The 7 Best compact zoom cameras in 2025

Updated February 21, 2025

It's sad to say, but the golden age of compact cameras is pretty much over, thanks to the rise of smartphone cameras that are, in many cases, good enough for most people. Manufacturers seem to realize this, too; we last updated this list in 2023, and since then, there haven't really been any new additions to it. The ones that remain can also be difficult to find in stock, even when the companies that make them say they're still a part of their lineups.

However, that doesn't mean the category is completely dead. Even today, there are several types of compact cameras, and some have capabilities that pretty much no phone can match. This list calls out the few that are still available and looks at what they're good for – because there are still cases where a compact camera is a great option.

Our recommendations:

• Enthusiast camera
  • Best enthusiast compact: Canon PowerShot G7X III
  • Best do-it-all compact: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII
  • Best interface: Leica D-Lux 8

• Waterproof cameras
  • Best waterproof compact: OM System Tough TG-7

• Long zoom camera
  • Best long-zoom camera: Panasonic FZ1000 II
  • Best ultra-zoom camera: Nikon Coolpix P1100

• Vlogging cameras
  • Best vlogging compact Sony ZV-1 Mark II

Enthusiast compacts

The final niche in which it's difficult for a smartphone to compete is for enthusiast photography. No matter how good smartphone image quality gets, it's difficult for a phone to provide the feeling of connection to the process of taking photos that an enthusiast compact with lots of direct controls can offer.

We've picked cameras with large sensors that deliver good image quality, zoom lenses and direct controls. Several have built-in electronic viewfinders for shooting when it's bright outside, again giving a more pleasant experience than a smartphone.

Best enthusiast compact: Canon PowerShot G7 X III

20MP Type 1 Stacked CMOS sensor | 24-100mm equiv. F1.8-2.8 lens | 4K/30p video capture

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

The Canon PowerShot G7 X III is an enthusiast compact built around a 20MP Type 1 (116mm²) Stacked CMOS sensor with a bright 24-100mm equivalent F1.8-2.8 zoom.

The large sensor, and zoom that covers a really useful range help set it apart from a smartphone but it's clicking control dial around the lens and the dedicated exposure compensation dial that really help you feel you're in the driving seat of the photo-taking process that makes us enjoy it so much.

This camera is frequently out of stock, but in February, Canon told investors it was ramping up production of its compacts, citing the popularity of the G7 X III.

Read our Canon Powershot G7X III review

See the Canon Powershot G7X III studio scene

Also worth considering

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VA is also worth a look as it offers a short, bright 24-70mm equivalent zoom. That's less range than the Canon, but we've found it to be more consistently sharp on the units we've tested. It has a pop-up viewfinder, adding to the appeal but also to the price. The Sony's autofocus is faster and more dependable than the Canon's but we prefer the handling of the Canon, thanks to its exposure compensation dial and clicking front control wheel. It's also worth noting that it charges via micro USB instead of using the near-ubiquitous USB-C connector found on the G7 X III.

Best do-it-all compact: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII

20MP Type 1 Stacked CMOS sensor | 24-200mm equiv. F2.8-4.5 lens | Hybrid AF system

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII is built around a 20MP Stacked CMOS sensor and a long, flexible 24-200mm equivalent lens. It's not as bright at the long end as the zooms on the Mark VA or the Canon G7 X III but it provides a lot more reach, still in a compact package.

Read our Sony RX100 VII review

See the Sony DSC-RX100 VII studio scene

Best interface: Leica D-Lux 8

17MP crop of Four Thirds sensor | 24-75mm equiv F1.7-2.8 | 4K video

Photo: Richard Butler

The D-Lux 8 combines an enjoyable shooting experience with a large sensor and bright lens. It's expensive, for sure, but is one of the few enthusiast compacts to receive a refresh in recent years, so we felt we should include it.

Read our Leica D-Lux 8 review

See the Leica D-Lux 8 studio scene

Waterproof cameras

Waterproof cameras are another specialty that smartphones can't necessarily displace. Many flagship phones are waterproof to a decent degree but you shouldn't try to submerge them to any appreciable depth. Waterproof cameras also tend to be pretty rugged, designed to withstand a lot more mistreatment than a phone will withstand, meaning you can carry them with you at all times, without ever having to worry about it. Great for bikers, climbers and custodians of small, inquisitive but not necessarily careful children.

Best waterproof camera: OM System Tough TG-7

25-100mm equiv. F2.0-4.9 lens | 12MP Type 1/2.3 sensor | Waterproof to 15m (50ft)

Buy now:

The OM System Tough TG-7 is a rugged, waterproof compact with a 25-100mm equivalent zoom lens. It is fully waterproof down to a depth of 15m (50 ft).

The OM System isn't the only rugged waterproof still on the market, nor the cheapest, but it has several major factors in its favor. The first is that it lets you shoot Raw images, which gives you the ability to correct the white balance, which even the best cameras tend to get wrong when shooting underwater. Another factor is that there is a range of accessories for the TG-7, including a light guide that directs light from the built-in flash into a circle around the lens, letting you illuminate close-up objects.

Beyond this there are a few details that different users may find handy: it has an unusually wide-angle lens with a bright maximum aperture, helping the performance underwater and in low light. It also has a built-in GPS, compass and pressure sensor that lets you log your adventures. These all add up to a camera that's worth the added expense, we feel.

Read our hands-on with the OM System TG-7 article

Long zoom cameras

Perhaps the greatest weakness of smartphones is their lack of zoom capabilities. Many of the best phones have a camera with a slightly longer focal length and then try to crop into their images and use AI algorithms to try to approximate the fine detail to give the impression of zooming, but this has its limits.

Dedicated cameras aren't constrained by the need to slip into your pocket, which can afford them the space to have an optical zoom lens to gain you more reach than your smartphone can deliver. There can be a trade-off: the small sensors required to put lots of zoom in a relatively small camera will be outshone by the computational cleverness that modern smartphones will bring to bear on their images. But superzoom cameras can gain you the kind of reach that no current smartphone can get near.

Best long-zoom camera: Panasonic FZ1000 II

20MP Type 1 BSI-CMOS sensor | 25-400mm equiv. F2.8-4 lens | 4K/30p video capture

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

The FZ1000 II predates Panasonic's switch to phase-detect autofocus, so it tends to hunt for focus. However, it can shoot at burst rates up to 7fps, and its 25-400mm equiv F2.8-4 lens gives you plenty of reach while still offering a fair amount of light-gathering ability.

Read our Panasonic FZ1000 II review

See the Panasonic FZ1000 II studio scene

The retired champ

In its day, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 IV offered better performance and autofocus than the Panasonic, though at a substantially higher cost. In 2024, however, it's no longer available at retail, and the FZ1000 II is. If you manage to find an RX10 IV somewhere and are interested in a long-zoom compact, it's still worth snapping up – it's possible it'll be the best of its kind that was ever made.

Best ultra-zoom camera: Nikon Coolpix P1100

16MP 1/2.3" BSI-CMOS sensor | 24-3000mm equiv. F2.8-8 lens | 4K video capture

Photo: Barney Britton

The Nikon Coolpix P1100 is a very slightly refreshed version of the P1000, with the biggest difference being the adoption of a USB connector. Its Type 1/2.3 (6.17 x 4.55mm) sensor will be out-performed by a good smartphone's clever merging of multiple images but the Nikon's gargantuan 24-3000mm equiv lens is its selling point.

The small sensor means image quality isn't the camera's strength, but its frankly ludicrous zoom reach means it can photograph distant subjects in a way no other device (smartphone or dedicated camera) can.

Read our review of the existing P1000 model

See the Nikon Coolpix P1000 studio scene

Vlogging cameras

Smartphones are great for vlogging, but a dedicated vlogging camera can shoot better quality video, have more sophisticated microphones (and provide options for connecting better mics), and can autofocus very reliably, dependably delivering YouTube-ready footage.

Best vlogging camera: Sony ZV-1 Mark II

20MP Stacked CMOS sensor | 24fps burst shooting | 4K/30p, 1080/120p video

Photo: Shaminder Dulai

Buy now:

The Sony ZV-1 Mark II is one of three ZV-1 models and is by far the best. Its wide-angle 18-50mm equivalent F2.8-4.0 lens is ideally suited to self-shot video. Its excellent autofocus includes options such as 'Product Showcase' that focuses on the presenter, unless an object is held up to the camera.

See the Sony ZV-1 Mark II studio scene

Why you should trust us

This buying guide is based on cameras used and tested by DPReview's editorial team. We don't select a camera until we've used it enough to be confident in recommending it, usually after our extensive review process. The selections are purely a reflection of which cameras we believe to be best: there are no financial incentives for us to select one model or brand over another.