Find the ideal compact camera for your needs — from family moments to birds on the far side of the lake.

For everyday and family photos

The Kodak Pixpro FZ55 weighs just 105 grams, so it fits in a jacket pocket or small bag and is ready to come along to birthdays, outings, and school events. The 5x optical zoom brings you closer to the action without losing sharpness, unlike zooming in with your fingers on a phone.

Image stabilization helps prevent blurry photos when shooting one-handed, while the built-in flash is useful for indoor photos. With a single charge, you can take around 200 photos—enough for a full day trip.

For children who want to print their photos

The Denver KPC-1370 prints photos on the spot on thermal paper, without ink, so children can hold what they’ve just taken and stick it in a notebook or on the wall. The 2.8" screen is large enough to preview what they’re photographing before pressing the button.

It also records Full HD video, has a flash and saves photos to a microSD card. In their reviews, parents note that it has a selfie mode, filters and simple games, and that the printing paper is inexpensive.

For the beach, pool and outdoor adventures

The Kodak Pixpro WPZ2 is waterproof, so you can take it underwater for photos and not worry about splashes at the pool. It’s also resistant to dust and drops, making it a great fit for sandy beaches, hiking and use by children.

With 4x optical zoom, Full HD video and image stabilization, it captures your holiday from the shore to the seabed, while Wi-Fi lets you send photos to your phone. One user recommends adjusting the settings manually for underwater shots to get better results.

For distant subjects: birds, sports, concerts

The 42x optical zoom on the Kodak Astro Zoom AZ425 brings a heron on the far side of the lake, a player on the field or a singer on stage closer from the stands. Image stabilization keeps shots sharp at full zoom, where even the slightest hand movement shows.

The viewfinder lets you frame your shot with your eye to the camera, for a steadier view without sunlight reflecting off the screen. At 444 grams, it feels like a small DSLR in your hand. It records Full HD video and features a 20MP sensor.

For travel with powerful zoom in a compact body

The Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ99 packs 30x optical zoom into a 322-gram body, so on your travels you can capture both an entire monument and the details at its summit without carrying a bag full of lenses.

The 3" tilting touchscreen flips around to face you for selfies and shots from high or low angles. The sensor is 20.3MP, image stabilization helps when zooming, and Wi-Fi lets you transfer photos to your phone to share them from your hotel.

For retro photos from a keychain camera

The Kodak Charmera is a digital camera that hangs from your keys like a keychain and weighs 30 grams. It takes 1.6MP photos with a retro feel, as users describe it, and has a viewfinder so you can frame shots like with old cameras.

It’s not a camera for high-quality photos. It’s for snapshots with friends, its filters, and as a gift. It comes in a surprise box with a random color, and reviews suggest picking up a microSD card too.

A compact camera earns a place alongside your phone when it offers something your phone can’t: optical zoom, water resistance, instant printing, or simply a different look. Before choosing one, think about where you’ll use it most and which of these features you need.

This article was created with the help of AI and reviewed and edited by the Skroutz team.