The 6 Best Touchscreen Cameras to Buy in 2018

Touchscreen LCDs are increasingly the norm in the world of digital photography, but this is an industry that tends to move a bit slow when compared with the high-speed, high-stakes world of smartphones and personal computers. There are lots of devices that still rely on button interfaces, as well as plenty of shooters who prefer the familiar feel of those cameras. Here, we look at some of the best cameras with touchscreen LCDs found for less than $1,000.

The best Canon DSLR comes in as the second generation of the SL series. This one employs a 24.2 megapixel CMOS APS-C sensor and a DIGIC 7 Image Processor for ultra sharp pictures. The Dual Pixel CMOS AF—with phase detection technology—will keep both the videos and the photos ultra stable (say goodbye to blurry results for fast-moving subjects). But the touchscreen on this thing is the whole reason it’s on this list right? Installed on the SL2 is a Vari-angle touchscreen LCD that helps you view (and ultimately capture) the perfect shot at a variety of angles. The screen also offers various touch gestures for zooming, picture navigation, and a feature assistant to guide you through all the stuff you can’t find yourself. Rounded out with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and a true optical viewfinder (you know, if you can peel your eyes away from that gorgeous touchscreen) for more traditional shooting.

Ever the competitor with Canon, Nikon’s D5600 is a slightly beefier version of the EOS Rebel SL1. It’s a bit more expensive, but it offers a bit more power and versatility at the same time. For example, the 24.2-megapixel DX-format CMOS is a full 6.2 megapixels larger than the SL1 (but sensor size is not a perfect indicator of quality). The D5600 also has a more robust 39-point autofocus (AF) system, a larger ISO range (100 - 25,600), 5 fps continuous shooting, Full HD (1080p) video recording and built-in WiFi for quick and easy photo sharing. The touch LCD swivels and articulates left, right, up and down, and can also face the camera’s subject for video monitoring.

Samsung has always been the camera brand associated with phone-friendly interfaces. Its background in mobile tech has allowed it to perfect a seamless, social media savvy camera ecosystem with the familiarity and usability of a smartphone or tablet. The Samsung NX mini perfectly encapsulates this hybrid phone-camera design. It features a 20.5-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor with the option of either a 9mm prime lens or a 9-27mm zoom lens. It records Full HD (1080p) video, and features Samsung’s full suite of connectivity options and standards, including built-in WiFi and NFC. The effect of this is a highly intuitive camera system that allows you to quickly and easily share your photos to social media, or to other devices for storage. It’s slim, lightweight and designed for the mobile generation. It may not have the top performance specs you’d expect from a Canon, Nikon or Fuji device, but you can still expect plenty decent images to emerge from it.

Without the eye-catching brand of a Cannon or a Nikon, the Panasonic might be a pass by most consumers, but that’s exactly why it makes our “best value” pick… the bang for the buck is pretty much unbeatable. Deep breath before this speck rundown: it captures full QFHD video at 30 fps, a one-inch, 20.1 mp sensor that runs at 4K high sensitivity, a proprietary LUMIX FZ250 chipset that allows for that 4k recording and super fast processing, a super high end 20x Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens allowing an aperture of F/2.8-4.5, macro capability as close as 3cm, ultra high speed DFD focusing, focus adjusting after shooting, microphone and headphone terminals, a crazy unique zoom feature that enlarges backgrounds while keeping the subject the same size, and more. Of course, the touchscreen and viewfinders are nothing to sneeze at as the former provides super precise touch controls, and the latter is an optical with 0.74x zoom OLED technology.

If you’re looking to spend about as much as the Panasonic FZ300K, but prefer something a bit more compact, you may want to look into the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II. The G7 X Mark II is in many ways a step up for the compact point-and-shoot category. It features a high-sensitivity, 1-inch, 20.1-megapixel CMOS sensor with Canon’s DIGIC 7 image processor. The 24-100mm (35mm equivalent) features an optical zoom range of up to 4.2, which isn’t much, but this is a camera designed for hand-held close-up shooting. It also features a 3.0-inch tilting touchscreen LCD with a high-speed autofocus (AF) system with an impressive 31 focus points. It records Full HD (1080p) video, has a modifiable control ring for enhanced optimization, and built-in WiFi and NFC for quick and easy photo sharing. This is an impressive addition to Canon’s already substantial family of high-end point-and-shoots.

Pulling retro inspiration from the Fujifilm and Canon film cams of the 70s and 80s, the Olympus OM-D Mark II bring a vintage silver look along with an astounding set of mirrorless features.The 16MP Live MOS sensor offers a 40MP high res shot mode when quality is of top-level importance, a 1037K-dot LCD touchscreen serves as the crown jewel for shooting and viewing the 16 fps cinema filming mode that goes all the way up to full 1080p HD. The real set-apart feature on this one is the ridiculously smooth 5-axis image stabilization which uses 5 EV steps of compensation (a level that rivals full pro stabilization rigs). And at nearly 40% the size of DSLR cams and leaps and bounds m

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