1. Panasonic Lumix TZ60/ZS40
The Panasonic Lumix TZ60, or the Panasonic Lumix ZS40 as it's known in the US, is a well-equipped travel compact camera featuring a long, 30x optical zoom lens, electronic viewfinder, a control ring to expedite settings adjustments, and raw shooting.
Image stabilisation and autofocus performance have also been improved. At the heart of the camera is 1/2.3-inch 18-million-pixel sensor, and although this offers the same pixel count as its predecessor, a new design improves overall image quality, particularly at higher ISOs.
Travel cameras need to be versatile, so the Panasonic TZ60/ZS40 features a Leica DC VARIO-ELMAR lens with a range of 4.3-129mm (equivalent to 24-720mm in 35mm terms). However, the maximum aperture range is not the widest, at f/3.3-8. The EVF has a second less to reduce chromatic aberration and improve image quality, making it easier to compose images in bright sunlight than via the rear screen. To help keep your shots sharp on the move, there is also a five-axis Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) system to compensate for five directions of movement or rotation.
2. Fujifilm X-E2
The Fujifilm X-E2 offers a few modest, but noticeable, upgrades over its predecessor, the X-E1. It still utilizes a 16-megapixel APS-C X-Trans image sensor, but adds on-sensor phase detection for quicker autofocus. Also new to this camera is integrated Wi-Fi, a sharper rear display, and a slightly reconfigured control layout. The X-E2 delivers excellent image quality, even in dim light, and gives you access to a library of excellent lenses. It's a little pricey compared with the competition, so it doesn't quite oust the Sony Alpha 6000$548.00 at Amazon as our Editors' Choice for mirrorless cameras, but it's a solid choice if you value the Fujinon lens system and X-Trans sensor design over the absolute speed that the Alpha 6000 delivers.
3. Sony HX60V
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX60V is a premium travel-zoom camera. Featuring a 30x zoom lens with a focal range of 24-720mm, 20.4 megapixel back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor, Bionz X processor, Wi-Fi/NFC connectivity and built-in GPS tracking, the HX60V also offers 50p Full HD video recording with stereo sound and HDMI output. Other key features of the Sony HX60V include a 3 inch LCD screen with 921,000-dots, Multi Interface Shoe, Multi Terminal for using a remote controller, fast 0.1 second auto-focusing, 10fps burst shooting mode at full resolution, ISO range of 80-12,800, Optical SteadyShot with Active Mode, full P/A/S/M manual controls, artistic Picture Effect modes, Intelligent Sweep Panoramas, and support for both Memory Stick PRO Duo and Secure Digital cards. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX60V is available in black or silver for around £340. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX60 model doesn’t have GPS and retails for £330. Note that neither model is available in the USA.
4. Nikon P600
Nikon’s Coolpix P600 is, at heart, a Nikon Coolpix P520 with a new 60X zoom. The new zoom seems better in most areas than the 42X zoom that graced the P520. I was surprised at just how sharp my telephoto images were, especially when I compared them to images from the similar (50x zoom) Canon Powershot SX50 HS and the Nikon P510 (42x zoom).
5. Sony Alpha a6000
The new a6000 sits in the same place in Sony's mirror-less lineup and offers a broadly similar feature set, but adds a number of significant new features (while also losing the NEX moniker of its predecessor). The resolution and processor have been bumped up, the most notable feature on the a6000 is its updated Hybrid AF system.
Where the NEX-6 had 99 phase-detect points covering approximately 50% of the sensor, the a6000 has 179, with 92% coverage - by far the most comprehensive of any contemporary camera. This, combined with the new Bionz X processor, allows the camera to shoot continuously at 11 fps with subject tracking, according to Sony. The company also claims that the a6000 has the fastest AF performance on the market, though those statements should always be taken with a grain of salt.
The only major losses are that the a6000 utilizes Sony's lower resolution, SVGA viewfinder, rather than its top-end XGA panel. It also loses the NEX-6's level gauge - which seems like an odd thing to remove, just to help it hit a lower price point. However, those cost-cutting measures seem to have worked: the a6000's list price is $100 lower, at $649, than the NEX-6's was at launch.
6. Olympus TG-3
In the past, digital compact cameras needed large plastic boxes that surrounded the entire body before you could take any underwater pictures. Actual underwater cameras had large, thick bodies that protected against water and butter fingers. It can be argued that Olympus pioneered the camera that was fully protected yet also looked like a normal camera with the Tough series. Sadly, this saw off the celebrated Mju cameras as Olympus decided that a weatherproof camera wasn't as necessary in the market when they could amalgamate the best bits of Mju into Tough. The result of this union shows through in the latest offering in the Tough range, with the TG-3.
From a distance, it looks like any other shockproof and waterproof compact camera with a chunky grip, pronounced buttons and oversized bezel. However, take the latter for example. The silver disc that surrounds the lens can be removed so that you can fix lens attachments to the camera such as an LED light guide and lens converters. The bezel is fitted with a rubber ring so when it's attached no liquid gets in which is a nice touch.
These days it's all about how versatile the camera is and how much punishment it can take. The Olympus Tough TG-3 has an impressive specification. The lens has a fast f/2 aperture for better low light photography. It will mean allowing faster shutter speeds at lower ISO which is great for underwater where natural light is a premium. The zoom is at a modest 4x optical but given that a large zoom will reduce the quality of the image as it's at the extreme ends, that's not such a bad thing.
7. Nikon D5300 w/18-55mm
Nikon D5300 DSLR Camera features a DX-format 24.2 megapixel sensor and EXPEED 4 image processor to produce high-resolution still imagery and full HD video with notable low-light sensitivity to ISO 12800 and a fast continuous shooting rate of 5 fps. The sensor design omits the traditional optical low-pass filter in order to gain the utmost sharpness and resolution from both photos and videos. Complementing the imaging assets are both a versatile 39-point autofocus system, with nine cross-type sensors, and a 2,016-pixel RGB sensor for precise exposure metering in a wide variety of lighting conditions. Additionally, 1920 x 1080p movie recording is supported, in multiple frame rates up to 60 fps, with full-time continuous auto focusing capabilities.
The compact, yet durably designed, camera body incorporates both an optical pentamirror optical viewfinder along with a large 3.2" 1,037k-dot vari-angle LCD monitor, which features a 180° swivel design to better support working from high and low angles. Also integrated into the D5300 are both Wi-Fi and GPS modules, which enable advanced image sharing capabilities as well as location-based image tagging. When paired with an Android or iOS mobile device, remote viewing and control over the shutter release is possible from a distance and a vast network of pre-populated Points of Interest adds to the overall geotagging functionality.
8. Samsung NX Mini
Samsung has hit the re-set button on its MILC lineup, starting with the strikingly small NX Mini, which is built around a 1-inch sensor, rather than the previous APS chip. The smaller chip size means smaller lenses and a smaller camera, but since the lenses are interchangeable you still get a wide focal range. The result? A versatile camera that will fit in a pocketbook or carry-on with room to spare.
9. Olympus Tough TG-3
The freshest entry in Olympus’s Tough TG series, the TG-3 is equipped with a 16MP BSI CMOS sensor, as well as the TruePic VII processor that we saw on the excellent Olympus O-MD E-M1. If you want to get up close and personal with your subjects then the TG-3 has you covered with Advanced Super Macro mode, which includes a 40x microscope mode, focus stacking and focus bracketing.
The TG-3 is shockproof from heights of 2.1 metres, crushproof to weights of 100kg, dustproof, freezeproof to -10°C and waterproof to depths of 15m. It’s a little more expensive than the D30, but if your budget can stretch then it is the superior tough camera.