RTINGS

If you'd prefer a compact camera with an optical zoom lens instead of the Fujifilm X100V, check out the Sony RX100 VII. It doesn't perform as well in low light due to its smaller sensor, but its built-in lens has a 24&ndash;200mm equivalent focal length that gives you a bit more flexibility to compose shots without moving and zoom in on further-away subjects. Like most Sony cameras, it has a fantastic autofocus system that smoothly and reliably tracks moving subjects. The camera can also shoot at a remarkable 20 fps in its high-speed continuous shooting mode. Overall image quality is excellent, but visual noise and loss of sharpness increase at higher ISO levels. The camera also lacks an optical viewfinder, though it does have a pop-up EVF, and it's incredibly compact.

Get the Fujifilm if you prioritize image quality and prefer to shoot through a viewfinder, but if you want more zoom range in a compact camera, go with the Sony.

If you're looking for a pocketable travel camera, consider the Sony RX100 VII. It can easily fit into a small bag or a coat pocket, and it's got a bright, tilting screen to help you shoot from different angles or take selfies. If you prefer to shoot through a viewfinder, it also has a pop-up EVF, though it's very small.

The camera's built-in zoom lens has a fairly long focal length, ranging from 24 to 200mm (full-frame equivalent), so you can zoom in on farther subjects. It can shoot at a remarkably fast 20 fps in its high-speed burst mode, so you can easily capture fast-moving subjects and busy street scenes. It has a fantastic autofocus system as well, with face and eye detection and reliable subject tracking. It takes excellent JPEG images right out of the box, with a lot of dynamic range and mostly accurate colors.

Unfortunately, like many compact cameras, it suffers from poor battery life and overheating issues. Thankfully, though, it supports USB charging, and you can keep using it while it charges, which is handy if you've got a portable battery pack. Its menu system is also hard to navigate because of its limited touch controls. Despite its flaws, this is still an excellent little pocket camera with a versatile set of features and unmatched portability.

If you'd prefer to use a fixed-lens compact while traveling, consider the Sony RX100 VII. Though it lacks the versatility of an interchangeable lens camera like the Sony &alpha;7C, it's an incredibly compact camera that can fit into a coat pocket, making it very easy to take traveling. Being a premium camera, you still get an advanced autofocus system that does a fantastic job tracking and keeping moving subjects in focus. Its built-in Zeiss lens covers a wide focal length range, from 24mm to 200mm (full-frame equivalent), so you can take wider shots or zoom in on far-away subjects. It also has a pop-up EVF, and though it's tiny, it can still be helpful to have in very sunny conditions. That said, it's not as comfortable to shoot with because of its smaller form factor. It also has a significantly shorter battery life than the &alpha;7C and performs worse in low light because of its smaller sensor.

Get the &alpha;7C if you want an interchangeable lens camera with a full-frame sensor. If portability and simplicity are your top priorities, the RX100 VII is a great alternative for travel.

The best travel camera that we've tested with a compact fixed-lens design is the Sony RX100 VII. This premium point-and-shoot is remarkably portable and can easily fit into a small travel bag or coat pocket. It has a pop-up viewfinder, but it's very small, so in most cases, you'll want to use the screen to compose your shots. Thankfully, the screen is bright enough to overcome glare, and it can flip up for selfies and vlogs.

The camera takes sharp, detailed photos thanks to its 20-megapixel sensor, although it's less suited to low light because of its small size and mediocre noise handling at high ISO values. Still, it has a built-in lens with a 24-200mm equivalent focal length, allowing you to zoom in on far-away subjects and giving you more control over framing without having to move. Its autofocus system also does an amazing overall job of tracking and keeping moving subjects in focus.

That said, the small size of the camera makes it less comfortable to shoot with since it lacks a handgrip and may feel a bit cramped for those with larger hands. You also can't use the touchscreen to navigate the menu, which isn't the most intuitive. As with most compact cameras, it also has a limited battery life, though this can vary depending on your settings and shooting habits. Overall, the dense feature set this camera offers in an incredibly portable package makes it one of the best cameras for travel that we've tested.

If you'd prefer a compact camera with a zoom lens, check out the Sony RX100 VII. It doesn't perform as well in low light as the Fujifilm X100V and has slightly worse image quality overall due to its smaller 1-inch sensor, but it's even more compact and has a built-in zoom lens. Its lens has a max 200mm full-frame equivalent focal length, so you can take wider angle shots or zoom in on subjects that are farther away. It also has a remarkable autofocus system that reliably keeps moving subjects in focus, whether taking photos or shooting video. That said, it's not as comfortable to use since it lacks a handgrip and has a more convoluted menu system. It has a disappointing battery life and suffers similar overheating issues, depending on settings and usage.

Get the Fujifilm if you prioritize image quality and like the idea of an optical rangefinder. If you need a point-and-shoot camera with a zoom lens, the Sony is a great alternative.

If you're looking for a point-and-shoot that's small and versatile enough for travel, check out the Sony RX100 VII. This premium compact camera is remarkably lightweight and portable yet still features a small pop-up EVF and a pop-up flash. Its built-in lens ranges from 24 to 200mm (full-frame equivalent), giving you the flexibility to zoom in on subjects that are farther away or take wider-angle landscape shots.

Like most Sony cameras, it has an incredible autofocus system with integrated subject tracking and face and eye detection. It does an amazing job of keeping moving subjects in focus even as they move around the frame. The camera's overall image quality is excellent out of the box, although sharpness begins to decline at higher ISO levels. Its high ISO performance is also unremarkable when shooting in RAW, but that's expected due to the camera's one-inch sensor, which is smaller than the sensor of an alternative like the Fujifilm X100V.

Unfortunately, its battery performance leaves a lot to be desired. It's only advertised to last for approximately 260 photos, and it lasts for under an hour when continuously recording high-quality video. To prevent overheating, you can only record 4k video in five-minute intervals by default, though you can turn this setting off if you'd like. Note also that battery life can vary with different settings and usage habits. Overall, this is still one of the best compact cameras we've tested, and it's a great option for travelers, thanks to its size and versatility.

The Sony RX100 VII is the best small travel camera that we've tested. This lightweight point-and-shoot is remarkably portable and can easily fit into a bag or pocket, so it's perfect for traveling. It has a bright touchscreen that can tilt out for lower-angle shots or flip up to face you for selfies, and if you prefer to shoot through a viewfinder, it even has a small pop-up EVF. It has a built-in zoom lens with a decently long focal length, meaning you can zoom in on subjects farther away.

This camera has an incredible autofocus system with 357 advertised detection points across a fair coverage area, and it reliably keeps moving subjects in focus, whether you're taking photos of moving subjects or shooting video. It also has a 'Subject Detection' mode that you can set to track people or animals. Its overall image quality is excellent, with a ton of dynamic range to bring out a wider array of detail, though it doesn't perform as well in low light at higher ISO settings.

Unfortunately, the camera has a disappointing battery life, although this can vary depending on your choice of settings and usage habits. It may also overheat and shut down when recording video continuously for longer sessions. Still, it supports USB charging, and you can keep using it while it charges over USB if you have a portable battery pack. Overall, this is a versatile little camera and one of the best travel cameras we've tested for most people.

If you want something more portable that will save you a bit of money, the Sony RX100 VII is an excellent choice and the best travel point-and-shoot camera you can get. Its zoom lens isn't as sharp or fast as the lens on the Fujifilm X100V, but it's a lot more versatile if you need to shoot subjects that are farther away. Plus, it's significantly more compact and has a simpler control scheme that makes it a bit more accessible than the enthusiast-oriented Fujifilm.

While it uses a smaller one-inch sensor, it's still larger than most compact cameras and smartphone sensors. You won't get quite the same level of image quality as you would with the X100V, but you'll still get solid photos out of this thing. Add in a fantastic autofocus system and very quick burst shooting, along with extras like a pop-up viewfinder and flash, and this is one of the most full-featured point-and-shoots around.

If portability is your top priority, and you want something a little more capable than the phone in your pocket, a premium point-and-shoot camera is the way to go. The Sony RX100 VII pretty much has all you can ask for in a compact fixed-lens camera, so it's no wonder Sony keeps releasing new iterations. This model uses a one-inch sensor that's a bit larger than most smartphone sensors, plus it has a versatile zoom lens for quality travel snapshots that can range from wider landscapes to close-ups of far-away subjects.

The best thing about this little powerhouse is that it can fit in a larger pocket or a small bag, meaning you can take it anywhere. It also has a tiny pop-up viewfinder, which isn't the most comfortable to shoot with but is nice to have on sunny days when it's harder to see the screen. Because it's a Sony, you can rest assured that the autofocus is reliably quick and accurate. Just be aware that compact cameras like this have limited battery life, but you can always bring a portable battery pack to charge it on the go.

If the Fujifilm X100V is a little too steep for you, the Sony RX100 VII is one of the best compact cameras on the market and comes in at a slightly lower price point. If you want a super portable camera that gives you a wide zoom range and plenty of features, the RX100 VII checks pretty much all the boxes. It does use a smaller one-inch sensor than the X100V, so image quality isn't quite as impressive, but it's still a lot better than most compact cameras and bigger than the sensors found in most smartphones. On top of that, it has a super versatile zoom lens, and it's much more compact than the Fujifilm, making it a better option for travel.

It's impressive just how many features Sony managed to pack into such a small camera, too. Snappy autofocus? Check. Blazing fast continuous shooting? Check. Fits in a coat pocket? Check. Plus, it has a pop-up viewfinder that's perfect for sunny days. Of course, battery life leaves a lot to be desired, but that's common among compact cameras as a whole. Though it isn't cheap, the RX100 VII is one of the best compact zoom cameras you can get, thanks to its sheer portability-to-performance ratio.

While it isn't cheap, the Sony RX100 VII is the best compact camera you can get for traveling. Sony somehow fits a 1-inch sensor, pop-up viewfinder and flash, large tilting screen, and a very solid zoom lens into an incredibly portable package. While it doesn't have the widest zoom range on this list (try the Panasonic LUMIX ZS80 below if you need more zoom), it still gives you a fairly long 24-200mm equivalent range, so you can take landscapes or zoom in on subjects that are farther away.

If image quality is your biggest priority, the premium Fujifilm X100V has a larger APS-C sensor that gives it an edge in noise and low-light performance. However, it isn't nearly as compact and has a less versatile fixed lens, making the Sony a better fit for travel. The RX100 VII also has Sony's reliably accurate autofocus system. That said, most compact cameras have disappointing battery life, including this one, but at least you get convenient USB charging.

Compact Camera Comparison