Sony's high-end compact camera is powerful, portable and pricey.

Although the Lumix DC-TS7 includes an electronic viewfinder and can dive more than 100 feet underwater, it doesn't quite rise to the level of the competition.

The Fujifilm X-A5 has some good qualities and is a fairly capable camera, but it falls shy of what other entry-level mirrorless models do consistently.

Panasonic's advanced bridge camera is relatively pricey but offers a powerful 15x optical zoom and a large 1-inch image sensor in a compact body, which makes it great for traveling.

The Olympus PEN E-PL9 is a good mirrorless camera for those graduating from smartphone photography.

For an advanced bridge camera, the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III has a gentle learning curve but provides plenty of power for expanding your skills and creativity. Still, it could have more extras for the high price.

Canon's mirrorless camera for beginners works well and is easy to use, but it has some limitations.

This Fujifilm mirrorless model produces fantastic photos, but there's a bit of a learning curve, and video feels like an afterthought.

While pricey, Olympus’ waterproof camera has a wealth of shooting options to help you best capture your underwater excursions.

Nikon's waterproof camera can dive as deep as 100 feet, twice as far as the competition.