best digital camera under $500 reddit - Brave Search

Recommend cameras for photography $500 & under?

reddit.com › r › Cameras › comments › 1d8a5aw › recommend_cameras_for_photography_500_under

You can find any of these for less than $250 without a lens. There are many lens options under $200 for each mount. Canon EOS 5D Mark II Olympus OM-D E-M1 Olympus OM-D E-M5 Panasonic GH3 Nikon D700 Nikon D7100 Canon 70D Pentax K-5 II Answer from OutsideTheShot on reddit.com

reddit.com › r/askphotography › best digital camera for around a $500 budget?

r/AskPhotography on Reddit: Best digital camera for around a $500 budget?

July 26, 2025 -

Hello all!

I’m recently getting back into photography and I’m needing some help on good budget gear to buy. I mainly shoot analogue, but I’d like to have a decent digital camera to have more options and to eventually scan my film. I’ve seen a lot of people suggest the Sony a6000 would be a good fit for this price range, but I wanted to see if there were other decent suggestions that I should look for.

I’d like the price to include a lens, and from what I’ve found there’s quite a few listings on eBay for an a6000 with a kit lens. I also have a few decent vintage Pentax and Canon lenses that I figured I could use with a mount.

Thank you all in advance!

Don’t sleep on used. You can get a pretty decent used DSLR set up for that budget or maybe a bit more. More complicated and more control but worth it if you really want to get into photography.

Also look at Canon R100, R50, and Nikon Z 30, Z 50, and Z fc.

reddit.com › r/cameras › recommend cameras for photography $500 & under?

r/Cameras on Reddit: Recommend cameras for photography $500 & under?

June 4, 2024 -

I really want to get into photography and don’t have a lot of money to spend, what are some good cameras for photography $500 & under?

I don’t care for any really high end stuff right now, as long as it can take pictures better than any iPhone I’ll be happy with it lol. Thanks in advance.

You can find any of these for less than $250 without a lens. There are many lens options under $200 for each mount. Canon EOS 5D Mark II Olympus OM-D E-M1 Olympus OM-D E-M5 Panasonic GH3 Nikon D700 Nikon D7100 Canon 70D Pentax K-5 II

Sony a6xxx series used. Maybe an a6000?

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reddit.com › r/cameras › best cameras for under $500

r/Cameras on Reddit: Best Cameras for Under $500

February 5, 2025 - Just use your phone. Best possible results without investing any time into developing better photography skills. Buy used. A $200 DSLR or early mirrorless body with a $300 lens, plus some photography skill, will easily get you better results than a brand new $500 camera with a $100 kit lens.

reddit.com › r/askphotography › what are the best cameras under $500 for beginners in 2026?

r/AskPhotography on Reddit: What are the best cameras under $500 for beginners in 2026?

January 22, 2026 -

I'm researching budget cameras and getting overwhelmed by options. Looking at mirrorless mainly: Sony a6100, Canon R100, Fuji X-T200.

For those who started with a sub $500 camera: what did you get and would you recommend it? Any hidden gems I should look at?

(1) under 500, USA, $:

(2) It's going to be my first camera

(3) Mostly nature

(4) Photography

If "nature" means wildlife, then look for a long enough lens to shoot the critters you want. Makes it tougher in that budget; I'd look at maybe older M43 bodies and alike an Oly 75-300mm lens.

It depends what you want. The Olympus E-500 is relatively inexpensive, it has a Kodak CCD that many people like the look of and Olympus lenses tend to be sharp. For $80 it is a great camera to start with. Similarly, the Fuji S5 Pro has a great sensor, .jpg processing renders color nicely and it has a lot of dynamic range for an older camera (D.R. is the ability to capture detail from the brightest highlights to the darkest shadows in a single scene, representing the ratio between the strongest and weakest light a sensor can record without losing information). it uses Nikon lenses and flashes which are still widely available, but anything decent will cost more than the Olympus equivalent. Naturally, a Nikon D200 and D300 are good considerations. These are all older cameras and each has a different set of limitations, but the E-500 would be the most economical, and not much $$ would be lost if you ever feel you outgrew it. FWIW I have a lot of fancy cameras worth a decent amount of money, and I own two E-500 bodies; one for frequent use and another as a spare.

reddit.com › r/askphotography › [deleted by user]

[deleted by user] : r/AskPhotography

September 18, 2024 - Pocket size, fun and cool pictures profiles so you don't need to edit. Great image quality. ... Yes, Canon is very beginner friendly. If you want, go ahead and get yourself a Canon EOS r100, it's the best budget camera for Canon as far as I know and if you have a bit more to spend, try a Canon ...

reddit.com › r/cameras › point and shoot digital cameras under $500

r/Cameras on Reddit: Point and Shoot Digital Cameras Under $500

February 19, 2025 - Point and shoot digital camera as cheap as possible. ... Point and shoot cameras recommendations. ($500-800) ... Best budget friendly (£500) digital camera, more of a point and shoot as i haven't taken pictures for years.

reddit.com › r/cameras › affordable digital camera under $500?

r/Cameras on Reddit: Affordable Digital Camera under $500?

March 12, 2025 -

Hey, I’m only just starting to get into photography and I was searching for the best affordable digital camera. You will probably notice from how I write that I don’t have much knowledge on cameras and photography in general, but I still hope you will be able to give me recommendations. I’m looking to use it for when I travel (I have a trip to Switzerland coming up) and would like to take high quality photos of landscapes. I’m hoping to get warm and vibrant pictures with it (if possible without having to use for example Adobe Lightroom). I’ve seen cameras like the Fujifilm X100V and I love how the pictures turn out, but I’m hoping to find a cheaper alternative.I will give out more information below:

• ⁠Budget: 300-500 • ⁠Country: Germany • ⁠Condition: in condition to still take high quality pictures • ⁠Type of Camera: digital • ⁠Intended use: travel and free time • ⁠If photography; what style: landscape and portrait, warm and vibrant pictures for social media • ⁠If video what style: not that important • ⁠What features do you absolutely need: built in zoom and filters • ⁠Portability: preferably compact • ⁠Cameras you're considering: - • ⁠Cameras you already have: - • ⁠Notes:

Of course with my budget everything above might not be able to get checked, but I would appreciate any recommendations and advice. And again sorry if my description is vague and doesn’t use “photography vocabulary”, my experience in this space is close to none.

Sony A6000 is a good recommendation you should check out.

Check out Nikon D5300 w/ 18-200mm, there are some on Kleinanzeigen weeeell within your budget, the scene modes give you basically a 25MP point and shoot and if you advance it still gives you plenty possibilities to do so with the manual settings. Invest what‘s left over in a tripod and a spare battery for some nightey long exposure stuff and make sure to download the reference manual not the user manual, this is 200 pages of how to use all the features. (I own that camera and was checking out a second to buy used recently, and from my research I’d say this is the best bang for the buck you can get in that budget bracket.)

reddit.com › r/askphotography › what are the best mirrorless cameras for under $500 for beginners?

r/AskPhotography on Reddit: What are the best Mirrorless cameras for under $500 for beginners?

September 24, 2024 -

I want to start on photography and I want to learn as I shoot . I always wanted to do photography as a hobby so now I’m planing to get a camera. I mainly planing on street photography and cars . What are the best options under 500 in the used market and what are the brands I should look for?

Probably a Sony A6XXX series camera. The best one you can get in your budget.

If it absolutely has to be a mirrorless camera, I'd look into Sony A6xxx (lots of used ones out there, lens mount is still relevant and has a lot of lens choices), Canon M series (discontinued mount, and not as much lens choice, but because of the dead mount, you can find them relatively cheap, and they are some of the smallest, lightest mirrorless bodies out there), or maybe a used Canon R100 or R50 (the 50 is significantly better, and not much more expensive; both use the current RF mount, which has less lens choice than Sony's E mount, but this will likely improve in the future; they are however absolute entry-level bodies). You could also look into the Micro Four-Thirds system (MFT); these cameras use smaller sensors than APS-C or full frame (half the size of a 35mm sensor), so cameras and lenses can be built smaller, lighter, and cheaper. This makes them less suitable for low light applications, and getting a lot of background blur can be more challenging, but for the genres you're interested in, this shouldn't be too much of a hindrance (and especially for street photography, a small unobtrusive kit can be a huge advantage). If you're open to used DSLRs, you can get some older but still really good mid-range or even professional kits for $500. The brands to look for here would be Canon and Nikon. Street photography is maybe one of the least demanding genres in terms of gear, and (static) cars don't need obscene levels of gear either (though a CPL filter is going to be a game changer, regardless of which camera you use), so even a 10/15-year-old body will still serve you fine - and it will leave you more budget for lenses, which are much more important for image quality than the body. I'd wager that a $200 body with a $300 lens will give you better results than a $450 body with a $50 kit lens - however, the 50mm f/1.8 budget lenses from both manufacturers cost around $100 used, and they are pretty near excellent for the price. Nikon also made a similar 35mm f/1.8 that is probably more useful for street photography, especially on an APS-C body.

Find elsewhere

Google Bing Mojeek

reddit.com › r/askphotography › which camera to buy under 500 dollars (preferably new one) ?

r/AskPhotography on Reddit: Which camera to buy under 500 dollars (preferably new one) ?

May 31, 2024 -

Hi Guys, I am looking for a beginner camera mainly for taking photos have iPhone 13 so prefer videos on that. Any suggestions would be great

At that budget you should consider used. You are limiting yourself to a very very small selection of very very low end cameras at that budget if you only buy new. You can get a fairly "pro" level camera that will be WAY better at that price if you buy used.

If you can stretch your budget a couple hundred more, you can pick up a new R50 with an 18-45 kit lens for $699. Canon also has the camera body and kit lens refurbished for $449, but it’s currently out of stock, so you’d just have to wait for it to be posted (you can sign up for alerts to be notified). I would recommend the R50 over the R100 for the fully articulated touch screen, higher shooting speed (11 fps vs 6 fps), slightly better AF, and uncropped 4k at 30 fps (vs 4k at 24 fps with a crop).

reddit.com › r/cameras › best budget friendly (£500) digital camera, more of a point and shoot as i haven't taken pictures for years.

r/Cameras on Reddit: Best budget friendly (£500) digital camera, more of a point and shoot as i haven't taken pictures for years.

January 17, 2026 -

I would like some help in finding a budget friendly point and shoot camera, I have roughly a £500 budget.

I haven't taken pictures in years so an slr isn't the thing I need.

Please help lol

Budget: £500

Country: Where are you buying the camera? UK

Condition: New I think.

Type of Camera: point and shoot

Intended use: Photography

If photography: what style: landscape and wildlife mostly

What features do you absolutely need: definitely a viewfinder

What features would be nice to have:

Portability: pocket, shoulder strap or small bag.

Cameras you're considering: I've had a look but have not really seen anything I like the look of.

Cameras you already have: I currently only have a camera on my phone

The only good compact camera, brand new and under your budget is the Lumix TZ99. That's it, there are no other brand new and good compact cameras.

reddit.com › r/askphotography › best bang for the buck beginner camera up to $500 (second hand)?

r/AskPhotography on Reddit: Best bang for the buck beginner camera up to $500 (second hand)?

May 30, 2024 -

After some research I have concluded that the most recommended cameras in my price range are the Sony a6x00 and the Canon EOS R100.

I'm mainly interested in street photography and macrophotography, if it makes any difference.

I have found some second-hand cameras and I was wondering: which one will offer the best cost-to-performance ratio?

Sony a6000 for $277 with 17,000 photos and all accessories / for $378 with 2,000 photos and all accessories
Sony a6300 for $403 with 15,000 photos and all accessories / for $504 with 1,000 photos and all accessories
Canon EOS R100 for $403 with 600 photos and all accessories
Fuji X-T100 for $554 brand new

I haven't done any research concerning the lenses, but I've read that not all lenses fit all cameras. So, which one of these cameras sounds the most reasonable to you? I'm open to suggestions for cameras as well as some cool lenses :)

Edit: I live in Europe, and I'm looking for mirrorless, dslr's are too heavy for my taste.

Recommend a6300 for better AF with more focus points and third party lens. a6300 human eye AF able lock and tracking eye of moving subject. R100 only has few lenses and X-T100 has slow AF. If you able to get a6100 would be better because it has animal eye AF and subject tracking. https://cameradecision.com/compare/Sony-Alpha-a6300-vs-Sony-Alpha-a6000 https://lesdeuxpiedsdehors.com/en/sony-e-lenses-aps-c-list

The R100 is $250 on the canon refurb site ($300 with a lens) The R50 is $400.. The R100 is a steal at that price (as is the R50) but will leave you a bigger budget for a better lens.. I also think the R50 has more room for you to grow into and is the better camera of the 2. https://www.usa.canon.com/shop/cameras/refurbished-cameras?stock=1 As far as lenses, cant go wrong with the nifty fifty (RF 50mm f/1.8 STM)👍..

reddit.com › r/smallytchannel › what is a decent camera under $500 for making videos? thanks.

r/SmallYTChannel on Reddit: What is a decent camera under $500 for making videos? Thanks.

January 11, 2024 -

I mainly use my laptop camera and my samsung camera on my phone but would like to upgrade without getting into the 1000 dollar range. Any ideas of a camera in the 300-500 range?

Honestly, I'd say to save up a little more if you can, and try to buy a second-hand Sony ZV-1 on eBay. That camera is the best damn thing I've ever used and has everything I need for my YouTube videos.

I’d recommend looking into the Panasonic LUMIX FZ300. I got mine for $400 (open box via Amazon last week). Shoots 4K 30fps and gets the job done! Excellent reviews on it as well!

reddit.com › r/cameras › need recs for a fun digital camera – $300–$500 budget

r/Cameras on Reddit: Need recs for a fun digital camera – $300–$500 budget

August 6, 2025 -

Hey guys. I’m hunting for a compact digital camera as a gift for my partner. She’s into the “digital camera vibe” — more for dates, trips, traveling, and everyday pics than serious photography. She had a vintage fujifilm That she was in love with so maybe something close to that?

Looking for:

$300–$500 budget (I am fine with used)
Has Wi‑Fi or easy transfer to phone
Good battery life & built‑in flash
Easy to find battery/charger/parts
Takes shots quickly
Great looking & fun to carry
Takes nice pics in both day and night and of people as well

I’m based in the UAE, but I’m open to buying from international websites or sellers here in the Middle East.

Basically: cute, reliable, and makes memories look good. What should I be searching for?

Compact only, or are you open to a bridge? Compacts are great for fitting in a pocket, but bridge cams tend to have better zoom lenses, more features and just feel more like a 'real' camera.

Check out ZV-1, it's a super nice compact with 24-70 1.8, can't remember the sensor right now, but I have it and love it

reddit.com › r/cameras › compact digital camera for less than $500? preferably around $250?

r/Cameras on Reddit: Compact Digital Camera for Less Than $500? Preferably around $250?

April 30, 2024 -

Hi there, i am looking for a compact digital camera. I am finding tons and tons of recommendations, but can't find a difference in price or features for most. I would love to find something around $250, but would stretch up to $500 if the features and quality are worth it.

Some I have come across are the Sony RX100, Canon Powershot ELPH 360, Canon PowerShot SX740, etc.

BUT I could get the PowerShot ELPH300 for cheaper, for example. Is newer always worth it?

It totally depends what type of compact camera you are looking for: easy to use or better quality and manual control capabilities?

I'd try to look for a used RX100 III or IV personally. They're excellent bang for the buck in the $300-500 range, and the IV gets substantially improved autofocus.

reddit.com › r/cameras › i would like point and shoot camera recommendations for a beginner, under $500 please

r/Cameras on Reddit: i would like point and shoot camera recommendations for a beginner, under $500 please

April 4, 2025 -

Budget: $500 max (but ideally cheaper)
Country: need to be able to buy online and ship to US
Condition: new or used
Type of Camera: small point and shoot
Intended use: photography
If photography; what style: mostly landscape and portrait
If video what style: don't care that much about video but vlogging if i do use it for that
What features do you absolutely need: -
What features would be nice to have: -
Portability: pocketable
Cameras you're considering: nikon coolpix maybe
Cameras you already have: i recently was given an old pentax K200 but it never worked. also have an instax 11 and a SHOW 35mm
Notes: i'm super beginner, kind of on the current digicamera trend wave but always been interested in photography. my 30th is coming up so i'm thinking of gifting myself a camera.

ETA: i'm interested in a nikon coolpix also!

Panasonic ZS99 is a good starting point

I'm testing about 20 different digicams right now and the Fujifilm Finepix J10 (8.2 MP) is really standing out from the crowd as having surprisingly good image quality, even compared to higher resolution sensors. Main downside is that it is very hard to see the screen in bright sunlight, so you might need a sunshade for it. If you want to learn the more technical side of photography, then I would recommend an Olympus PEN EPL camera instead. The EPL2 is an excellent bargain for $100, and there's a wide variety of excellent and cheap M43 lenses to pick from. EPL6 is even nicer, thinner , and with a tilt screen. The Panasonic 14mm f2.5 and 20mm f1.7 are great options to get you started. The image quality from these cameras completely obliterates any point and shoot digicam, but you can still use it in the same way in full auto mode if you want to.

reddit.com › r/askphotography › best camera for both photo and video under $500

r/AskPhotography on Reddit: Best camera for both photo and video under $500

March 15, 2023 -

I'm looking to buy my first camera. I have experience with cameras already, so a "beginner" camera is not really an essential factor for me. I want to be able to shoot high-quality photos and videos (preferably in 4K).

What's the best camera I can buy that can do both well within the $500 budget? I'm willing to buy used or new, so if any prices have gone down on older cameras, that's fine.

https://www.reddit.com/r/photography/wiki/buying

I would go for a Fujifilm x-t30. Probably can find a used one right around $500

reddit.com › r/cameras › what are some good used cameras i could get under $500?

r/Cameras on Reddit: What are some good used cameras I could get under $500?

June 1, 2024 -

I also want it to do a bit of video.

At that budget, go for an MFT like Panasonic Lumix GX85. Excellent hybrid camera.

Canon 6D, 5D Mark II…both get you the camera and a nice lens

reddit.com › r/cameras › any decent cameras for absolute beginners under $500?

r/Cameras on Reddit: Any decent cameras for absolute beginners under $500?

December 2, 2022 -

My girlfriend and I will be doing a good deal of traveling in 2023 and so I was considering getting her a camera for Christmas!

Looking for recommendations that are under $500 and relatively easy to use.

Thanks!

Canon EOS M200. It's a small camera with an APS-C sensor that takes some really nice pictures. It's a very simplified camera with minimal buttons and dials that can do some manual adjustments through a decent touch menu. I've seen them on Amazon new for under $500 with a 15-45mm kit lens. Compatible lenses are all over ebay for around $85-150. I have one with a 22mm lens that's very compact, takes nice pictures, and didn't cost a lot.

Depends, do you want to be able to zoom, do you want it to be lightweight? In all honestly smartphones have come a long way, and I for one absolutely believe in traditional camera systems, but smart phones are so good now (and many shoot in raw) that they outperform most sub $500 cameras.

reddit.com › r/cameras › looking for a more compact, low-profile camera advice for under $500, total beginner

r/Cameras on Reddit: Looking for a more compact, low-profile camera advice for under $500, total beginner

May 13, 2025 -

Hi all, my gf is looking to get a camera for an upcoming international trip, and I'm helping her gather for some advice on what makes and models would be best to look for. She doesn't want anything too big and bulky like most DSLRs so ideally something more low profile or compact that still has better image quality than a phone. Here is the breakdown

Budget: $500 USD

Country: United States, NYC

Condition: Open to New to Used

Type of Camera: Mirrorless, DSLR, point and shoot

Intended use: Photography

If photography; what style: Architecture, Landscape, going to the F1 race so if it would be able to get shots of the cars, that would be cool.

What features do you absolutely need: She really wants it where the photos are automatically sent to the phone or at least has an easy way to transfer them.

What features would be nice to have: Good low light photos, decent zoom capabilities,

Portability: Able to fit in a purse, so small bag, compact

Cameras you're considering: Have been looking at the Sony a6000-6400 series because of comments on past threads, Sony Ev-10, Also have seen Fujifilm models on marketplace like the XE2,XA-2, Xt-1, and XT200 at that 500 or lower price point.

Cameras you already have: None.

Open to any suggestions, as I have no knowledge of cameras at all. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

Check out Olympus E-M10 and E-M5 series specifically the E-M10 IV which should fit in your budget.

FYI small and compact is possible but not so much for F1 race unless you have really good access

reddit.com › r/cameras › best point and shoot under $500?

r/Cameras on Reddit: Best point and shoot under $500?

May 20, 2025 -

• Budget: under $500 • Country: USA • Condition: New or used • Type of Camera: point and shoot • Intended use: Photography • If photography; what style: portraits and selfies • What features would be nice to have: good flash, takes nice photos in both daytime and nighttime • Portability: Pocketable • Cameras you're considering: canon elph 360 • Cameras you already have: canon eos r10, it’s nice but too bulky for me to take everywhere • Notes: looking for something with g7x soft and glowy vibes, good flash, not worried about videos

Also looking at Sony rx100

I was also looking for a good camera! The Sony ZV-1 is good if you can find it second hand. Downsides are seperate external flash & battery is prone to overheating. It gives that g7x quality, and from reviews/comparisons won’t break as easily and half the price tag. I’m waiting for the sale in the fall. If you are lucky the canon 740hs is less than 500. A common one that is recommended and cheapest brand new (I also LOVE) is the Kodak pixpro fz 55. Saturated look, with amazing quality, and there are other presets that you can use to, the downside is a small flash, but if you get the right distance it shouldn’t be a problem + you must have certain settings or it will become pixelated.