I have an oldish SLR and a newish 'bridge' camera but they rarely leave the house. I'm looking for a camera that I can stick in my pocket that will take better pics than my phone (Pixel 9). This may be a tough ask as the Pixel 9 takes very good photos but I'm interested in other people's views on a pocket camera.
TBH when I bought my Pixel 8 Pro it was mainly to remove the need for me to take a pocket camera at all. I was using a Lumix TZ40 for its nice optical zoom and although the Pixel only does 5x rather than 20x optiocal zoom it works well in most scenarios.
I asked a professional photographer this a couple of years back before a road trip down to Venice. It seemed a good excuse to get a small but good camera.
His answer was to upgrade my phone. I bought a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, which was their current model. It was great for close ups, pictures at speed, mountain vistas etc.
Googles current advice is : The top smartphones for camera quality in early 2026 are the Apple iPhone 17 Pro/Max for best overall performance and video, and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for the most versatile, high-resolution, and feature-rich setup. For AI-driven photography, the Google Pixel 10 Pro is the top choice.
Olympus Tg whatever is the latest model waterproof fits in a pocket takes ok pictures has under water mode, microscope mode for image stacking ( you can fit a ring light for better lighting)
I have used mine when kayaking and cycling for years and it’s been totally reliable.
A friend of mine is very keen amateur photographer - spends a lot of time and money going to the various photo honey spots, Iceland, Faroes, Namibia, Tanzania etc etc etc. The pictures she posts on insta with her iPhone (16) are indistinguishable from the ones taken with her "proper" camera. Of course for wildlife shots and similar special applications that will not be the case, but for landscapes (which is what she mostly does) the quality is amazing.
A smartphone with bias toward camera credentials/tech would be the obvious answer.
Best camera is the one that you've got with you - so phone.
Having said that, I'm going to recommend a second hand from mpb.com Panasonic LX100 again if you want a compact camera.
If you’re only looking to display your photos on a phone or tablet, the best phone you can afford will be good enough / generally indistinguishable from a proper camera. After all that’s the output they’ve been designed for.
If you’re looking to display on a decent sized monitor or print, you’ll get much better quality in the long run (once you’ve learned how to get the best out of it) from something like one of the Sony x100 series (if you want a zoom) or one of the Rioch GR series (if you want to learn to love a specific focal length).
A pixel 9 is capable of taking good photos. The pixels are up with the best phones
If you want the camera experience I’ve had good results with the original Sony rx 100, lots of versions all good. They are small which comprises the handling. But for me that was the correct compromise
Or the canon equivalent g7x mk iii i think
Here are some of my Rx100 photos
https://www.flickr.com/gp/john_clinch/1Xc3Wp7b66
Just remembered, I won a camera phone adaptor kit that let you stick proper lenses onto your camera. I never usedit beyond the first week as I don't do proper photography but I am sure such things must still exist. It seemed a good idea as you had your phone for 90% of the pictures but could spend 2 minutes getting this set up for those 'special' pictures.
Here is a pic of the different lenses that came with it.
Phones take great photo's but I'm never sure how much processing they are dropping in - even when they say they aren't. Plus there is the whole thing that basically if its been taken on your phone then its going to be stolen by grok etc what ever you turn off.
I do have a sony RX100 (4) but I've never gelled with it - its just so unintuitive and I genuinely don't like its ergonomics. It is small though.
Personally my choice is a camera that isn't connected to anything and also a camera thats nice to use and small enough to carry. Cheap second hand and you can buy a load of fun lenses for it from 7 artisans as well as the lovely fuji lenses.
https://www.kevinmullinsphotography.co.uk/blog/gear/fujifilm-x-e3-review.html
Phone is the obvious answer. My Pixel 6 still takes amazing images as long as you think about where and how they'll be viewed.
If you want a 'standalone' camera for the joy of using a dedicated device rather than producing decent photos (that your phone can do) then it depends on budget and what features you need.
If you have money to burn then a current model compact Sony (RX100) or Fuji (XV100) would be the thing to go for.
For VFM and bang for buck I'd second the OM SYSTEM TG-whatever (current one is the TG-7). No real manual mode and 'only' 12MP, but amazing macro modes (and lots of other 'feature' modes too), VERY tough, and really quite nice to use. Can get a couple of add-on lenses for it too to increase its versatility, as well as loads of other accessories.
The 'best' compact camera I've ever had was probably my Lumix TZ10 - great optical zoom, full manual, and solidly built. getting on a bit now, but if you can find a decent used one it might be worth a shot.
The compact camera I most enjoy using though is my cheap little Sony WX220. Used the same processing as their phones at the time, so brilliant point and shoot capabilities but with a reasonable optical zoom added on and physical controls. If it had 4K video I'd still be using it more than any other camera (and I have a few) I reckon.