While the ever-hungry market for compact cameras is dominated by cheap models like the Kodak FZ45 at one end and premium cameras like the Fujifilm X100VI at the other, AgfaPhoto has split the difference with a new midrange compact.
The AgfaPhoto Realishot C130 is, according to the manufacturer, "designed for photography and video enthusiasts – all the way up to semi-professionals". While I'm not quite sure about the latter, it's definitely fair to say that this camera offers something that most compacts don't. A fair few somethings, in fact.
For starters it packs a fully articulating 2.8-inch touch-sensitive rear screen – something that you don't even get on some mirrorless cameras from Canon and Nikon.
It also comes with a neat little removable flashgun, which connects to a shoe on top of the camera. Again, very few "proper cameras" come with a mini flash unit these days – and some cameras don't even have a proper hot shoe!
The other novelty here is that you get a 10x optical zoom lens – which makes it a big, chunky, protruding lens that really takes the Realishot C130 out of compact territory and probably makes it a bit more of a bridge camera, despite its small 117 x 84 x 66mm footprint.
None of the bumf that AgfaPhoto sent me, or that's published on the spec sheet, gives the equivalent focal range of the 5.76-57.6mm f/1.8-2.6 lens. However, it uses the same 1/2.8-inch Sony sensor (IMX 485) as the Yashica City 100 – which has a 7.3x crop factor, making this an effective and impressive 42-420mm zoom.
While the C130 can shoot up to 24MP photos, this is only a 13MP sensor – so that's going to involve some interpolation that you're probably better to avoid (ditto the additional 4x digital zoom).
It does, however, offer a fairly respectable set of exposure specs, including a 1/8000 sec shutter speed and sensitivity of ISO100-3200, along with up to 7fps continuous shooting, timelapse, and even a Night Vision mode via built-in IR beads.
The video appears pretty formidable, too, offering 4K 30p and FullHD 120p with a built-in microphone and mic jack, and a micro HDMI socket. The battery will even last for 120 minutes of continuous shooting and, heck, there's WiFi connectivity as well!
I'm incredibly curious to see just how this little camera performs, because those specs promise a lot. The AgfaPhoto Realishot C130 is on sale now in the UK, priced £349.99 (you can find it at Amazon here). International pricing and availability to be confirmed.
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