The Best Point-and-Shoot Cameras (Because Phone Pics Are Boring AF)

· Vice

Everyone has a killer camera in their pocket in the form of a smartphone: boring! Convenient? yes. And the quality is generally amazing. You could make a time traveler from 2005 faint by showing them what an iPhone or a Pixel could do with their camera lenses. But using a smartphone for real photography is, frankly, not much fun.

Luckily for you (and me, and all of us), there’s never been a more interesting time in which to shop for a point-and-shoot camera. No, really. I lived through the tail end of their initial dominance in the late ’90s and 2000s, and despite the newfound reverence for old Y2K point-and-shoots on eBay, the landscape of such cameras is cooler right now.

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There’s more variation, more inventive formats, more bonkers hybrids of film and digital so that no matter what you want to shoot, there’s probably an option for it. Hell, you can take vertical photographs on something that looks like what your grandmother might’ve once used. Or a digital camera that instant-prints little photographs right into your hand.

And if you’ve been contemplating replacing your smartphone with a dumbphone, only holding out because of your smartphone’s camera capabilities, then taking along a slim camera for your pocket will finally allow you to make the switch.

These are the best point-and-shoot cameras of 2026, from the finest models for serious photographers to purposefully low-tech film cameras that you wouldn’t mind taking to the beach.

Quick List: The Best point-and-shoot cameras at a Glance

how we chose the best Point and shoot cameras

I’ve gotten my paws on most of these, wandering around Brooklyn and taking photographs of cafés, classic cars, and stray cats.

Here’s why: Photographing architecture challenges lenses’ ability to eliminate distortion, because that sort of lens-induced warping shows up clearly on walls’ straight surfaces. Cars’ candy-colored paint jobs and reflective clear coats can highlight or play havoc with lighting and color balance. And cats—they’ll never stay still for a photograph, so only a camera with a decent shutter speed is going to capture a picture of a cat without motion blur ruining the shot.

The models I did not manage to test personally, like the Ricoh and Fujifilm X100VI, I got to know secondhand by consulting a pair of professional photographer friends who know these models like the backs of their hands. My pal Andy Bisdale, of Andrew Bisdale Photography, performs magic with cameras that most pros I know could only dream of, let alone a middling camera jockey like myself.

The Holy Grail (best OVerall): Fujifilm X100VI

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X100VI (opens in a new window)

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“The focal length on the Fujifilm X100VI is 23mm (35mm full-frame equivalent), which is sometimes regarded as closest to what the human eye sees,” says Bisdale. “Beyond that, it’s small, inconspicuous, and stylish, which is helpful if you’re looking for candid moments from strangers.”

Because the lens is a fixed focal length and non-removable, your only zoom is your legs. You’ll have to be extra mobile to get the shots you want, since getting a closer shot means getting physically closer. And you won’t be snapping photographs of far away animals at the zoo, for example. But for a point-and-shoot of extreme image quality, there’s none finer on the market.

The Street Photographer’s Friend (Most Portable): Ricoh GR IV

(opens in a new window) Ricoh

GR IV (opens in a new window)

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The Ricoh GR IV is a common sight among Brooklyn’s photography scene because it’s half the weight of the Fujifilm X100VI, and roughly 20 percent smaller. In particular, it’s much slimmer. That makes it an ideal camera to tuck into a pocket for impromptu photo sessions or as a backup to a larger camera.

Street photographers—those who wander around taking candid shots of people going about their usual tasks—lean on the Ricoh’s low-key presence. It’s small size doesn’t scream, “Hey, look! There’s a photographer nearby!” which is a boon for not ruining the authenticity of your shots. The Ricoh is a physically small camera but has a large image sensor, which equates to better image quality, says Bisdale, but the negative flip side of that is that they can’t zoom in or out.

Retro Film Travel Camera (affordable and Stylish): Lomography Lomomatic 110

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Lomomatic 110 (opens in a new window)

Available at Lomography Buy Now (opens in a new window)

This one is pure retro vibes, like something that Sean Connery’s James Bond would discreetly pull out on a train hurtling across Soviet Siberia or Audrey Hepburn would nonchalantly hold to her eye to take a droll picture of Space Age Manhattan. I had a ton of fun playing around with the Lomography Lomomatic 110, a film camera that uses 110-format film.

The 110 is an old film introduced in 1972 by Kodak for slim travel cameras that could be tucked into a pocket. Since its negatives are about half the size of 35mm negatives, the quality isn’t as good, but that’s not the point of a Lomography camera. The joy in using a Lomography is in its tactility. As I gushed about in my review of the Lomography Lomomatic 110, the camera slides open and closed (to protect the lens during storage and transport) with the most satisfying clunk, and the button pushes are crisp and satisfying.

the lomography lomomatic 110 bellagio edition – credit: matt jancer

The Lomomatic 110 isn’t the purposefully low-quality Lomography camera that provided for funky shots. It creates real, physical photographs that look quite stunning for the cost, especially if you’re using the right vintage-flavored color film. The slim, horizontal format is fun to use. Every time I use it I feel like I’m on vacation in Miami Beach and it’s 1975.

Read my Lomography Lomomatic 110 review.

Distraction Free (Best Digital Point and shoot): Camp Snap 2

(opens in a new window) Camp Snap

Camp Snap 2 (opens in a new window)

Available at Camp Snap Buy Now (opens in a new window)

The Camp Snap is a camera company I know well. Ever since it blew up on TikTok and Instagram in early 2025, I’ve been following the company’s growth from one model to a whole Camp Snap lineup that even includes a retro video camera. And I’ve taken a fair number of shots with the Camp Snap as I wandered around Brooklyn, so I know its good qualities and its faults.

Because our timing is impeccable (sigh), Camp Snap announced a replacement, the Camp Snap 2, just days after we published my review of Camp Snap that’s now been replaced. Because the Camp Snap 2 is built upon the original model and exists as an evolutionary step, not an all-new camera design, you can get a good idea of the Camp Snap’s charms, virtues, and vices by reading our existing review.

the original camp snap – credit: matt jancer

Like the original, the Camp Snap 2 is a digital camera with no screen on the rear. You take your shot, and that’s it. You can’t obsess over the photo you just took. Digital cameras have done many things for us, but one of the most annoying is their tendency to suck people out of the moment as they spend more time scrutinizing the photos they just took than enjoying the company and scenery around them. The Camp Snap is built without a screen to prevent that. I felt more present on my photo walks when shooting with the Camp Snap.

the original camp snap’s simple, screen-free back – Credit: Matt jancer

Its internal memory (no memory card needed) holds 2,000 shots before you have to offload them to a computer via a USB-C cable, and its rechargeable battery has enough juice for 500 photos before needing a recharge via that same cable. The Camp Snap 2 promises a faster shutter speed, which should alleviate that motion blur that popped up when I tried taking photographs of moving people, cars, and animals.

Check out my Camp Snap review.

Instant Gratification (Best instant camera): Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO

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Instax Mini EVO (opens in a new window)

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I have to admit that I had more fun shooting with the Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO than I’d anticipated. Granted, it’s not a cheap point-and-shoot at $220, but it gave me a level of control that I’m not used to in instant-print film cameras. There are 10 lens effects and 10 film effects (which function like filters) that you can select on the rear LCD screen. Once you’re happy with your shot, you can instantly print out a little 2- by 3-inch photograph.

the rear of the fujifilm instax mini evo – credit: matt jancer

But as I wrote in my Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO review, I had a ball grabbing pics of Summer-of-Love-inspired tequila advertisements, Brooklyn sidewalks baking in the warm orange light of sunset, and even a beautifully kept 1980s BMW lounging against the curb on a side street. On the Instax Mini EVO’s rear LCD screen, I could retake the shots that didn’t come out like I’d wanted, and then 10 minutes later at home I could print them off right in my hand. The best of both worlds.

Take a look at my review of the Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO.

When You Can Only Bring a Phone: Moment Lenses

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Lens Kit Builder (opens in a new window)

Available at Moment Buy Now (opens in a new window)

Yeah, I teased you into this one a bit. A whole guide about leaving your smartphone in your pocket or purse, or at home, and here I snuck in a mention of the Moment Lens Kit Builder. If you absolutely, positively can’t (or don’t want to) carry a standalone camera but still want more interesting photos than your iPhone can provide, Moment makes a range of wide-angle, fish-eye, macro, and telephoto zoom lenses that clip right over your phone’s camera lens cluster.

You can buy the lenses individually, but since you’ll need a Moment phone case that fits your particular phone, you may as well start with a customizable kit. That’s a relatively new addition to Moment’s online store, but a welcome one because you won’t end up paying for lenses you might not want, as you would buying a pre-made kit.

The downside is that Moment’s support for Android devices has been dwindling in recent years. They no longer develop or offer products for Samsung Galaxy phones, which is a surprise, given that the Galaxy line is the best-selling Android line in the US. Even its Google Pixel offerings are fragmented, although there is a case for the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL. Other than that, though, Moment lenses seem to be exclusively an iPhone phenomenon.

For Funky Vertical Pics (Best Vertical format): Fujifilm X Half

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X Half (opens in a new window)

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Oh, what a strange era we live in. Vertical photography has taken over the casual reaches of social media, most notably thanks to the influence of TikTok’s vertical video, and yet standalone point-and-shoot cameras are making a comeback. So what do you get when you combine the two? The Fujifilm X Half. Fujifilm calls it a “digital camera with an analog heart.”

It’s a strange one, it’s a fun one. Its APS-C sensor shoots the equivalent of 35mm shots, but it splits each shot down the middle. Rather than a typical horizontal photo, you end up with a vertical one. There’s no way to toggle the full sensor on or to take horizontal shots. You have to tilt the camera 90 degrees in your hand if you want that. But if you specifically want vertical shots to display on your site or social media feed with smartphone users in mind (and don’t want to be holding any other camera sideways all the time), the Fujifilm X Half is a fun, quirky take on a point-and-shoot camera.

Tiny Instant Film Friend: Polaroid Go Gen 3

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Go Gen 3 (opens in a new window)

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Here’s a fresh one for ya. The Polaroid Go Gen 3 only just came out in June 2026. About the size of a peach, if it were grown in a little wooden box so that it ended up vaguely squareish, the Go Gen 3 is Polaroid’s smallest camera. Despite its tiny chunk shape, it’s pocketable; maybe not in your jeans’ pocket, but in a jacket pocket or a purse, sure.

With no autofocus, Polaroid optimized the Go Gen 3’s fixed focus for close-up shots (but not, like, macro super-close shots). There’s no screen for checking what you just shot. You take the photo, and out comes a print (roughly 4.7cm square) on Polaroid Go Film. This little beast reminds me of a shrunken-down version of the 1990 Polaroid I used as a kid. It’s perfect for candid and impromptu shots, and at every party I’ve ever been to, the one with an instant-print camera like this has been the star of the show.

How’s a point-and-shoot different from a dslr?

The beauty of the DSLR was that the view through your viewfinder was, through an inventive system involving mirrors, exactly what the camera saw through its lens. When you’re looking through a point-and-shoot camera, you’re not seeing precisely what the camera will photograph. The angle is slightly off, whether you’re looking through a rangefinder at the top of the camera body or at an LCD screen on the camera’s back. Those who are extremely particular about lining up their shots will have to become familiar enough with their camera to adjust and compensate.

The trade-off is that a point-and-shoot camera is typically far less bulky and heavy compared to a DSLR, and it’s easier to tuck into a jacket pocket or a backpack, which is why they began to displace DSLRs in the 2010s. The software got better, the sensors got more powerful, and people who were on vacation in Japan or shooting photos of their kid’s graduation ceremony realized they didn’t have to cosplay a CNN cameraman by lugging a huge DSLR around their necks.

is film hard to find?

No, although you may feel very restricted in who you can buy it from. Film was, by the turn of the millennium, fairly standardized in the 35mm film format. There was APS, a kind of lower-quality film meant for cheap cameras that never really caught on, and Polaroid 600 film for Polaroid instant cameras, but that was about all you’d run into. Professional landscape photographers and proto-hipsters who wore tweed vests and smoked pipes may have busted out the odd medium- or large-format film camera, but these were niche film formats.

Nowadays all of these instant cameras have their own particular type of film. On the one hand, Lomography will sell you all the 110-format film for the Lomomatic 110 that you need, so you don’t have to worry about being unable to find it. But they’re also the only provider of 110 format film left in the world. Polaroid’s Go Film only works on the Polaroid Go camera. Likewise with Fujifilm’s Instax Mini film and the Fujifilm Instax Mini EVO camera. More so than 30 years ago, when you buy a camera you’re also buying into a specific brand of a particular film made just for that one camera. An ecosystem.

the bottom line

You can shoot incredible shots on a modern smartphone, far better than even the expensive digital cameras of a decade or so again. But photography has never been about specs or efficiency. The tool always comes second to the photographer. Some of photography’s best shots have come from a mixture of skill, love, and luck from photographers using so-so cameras.

Whether you’re just off the bulky, heavy DSLR wagon train for good and want a serious tool for taking digital images dripping with gorgeously crisp details and color, like the Fujifilm X100VI and Ricoh GR IV would allow, or if you just want a simple camera for fun that’s all about the experience of using it, like the Camp Snap 2 and Lomography Lomomatic 110, we’re living in a new golden age of point-and-shoot cameras.

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