Best cheap camera 2014: 6 cameras reviewed

On the surface, it might seem like your smartphone does a decent enough job of snapping your posh dinner in that upmarket Italian restaurant at the weekend, or your latest selfie as you bronze yourself on the beach, but if you hanker after more – faster captures, sharp shots of moving subjects and cleaner, more natural looking shots after dark for instance – then you're missing out.
The reason your 8MP smartphone camera can't match your mate's 8mp compact for image quality and level of detail is that it's not all about megapixels – sensor size matters too. A Smartphone's sensor is a mere fraction of the size of that inside a compact camera: a larger sensor means bigger pixels and better light-gathering ability, plus the way in which the technology is configured in a camera means that you can achieve sharper definition, finer detail and cleaner images in low light.

Added bonuses such as Wi-Fi connectivity, big zoom lenses and detail-rich macro shooting modes – not to mention HD movie recording and fast burst shooting modes – are all features that current smartphones just can't deliver to the same level as a compact, if at all.
Put simply, smartphone cameras have their place when it comes to occasional snapshots, but for a reliable, responsive performance and truly impressive image quality in an easily portable package, you can't beat a compact. Read on for our round-up of six of the best budget-friendly compacts on the market that will help you take your photography to the next level.