Photography is a hobby that just about everyone can get in to, but not everyone is able to afford the higher-tier DSLR cameras that can end up costing more than a car in some cases.

Along with this, it’s not always feasible to carry around a fully camera kit, complete with extra lenses and bag. For these reasons, among others, it might make more sense for a budding photographer to instead focus on compact cameras.

A compact camera is a modern digital camera that, while not as powerful as a proper DSLR, tend to come at a cheaper price without too much of a loss of image quality. These are some of the very best compact cameras available to buy right now.

Panasonic Lumix LX 100 II

Panasonic has always been the forefront of compact camera design, and their Lumix 100 II is perhaps their best offering yet. It offers the perfect mixture of quality and portability, meaning that it can fit into most bags while still being capable of taking great shots.

It’s a new version of the original LX100, which was a favourite for hobbyists for years, but it eventually lost its lustre. Along with decent picture quality, the 100 II is also able to capture video in 4K resolution, making it a good choice for some basic videography.

Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 VII

A slightly more expensive offering compared to the Lumix, the Cyber-Shot is nonetheless a good investment, and has always been one of Sony’s biggest sellers. It boasts a 24-200mm zoom range – impressive for such a small device – as well as an electronic viewfinder that’s able to pop up.

The main lens consists of a one inch 20.1-megapixel sensor, and the RX100 VII can take videos in 4K. It also comes with a fair amount of functionality built right in, but all of this comes at a high cost. For those that have the money to spend, the Cyber-Shot is an excellent choice.

Canon Powershot G1 X Mark III

Canon is arguably the most well-known name in the camera industry, and devices like the G1 X Mark III are part of the reason why it remains a favourite for photographers of all skill levels. Closer to a true DSLR than a compact camera, the Mark III is still small enough to carry around easily.

It’s among the priciest options available, but the cost means that the photographer will have access to a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor, identical to the one that can be found on the brilliant EOS 80D – the perfect device to spend online casino Sri Lanka winnings on. Zoom is also a strong aspect of this camera, although the aperture does lose quality significantly the more an image is zoomed in.

Sony ZV-1

The ZV-1 is not just a cheaper version of the Rx100 despite some similarities. The ZV-1 ships with an almost entirely new design, however, and it’s a top choice for those that like to vlog.

Video capture quality is high, but it’s important to know that both zoom and stabilisation are not strong suits of this device. Regardless, it remains a recommended choice thanks to its excellent video-taking functionality.