Over the last few months, we've reviewed a lot of great cameras that are designed not only for people who already know how to take photos, but also for beginners.
While it's true that the bottom end of the digital compact camera market has now been largely take over by smartphone cameras (after all, a smartphone camera is great for opportune snaps), cameras further up the scale are still a better proposition when you want to capture a moment in high quality or in difficult lighting conditions.
So-called travel cameras with big optical zoom lenses are great all-rounders due to their ability to capture both wide and tele-zoom shots (look at the Canon SX700 and Panasonic TZ60 below), while digital SLR cameras are still a hit with serious photographers (see the Nikon D7100 and Nikon Df). Mirrorless cameras (or compact system cameras) are touted as being digital SLR replacements, mainly because they are smaller, yet still give you the ability to change lenses to suit your needs (Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony play in this arena).
In this snapshot, we've included some of the best digital cameras that we've reviewed this year (and also included cameras from last year that are still current). We'll keep this list updated as more cameras roll through our Test Centre throughout the year.
The Lumix G9 doesn’t hit the same highs as the a9 but, if you’re scared by the price-tag of the latter, this is a more-than-serviceable alternative at a third of the price.
Even though the RX100 III packs a viewfinder, flash, and hinged screen, it's still small enough to fit in a pants pocket. Best of all, its image quality is excellent.
Canon's PowerShot SX700 HS is a powerful little camera that can be used in a whole heap situations, from regular landscapes to long tele-zooms. It's a fun camera to use and well worth considering, especially if you want a camera ...
Panasonic's latest Travel Zoom camera, the TZ60, offers a massive optical zoom of 30x in a body that can easily slip into a pants pocket. It's small camera with lots of versatility and it ticks almost all the boxes requires ...
Samsung is onto a good thing with the NX30 interchangeable lens camera, but we shouldn't be surprised: NX cameras have been good since the release of the NX10. The NX30 can capture clear and vibrant images, and it has lots ...
Nikon's D610 is a great value camera for anyone wanting to move from a crop sensor to a full-frame model. Its performance is great overall, and the build of the camera is solid. We like it.
The OM-D E-M1 takes over as the flagship camera for Olympus. It's a Micro Four Thirds-based camera with a stack of features that's aimed at those of you who want more of a 'pro' feel from a compact system camera. ...
The retro styling of the Olympus PEN E-P5 cloaks what is essentially a technical powerhouse when it comes to cameras. We love the image quality and ease of use of this camera, and its Wi-Fi feature is so far the ...
Nikon’s D7100 is a considerable upgrade to our favourite semi-pro camera of the last few years. A much more detailed and more capable image sensor is the big improvement, while the controls and body get a minor do-over. Video is ...
Canon's PowerShot G16 is a solidly built compact that supplies good versatility thanks to its f/18 lens and fast overall performance. We suggest considering it if you want something with a fixed lens that can capture images in high detail.
Panasonic’s LUMIX GX7 is the most feature-packed compact camera we’ve seen. All of these features are useful to varying degrees, but the overall package is a versatile one. The GX7 is a great compromise between the small size of a ...
The Lumix DMC-GH3 has all sorts of buttons and dials that can help you set the scene for your photos. If you use them correctly, you'll end up with images that are clean, highly detailed, and a pleasure to look ...
This is a camera for those of you who want a shooter than can perform well for both still shots and video recordings. It has a long zoom, plenty of speed, and can capture pictures with great clarity. It's a ...
Nikon's Df is a pro camera with creative users in mind. The dials, numbers, and overall design of the body hark back to different era, but they provide tactile control that is welcomed in this age of buttons and menus. ...
The Fujifilm X-T1 stands out in a sea of compact system cameras, mainly due to its tactile exposure controls and excellent electronic viewfinder. It's expensive, but nevertheless an interesting proposition if you're after a small, high-performance camera that gives you ...
Canon's PowerShot G1X Mark II is a substantial compact camera that can't easily fit in your pocket. It's a good shooter, though, and it gives you the choice to either take advantage of its extensive scene modes, or to wrestle ...
Nikon's small, pocketable Coolpix P340 can be used as a point-and-shoot camera, but it also allows you to take control of the exposure and get creative. It has limitations with regards to shooting on overly bright days, and also in ...
More effort has gone into the TG-850’s design than its photographic abilities. Night photos and videos will come out grainy, but the people this camera is intended for will seldom need a tough camera at night. Rather the TG-850 is ...
Ultimately this laptop has achieved everything I would hope for in a laptop for work, while fitting that into a form factor and weight that is remarkable.
