- The Powerful
Street Magnet
Don’t underestimate its cuteness: The
little RICOH GR III, also new this March,
is a powerhouse of speed and resolution,
which makes it best for outdoor events and
capturing flurries of activity. If you want to
“dabble” in street photography but don’t want
to carry around a larger DSLR, the Ricoh slips
into a shirt pocket. It doesn’t come with a
built-in flash, though, and the lens is fixed, so,
no, you can’t zoom. $900- The Hypercompetent
Do-It-All
Elegant and rounded, the SONY
CYBER-SHOT DSC-RX100 comes with image
stabilization and a 10-frames-per-second
continuous shooting mode to capture a
scene fast. Don’t expect to zoom far with
this camera, but it can go up to 100mm
for a tighter shot. And the pictures look so
gorgeous, you’d think it’s a DSLR. Add in
superior on-the-go video capabilities, and it’s
a no-brainer multitasker. $448- The Nostalgic-for-
the-’90s Play
If vintage inspires you, grab a CONTAX T3.
This camera shoots 35mm film—yes, the
kind from “back then”—which you have
to get developed. It’s so old, it’s not in
production anymore; you’ll need to track
down an owner on EBay or another
secondhand site. But among film-based
point-and-shoots, it’s quite simply the best.
Its Carl Zeiss lenses produce vivid images,
and a built-in flash can light up the scene
from more than 7 feet away. From $1,500- The Status
Purchase
When the LEICA C-LUX came out in 2018,
it bridged the gap between an accessible,
easy-to-use compact and one that still
retains the brand’s prestigious analog aura.
A touchscreen quickly gets you to the
camera’s functions, and the body, though
small, still has solid heft. It also offers an
impressive zoom ranging from 24mm (very
wide) to 360mm (very tight), but with a
pedigree like this, the real fun is in the act
of shooting. $1,050- The Road Tripper
In addition to portability and 4K video,
Panasonic’s LUMIX ZS200 has impressive
zoom capabilities that don’t sacrifice
image quality. It has the same range, basic
dimensions, number of megapixels (20),
and weight (12 ounces) as the Leica C-Lux
but at a lower price. Consider it for your
safari vacation or the next U.S. Open—
situations when you’ll want to zoom in
without actually moving. $798- The Rough-
Terrain Handler
Waterproof down to 82 feet, able to sustain
falls from almost 6 feet, and functional
in temperatures as low as 14F, the FUJI
FINEPIX XP140 works well enough in places
it’s designed for—that is, underwater and
extreme environments. Other cameras can
capture higher-quality images, but rather
than risk your phone or an expensive digital
single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera, you can
stick this small model, which came out in
March, in your pocket before you dive into
the pool or scale that mountain.$26065Bloomberg Pursuits August 19, 2019
With the advent of the smartphone, the point-and-shoot camera would seem
redundant. The whole idea, after all, is a device that’s small enough to fit in a
pocket and requires you only to “point and shoot.” The category is nonetheless
having a creative renaissance after years of declining sales. At the two most recent
Met Galas, musician Frank Ocean and model Kendall Jenner brought along their
’90s-era Contax T3s to document the festivities. Think of the new point-and-shoot
as Gen Z’s version of the vintage Polaroid, but one that’s lighter, can take high-
definition video, and elevates the quality of your images in the quickest and most
space-effective way. Many new models can even be paired with phones, so you can
have your shot and Instagram it, too. We road-tested the latest offerings from Ricoh,
Fuji, and Panasonic—plus a few classics of the genre—and present six compact cam-
eras that deliver, whether it’s for a splash-prone pool party or a gala of your own.