SHARP SHOOTERS

Zooming in on the best advanced compact cameras

Sure, it’s tempting to take photos on your smartphone – after all, it’s right there in your pocket. But there’s still a gulf between the capabilities of a phone and a dedicated camera. First off, the zoom on a camera is optical, not digital. Even the most advanced phones with multiple lenses can only snap the bestquality image at certain points. The rest is digital zoom, which is really just a way of cropping the image and loses resolution. With a camera’s adjustable lens, every shot has full resolution.

Second, the image sensor on a camera is much bigger than a smartphone can manage. A bigger sensor means bigger pixels, capable of drawing in more light faster. No smartphone can match this – for the light from the lens to cover the entire sensor, you need a bigger distance between sensor and lens than is possible if the phone is to be anything like slim. Look for camera sensors that are an inch or bigger in size for outstanding results.

Basic compact cameras are cheap but often mean average quality. Advanced compacts, however, boast larger sensors, usually found on even pricier models such as SLRs and compact system cameras (see box overleaf). Unlike those, compacts don’t have interchangeable lenses – which in turn means there’s no danger of dust getting into the camera body.

The latest advanced compact cameras offer a great balance between features, size and price and are ideal for taking on your trips. Here are some to consider.