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 3161, followed in second place by the Zeiss ZX1 with a rating of 3040. 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.

Best Prime Lens Compacts: The Cameras with the Highest Elo

		Camera Model	Camera Elo	DXO Score	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Video Format	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
1.		Leica Q2	3161	96	Full Frame	46.7	4K/30p	Mar 2019	4,995			Leica Q2
2.		Zeiss ZX1	3040	-	Full Frame	37.4	4K/30p	Sep 2018	5,999			Zeiss ZX1
3.		Fujifilm X100V	3015	-	APS-C	26.0	4K/30p	Feb 2020	1,399			Fujifilm X100V
4.		Fujifilm XF10	2783	-	APS-C	24.0	4K/15p	Jul 2018	499			Fujifilm XF10
5.		Ricoh GR III	2644	-	APS-C	24.0	1080/60p	Feb 2019	899			Ricoh GR III
6.		Fujifilm X100F	2486	-	APS-C	24.0	1080/60p	Jan 2017	1,299	-		Fujifilm X100F
7.		Fujifilm X70	2257	-	APS-C	16.0	1080/60p	Jan 2016	799	-		Fujifilm X70
8.		Leica Q Typ 116	2175	85	Full Frame	24.0	1080/60p	Jun 2015	4,249	-		Leica Q Typ 116
9.		Sony RX1R II	2168	97	Full Frame	42.2	1080/60p	Oct 2015	3,299			Sony RX1R II
10.		Sony RX0 II	2120	-	1-inch	15.4	4K/30p	Mar 2019	699			Sony RX0 II

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.

Best Prime Lens Compact: The Cameras with the Highest Resolution

		Camera Model	Resolution (MP)	Lens (FF equiv)	Camera Elo	DXO Score	Sensor Class	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
1.		Leica Q2	46.7	28 mm f/1.7	3161	96	Full Frame	Mar 2019	4,995			Leica Q2
2.		Sony RX1R II	42.2	35 mm f/2.0	2168	97	Full Frame	Oct 2015	3,299			Sony RX1R II
3.		Zeiss ZX1	37.4	35 mm f/2.8	3040	-	Full Frame	Sep 2018	5,999			Zeiss ZX1
4.		Fujifilm X100V	26.0	35 mm f/2.0	3015	-	APS-C	Feb 2020	1,399			Fujifilm X100V
5.		Fujifilm XF10	24.0	28 mm f/2.8	2783	-	APS-C	Jul 2018	499			Fujifilm XF10
6.		Ricoh GR III	24.0	28 mm f/2.8	2644	-	APS-C	Feb 2019	899			Ricoh GR III
7.		Fujifilm X100F	24.0	35 mm f/2.0	2486	-	APS-C	Jan 2017	1,299	-		Fujifilm X100F
8.		Leica Q Typ 116	24.0	28 mm f/1.7	2175	85	Full Frame	Jun 2015	4,249	-		Leica Q Typ 116
9.		Sony RX1R	24.0	35 mm f/2.0	1765	91	Full Frame	Jun 2013	2,799	-		Sony RX1R
10.		Sony RX1	24.0	35 mm f/2.0	1704	93	Full Frame	Sep 2012	2,799	-		Sony RX1

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.

Best Prime Lens Compact: The Smallest Models

		Camera Model	Camera Weight	Camera Size	Camera Elo	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
1.		Sony RX0	110 g	59 x 41 x 30 g	1876	1-inch	15.4	Aug 2017	699	-		Sony RX0
2.		Sony RX0 II	132 g	59 x 41 x 35 g	2120	1-inch	15.4	Mar 2019	699			Sony RX0 II
3.		Ricoh GR II	251 g	117 x 63 x 35 g	2095	APS-C	16.1	Jun 2015	699			Ricoh GR II
4.		Ricoh GR III	257 g	109 x 62 x 33 g	2644	APS-C	24.0	Feb 2019	899			Ricoh GR III
5.		Fujifilm XF10	279 g	113 x 64 x 41 g	2783	APS-C	24.0	Jul 2018	499			Fujifilm XF10
6.		Fujifilm X70	340 g	113 x 64 x 44 g	2257	APS-C	16.0	Jan 2016	799	-		Fujifilm X70
7.		Fujifilm X100F	469 g	127 x 75 x 52 g	2486	APS-C	24.0	Jan 2017	1,299	-		Fujifilm X100F
8.		Fujifilm X100V	478 g	128 x 75 x 53 g	3015	APS-C	26.0	Feb 2020	1,399			Fujifilm X100V
9.		Sony RX1R II	507 g	113 x 65 x 72 g	2168	Full Frame	42.2	Oct 2015	3,299			Sony RX1R II
10.		Leica X-U Typ 113	635 g	140 x 79 x 88 g	1810	APS-C	16.1	Jan 2016	2,950	-		Leica X-U Typ 113

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.

Best Prime Lens Compact: The Least Expensive Models

		Camera Model	Launch Price (USD)	Camera Elo	DXO Score	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Video Format	Camera Launch (announced)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
1.		Fujifilm XF10	499	2783	-	APS-C	24.0	4K/15p	Jul 2018			Fujifilm XF10
2.		Sony RX0 II	699	2120	-	1-inch	15.4	4K/30p	Mar 2019			Sony RX0 II
3.		Ricoh GR II	699	2095	80	APS-C	16.1	1080/30p	Jun 2015			Ricoh GR II
4.		Sony RX0	699	1876	68	1-inch	15.4	1080/60p	Aug 2017	-		Sony RX0
5.		Fujifilm X70	799	2257	-	APS-C	16.0	1080/60p	Jan 2016	-		Fujifilm X70
6.		Ricoh GR III	899	2644	-	APS-C	24.0	1080/60p	Feb 2019			Ricoh GR III
7.		Fujifilm X100F	1,299	2486	-	APS-C	24.0	1080/60p	Jan 2017	-		Fujifilm X100F
8.		Fujifilm X100V	1,399	3015	-	APS-C	26.0	4K/30p	Feb 2020			Fujifilm X100V
9.		Leica X-U Typ 113	2,950	1810	-	APS-C	16.1	1080/30p	Jan 2016	-		Leica X-U Typ 113
10.		Sony RX1R II	3,299	2168	97	Full Frame	42.2	1080/60p	Oct 2015			Sony RX1R II

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