As we mentioned in our article, “7 Features to Consider..,” determining the best camera for you will always require some reflection and consideration. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the answer to “what camera should I buy” isn’t as straightforward as picking your next take-out order. That’s why we compiled a list of our favorite and most recommended cameras!
Under $600
To get started in photography, it’s important to begin with a camera you can easily learn with, enjoy holding, and (of course) make brilliant pictures with. Too many people think they need to buy a camera with all the bells and whistles. But the reality is you won’t use half of them and you’ll end up over-spending. We compiled the following cameras highlighting the features you’ll actually benefit from.
For those who may just be starting on their photographic journey, there will be a few considerations required when making a camera purchase. Price and your primary photo subjects will be those main considerations. Being a beginner, it’s unlikely you’ll need or want to spend thousands of dollars on your first camera, so the following suggestions are all around or below $600.
For Beginners: Canon T7
Our overall winner is the Canon T7. This camera is easy to use and can make stellar images with an unbeatable price tag.
Pros: Versatile, easy user-experience, comes from a manufacturer with ample lens selections.
Cons: May not be the best with high-speed action scenes like sports events.
For Sports and Wildlife Photography: Nikon d3500
For those who have a need for speed, the Nikon d3500 is our pick. Faster shutter intervals and more AF points make this a better camera for action-oriented photography.
Pros: The Nikon d3500’s body is built for fast shutter performance. There are also ample autofocus points compared to other beginner cameras on the market.
Cons: There is a steeper learning curve in terms of usability and menu settings.
For Traveling and Street Photography: Sony a6000
This camera has been on our list for 4 years running, and for good reason. Pocketable but powerful, this little fella is amazing. If you need to keep things portable, the Sony a6000 is the clear winner.
Pros: Great ISO performance for its size, versatile and lightweight.
Cons: The menus and interface are less friendly than the Canon and the Nikon, but if you can get past that, it’s worth the work.
Under $1000
If your budget has some wiggle room, then here are some cameras that set a higher standard. These cameras offer features that help even experienced photographers. Camera companies add features aimed at helping certain types of photographers, so we’ll include the cream of the crop here, depending on your style of photography.
Best Overall Camera for Under $1000: Canon t8i
Canon does it again. A great tool, easy to use, outstanding image quality, excellent colors with a tilting LCD to boot. With 5 times as many focus points as its little brother (Canon T7) this camera is an excellent step up for sports and action photography, but still hard to beat for value and features.
Sports Photography: Nikon z50
Nikon’s amazingly priced mirrorless camera, the z50, offers some amazing features such as 200+ focus points and 11 frame per second (fps) shooting, all in a slim package. A close second to the Canon t8i, price was one of the few reasons the Canon came out on top.
Travel Photography: Sony a6400
This camera is one of the newest iterations of Sony’s a6000, and has an updated LCD, higher ISO range, and improved AF capabilities with almost 4x as many AF points as its predecessor - while still being pocketable! While the two cameras are very similar, Sony’s a6400’s build quality and weather-sealing help nudge it past its predecessor.
Around $2000
When you move past a certain dollar amount, things can get tricky when giving out the blue ribbon award. Many “expensive” cameras offer exceptional image quality but are overkill, too big, or impractical for many photographers. Expensive does not equal good. So, here are our top picks for cameras that work well for most people, offering a balance of image quality, lens selection, and practical features.
Best Overall Camera around $2000: Sony a7iii
Sony makes darn good cameras. The Sony a7iii may not be their top tier camera, but it runs neck and neck with its siblings. While Sony’s menus aren’t necessarily user-friendly, their image quality and lens selection is top level. The A7iii has a practical 24mp sensor in body image stabilization (IBIS), a class leading AF system with over 600 AF points, beautiful lenses, and third party lens offerings as well. Pound for pound this camera punches above its weight for sure and will delight almost any photographer.
Runner-up: Canon r6
Canon’s strong suit has always been its interface, usability, and colors. The Canon r6 is an amazing camera that offers similar performance to the Sony, a similar AF system and even better colors than the a7iii. However, Canon’s dynamic range and its limited lens offering for its new mirrorless system prevents it from taking the crown here.