The best cheap cameras are a great way to get into photography. Some so-called ‘entry-level’ cameras cost well over $1,000, but a good starter camera needn’t break the bank: This guide focuses on good quality cameras that cost under $500.
We’ve included a selection of different types of cameras including compact, mirrorless and DSLR models, all of which have been chosen and tested by our team of experts and professional photographers.
If you’re just starting out, the cameras in this guide will have more than enough bells and whistles to put you in good stead. After all, you don’t need full-frame cameras, ridiculously high megapixel counts, expensive lenses or fancy features to learn how to frame a good shot.
We recommend checking out our guide to the best beginner cameras for the most straightforward units, but our guides to the best cameras and best mirrorless cameras will be more appropriate if you’ve developed your skills and you’re ready for the next step. We also have guides to the best zoom lenses and best lenses for astrophotography for those looking to go the extra mile.
Jacob Little
Jacob Little is a photographer, writer and communications professional based in Bristol and Cornwall. His main inspirations come from outdoor adventure, travel, rural living and wild ways and crafts. Passionate about weaving the core principles of storytelling into his images, he approaches brand and copywriting work in much the same way. Conveying a compelling narrative is one of the main drivers behind much of his work.
The quick list
Skim through our top picks below, or scroll further down to read full reviews of each product.
Best overall
Despite being nearly 10 years old, the Sony A6000 still holds its own as one of the best compact cameras on the market. What’s more, its age means you can grab it at a bargain price.
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Best for beginners
The Canon T7/2000D is a great option for beginners looking for their first DSLR camera. It’s a straightforward and reliable camera that comes at an affordable price.
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Best for action photos
The GoPro Hero 11 Black is a tiny rugged camera ideal for sports and outdoor photography. It offers 5K video, 27MP still images and comes with a host of accessories.
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Best for vlogging
With 4K video, 5-axis image stabilization and a high-quality mic built into the body, the Panasonic Lumix G100 would make a great choice for vlogging and other content creation.
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Best for everyday use
The Panasonic Lumix ZS80 fits neatly into a pocket and offers an impressive 30x optical zoom, making it a fantastic everyday camera to carry around with you.
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Best for durability
Cameras don’t come much more resilient than the Olympus Tough TG-6. It’s waterproof, crush-resistant and offers 4K underwater shooting for all your outdoor adventures.
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The best cheap cameras we recommend in 2024
Best overall
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Buy it if
✅ You value image quality: This camera offers excellent 24.3MP still images with high levels of color fidelity.
✅ You’re looking for quality on a budget: This slightly older model means you can benefit from high-quality Sony technology and reliability without the huge price tag.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You mainly want to shoot video: One of the biggest downsides of this camera is the lack of 4K video.
The bottom line
🔎 Sony A6000: A reliable camera that offers high image quality on a budget, but it’s not the most up-to-date and the lack of 4K video may be a dealbreaker for some. ★★★★½
While the Sony A6000 is over 10 years old and it’s been succeeded by several different models (up to the current Sony A6700), it’s still a very capable little camera. We think it’s one of the best compact mirrorless cameras ever made, offering a viable entry point for people who don’t need the more expensive features of the newer models.
At under $500, the A6000 is excellent value for money. You can even bag a used version of this camera for as little as $350 if you’re lucky, and package deals, including lenses, are also available online.
This APS-C mirrorless camera combines a fantastic design, comfortable grip and great handling with excellent image quality and a really useful autofocus. While it obviously lacks some features such as 4K video, this won’t matter if you’re mainly picking up a camera to practice your still image shooting skills and improve on your craft.
Amazon reviews show that users love the image quality, ease of use, weight, and autofocus feature. The battery life leaves something to be desired but at such a low price, that’s hardly surprising.
It’s worth shopping around to ensure you find the best deal, as the price often changes from retailer to retailer. Amazon has a range of options including lenses and used cameras.
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | APS-C mirrorless camera |
| Performance | High image quality and great color rendition |
| Functionality | Lacks 4K video |
Best for beginners
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Buy it if
✅ You’re looking for your first DSLR camera: It’s straightforward and easy-to-use, a great entry point into the world of DSLR shooting.
✅ You’re on a budget: It’s a more affordable option than newer DSLRs.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want to shoot high-quality video: Like the Sony A6000, this camera lacks 4K video.
❌ You want a camera you can grow with: You may find yourself needing to upgrade further down the line.
The bottom line
🔎 Canon T7/2000D: An ideal choice for beginners looking for an easy way to get into DSLR photography, but with limited scope for future development. ★★★★
Despite mirrorless cameras dominating the market, DSLR photography is still alive and kicking.
If you’re just starting out, you could do much worse than the Canon T7/2000D. This reliable and intuitive unit is a great option for a first DSLR — and it’s budget-friendly, especially considering it’s from a good and reliable brand name too.
Canon’s line-up is absolutely packed with different models, both DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, and you’ll find plenty of newer ones than the T7/2000D. While it might not have the most impressive specs and the bells and whistles of some of the more recent models on the market, it’s still a very capable DSLR.
As such, we think makes a fantastic starting point for anyone looking to jump into photography. If you’ve previously been shooting on your phone, you’ll be amazed by the difference a DSLR camera can make to your shots.
The added benefit of this camera being slightly older is you can now secure great bundle deals online. We’ve frequently seen deals including the camera, a lens and various accessories for under $500.
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Easy-to-use DSLR camera |
| Performance | Reliable and durable |
| Functionality | Slightly older tech without 4K video |
Best for action photos
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Buy it if
✅ You enjoy action shooting outdoors: The GoPro is waterproof and small enough to mount on your helmet, bike handlebars, or even your drone.
✅ You want something light and portable: This will easily slip into any pocket, perfect for taking out and about.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You’re looking for something more traditional: This is a tiny action camera that works alongside a phone app, so it may not suit photography purists.
The bottom line
🔎 GoPro Hero 11 Black: A tiny and waterproof action camera that offers impressively high image quality for its size. It’s perfect for outdoor pursuits, or just as a highly portable camera to take on day trips. ★★★★
GoPros are well known and loved for their versatility and reliability — especially if you’re shooting on the move or want to get footage while you’re on your latest adventure.
Now the Hero 12 Black is out, you can pick up its predecessor for much less than it originally was, under the $300 mark at least. That’s excellent value for a small camera with plenty of features and a rugged design.
As with all products from GoPro, the Hero 11 is completely waterproof up to 33 feet, and it’s built to last, so you can truly take it anywhere without worrying about knocks. In terms of features, the Hero 11 is a great option — think 5K video, fantastic stabilization, time-lapse options and more. While it’s mostly thought of as a video camera, you can shoot 27MP stills as well.
It might not be the best choice for all types of photography — if you’re into shooting landscapes or portraits, for example, we’d probably recommend you opt for a DSLR or mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses. But if you’re all about the action, and if shooting video is important to you, we can’t recommend this enough.
The GoPro Hero 11 Black comes with a 50-piece accessory bundle, which includes an SD card and various mounts, straps and tripods to capture any live-action moment perfectly.
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Waterproof 27MP action camera |
| Performance | Captures sharp 5K video and high-res photos |
| Functionality | Comes with a range of mounting accessories |
Best for vlogging
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Buy it if
✅ You’re a content creator: The Panasonic Lumix G100 is designed specifically with vlogging and content creation in mind and doesn’t require an external mic.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You need to shoot long-form video: While the 4K video quality is excellent, you are limited to filming for 10 minutes at a time.
The bottom line
🔎 Panasonic Lumix G100: This camera puts content creation at your fingertips and comes in several affordable bundles, but it can’t shoot 4K video for over 10 minutes. ★★★★
We think the Panasonic Lumix G100 is one of the very best for beginners. This 4K mirrorless camera is ideal for content creators or vloggers, as it’s fitted with several features that make filming a doddle so you can elevate your content creation to new heights.
Given its lightweight and compact design, it’s great to carry around, and the 5-axis image stabilization system will help keep your footage free from any shaking if you’re on the move. You can also spin the screen fully to take selfies much more easily, and you can watch yourself while you’re recording. The useful automatic face detection feature ensures you will always be the main focus in your content.
It’s worth noting, however, that while this camera provides beautiful video recording, the shooting time is limited to 10 minutes, so if you’re looking to record long vlogs, it might not be the best choice for you. But with 4K video at 30fps at this price range, it’s still a very valid option.
In terms of stills, this camera’s 20.3MP sensor does a great job, and it packs in useful functions like the Frame Marker, which helps you mark out your desired aspect ratio for different social media platforms.
An added bonus is that it comes with a high-quality built-in microphone, so you won’t even need to add an external mic for filming quick videos on the fly. Keep an eye out for good-value bundles like this one from Best Buy which includes a lens, tripod and grip along with the camera.
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Micro four-thirds mirrorless camera |
| Performance | 4K video with excellent in-built mic |
| Functionality | 5-axis image stabilization |
Best for everyday use
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Buy it if
✅ You’re looking for something beginner-friendly: This camera is relatively easy to get the hang of and doesn’t require you to buy additional lenses.
✅ You want to shoot from a distance: The 30x optical zoom allows you to get close to your subjects without sacrificing image quality.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You’re looking to advance your photography skills: As a compact digital camera, this doesn’t have as much scope for honing your skills as a DSLR or mirrorless would.
The bottom line
🔎 Panasonic Lumix ZS80: This straightforward camera has an impressive zoom and would be a good choice for beginners or any other photographer who needs something lighter to carry around day-to-day. ★★★★
Small enough to fit into your pocket and light enough to carry it anywhere you go, we think the Panasonic Lumix ZS80 is a great choice for a cheap camera. It’s an ideal travel camera, especially when you’re backpacking or otherwise traveling light, as it takes up next-to-no extra space at all.
This is a fixed point-and-shoot camera, however, so you won’t be able to upgrade your kit with additional lenses. But with a powerful optical zoom (up to 30x), that shouldn’t be too much of an issue for most users. That zoom equates to 24-720mm, which is an incredible range; perfect for capturing wildlife, for example.
The Lumix ZS80 is a delight to use and it’s very easy to get to grips with. You can pick it up and be ready to shoot in a matter of seconds, and with excellent automatic settings, you don’t need to worry about setting aperture, white balance or fiddling with any advanced parameters.
This camera also allows you to shoot 4K video and select single frames from your recorded video to store as 8MP images — a nifty feature to stop you missing out on those high-speed action shots. Overall, we think this is a great feature-packed model for photography newbies on a budget.
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Compact digital camera |
| Performance | Offers 20MP photos and 4K video |
| Functionality | 30x optical zoom and touchscreen |
Best for durability
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Buy it if
✅ You want to take photos in or near water: The Olympus Tough has an even higher waterproofing level than GoPro and is designed to be able to shoot underwater.
✅ Your kids will want to have a go: This camera can handle being dropped and knocked about.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want top-quality photos: The 12MP photos produced by this camera aren’t as good as some of the other offerings on the list, but it’s great for 4K video.
The bottom line
🔎 Olympus Tough TG-6: One of the most resilient cameras you can buy, the Olympus Tough will make a nice starter camera for anyone who enjoys outdoor adventures with their family. ★★★★
If you consider yourself to be rather clumsy, the Olympus Tough TG-6 may be a good choice for you. Not only is it designed to be rugged and to withstand drops and bumps, it’s a durable camera that’s very capable of taking a good photo.
This camera is waterproof up to 50 feet (even more than the GoPro Hero 11), shockproof up to seven feet, and its shell can withstand more than 100 kg of crushing force, so you won’t have to worry about dropping it or lending it to your kids to try it when you’re out and about. The Olympus Tough TG-6 can also handle freezing temperatures, so it truly a camera suitable for any and all weather conditions.
As we said above, it’s not just impressive thanks to its resistance, either. While its photo quality isn’t quite as impressive as our top choice the Sony A6000, it does a great job for a compact camera — and it’s bolstered by some rather impressive features, including the ability to shoot 4K video at up to 120fps. That’s seriously impressive, especially at this price range.
The Tough TG-6 has five dedicated underwater shooting mode, including an underwater microscope. If you’re a keen swimmer, snorkeler or scuba diver, then it may be worth adding this to your adventure kit to capture some wonders under the waves.
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Extremely waterproof and crush-resistant |
| Performance | Impressive 4K video at 120fps |
| Functionality | Underwater shooting modes |
How we test the best budget cameras
When it comes to buying the best cameras and our recommendations for what to buy, we make sure to test and review each product, so you’re guaranteed an honest and up-to-date opinion. We test cameras based on construction, design as well as function and performance in the field.
Where we haven’t personally tested and reviewed a camera, only models that have been carefully researched and approved make the cut. Our experts are keen photographers and won’t recommend a product that they themselves wouldn’t like to use. With this in mind, we’ve noted the things we don’t like as much, as well as the good aspects of each product, to help you make an informed choice. We also suggest alternatives if what you’re reading isn’t for you.
We also look at how easy each camera is to operate, whether it can shoot high-quality images and videos, and if a camera has up-to-date technology or not. Sometimes, we like to make suggestions for a suitable alternative to a recommendation and look at any additional kit that would enhance the photography experience.
We only have expert staff and knowledgeable freelance contributors test out cameras, to ensure a fair, hands-on review from someone experienced in the field. This means that you get an informed and accurate review of cameras, including their price point, class, and destined use. So, for example, we wouldn’t compare a 60MP full-frame mirrorless camera to a little crop-sensor DSLR as it wouldn’t be appropriate, even if each camera was the best performing in its class.
Space.com operates with complete editorial independence to ensure you get the best buying advice on cameras possible. Whether or not you purchase an instrument or not, we strive to make all of our buying guides and reviews reliable and transparent.
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