images.

Shooting screen-free felt more like film

I didn’t miss what I’d expected to miss: that screen. Shooting without a screen meant I wasn’t looking to see whether or not I had captured the shot just as I had envisioned. Did I mess up some shots that were too bright or shots with a crooked horizon? Yes. But I also didn’t feel pressure to make the memory seem perfect. (Because memories are not, in fact, perfect.)

Removing the ability to view the photos also gives the digital cameras a little of the surprise feel when developing a roll of film. Admittedly, I don’t look back on many of my iPhone photos often, but shooting screen-free, I had to take the time to sit down and look through the photos.

One of the reasons that I loved using the screen-free cameras had nothing to do with a screen at all. As a pro photographer, my “photos to be edited” pile is often daunting, and my own personal photos tend to sit for weeks (Case in point: I still haven’t edited the spring portraits that I took two months ago.)

Several screen-free cameras are also designed with film-inspired presets applied in-camera, and while imperfect, they left me feeling like I didn’t have to edit my daily snapshots. My favorite for this was the Fujifilm X Half, because it has a larger sensor and the same film simulations from its mirrorless cameras. But it also has two of my favorite "happy accidents" from film: light leaks and halation.

But, most screen-free compact cameras don't have zoom

One of the camera features that I did miss, however, was zoom. The compact cameras that I used for the challenge are all fixed focal length cameras, many designed to mimic the feel of a disposable film camera, so extras like optical zoom aren’t part of the shooting experience. There were a handful of times I wished the screen-free camera could get in a little closer.

Most screen-free compact cameras also don't really have a macro mode, as they use fixed focus lenses like disposable film cameras. The X Half is an exception, and I was able to snap a handful of close-ups as well as portraits and landscapes.

The experiment also reminded me of the reason why I take so many photos with my iPhone: it’s always with me. I didn’t grab a screen-free camera when I took my dog for a walk one evening, expecting the incoming rain to make it a short trip. Instead, I was greeted by a spectacular double rainbow.

Not wanting to break my screen-free challenge, I headed back for a camera, but by the time that I returned, the rainbow was almost completely faded. Lesson learned: Sometimes the best camera is the one that’s with you when the moment presents itself.

The feature that broke me wasn't what I expected: Video

But the thing that broke me, the feature that had me pull out my iPhone camera for the first time in thirteen days, wasn’t what I expected at all: Video. I’m a photographer, not a videographer, but some personal memories are just better in moving pictures.

I had come across the most butterflies that I had seen in one place, and, after nearly two weeks, almost twice my original goal, I pulled out my iPhone to take a video. (I had pulled out my mirrorless camera a few days before that, ironically, to take photos of screen-free cameras for this article. But, in the spirit of continuing the challenge past the original week, I even disabled that screen by flipping it closed.)

Most screen-free cameras just take still photos. There is the video-only Camp Snap CS-8, but it’s an oversized camera that’s not at all pocketable (and it doesn’t take still photos). The X Half can take videos too – but not in the film camera mode with the locked screen.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into my screen-free challenge, but I found I loved the compact cameras that don’t come with built-in distractions. Yes, I’ll probably continue to take the occasional snapshot with my iPhone, but when I’m headed out to make memories and don’t want the weight of my mirrorless or the distraction of my iPhone, I'm going to slide a screen-free compact camera in my bag instead.

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Looking for a waterproof camera that can survive your next hiking trip, ski holiday, or beach adventure? While retro compact cameras are having a moment, rugged compacts remain the better choice for photographers who need a camera that can handle drops, dust, and water.

Unlike fashionable point-and-shoot cameras, the Pentax WG-8 ($426.95 / £429) and OM System Tough TG-7 ($549.99 / £449) are designed for use where camera phones and conventional compacts struggle.

Waterproof, shockproof, and freeze-proof, they're built for demanding adventures. Better still, both offer optical zoom lenses, dedicated macro modes and 4K video, making them far more versatile than an action camera alone.

Pentax WG-8

A real Captain Scarlet of a compact camera

The Pentax WG-8 is built tough to survive water, dust, drops, freezing temps – you name it.

It's perfect if you want a camera that's truly adventure-proof, without spending big. With a 20MP sensor and 5x optical zoom (approx. 28-140mm in 35mm terms).

It shoots decent photos and 4k video at 30fps. It also shines in ultra-close-up shots, and it performs well underwater and in extreme conditions where other cameras might fail.

It's a solid budget-friendly choice for anyone needing a tough, reliable camera for travel.

OM System Tough TG-7

Indestructable camera, impressive results

The OM System Tough TG-7 is built to be a companion on any adventure. It's waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof, so you never have to worry about weather or terrain.

Sure, its 12MP sensor is smaller than some other cameras, but that actually helps underwater photos by capturing more light where it's often dim. Plus, it shoots RAW and bursts up to 20fps – perfect for catching fast moments.

The TG-7 has a handy 4x zoom (approx. 25-100mm in 35mm terms) with a bright aperture and a standout macro mode that lets you snap amazing close-ups and 4K video.

It's simple, durable, and versatile – the perfect point-and-shoot to toss in your bag when you need a reliable camera that won't quit.

Discover more and browse the best travel cameras, best compact cameras and best point and shoot cameras

Despite mirrorless cameras getting more advanced than ever, we know that retro cameras are more popular than ever. In particular, cheap compact cameras (including crappy digicams from yesteryear) have surged in sales, while disposable cameras continue to prove popular.

All these things combined to lay the groundwork for screen-free digicams – a completely new category that emerged in the past few years and has taken the market by storm.

I'm willing to bet that your Instagram feed has been filled with ads for brands like Camp Snap and Flashback – arguably the best screen-free digital cameras available right now. But are these plastic fantastic cameras actually any good, or are they just hype?

This is something we discussed on the latest episode of our Bokeh Face podcast, a snippet of which you can watch below.

We looked specifically at the latest models from the brands powering the trend: the Camp Snap 2 and Camp Snap CS-Pro, along with the Flashback One35 V2. And it has to be said everyone on the team who has used them is a big fan.

Camp Snap started the trend, largely as a solution for the trend towards screen-free summers in the US – particularly at summer camps, where devices with screens are prohibited.

As a new parent myself, and as someone in general who wants to spend less time looking at screens but also really loves taking pictures, I think the Camp Snap is a stroke of absolute genius: stick a half-decent (8MP 1/3.2") sensor inside a camera with a 26mm equivalent lens and an optical finder. Job done.

Take hundreds of pictures all summer long, with no chimping or checking or other distractions, just staying present and capturing moments as they happen – rather than micro-managing memories to be as perfect as possible.

The other great thing about this is that it's super-friendly for kids; my colleague Hillary gave the Camp Snap to her six-year-old and he had an absolute blast taking pictures (and in so doing, taught her a lesson about what is "worth" taking pictures of).

My personal favorite is the Flashback series, which adopts a slightly different approach. This company takes the appeal of disposable cameras – that same screen-free, stay-in-the-moment mentality, with a fixed lens and optical finder, and crucially the limited number of shots and delayed gratification before you get to see them.

You "load" your camera with your chosen "film" (choosing from various styles of color or black-and-white) and then you're limited to 27 exposures, all in that film stock. Once you've taken them all, you then beam them to your phone – and this is where the magic is.

On the original Flashback One35, you had to wait 24 hours for your images to "process" – just like dropping off a roll of film at a lab and waiting for it to be developed. That was the entire point: the magic of patience, cultivating the joy and anticipation of seeing what you've shot – like a mini Christmas morning of looking at your memories.

Of course, that's an experience that Gen Z has no real concept of – only boomers, Gen Xers and Xennials truly have that experience of waiting for a roll of film to be processed. So, for the Flashback One35 V2, there's a Digicam Mode where you can send the shots to your phone and view them right away. Which kinda misses the point, to me, but I see why people want it.

But are these just gimmicks? My colleagues and I all agree: no, there's actual substance here. These cameras truly change the way you take photographs – or, perhaps more accurately, change the attitude you have towards taking them. Taking a snap becomes part of enjoying the moment; it doesn't override and become the moment.

You can watch the full discussion in the video I've embedded above (which is cued up to the start of the conversation) and come to your own conclusions.

Crucially, what they offer is a unique way to take pictures at an amazing price point – the Camp Snap 2 in particular being just $70 / £55 / AU$130. Compare that to the price of a disposable camera these days – about $25 in the US and £23 in the UK, and that's before processing – and these are brilliant ways to achieve the old analog experience without breaking the bank (or the planet).

If you're someone who wants a slower pace of shooting, who misses the magic of giving your kids or the rest of the family a disposable camera for a vacation or a wedding, or you're just sick of screens and want a break from staring at electronic readouts, picking up one of these might be the best thing you can do for your photographic enjoyment.

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Check out the best screen-free digital cameras from all the brands – including, if you want a bigger brand option, one of the best Leica cameras and one of the best Fujifilm cameras.

Screen-free digital cameras are a relatively new trend, but an increasingly important one. Smartphones mean that there’s nearly always a camera within my reach – but that camera is also a portal to the World Wide Web, a phone, a computer, a videogame console and, frankly, a distraction.

That’s why I decided to ignore my iPhone camera for an entire week and shoot with some of the best screen-free digital cameras instead – and I loved it so much that I lasted nearly two weeks!

The rise of screen-free digital cameras are an admission that smartphone cameras often distract us from the moments that we’re meant to remember. But, a camera without a screen also feels far more retro – and many of them fall under the compact camera trend as well.

The best screen-free digital cameras make photography – and even videography – a slower, more intentional process. After trying out several options, I think these are the top screen-free options available. I’ve personally tested almost all of these cameras, with the exception of two options that were tested by Digital Camera World’s action camera and Leica experts.

Best screen-free digital cameras

Best screen-free digital camera overall

The trouble with a lot of screen-free digital cameras is that while they may not have a built-in screen, many rely heavily on smartphone apps to function. The Camp Snap CS-Pro is a screen-free camera that doesn’t require an app at all. The only time you’ll need a screen is to view the photos, and you can do that with a computer, tablet or phone and a USB-C cord or SD card reader.

The Camp Snap Pro uses a 16MP sensor to snap images with a touch of retro imperfection. Some smartphones will capture crisper shots, but I love the built-in retro filters and refreshingly simple design. My biggest complaint is that there’s a slight delay between when the button is pressed and when the photo is actually taken, which can make timing the shots more challenging.

The CS-Pro is a true point-and-shoot. The only controls beyond the shutter button are a dial to adjust the filter and a switch to turn the flash on and off. But perhaps the best part is that the camera only costs around $99 / £90 / AU$153 / CA$140.

Read my full Camp Snap CS-Pro review

Best "screen-free" digital camera for image quality

Okay, the Fujifilm X Half isn’t technically screen-free; in fact, it has two screens. But the X Half has a Film Camera Mode that disables the screen so you only see the shooting settings. You can’t preview your photos at all, are locked into one “roll” and have to wait for the photos to develop.

That makes the X Half both a standard digital camera and a screen-free digital camera in one, depending on which shooting mode you use.

Where most screen-free cameras are low-resolution shooters with small sensors, the X Half uses a 1-inch 17.7MP sensor that gives it a key advantage over cheaper cameras. But what I loved even more than the large sensor was the different film-like options.

The X Half is packed with Film Simulations, including an excellent black-and-white, but there’s also a light leak mode effect and even halation, two of my favorite film-like effects. My biggest disappointment is that you can’t pick a film simulation and the light leak, as the latter is its own separate mode.

Most screen-free cameras don’t have a macro mode, face detection, autofocus or video, but the X Half has all three. You can’t shoot video in the screen-free mode, however, and you can’t see the autofocus points through the optical viewfinder in the screen-free mode either.

The combination of the sensor and Film Simulations makes the X Half a camera that both snaps modern photos that can outperform a smartphone, and capture retro photos that feel more like film. Yes, technically, the X Half has a screen, but the film camera mode with its film advance lever and disabled screen felt just like using a camera without one.

Like many screen-free cameras, though, the X Half needs to connect to a smartphone to “develop” the photos taken in the film mode. Even if you return to standard screen mode, you can’t see the shots on the screen. I would have preferred at least having the option to still use film mode without requiring a smartphone to view them.

Read our full Fujifilm X Half review

Best screen-free digital disposable camera

The Flashback One35 V2 feels like a retro disposable film camera – but it’s a screen-free, reusable digital camera. The Flashback inherits the inherent slowness of disposable film with a charmingly clicky film wind button, which is required between each shot. Otherwise, using the camera is as simple as looking through the viewfinder and clicking the shutter.

What I really loved about the Flashback One35 V2 is the variety of different film presets that are available. There’s an excellent selection to choose from, including more golden tones and black-and-white. That, mixed with a more plasticky lens, gives the digital images some of the charm of disposable film.

The Flashback didn’t have noticeable shutter lag – a common issue among screen-free cameras. But, digital minimalists, be aware that the disposable dupe does require a smartphone, as the app is what allows for swapping film presets.

The standard mode requires 24 hours to “develop” photos before seeing them in the app. There’s a Digicam mode without the wait, but even this mode requires connecting to the app after 27 photos.

Read my full Flashback One35 V2 review

Best screen-free digital camera for kids

While I think the Camp Snap CS-Pro is the better option for grown-ups, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up a Camp Snap 2 for a kid, pre-teen, or teenager – though on the strictest budgets, adults may still love this camera too. The second-generation camera adds the ability to swap digital presets as you shoot, but this function can be locked for the youngest kids.

The Camp Snap 2 feels a bit like a disposable film camera in its screen-free design, but unlike the Flashback One35 V2 the camera doesn’t require a smartphone app to work. The camera is so simple that even my six-year-old figured out how to turn the flash on and off.

While the Camp Snap 2 is a key improvement over the original, there’s still some shutter lag to contend with – this means a slight delay in taking the photos. If kids don’t hold still quite long enough, that can create a blurry shot, but there’s an audible click to know when it’s safe to keep moving.

Still, as a parent, I’m annoyed by the cameras for kids with games built in, so I love that my kid can’t try to sneak in extra screen time when I hand him this camera.

Read my full Camp Snap 2 review

Best screen-free digital video camera

One of the biggest things that I missed when I gave up my iPhone camera for more than a week to go screen-free was the ability to shoot videos. Well, Camp Snap has a screen-free camera for videos, too. The CS-8 is a digital camera that looks like a retro Super 8.

I loved the dial on the side of the CS-8 to swap between different retro looks. There’s a dial for adjusting the aspect ratio, too, which is great for social media videos. The quality isn’t the best, at 2.7K 30p across most modes, and the digital zoom in particular is best avoided. But the price also reflects those specs, so I didn’t mind.

My biggest hesitation with the CS-8 is that, while the Super 8-inspired design is endearingly retro, it’s also large – and when I’m traveling, I’ve often eyed the camera but ultimately couldn’t find the space for it in my bag. Still, few screen-free cameras can shoot videos, and the CS-8 is full of retro charm.

Read my full Camp Snap CS-8 review

Most compact / best waterproof screen-free digtial camera

The Insta360 Go 3S Ultra Retro feels like a cross between an action camera and the viral keychain camera, the Kodak Charmera.

The Insta360 Go 3 is typically a modular action camera that sits in a base with a screen. But the retro bundle doesn’t include this screen base and pops the tiny magnetic camera in a tiny retro housing, complete with a viewfinder to frame the shots.

Because the Go 3S is originally an action camera, this tiny screen-free setup will take photos as well as videos of up to 30 minutes in length – or 76 minutes with the included battery pack.

Because the camera is so tiny, adjusting most of the settings and retrieving the photos and videos is done with the smartphone app. But using a single press for photos and a double press for videos allows for swapping between photo and video modes without the app.

The retro attachment effectively turns the action cam into a screen-free digital camera – and a rather tiny one at that. This is a great option for digital minimalists who want to go screen-free while still shooting both photos and videos. It’s also a great option for creators who want something waterproof.

Read our full Insta360 Go 3S review and our take on the retro viewfinder accessory

Best screen-free mirrorless camera

While most screen-free digital cameras fall in the compact camera category, there’s one mirrorless camera that comes to mind that looks like a retro rangefinder but is actually hiding a 60MP digital sensor: The Leica M11-D. By leaving out the screen, the M11-D looks very much like the brand’s film cameras from the same M series.

Without the option to view the images as you shoot, the M11-D – which has always felt more slowed-down and intentional thanks to manual focus lenses – looks and feels more film-like, despite having all digital tech inside. The 60MP sensor and quality of Leica’s M-series lenses churn out wonderfully sharp images with beautiful bokeh.

DCW's Leica photographer, Sebastian Oakley, said it best in his Leica M11-D review: “By removing the rear LCD screen, Leica forces you to rely on your instincts and trust in your abilities as a photographer. It’s a liberating experience, one that places you fully in the moment, just as film cameras did in the past.”

Of course, as a Leica, the M11-D comes with a luxury price tag, but it's rare in its screenless mirrorless design.

Read Seb's full Leica M11-D review

How we tested screen-free cameras

Shopping for a screen-free digital camera isn't quite the same as looking for a standard compact camera. For one, screen-free cameras are often meant to be minimalist in both experience and the tech inside.

Many of them are meant to snap images with a retro feel, so resolution and sensor size aren't quite as important as, say, choosing a mirrorless camera. When considering the different screen-free options, I prioritized cameras that struck an ideal balance between the design, the images and the price.

I also considered cameras that aren't technically screen-free, as long as they had a mode to disable the screen. The screen isn't the real problem – it's the distraction that comes with a screen. That's why the Fujifilm X Half's Film Camera mode makes the list, even though it does technically have screens.

All the cameras on this list have been personally tested by DCW staff. I tested a majority of them myself, when I challenged myself to a week without my smartphone camera, while DCW's action camera expert Adam Juniper recommended the Insta360 Go 3S Retro, and Leica expert Sebastian Oakley voted in favor of the M11-D.

Find out more about how we test and review on Digital Camera World.

How to choose the best screen-free camera

The biggest question to ask when choosing a screen-free digital camera is why you want a screen-free camera in the first place. If you want something small enough to take anywhere without the distraction of a smartphone, then consider a budget point-and-shoot like the Camp Snap CS-Pro.

Leaving the screen off the camera often means the cameras rely on apps to adjust the settings and change the filters. If you're a true digital minimalist and don't want an app connection at all, then the list is an even shorter one, as options like the Flashback One35 V2 and the film mode on the Fujifilm X Half require a smartphone app.

Most screen-free digital cameras are simple compact cameras that try to replicate the look and feel of disposable film cameras. But, if you want something with above-average image quality, consider a camera with a larger sensor like the Fujifilm X Half or even the luxury mirrorless Leica M11-D.

Finally, keep in mind that many screen-free cameras only take still photos or videos and not both. The Insta360 Go 3S Retro is capable of both photos and videos. The Fujifilm X Half is too, but the videos aren't available in the screen-free mode.

The Canon PowerShot V10 Vlogging Starter Kit has dropped to just £199 in the Amazon Prime Day camera deals. That’s a welcome saving of over £130, making this compact vlogging camera kit far more appealing for creators looking to start producing content without investing in a larger camera setup. But do note the sale ends at midnight!

• See all of today's best cameras deals in the Prime Day sale

Designed specifically with vloggers and content creators in mind, the Canon PowerShot V10 offers a compact, pocketable design that makes it easy to record video anywhere. Its all-in-one concept combines a camera, lens, microphone, and stand into a single device, allowing users to quickly set up and start filming without additional accessories.

At the heart of the camera is a 20.9MP sensor paired with a wide-angle lens designed for handheld recording. This makes it particularly suited to vlogging, livestreaming, and casual video creation, where a wider field of view helps keep both the creator and their surroundings comfortably in frame.

The PowerShot V10 also features a built-in stand, making it easy to place on a desk, table, or flat surface for stable recording. Canon has also equipped the camera with high-quality stereo microphones and a wind filter, helping ensure audio is clear and usable straight out of the camera.

Connectivity is another key strength, with the camera supporting direct livestreaming and simple smartphone integration. This allows creators to quickly transfer footage, share clips, or broadcast content online with minimal setup.

The OM System Tough TG-7 is now going for only £355 on Amazon - a solid drop from its original £499.99, which means you’re saving £144.99 on the recommended retail price. That’s a deal that’s tough to beat for a rugged, adventure-ready compact.

• See all of today's Amazon camera deals

What makes the TG-7 especially appealing is how much durability and versatility you get for the money. It retains the core strengths of the Tough line - waterproofing (to 15 m), shock resistance (drops of up to 2.1 m), freezeproofing down to –10 °C, dust protection, and crush resistance to 100 kg - while packing modern updates too.

Beyond mere toughness, the TG-7 offers a 12 MP BSI-CMOS sensor, a bright f/2.0–4.9 4× zoom covering the 25–100mm (35mm equivalent) range, and sensor-shift image stabilisation (2.5 EV) to keep shots crisp in challenging circumstances. For enthusiasts of macro, the TG-7 shines: you can focus as close as 1 cm, with multiple macro imaging modes and even microscope features built in.

In real-world use, reviewers praise the TG-7’s robust build, reliable performance in harsh environments, and strong macro skills. Underwater shooters note the consistency and value of its imaging in dive conditions, and the enhancements over previous models (like updated USB-C port and vertical video auto-rotation) add practical benefit. That said, this camera isn’t perfect - the 12 MP sensor can’t match large-sensor rivals in dynamic range or low light, and you’ll want spare batteries for extended outdoor use.

At £355, this is one of the better value entries into rugged photography gear. You’re getting a genuinely capable, field-worthy compact built to take abuse - and with macro tricks, waterproofing, and a solid zoom - all without paying flagship prices. But deals like this won’t stick around: stock will shift or Amazon might revert the price at a moment’s notice. If the TG-7 suits your adventure style, now is a very good time to strike.

The cute little Fujifilm X Half has become a bit of a cult classic since its last year - and particularly with recent price drops. However, we have just spotted that in the Prime Day camera deals on Amazon it has fallen to its lowest price yet - and at £429, that's a real bargain

For a camera that’s all about shooting for pleasure rather than chasing specs, that’s a genuinely attractive saving – and one that makes this already distinctive compact far easier to justify as an everyday carry or creative sidekick.

The Fujifilm X-Half has always stood apart by design. Inspired by half-frame film cameras, it embraces a vertical shooting format that feels perfectly tuned for modern storytelling, while still nodding firmly to Fujifilm’s analog heritage. It’s a camera that encourages you to think differently about composition, framing and rhythm, rather than rattling through shots on autopilot.

In the hand, the X-Half feels light, compact and refreshingly uncomplicated. This isn’t a camera built to replace a flagship mirrorless body – it’s designed to be carried everywhere and used instinctively. Fujifilm’s Film Simulations play a huge role in its appeal, delivering color and character straight out of the camera, and reducing the need to sit behind a screen tweaking files later.

That simplicity is very much part of the charm. With a fixed prime lens and pared-back controls, the X-Half invites you to slow down and enjoy the process of making photographs again. It’s ideal for travel, daily walks, family moments, or personal projects where spontaneity matters more than technical perfection.

At £429, the X-Half becomes a far more compelling proposition. You’re not just buying a camera, you’re buying into a shooting experience that prioritizes creativity and enjoyment. It’s particularly appealing for photographers who already own larger systems but want something smaller, lighter, and more playful alongside their main kit.

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For more options, check out our guides to the best compact cameras and the best cameras for beginners.

The Panasonic Lumix S9 with the compact 18-40mm S lens is one of the most tempting full-frame camera bundles appearing in the Amazon Prime sale, and at just £999 I can see that this lightweight setup is perfectly suited to travel, street photography, and everyday content creation.

What makes the Lumix S9 so appealing is how much camera Panasonic has managed to fit into such a small and stylish body. It features a 24.2MP full-frame sensor, excellent in-body image stabilization, and the same dependable phase-detection autofocus technology found in Panasonic’s larger hybrid cameras.

The included 18-40mm S lens completes the package beautifully. It is compact enough to keep the entire setup easy to carry, while its useful wide-angle zoom range makes it ideal for landscapes, city breaks, environmental portraits, vlogging, and capturing everyday life.

Video is another area where the Lumix S9 really stands out. Panasonic has packed it with powerful recording tools, including high-resolution open-gate video and the ability to apply custom color looks directly in-camera, making it particularly attractive to filmmakers, social media creators, and anyone who wants polished footage without a lengthy editing process.

Despite its approachable design, this is still a serious full-frame camera capable of producing excellent stills and video. Its lightweight construction makes it easy to carry throughout the day, while the full-frame sensor provides the detail, dynamic range, and low-light performance that photographers expect from a much larger system.

For anyone searching for a compact full-frame camera that can handle both photography and video, the Lumix S9 and 18-40mm lens bundle at £999 is well worth considering during the Amazon Prime sale. It combines portability, creative flexibility, and strong image quality in a package that is genuinely enjoyable to take anywhere.

NiSi has released three new accessories designed for Ricoh GR compact cameras:

Nisi 49mm filter adapter MKII for GR III & GR IIIx: $32.99

This metal tube slots over the GR's lens, replacing Ricoh's GN-1 and GN-2 adapter rings. 49mm filters can then be fitted to the front, or the adaptor can provide a more stable mount for wide-angle conversion lenses and other accessories. The adapter features an auto-locking mechanism that holds everything securely in place, without wobble, and with no extra tools required. The adaptor is also compatible with NiSi's PR-5 Lens cap.

NiSi Wide Conversion Lens for Ricoh GR Series (GR III, GR IIIx, GR IV): $74.99

This 0.78x wide-angle conversion lens is built for street photography, travel, architecture, and any scenario when you want a wider field of view without sacrificing the GR’s speed and simplicity. On the Ricoh GR III / GR IV it widens the default focal length from 28mm- to 21mm-equivalent, or when fitted to the GR IIIx it converts the lens from 40mm- to 31mm-equivalent. The lens retains the camera's autofocus, metering, and shooting modes, and is Macro Mode compatible. A multi-layer, anti-reflective nano coating is employed to reduce ghosting and flare, while the barrel and caps are constructed from durable aluminum alloy. In order to use the lens, you will also need the separate Nisi 49mm filter adapter for your specific GR model.

NiSi JetMag lens hood kit for Ricoh GR IV: $89.99

Designed exclusively for the GR IV, this purpose-built hood-and-adaptor system is built for street and travel shooters, helping to protect the lens while also controlling harsh light. An included 49mm adaptor lets you use standard 49mm filters, while an auto-lock helps prevent rotation or loosening while shooting. The hood magnetically snaps on over the filter, then the lens cap snaps to the hood for quick protection between shots.

Last week, third-party lens maker Viltrox announced a tiny pancake lens – but if the rumors are any indication, that’s not the only tiny product on the horizon. Photos of a tiny Viltrox keychain camera have leaked online from a regular rumor reporter on Chinese social media.

I’ve heard a few dubious rumors popping up recently hinting that Viltrox was working on a camera. I had my doubts, but the newly leaked photos are not at all what I was expecting.

If the photos leaked by the Independent Photographers’ Association on Weibo are true, then Vilrox could soon offer a tiny keychain camera with a retro design.

The leaked photos look quite similar to the viral Kodak Charmera keychain camera, with the same rectangular shape, keychain ring, and retro stripes. The camera has “1839” printed on it, like some of the original Kodak Charmera designs that have 1987 printed on it, the year of the Kodak Fling that first inspired the Charmera.

The leak didn’t contain any specifications, but with the word “toy” printed on the box, it’s clear the rumored Viltrox camera isn’t made for serious shooters.

If I had to guess, I would venture that the Viltrox toy camera may not even be something headed to stores. The Google-translated caption with the photos indicates that the camera is made for a Dragon Boat Festival gift box.

For now, the Viltrox toy camera is just an unconfirmed leak – but it raises questions about the keychain camera craze. Since the Kodak Charmera went viral and sold out in a matter of hours last year, copies have popped up everywhere, from fast food swag to gas station rewards programs.

Now, the Kodak licensee Reto Productions has made a second set of blink box designs, this time on a Y2K theme.

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Browse the best keychain cameras, the best retro cameras or the best compact cameras for more inspiration.

Until the recent revival in the fortunes of the humble, fixed-lens compact camera, or point-and-shoot camera, it’s fair to assume that, for most of us, this type of pocket camera had disappeared completely. 

By the 2010s, we were all using smartphone cameras, and so most low-resolution, standalone snapshots with their 3x or 4x optical zooms were banished to a drawer or listed on eBay. The manufacturers themselves also contributed to the demise of compact cameras. As demand decreased, they simply stopped manufacturing them.

Or did they?

Well, not entirely. While the vast majority vanished from retail, the compact cameras that survived offered something smartphones did not. 

I’m talking toughened, waterproof compacts that could be covered in mud, dirt and sand and simply rinsed clean without damage. Or accidentally elbowed off a table onto a stone floor and avoid shattering into several pieces, thereby allowing image capture to continue. 

To test durability, and because I was feeling cavalier, I once packed an early Kodak ‘tough’ series camera in airplane hold luggage. It arrived at my destination with lens glass shattered; but that was very much the exception rather than the rule.

Through the period post-2015 when digital compacts were mostly nowhere to be seen, OM System, formerly Olympus, and Ricoh/Pentax continued to market shockproof, freezeproof and water-proof cameras, as opposed to action cameras. All around them, bog standard compacts sunk without trace. 

Successful models offering the ability to shoot pictures and videos in conditions that would have been wholly unsuitable for most smartphones included OM System’s TG-7, and the rugged WG series from Ricoh/Pentax. Recent notable examples have included the flagship Pentax WG-8 and the entry-level WG-1000. Other models still selling at the time of writing include the Pentax WG-90 and near outwardly identical Ricoh WG-80.

Such cameras have consistently catered to a dedicated, niche subset of the compact camera market for sure, but they kept it going when others found the going too tough. There were toughened compacts released by the likes of Nikon (the Coolpix AW series) and Fujifilm (FinePix XP), for example, but these also got abandoned.

Obviously, the rugged cameras that stayed the course did so not just because they were alternatives to trashing our phones, but because of the different user experience. If, like me, you’ve been snorkelling or diving with a toughened compact and experimented with the various underwater-enhanced modes, you’ll know exactly what I mean. OK, so I’m not going to get mirrorless or pro DSLR-like quality, but for providing a visual memento, they’re perfectly fine.

And now, a mix of smartphone fatigue and social media has renewed and widened interest in cheap digital point and shoots at one end of the scale, and ‘slow photography’ options like the Pentax 17 film compact at the other. 

But, sitting in the middle, there was always consistently an alternative in the toughened, waterproof digital compact.

Disposable film cameras have seen a resurgence in trends – but so have the number of people disappointed at seeing how much developing film actually costs. The Flashback One35 V2 has almost all of the retro disposable film vibes with none of the developing costs.

The Flashback One35 V2 is a screen-free digital camera that uses a traditional viewfinder, requires winding after each shot, and “loads” one of several digital “film” presets. Yet, the tech inside is a modern digital sensor, along with wireless capability to deliver those photos to a smartphone without cords.

Using a screen-free disposable camera dupe felt so liberating that I happily ignored my iPhone camera for more than a week and shot with the Flashback One35 V2 instead. I was rewarded with retro-styled photos that didn’t need any filters – and were still transferred right to my phone.

Flashback One35 V2 review: Specs

Flashback One35 V2: Price & Availability

The Flashback One35 V2 began shipping in February 2026.

The camera is sold largely through the company's online store. Retail availability is limited, but a handful of stores do sell the disposable dupe, including B&H in the US

The camera sells for about $119 / £85 / AU$160 / CA$170.

Flashback One35 V2 review: Design & Handling

The Flashback One35 V2 is inspired by disposable film cameras, and that’s exactly the retro vibe that I got when holding the camera.

The Flashback One35 V2 is small – only about 1.2 inches / 30mm thick, and just over four inches / 106mm wide and two inches / 53mm tall. Despite the size, there is a small curve at the front for my fingers to wrap around – which is great because, as much as I love my childhood photos from the 90s, I’d rather not bring back the trend of getting my fingers caught in the edges of the snapshots. (Although I did manage to do this at least once.)

The Flashback camera is screen-free in the sense that there’s no way to preview your shots. The only screen-ish part of the camera is a small window at the top that tallies the number of shots remaining in the digital “roll.”

The feature that really sends home the feel of a disposable film camera, however, is the “film” winder that needs to be wound after every shot. Other than that, there’s just the shutter button and the flash’s auto-off switch, so the controls are straightforward.

Photos are snapped using a small but traditional optical viewfinder. This feature is essential to creating the feeling of a disposable camera, but like some disposables, the viewfinder isn’t very accurate. I regularly had things on the edges of the frame that I didn’t see in the viewfinder.

The Flashback One35 V2 is built with plastic, though it doesn’t feel terribly cheap. I tested one of the clear models, which feels a bit Y2K and had me exploring the camera to see where all the different electrical components are. I found it oddly satisfying to click the camera and watch the plastic piece shoot over to disable the shutter release until the winder is turned once more.

The shutter release feels solid, and I didn’t notice a significant delay between pressing the shutter and hearing the click signalling that the image was taken. Disposable dupes aren’t meant for action, but I didn’t find any annoying delays for taking single shots. Most notably, the “film” winder does seem to take a while to wind all the way around the whole dial in order to take the next shot.

Storage is built-in on the V2, so there’s no memory card slot – though with the cost of memory cards lately, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. The camera has somewhere around 2GB of memory, but it intentionally limits you to 27 shots for that disposable film feel. Once you transfer those photos to your phone, those images can be erased, and a new “roll” starts. New to the V2, it’s now also possible to transfer photos with a USB-C cord to a computer or smartphone.

Flashback One35 V2 review: The App

No, an “app” doesn’t feel much like a disposable camera, yet that’s where some of the old school vibes come in from. First, you have to load the “roll” of film, and so far, there are eight different options to choose from.

These digital filters try to mimic the look of real film. There’s “classic” mode, black-and-white, a teal cinema look, a warmer gold option, and one meant specifically to mimic the look of disposable film.

Each “roll” shoots 27 photos, then the camera needs to reconnect to the app to offload those photos to the “Lab.” In the original Flashback mode, those photos spend 24 hours at the lab, creating a delayed gratification much like waiting for film to develop.

But, Flashback has also introduced a “digicam mode”. This mode is still set to 27 shots, but you can unload your photos to the app early and see them after a few seconds of “developing” rather than a full 24 hours.

App setup and connectivity were rather seamless. There are three different ways to connect to offload photos – either through USB-C, a home Wi-Fi network, or the camera’s built-in network when traveling. The built-in W-Fi option needed to be retried occasionally. I found the cord the most reliable.

The mix of using the camera with the app feels both retro and modern at the same time. On the one hand, you can’t look at your photos right away. I felt like I was still in the moment with a camera that I took a snapshot with and then promptly put away.

But, on the other hand, there’s no option to change the film type or modes directly on the camera, and it’s a screen-free camera that relies heavily on a smartphone app. That’s fine if you want to stay in the moment and don’t mind opening your phone later on – in fact, it’s probably faster than offloading an SD card. (Or, at least it can be with the 24-hour delay turned off.) But if you’re looking for a camera for a kid who doesn’t have a smartphone or if you fall into the tech minimalist camp, be aware that there’s a heavy smartphone reliance.

FlashbackOne V2 review: Image Quality

The FlashbackOne V2 doesn’t just make you wait to see the photos; it reveals them slowly, shot-by-shot. The experience is far superior to taking a photo with my iPhone and never looking at it again.

The images coming from the FlashbackOne V2 are a happy blend between disposable film vibes and digital. The viewfinder isn’t 100 percent accurate; there are more than a few shots where I caught something on the edge of the frame that I couldn’t see as I took the photo. I can’t see what I’ve shot right away, so there’s still a bit of a surprise when I finally see the photos.

The film presets are a fantastic mix. The Flashback Classic has a bit of a film feel without going too overboard on wacky colors. I spent quite a bit of time with the Flashback Gold and loved the slightly warmer tones – though I could argue that even more warmth would be great. There’s, of course, a black-and-white mode, which has nice, punchy contrast.

The Flashback One35 V2 uses a cheap plastic lens, which is a big part of what makes the images look as if they were shot on disposable film. The edges are smudged while the center remains acceptably sharp – though like disposable film, there’s no close-up mode, so shots too close will be out of focus.

Directed towards the sun, the lens will create some gorgeous sun flares.

The sensor is an upgraded 13MP. I think that’s a nice happy medium of creating images that have enough detail without being so perfect that it no longer feels retro.

Several of my shots also had some noticeable grain, even outdoors in good light. Noise may be unwanted in modern cameras, but the imperfection feels welcome for cameras working to recreate that retro feel.

While the resolution feels plenty for a retro camera, the smaller sensor does create a limited dynamic range. Outdoors in the sun, several of my shots were regularly overexposed. (That’s photography speak for “too bright.”) My biggest disappointment was the occasional tendency to overexpose bright spots into white nothingness – something that’s common and nearly expected for the price point and category.

The camera has a built-in flash that adds to that retro feel indoors, creating the harsh shadows commonly associated with disposable film cameras. But, the flash isn’t always well balanced, and if you get too close, the photos will be blown out to almost white nothing-ness. Thankfully, there is a switch to turn the flash off or to use auto flash.

Overall, the photos coming from the Flashback One35 V2 had a near-perfect blend of capturing a retro feel from a modern digital sensor.

Flashback One35 V2 review: Verdict

The Flashback One35 V2 mixes the best of a 90s disposable film camera with the best tech from modern cameras. Taking photos is once again a screenless, simple experience that doesn’t pull me from the moment. Developing the photos is no longer an expensive process, yet it still has a slow reveal – and easy transfers to a smartphone for social sharing.

Retro cameras are intentionally imperfect. I loved the grain, retro colors, soft edges, and lens flares that snub crunchy modern smartphone photos. I was a bit disappointed when several of my outdoor shots were too bright, and the viewfinder isn’t very accurate – the two imperfections that I’d rather change than embrace.

But, considering the price, the Flashback One35 V2 is an excellent disposable film camera alternative with less waste and zero film developing costs – without completely giving up the retro charm.

The Flashback One V2 is available directly from Flashback as well as from a small number of retailers.

Flashback One35 V2 review: Alternatives

Fujifilm recently announced that the GFX100RF – a compact, fixed-lens medium-format camera boasting a whopping 102MP medium-format sensor – won a Technical Award from the Japan Society of Photographic Sciences (JSPS).

Looking at the camera, I have to agree with the recognition. Fujifilm has arguably carved out a new niche, as this is the first truly digital medium-format shooter offering ridiculously crisp resolution and a fixed lens in a compact body.

Granted, the GFX100RF is far from cheap, retailing at $5,400 / £4,074 / AU$7,739, and requires compromise to only work with a single 35mm focal length (28mm full-frame equivalent).

However, despite these drawbacks, for me, it’s a solid example of how minimalist setups pairing the right lens with the right camera body can be the key to taking great photos, but also to motivating you to do more photography in general.

One of the main praises the GFX100RF received during the awards ceremony was for its optimized lens and body design.

From the behemoth MP count to the bespoke fixed 35mm f/4 wide-angle lens, Fujifilm geared every decision behind the model with rendering maximum-quality images in medium format in mind.

Obviously this is a minimalist setup for photographers with higher budgets and more experience, but those with less cash to splash or just getting into photography can replicate the approach, albeit at much lower resolutions.

Take a Fujifilm X-T5 paired with the XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR lens, or a Sony A6700 matched with a Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN, for example.

Both of these setups provide an excellent balance of image quality and minimal weight thanks to the optimal pairing of camera body and lens in compact APS-C-sensor designs.

The X-T5’s respectable 40MP sensor and the XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR’s top-notch edge-to-edge sharpness work really well together for shooting things like landscapes.

And the Sony A6700’s class-leading autofocus pairs well with the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN constant f/2.8 aperture, especially for portraiture.

Of course, an interchangeable-lens system won’t always be as light as the GFX100RF’s fixed-lens design, but you get the idea.

A single setup consisting of a portable camera body thoughtfully coupled with a lens that maximizes that camera’s specs can do more for your photography than multiple cameras and lenses.

As for the other GFX100RF features the JSPS liked, it commended the aspect ratio switching dial and digital teleconverter switching (for cropping into the center of the sensor) for expanding the “range of photographic expression”.

I particularly agree with the aspect ratio switching dial and hope to see other brands incorporate this into future models.

Shop the Fujifilm GFX100RF

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See our expert pick of the best compact cameras along with our say on what the best medium format cameras are.

As much fun as the likes of the Camp Snap 2 or Kodak Charmera cameras are, they’re just that; a bit of fun. Slightly more expensive models, including the zoom-equipped Kodak Pixpro FZ series, or the Yashica City compact camera range, are likewise best viewed without too much of a critical eye. They’re fine for what they are: affordably priced snapshots with basic operation and feature sets, the kind of ‘stack them high, sell them cheap’ digital compacts we were awash with 15 years ago, before the smartphone boom persuaded most of the major players to simply stop making compacts.

For a while until relatively recently, if you wanted a new standalone camera to use instead of your smartphone, it was still quite a jump to the likes of the Ricoh GR IV series, the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III or an interchangeable mirrorless camera, which, it felt to me, were starting to get prohibitively expensive. And ever further from the reach of the simply curious, but non-expert photographer.

But the Kodak brand, or rather its JK Imaging Ltd global licensee, kept point-and-shoot cameras going at a time when, as it seemed to most other brands and consumers, compact cameras were dead. It slowly carved its own niche when most were looking the other way. Its offerings may not be five-star critical recommendations – far from it – and yet it now regularly tops the bestsellers’ list.

The above being said, I’ve still never felt the need to ‘hold my nose’ when using a pocket money-priced ‘retro’ compact. Because the very reason such snapshot cameras appealed in the early 2000s to early digital photography adopters is still the case today; albeit to a greatly reduced audience than in their mid 2000s to 2010s heyday.

A point-and-shoot camera was what you once owned before moving on to a bridge camera, and then on to a DSLR. And next, when we were told the future was mirrorless, we swapped over to a smaller-format interchangeable lens cameras.

My point is that basic snappers were – and, I believe, will again prove to be – gateway drugs to more serious photographic gear. And, hopefully, the photographers of the future with it.

It’s still quite a jump from phone snapping to interchangeable lens photography. So don’t cut out, or sneer at, whatever bridges the gap, even when that camera is a basic point-and-shooter.

Check out our guide to the best point-and-shoot cameras