Compact Camera News

It’s real and it’s coming. That’s the message we got from a new video showing the much-anticipated Zeiss ZX1 full frame compact camera being tested by a professional photographer during a street shoot.

Integral zoom lens cameras are often referred to as “bridge” cameras: the idea being that they bridge the gap between compact and DSLR models. If there’s a bridge connection here it’s in the rather incredible zoom range of the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV ($1,700, retail price) that spans the far shores of 24-600mm equivalency.

Zeiss made a big splash at the photokina show in Cologne, Germany last month when it announced the Zeiss ZX1, a compact camera with a Zeiss-designed, 37.4MP full-frame sensor. Today at the PhotoPlus Expo show in New York City, Zeiss officially took the wraps off the camera by displaying prototypes of the ZX1 for the first time.

Ricoh’s powerful GR series compact digital cameras have always had a cult following among travel photographers and street shooters who appreciate pocketable cameras with high-end optics, relatively large sensors, great build quality, and a full range of manual controls. The excitement is sure to grow, with today’s Photokina announcement of the Ricoh GR III, the latest model in the line.

As I confidently predicted last time, you can’t possibly please everybody when it comes to picking the best, the greatest, or the most influential cameras ever made. After we posted our list of The Top 20 Greatest Cameras of All Time, it came as no surprise that we received a ton of emails, varying in tone from pugnacious condemnation, to anguish, to polite suggestion, all begging to differ with our first top ten choices.

Designed to appeal to serious photographers and informal snapshooters alike, the family-friendly Leica C-Lux takes its place in the highly acclaimed Leica lineup.

Fujifilm just introduced a new compact camera, which it hopes can compete with the onslaught of smartphone cameras. Called the Fujifilm XF10, the pocket-sized, lightweight (just under 10 ounces) camera has a Fujinon 18.5mm F2.8 fixed lens.