Best cameras under $500 in 2020: Digital Photography Review
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Whether you’re looking for a compact camera with image quality exceeding that of your smartphone or just want something to sit alongside your more expensive gear, there are some impressive products that won’t bust your wallet.
The cameras in this buying guide are light and portable, and several feature selfie-friendly LCDs. Generally speaking, you won’t find a lot of direct controls or a lot of customizability, and 4K video is rare, but for those seeking a point-and-shoot experience with better image quality, these cameras fit the bill.
Our pick: Canon EOS M200
Canon’s EOS M200 is an approachable camera that is capable of excellent image quality and will just about fit in your pocket. The EF-M lens lineup offered by Canon and Sigma isn’t terribly varied, but there are good options available for most users. The controls are well-judged, and the touchscreen interface is polished and responsive.
For a camera whose price hovers around the $500 mark (with a lens), the M200 provides a lot of bang for your buck.
If you’re not convinced by our recommendation, take a look at all of the cameras we considered in the list below, and read on for a detailed look at how they stack up.
Other camera to consider:
* Product has not been reviewed and is not eligible for a recommendation at this time.
It’s inexpensive, lightweight and will keep going for days on a single battery charge. While it’s not great for video and its wireless image transfer is slow, the D3500 is a simple and un-intimidating camera that’s a great starting point for beginners.
We’re taking a look back through 2019 by focusing on one of our all-time favorite photographic subjects – Belvedere, a rescue pup who joined the DPReview team last fall and graced many of our sample galleries over the past 12 months.
There were a lot of cameras released in 2019, and this is your chance to vote for your favorites.
This year, plenty of amazing cameras, lenses, accessories and other products came through our doors. As 2019 winds down, we’re highlighting some of our standout products of the year. Check out the winners of the 2019 DPReview Awards!
The EOS M200 is Canon’s new entry-level mirrorless camera. It’s easy to use, takes great photos, and crams a big APS-C sensor into one of the smallest camera bodies on the market. We think that’s a recipe for success – get all the details in our full review.
The X-T4 brings image stabilization and a larger battery to the X-T series, but dig a bit deeper and you’ll find a host of improvements and tweaks. See what we’ve discovered in the X-T3’s sister model.
Nikon’s combined the best of its DSLR and mirrorless cameras into one tough-built body, equally well-suited for stills as it is for video. For effectively modernizing one of the brand’s all-star camera lines, it receives our silver award.
It’s not cheap and the initial setup is time-consuming, but the Loupedeck+ improves on its predecessor in some important ways and makes a lot of sense for those with demanding photo editing needs.
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is a 20MP high-end Micro Four Thirds camera. It brings a whole heap of E-M1X capability to a sensibly sized body.
With a slew of significant updates, the Fujifilm X100V’s formula remains the same as the previous models; it’s stylish, engaging to use, and takes great pictures. Find out what Fujifilm’s added to (and taken away from) its fifth X100-series camera in our initial review.
The fixed lens camera market may be a bit niche, but it’s here that you’ll find some of the best cameras you can buy. Sensors ranging from APS-C to full-frame are designed to match their lenses, which cover ranges from 28-75mm equivalent, so image quality is top-notch.
Although a lot of people only upload images to Instagram from their smartphones, the app is much more than just a mobile photography platform. In this guide we’ve chosen a selection of cameras that make it easy to shoot compelling lifestyle images, ideal for sharing on social media.
Whether you make a living out of taking professional portraits, or are the weekend warrior who knows their way around flashes and reflectors, you’ll want a camera with high resolution, exceptional autofocus and a good selection of portrait prime lenses. Click through to see our picks.
Family moments are precious and sometimes you want to capture that time spent with friends or loved-ones in better quality than your phone can manage. We’ve selected a group of cameras that are easy to keep with you, and that can adapt to take photos wherever and whenever something memorable happens.
If you want a camera that you can pick up and use without having to page through the manual first, then this guide is for you. We’ve selected seven cameras ranging from compacts to full-frame, all of which are easy to operate.
