In 2011 I wrote two buying guides for digital cameras on my old blog (in Dutch): the best DSLRs, and the Sony Cybershot HX9V as the ideal compact travel camera. Those cameras have all disappeared from the market, and the camera world has changed completely since then. So forget my advice from back then: this is my buying guide for 2026.
What has changed since 2011?
- The DSLR era is over. Today you buy a mirrorless camera: smaller and lighter, faster and more accurate focusing, and the electronic viewfinder shows you right away what your photo will look like.
- Sony is the big winner. Sony pioneered full-frame mirrorless in 2013 with the first A7, and today it's the brand many enthusiasts and professionals choose, thanks to its top cameras and the largest choice of lenses.
- DJI and Insta360 conquered the market for vlog, action and 360-degree cameras. These two Chinese brands now sell more cameras than all mirrorless camera makers combined.
- The smartphone has replaced the cheap compact camera. You only buy a compact camera today for what your phone can't do: a very long zoom or a much bigger sensor.
The prices in this article are the lowest UK prices on idealo.co.uk on November 13, 2026. Under “Prices in other countries” you can compare them with the Netherlands (Tweakers), Spain, Germany and France.
1. Smartphones: the camera you always have with you
For most people the best camera today is simply their smartphone. The top models have improved enormously in recent years:
- Big sensors. The best camera phones have a main camera with a sensor up to 1 inch, as big as in a good compact camera. That means sharper photos with less noise, even in low light.
- Real zoom. Telephoto lenses with 3 to 10 times optical zoom let you shoot distant subjects without losing quality.
- Smart software. With every click your phone takes several photos and merges them in a split second. That gives you bright night shots, good colours against the light and portraits with a blurred background, without changing any settings.
- Excellent video. Filming in 4K with strong image stabilisation is standard on the more expensive models today.
- Always at hand. And you can share your photos with family and friends right away.
Which smartphones have the best camera? Read my article The smartphones with the best camera, featuring the Oppo Find X9 Ultra, the iPhone 18 Pro and the Vivo X300 Ultra, among others. Today you buy a separate camera for what a phone can't do: vlogging with a gimbal, 360-degree footage, filming from the air, a very long zoom, or the image quality and lenses of a real mirrorless camera.
2. Vlog, action and 360-degree cameras: DJI and Insta360
The fastest-growing cameras today are not mirrorless cameras, but small smart cameras for vlogging, sports and filming on your travels. That market is completely in the hands of DJI, known for its drones, and Insta360:
GoPro, for years the king of action cameras, sold almost half as many action cameras in that period as a year earlier. In Japan DJI (40.1%) and Insta360 (37.9%) were number one and two in action cameras, with GoPro only third, in 2025.
Gimbal cameras: for vlogs and travel
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DJI Osmo Pocket 4
1-inch, 4K, gimbalA small camera on a stabilised handle (gimbal): your footage is always smooth, even while walking. With 107 GB of built-in storage. For travel and vlogs often handier than a mirrorless camera.
Prices in other countries
360-degree cameras
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Insta360 X6
360°, 8KInsta360's newest 360-degree camera (August 2026). You film everything around you and choose the shot afterwards in the app. The selfie stick disappears from the image automatically.
Prices in other countries
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DJI Osmo 360
360°, 8KDJI's first 360-degree camera. A successor (Osmo 360 II) is now out, which makes this model a real bargain.
Prices in other countries
Action cameras
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DJI Osmo Action 6
Action cameraA rugged, waterproof action camera for the bike, the slopes or under water. GoPro's competitor.
Prices in other countries
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Insta360 Ace Pro 2
Action camera, 8KInsta360's action camera, with a lens developed together with Leica, and a flip screen.
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And from the air
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DJI Neo 2
Drone, 151 gramsA small drone that follows and films you while you cycle or walk. More in my article on the DJI Neo 2.
Prices in other countries
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DJI Mini 5 Pro
Drone, 1-inch, under 250 gA drone weighing less than 250 grams, yet with a large 1-inch sensor.
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3. Compact travel cameras
My 2011 Sony HX9V had a 16x zoom, Full HD video and GPS. Today there are only a few such travel cameras left, but the two best are real recommendations if you want more than your smartphone:
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Panasonic Lumix TZ99
1/2.3-inch, 30x zoom (24-720 mm)The modern version of my 2011 Sony HX9V: a huge zoom range in your pocket, 4K video and a flip screen. Weighs 332 grams. Downside: the small sensor, so photos get noisy in low light.
Prices in other countries
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Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VII
1-inch, 8x zoom (24-200 mm)According to RTINGS the best compact travel camera: a bigger sensor than the TZ99, so better photos in low light, and a pop-up viewfinder. Not cheap.
Prices in other countries
In doubt? First check what your smartphone can do. Today the more expensive models have a telephoto lens with 3 to 5 times optical zoom and often take better photos in low light than a compact camera with a small sensor. My picks are in The smartphones with the best camera. You’ll find all the other phones I tested in The most popular smartphones right now.
4. Mirrorless cameras: why Sony
Sony's big advantage is the lenses. Sony has shared the specifications of its lens mount (E-mount) with other manufacturers. So on a Sony you can choose not only from Sony's own lenses (the G and G Master series), but also from those of Sigma and Tamron, which are often almost as good for a much lower price. According to Sony, nine brands officially hold a licence, including Sigma, Tamron, Zeiss and Samyang. Sony already owns part of Tamron and in August 2026 proposed taking over the company completely. No other camera brand offers such a wide choice of lenses.
You can see it in the sales figures too: in Japan Sony has been the best-selling mirrorless brand for three years in a row (29.9% in 2025). Worldwide Canon still sells the most cameras, mainly thanks to cheaper entry-level models, but for top cameras and lenses Sony sets the standard.
My rule from 2011 still applies: good lenses easily cost between £150 and £1,500, so don't pick a body that's too cheap. The prices below are for the body only, without a lens, unless stated otherwise.
APS-C: smaller and cheaper
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Sony ZV-E10 II
APS-C, 26 MP, with 16-50 mm lensFor beginners or if you mainly film and vlog: small, light and with a screen that flips to the front. No viewfinder. The price below is for the kit with lens.
Prices in other countries
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Sony a6400
APS-C, 24.2 MPOn the market since 2019, but still the cheapest Sony with a viewfinder and fast, reliable autofocus. No in-body stabilisation.
Prices in other countries
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Sony a6700
APS-C, 26 MPSony's best APS-C camera: in-body stabilisation, AI autofocus that recognises people, animals and birds, and 4K video. Compact enough to take everywhere.
Prices in other countries
Full frame: the best image quality
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Sony A7 IV
Full frame, 33 MPFor years the most popular full-frame camera among hobby photographers. Now that the A7 V is out, it's a bargain for what it does.
Prices in other countries
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Sony A7C II
Full frame, 33 MPThe same image quality as the A7 IV in a much smaller body. Ideal for travel with a light lens.
Prices in other countries
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Sony A7 V
Full frame, 33 MPMy pick for the demanding hobby photographer: the newest all-rounder for photo and video, with a faster sensor and autofocus than the A7 IV.
Prices in other countries
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Sony A7R V
Full frame, 61 MPFor landscapes, architecture and studio work: so much detail you can crop generously.
Prices in other countries
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Sony A1 II
Full frame, 50 MPThe flagship for professionals: high resolution and extremely fast, for sport, wildlife and events.
Prices in other countries
My tips
- Invest in lenses, not just the body. A good lens lasts much longer than a camera and makes more difference to your photos. Be sure to look at Sigma and Tamron too.
- Mirrorless camera or an Osmo Pocket? If you mainly want beautiful photos, choose a mirrorless camera. If you mainly want to film while walking or travelling, a gimbal camera from DJI or Insta360 is smaller, simpler and cheaper.
- Shoot in RAW if you want to edit your photos afterwards. You get much more out of dark and bright areas.
- Get a fast memory card (UHS-II or CFexpress, depending on the camera) if you shoot bursts of photos or film in 4K.
Sources
- idealo.co.uk (UK prices from November 13, 2026), Tweakers Pricewatch (Dutch prices from November 12, 2026) and idealo.es/.de/.fr
- Digital Camera World: Sony on third-party lenses and the Tamron takeover
- Amateur Photographer: Sony number one in mirrorless in Japan for the third year running
- PetaPixel: Sony, Kodak and DJI, the big winners of 2025 (BCN, Japan)
- PetaPixel: worldwide camera market shares in 2025
- RedShark News: DJI and Insta360 in Q2 2026 (IDC)
- CineD: DJI and Insta360 now ship more than twice as many cameras as the mirrorless industry
- Expert Reviews: DJI Osmo Pocket 4 review
- T3: Insta360 Luna Ultra review
- T3: Insta360 X6 review
- RTINGS: the best compact travel cameras
- My original 2011 articles (Dutch)
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