The Best Prime Lens Compacts

As the quality of camera-phones has improved substantially over the past years, the market for compact cameras has experienced a strong contraction. One niche that has survived the disruption is prime lens compacts. The latter are valued by enthusiasts for the fast aperture, high quality lenses that come with these cameras. Moreover, the absence of zoom convenience encourages the photographer to be more proactive and creative during the shooting process.

Even though there are fewer options available for prime lens compacts than in other camera categories, it is not easy to decide which one is best. Indeed, what does it really mean to look for the best prime lens compact? The camera that offers the best imaging experience? The one with the highest sensor resolution? The one that is most portable? The camera that does not break the bank? The answers to these questions come down to personal preference, but hopefully the listings below will prove to be useful for your camera decision process.

The highest rated Prime Lens Compacts

The Camera Elo represents a comprehensive rating that takes the body, sensor and feature characteristics of digital cameras into account. It is based on the outcomes of thousands of pair-wise comparisons undertaken via the CAM-parator app.

The Leica Q2 is currently the top-ranked prime lens compact with a Camera Elo of 2822, followed in second place by the Fujifilm X100V with a rating of 2804. The table below lists the 10 highest ranked prime lens compacts in descending order of their Elo. It also reports the cameras' DXO Mark sensor quality score (as far as these are available), which can be taken as indicators of pure image quality. For both the Camera Elo and the DXO score, higher values represent better performance.

The Cameras with the Highest Elo

		Camera Model	Lens (FF equiv)	Camera Elo	DXO Score	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Video Format	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Leica Q2	28 mm f/1.7	2822	96	Full Frame	46.7	4K/30p	Mar 2019	4,995
2.		Fujifilm X100V	35 mm f/2.0	2804	-	APS-C	26.0	4K/30p	Feb 2020	1,399
3.		Zeiss ZX1	35 mm f/2.8	2689	-	Full Frame	37.4	4K/30p	Sep 2018	5,999
4.		Fujifilm XF10	28 mm f/2.8	2507	-	APS-C	24.0	4K/15p	Jul 2018	499
5.		Fujifilm X70	28 mm f/2.8	2470	-	APS-C	16.0	1080/60p	Jan 2016	799
6.		Fujifilm X100F	35 mm f/2.0	2408	-	APS-C	24.0	1080/60p	Jan 2017	1,299
7.		Leica Q Typ 116	28 mm f/1.7	2363	85	Full Frame	24.0	1080/60p	Jun 2015	4,249
8.		Sony RX1R II	35 mm f/2.0	2337	97	Full Frame	42.2	1080/60p	Oct 2015	3,299
9.		Ricoh GR III	28 mm f/2.8	2336	-	APS-C	24.0	1080/60p	Feb 2019	899
10.		Fujifilm X100T	35 mm f/2.0	2172	-	APS-C	16.0	1080/60p	Sep 2014	1,299

You can access more detail on the listed cameras by clicking on the camera's name. Alternatively, you can compare two cameras using the search boxes below. Just enter two model names into the input fields and you will promptly be taken to a respective comparison.

~

The Prime Lens Compacts with the Highest Resolution

Perhaps your primary aim is to capture images with great detail, for example in landscape photography, or to have the ability to crop images heavily in post processing while still maintaining good image quality. In this case, the best prime lens compact might be the one with the highest sensor resolution. The following table lists the 10 cameras in the category with the highest megapixel count. Again, clicking on the camera's name will reveal further detail.

The Cameras with the Highest Resolution

		Camera Model	Lens (FF equiv)	Resolution (MP)	Camera Elo	DXO Score	Sensor Class	Video Format	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Leica Q2	28 mm f/1.7	46.7	2822	96	Full Frame	4K/30p	Mar 2019	4,995
2.		Sony RX1R II	35 mm f/2.0	42.2	2337	97	Full Frame	1080/60p	Oct 2015	3,299
3.		Zeiss ZX1	35 mm f/2.8	37.4	2689	-	Full Frame	4K/30p	Sep 2018	5,999
4.		Fujifilm X100V	35 mm f/2.0	26.0	2804	-	APS-C	4K/30p	Feb 2020	1,399
5.		Fujifilm XF10	28 mm f/2.8	24.0	2507	-	APS-C	4K/15p	Jul 2018	499
6.		Fujifilm X100F	35 mm f/2.0	24.0	2408	-	APS-C	1080/60p	Jan 2017	1,299
7.		Leica Q Typ 116	28 mm f/1.7	24.0	2363	85	Full Frame	1080/60p	Jun 2015	4,249
8.		Ricoh GR III	28 mm f/2.8	24.0	2336	-	APS-C	1080/60p	Feb 2019	899
9.		Sony RX1R	35 mm f/2.0	24.0	2075	91	Full Frame	1080/60p	Jun 2013	2,799
10.		Sony RX1	35 mm f/2.0	24.0	1994	93	Full Frame	1080/60p	Sep 2012	2,799

The most portable Prime Lens Compacts

Almost by definition, prime lens compacts are relatively small. They are designed to be easy to take along and to avoid unwanted attention when in use. Compactness is therefore a desirable characteristic, and the best prime lens compact might be the one that is most portable. The following ranking lists the lightest cameras in the categroy that have been released since 2015 in ascending order of their weight.

The Lightest Models

		Camera Model	Lens (FF equiv)	Camera Weight	Camera Size	Camera Elo	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Sony RX0	24 mm f/4.0	110 g	59 x 41 x 30 g	1905	1-inch	15.4	Aug 2017	699
2.		Sony RX0 II	24 mm f/4.0	132 g	59 x 41 x 35 g	2119	1-inch	15.4	Mar 2019	699
3.		Ricoh GR II	28 mm f/2.8	251 g	117 x 63 x 35 g	2106	APS-C	16.1	Jun 2015	699
4.		Ricoh GR III	28 mm f/2.8	257 g	109 x 62 x 33 g	2336	APS-C	24.0	Feb 2019	899
5.		Fujifilm XF10	28 mm f/2.8	279 g	113 x 64 x 41 g	2507	APS-C	24.0	Jul 2018	499
6.		Fujifilm X70	28 mm f/2.8	340 g	113 x 64 x 44 g	2470	APS-C	16.0	Jan 2016	799
7.		Fujifilm X100F	35 mm f/2.0	469 g	127 x 75 x 52 g	2408	APS-C	24.0	Jan 2017	1,299
8.		Fujifilm X100V	35 mm f/2.0	478 g	128 x 75 x 53 g	2804	APS-C	26.0	Feb 2020	1,399
9.		Sony RX1R II	35 mm f/2.0	507 g	113 x 65 x 72 g	2337	Full Frame	42.2	Oct 2015	3,299
10.		Leica X-U Typ 113	35 mm f/1.7	635 g	140 x 79 x 88 g	1786	APS-C	16.1	Jan 2016	2,950

The most affordable Prime Lens Compacts

Budgetary considerations are almost always important when deciding on a camera purchase, and the best prime lens compact might be the one that is available at the lowest price. The following table displays the least expensive prime lens compacts that have been released since 2015 in ascending order of their launch prices. The latter provide a good idea on the market position of the cameras, but it is often worthwhile to check the current pricing, as all except the most recent models might be available at discounts or as great deals on the pre-owned market.

The Least Expensive Models

		Camera Model	Lens (FF equiv)	Launch Price (USD)	Camera Elo	DXO Score	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Video Format	Camera Launch	Street Price
1.		Fujifilm XF10	28 mm f/2.8	499	2507	-	APS-C	24.0	4K/15p	Jul 2018
2.		Sony RX0 II	24 mm f/4.0	699	2119	-	1-inch	15.4	4K/30p	Mar 2019
3.		Ricoh GR II	28 mm f/2.8	699	2106	80	APS-C	16.1	1080/30p	Jun 2015
4.		Sony RX0	24 mm f/4.0	699	1905	68	1-inch	15.4	1080/60p	Aug 2017
5.		Fujifilm X70	28 mm f/2.8	799	2470	-	APS-C	16.0	1080/60p	Jan 2016
6.		Ricoh GR III	28 mm f/2.8	899	2336	-	APS-C	24.0	1080/60p	Feb 2019
7.		Fujifilm X100F	35 mm f/2.0	1,299	2408	-	APS-C	24.0	1080/60p	Jan 2017
8.		Fujifilm X100V	35 mm f/2.0	1,399	2804	-	APS-C	26.0	4K/30p	Feb 2020
9.		Leica X-U Typ 113	35 mm f/1.7	2,950	1786	-	APS-C	16.1	1080/30p	Jan 2016
10.		Sony RX1R II	35 mm f/2.0	3,299	2337	97	Full Frame	42.2	1080/60p	Oct 2015

You are here:  Home  »  Best Camera  »  Best Prime Lens Compact