From Sony to Olympus, the best small cameras to capture your outdoor adventures with
- Mobile phones are good, but if you want something to get that perfect picture an action camera is better
- Here are our top 4 pocket-sized cameras to help you capture those unforgettable moments out on the hills and trails
As the technology in mobile phones has improved, so have the cameras that come with them, making them great at capturing decent images and videos on the fly.
However, if you want something to get that perfect picture when you’re out biking, hiking or climbing around Hong Kong or elsewhere then a dedicated action camera is never a bad idea.
And if you really want your images and videos to stand out, but still want to keep things simple and pocket-sized then there are some superb options out there – both new and second-hand. Here’s our guide to some of the best for the job.
Sony DSC-RX100 VII
At around HK$8,000, this is a tiny and robust camera that comfortably slips into your pocket, but don’t let size fool you.
The camera has a 1 inch 20 megapixel sensor and an attached (35mm equivalent) 24-200mm f2.8-f4.5 lens. The 4K and slow motion video ability is also amazing for such a tiny camera.
For many years I’ve had an older model RX100 with me on all of my adventures, and with it’s great output quality, excellent battery life and ease of use is perhaps the ultimate pocket-sized camera available.
It’s also well worth considering buying a second-hand older model, which you can pick up for a fraction of the cost of a new one with similar level features.
Canon PowerShot G7X Mark III
Canon has long been the market leader for cameras, and when it comes to tiny point and shoot, they’ve had numerous great models over the years, and the latest G7X Mark 3 is no exception.
With an attached 24-100mm (35mm equivalent) f1.8-f2.8 lens, 1-inch sensor and 4K video this camera is capable of pro level results in a simple to use and robust package, and at HK$5,400 comes at a pretty good price too.
Fujifilm XT30 II
Although a relatively smaller camera manufacturer Fujifilm, have a quality and slowly evolving range of X series cameras, and all are quite different.
The XT30 Mark II is the smaller brother of the XT3 and the newer XT4, both of which are great semi-pro level cameras, although the XT30 Mark 2 offers much of their punch but in a far lighter and smaller package.
These are very powerful still and video cameras, and usually come bundled with the 15-45mm interchangeable “kit lens”. This is adequate, but when buying new I would strongly suggest swapping this and paying a little more for the 18-55mm lens, which costs HK$8,500 but is far better and faster.
That said, if you want this to be truly pocket-sized then you will need to go with either a fixed focal length 27mm “pancake lens” or an 18mm f2 lens, the smallest lenses in the Fuji line up.
Olympus TG 6
The least expensive of our choices at HK$3,300, this model is ideal if you’re looking for a very capable camera that’s extremely robust, waterproof, foolproof and easy to use.
Plus, you can drop the camera on the trail without worry, shoot during a sandstorm and of course also under water – this is what it’s made for.
The camera has a 12-megapixel sensor, shoots 4K video and has a 25-100mm (35mm equivalent) attached lens.
There is also built in GPS, compass, altimeter and thermometer, and at the price this is superb for rough and tough adventures, where you want to capture images in extreme situations without fiddling around.
