Cameras with fixed lenses are often referred to as "compact", "bridge" and "point-and-shoot" cameras, and are usually smaller in size. The main reasons to get a compact camera for shooting concerts rather than just using your phone camera would be better image quality and/or zoom range.
If you want improved image quality but don't want to bother with interchangeable lenses, you have come to the right place. This part of our guide focuses on large-sensor compact cameras that will give you a noticeable step up in image quality compared to a phone camera. These cameras have a 1" sensor or larger, which means clearer images and better performance in low light compared to smartphones or more basic point-and-shoots.
If long zoom range is more of a concern, pop over to our list of superzoom compacts.
If you're looking for small interchangeable lens cameras, you should also check out lists of APS-C and Micro Four-Thirds cameras.
Since everyone started carrying a camera at all times; namely the one built into their phone, the traditional little "point-and-shoot" cameras started becoming obsolete. That is because the small image sensors of those dedicated cameras didn't offer any real benefits in image quality over what the phone camera already had, apart from optical zoom. The slow death of small consumer cameras was actually a good thing, though, since it forced manufacturers to up their game to compete with smartphones.
That is why today we can find small compact cameras with larger 1-inch sensors. which are about four times larger than most smartphones. Some even come with Four-Thirds and APS-C sensors, which used to be exclusive to more "serious" interchangeable lens cameras. This improved the image quality significantly and made compact cameras relevant yet again, for everyone who is somewhat into photography.
For concerts, these large sensor compacts are perfect, since they fit in your pocket, so you can bring them pretty much anywhere while giving you performance close to entry-level ILCs.
Image Quality vs. Zoom Range
As always - with physics as well as cameras - it's all about compromise, however. To stay compact, these large sensor cameras don't typically come with nutty super-zoom lenses, so you'll have to weigh how much reach you need against how much image quality you are willing to sacrifice.
For most concert shooters, the sweet spot for concerts would likely be a 1-inch sensor camera with a decent zoom, since you need a bit of flexibility even if you can get close to the stage.
High-End Compacts with Fixed Focal Lenght
Very popular amongst some photographers are high-end compacts with fixed high-aperture wide-angle lenses (Ricoh GR3, Fujifilm X100V, Panasonic LX100 etc.). Some professional concert photographers even use them for a bit of fun, since they're that good.
For most people, we would only recommend those as a secondary camera, though. Probably to someone who's already well acquainted with what specific focal length they like to use, and find wide-angle primes working perfectly for them. But still, since you can get a small Micro Four-Thirds body and a pancake lens for less money and get similar results, I have a hard time recommending those premium compact cameras, even to someone who doesn't care about swapping lenses.
Best Compact Overall: Sony RX100 VII
The RX100 from Sony strikes the perfect balance between image quality, zoom range and portability. The camera is well-renowned for its amazing image quality, especially for its small size. The secret behind it is that the camera has a substantially larger sensor than most compact and bridge cameras. While most compacts rock 1/2.3-inch sensors, the RX100 has a solid 1-inch sensor that is about four times larger. It also has a resolution of 20.1 megapixels, which is more than enough for any type of photography.
The lens has a max aperture of f/2.8 at the widest, going to f/4.5 at the longest, which gives it a pretty good low-light performance. The camera also supports RAW and video recording in 4K at 30 fps, with higher frame rates up to 960 fps in lower resolutions.
There are other compact cameras with a large sensor, but apart from Panasonic's offering below, few have a zoom range as generous as the RX100. Its built-in 8x zoom lens, has a focal range of 24 - 200 mm which is great for smaller venues, especially when you can get a spot fairly close to the stage, but should also work quite well even if you're a few rows back.
The RX100 VII also has a pop-up viewfinder, pop-up flash and a display you flip up or angle down if you're the type who finds joy in bothering the people behind you with overhead shots.
Sample Photos
To give a better idea of the RX100's greatness, check out some beautiful photos of the band CHVRCHES, taken with the RX100 VII by a photographer named Justin Higuchi. If you want more pics, check out the entire set on his Flickr page.
Less Zoom but Even Cleaner Images: Canon G5 X Mark II
The 5x (24-120 mm equivalent) zoom lens of the Canon PowerShot G5 X, MkII doesn't give you quite as long reach as Sony's flagship compact but offers a wider aperture of f/1.8-2.8 instead, compared to f/2.8-4.5 on the Sony. As a result, the G5 can often outperform the Sony by a hair in terms of raw image quality. A wider aperture gives you better low-light performance, resulting in cleaner, less noisy images. This is perfect for concerts since low light is one of the biggest hurdles to getting sharp, clean images.
Apart from a wide lens aperture, the G5 X also has very solid image stabilisation onboard, which is also very useful in dim lighting. This lets you shoot at a slower shutter speed, letting more light in whilst reducing camera shake.
The camera also supports RAW photography and video recording in 4K 30 fps, and 1080p at up to 120 fps. Similar to its rival from Sony, the G5 also has a pop-up viewfinder and a pop-up flash. Canon's display can be flipped up as well if you fancy a bit of selfie action and vlogging between the shows.
Another cool feature that the G5 X MkII has is a built-in 3-stop ND filter, which is handy for shooting and filming with a wide aperture in bright light without overexposing.
In summary, the G5 X has a lot going for it and for general purpose photography where you don't need a lot of zoom, it's arguably even better than the Sony. The G5 is usually a bit cheaper than the RX100 as well!
Sample Photos
Here are some concert photos by Stephen and Helen Jones, taken at the WOMAD 2023 festival with the G5 X Mark II. For more pics, check out Stephen and Helen's Flickr page.
Longer Reach but Slower: Panasonic Lumix TZ200 (ZS200)
Panasonic's offering to the 1-inch sensor compact camera race is the TZ200 (Europe), also known as ZS200 (America).
This camera has the longest zoom range; 15x going from 24 - 360 mm equivalent, which gives it a significantly longer reach than its competitors making it viable for shooting from the crowd even at larger venues.
For the longer zoom range, you sacrifice a bit of speed, though, since the lens has a narrower max aperture of f/3.3 at the widest, and f/6.4 at the longest end. This makes the Lumix fall behind the competition a bit, in terms of low-light performance, with a bit more noisy images as a result.
The TZ200/ZS200 has nice specs otherwise, including a 20.1-megapixel sensor, RAW support, 5-axis image stabilisation and video recording in 4K and 1080p.
Unlike its rivals, the Lumix has a basic fixed screen, but also a stationary viewfinder that you don't have to pop up before use, which should help speed up your workflow.
Big-Boi RX100 with Longer Zoom: Sony RX10 IV
If you find the aforementioned cameras interesting but want longer reach, Sony RX100's big brother RX10 might be the camera for you.
The RX10 is the larger bridge variant, with a 20-megapixel 1-inch sensor and a massive 25x zoom range equivalent to 24 - 600 mm in full-frame. The maximum aperture on the lens is at f/2.4-4.0 throughout the zoom range, making it a hair faster than the smaller RX100 VII at f/2.8-4.5.
Similar to its little brother, the RX10 supports RAW photography, and video recording in 4K at 30 fps, with high-framerate modes up to 1000 fps at lower resolutions if you're into slow-motion video.
Sample Photos
Here are a few shots by Ronald Woan of the artists baebadoobee and Charlie XCX showing the massive zoom range of the RX10 IV. For more pics, check out Ronald's Flickr page.
