The X10 is the more practical sibling of
the retro-tastic X100 – but that doesn’t mean it’s any less awesome or chic,
Old-school nods include manual zooming on the 18 – 112mm-equivalent lens,
faux-Vulcanite body covering, an engraved top plate, a threaded cable release
socket on the shutter button, and an optical eye viewfinder that’s way bigger
and brighter than those on its super-compact rivals. It’s also packing a bigger
sensor than its competitors – throw in that pin-sharp lens and super-fast
autofocus and you have incredible image quality in any given situation
Killer feature
The best image quality of any compact we’ve
ever used
Ratings: 5/5 stars
Gorgeous retro styling, a superb viewfinder
and fantastic photos make for a compelling package
Canon PowerShot S100 $549 - 5/5 stars
Tiny and unassuming, the S100 nevertheless
packs an almighty photo punch. RAW shooting, GPS and a plethora of art filters
and manual controls are backed up by great photo and 1080p video quality, as
well as wonderfully simple ergonomics
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V $452 - 5/5 stars
It’s not the most compact of compacts but
the 18MP HX20V builds on the success of the HX9V beautifully. The
headline-grabber is the 20x optical zoom with serene image stabilization and
unrivalled video. A superb compact that’s ready for anything at all.
Nikon Coolpix AW100 $355 - 5/5 stars
The 16Mp AW isn’t just one of the nicest
looking tough cams out there (check out the fetching camo finish). It’s also
one of the best-specced. Want proof? How do a 5x optical zoom, the best
geo-tagging we’ve seen and a great panorama mode grab you?
Nikon Coolpix P7100 $557 - 5/5 stars
Building on the strengths of the P7000,
this advanced compact’s improved controls have finally pushed Canon’s excellent
G12 out of the top 10. Amazing image quality is backed up by sturdy
construction and enough dials to keep even hardy pros happy
Nikon Coolpix S9100 $266.5 - 5/5 stars
An 18x zoom is the headline feature here,
aided by dual image stabilisation. You can get bigger zooms, but if you want something
that’s compact and stylish, the idiot-proof S9100 is the way to go. Shots are
sharp with vivid colors and good low-light abilities
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ20 $274.5 - 5/5 stars
Rocking GPS and manual controls, the TZ20
has an ‘Intelligent Zoom’ that extends the 16x optical zoom to 21x and an easy
to use touchscreen. It’s also built like a tank but most importantly, it
delivers classy pics. It’s keeping the TZ30’s seat warm ’til we review it
Canon IXUS 125 HS $290.5 - 4/5 stars
A surprisingly powerful camera given its
tiny dimensions, the IXUS 125 HS has stripped-back controls, 5x optical zoom
and no fewer than 58 different settings in auto mode. It’s not one for
enthusiasts, but neither does it compromise on image quality
Olympus XZ-1 $411.5 - 4/5 stars
With a super-fast f/1.8 Zuiko lens, the
XZ-1 thrives in the kind of low-light conditions that would terrify most
compacts. Manual controls are easily changed via the lens ring and there’s a
wealth of art filters, but its photos aren’t the last word in sharpness
Leica D-Lux 5 Titanium $1372.5 - 4/5 stars
As with all Leicas, the D-Lux 5 Titanium is
a beautiful thing. It also takes very nice pictures and sports that
all-important red dot – but you can get more for your money elsewhere. The X2
with an APS-C sensor is now on sale, but it’ll set you back $2542.9
Instant expert
Sophie
Charara she’s got lens flair
Faffing about in touchscreen menus is one
way to tell the world you’re a photography newbie. We’d always rather have
metal buttons, levers and dials, even when squeezed on to skinny compact
cameras such as the 10.1MP Panasonic Lumix LX7 ($). So although the LX7’s 3in
LCD display won’t respond to your prods, there’s ample compensation to be found
in its mode dial, aperture ring around the fixed lens and switches for changing
aspect ratio and focusing modes (AF, manual, macro). There’s no optical
viewfinder as on the X10 at No.1, but in its favor the LX7 does have a
super-bright 24mm f/1.4 Leica lens, which produced impressive shots in the
hands-on time we had with it. We’ll give it a full review soon to see if it
takes the top spot
“With its super-fast f/1.4 lens, the LX7
might just topped the X10”
What to look for
1.
Resolution
The number of megapixels is rapidly
becoming irrelevant. So long as you’re in double figures you’ll be Ok, so move
on and focus on the things that really matter, such as…
2.
Picture quality
The only hands-on time you’re likely to get
is in an artificially lit shop. This will tell you nothing about picture
quality, so read reviews and check out shots taken with your potential snapper
on sites such as Flickr
3.
Features
Think about how you’re likely to use your
camera and priorities features such as size, style, ruggedness and whether you
want in-depth control or an idiot-proof interface
4.
Swapping lenses?
There’s now a middle ground between
compacts and DSLRs Nikon, Olympus, Panasonix, Ricoh, Samsung and Sony make
‘compact system’ cameras. The best of these can now be found in our DSLRs top
10 – take a look if you’ve outgrown your compact
