We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. Rankings are formula-based and never paid for. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosure

How we rank products

Every ranking on this site is calculated, not hand-picked. Here is the whole method.

1. Specs come from official manufacturer tables

We enter only figures published on an official Sony, Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Panasonic, OM System, Leica, Ricoh or Sigma specification table, and we link the page we used under every product. If a figure isn't published we show "Not listed" instead of guessing. Official effective pixel counts published in Japanese 万画素 units (units of 10,000 pixels) are converted to megapixels; that unit conversion is labelled computed, and the official wording is shown as an extra specification. Official CIPA stabilization-stop ratings, when a table publishes them, appear as extra details and are not scored, because many official tables omit the stop figure. Official body weight in grams may also be shown in pounds labelled computed. We do not score prices, customer ratings, dynamic range, autofocus tests or video features. Medium-format bodies are not in this catalog, so official megapixel and sensor-area differences stay within full-frame, APS-C, Micro Four Thirds and compact classes.

2. Each spec is scaled from 0 to 1

Each criterion has a fixed reference range, from a "weakest reasonable" value to a "best in class" value (for example 12 to 68 official effective megapixels, or 3 to 120 official frames per second). A product's figure is placed on that range and clamped between 0 and 1, so scores stay meaningful as products are added. Official continuous-shooting rates above 120 fps, and official native stills ISO maxima above 102,400, are clamped at those reference bests. Yes/no features count as 1 or 0. The ranges are listed below.

3. Weights decide what matters most

Each category lists its criteria and weights on the page. The score is the weighted average, multiplied by 10:

score = 10 × Σ(weight × scaled value) ÷ Σ(weight)

4. How missing data is scored

If a spec isn't published, the product scores at the lowest value any product in that category actually published, so an unpublished figure never outranks a published one. The page marks each such cell with an asterisk. Yes/no features that aren't stated are Not listed and also score at that minimum; we do not assume stabilization is present or absent. Nothing is ever scored at the category average.

5. Prices and ratings switch on automatically

When our retailer feeds supply a current price or customer rating for at least 60% of products in a category, two more criteria join the formula: Price / value (20%) and Customer rating (15%, discounted when there are few reviews). Until then we show "Check price" and never estimate a price.

6. What the score can't tell you

Specs don't capture how a camera focuses, how files look, or how the body handles in your hands. An official maximum continuous-shooting rate is the maker's published figure, often for a high-speed electronic or custom mode with restrictions noted on the official table; it is not a rate we measured. Official native ISO maximum is a published sensitivity ceiling, not a noise test. Use the score to shortlist, then read the pros, cons, safety notes and sources. When we add hands-on testing notes, we label them clearly.

7. Money never changes the order

We earn affiliate commissions from some retailers. Commission rates are not an input to the formula, and no brand can pay for placement. See our affiliate disclosure.

Criteria by category

Full-frame cameras

APS-C and Micro Four Thirds cameras

Compact and fixed-lens cameras