Best Camera for Photography under $500

Searching for a Camera for photography can be overwhelming as there are an infinite amount of options to choose from. In this article we will be giving you the 5 best cameras for photography under $500 plus a bonus.

Canon EOS Rebel T7

$399 (at the date the article was posted)

This camera has 24.1 megapixels and has built in Wi-Fi. This is a mirrored camera and it comes with a 18-55mm lens. The T7 has a 3 frames per second continuous shooting and comes equipped with an optical view finder. I personally owned one of these camera's for a year and shot some amazing photos with it. It is very light weight and rather inexpensive. The feel of the camera is great and the shooting is sharp. The T7 has a max ISO of 6400 which is perfect for night time shooting. The minimum shutter speed is 1/4000 which results in clear pictures and no blur. In the right hands, this camera is more than capable of professional looking pictures.

Buy the Canon T7 here:

What is the best Camera for Photography under $500?

The Canon Rebel T7. This camera truly is the best option for $500 for many reasons. Read more about it bellow.

Used:

Fujifilm X-T100

$497 (at the date the article was posted)

The X-T100 features a eye grabbing light weight retro design. This camera is more on the compact making it perfect for traveling. It weights the same as the T7 but the X-T100 has a little trick up it's sleeve. It's mirrorless, this means you get a way quicker continuous shooting speed and you get that sweet electronic view finder which is a huge plus. Back to the continuous shooting, this camera features 6 frames per second which is twice the T7 making it a great sports/action camera. The minimum shutter speed is an astounding 1/32000 which means that your pictures won't be blurry when the camera is on it's minimum shutter setting. It has 24.2 megapixels out beating the T7 by 0.1 megapixels. One of my personal favorite things about this camera is that it has a custom function dial. The max ISO for the X-T100 is 12800 which is great but the minimum ISO is 200 which in full sun might make your pictures a little bright but nothing post production can't fix.

Buy the Fujifilm X-T100 here:

Used:

Sony DSC-HX99

$473 (at the date the article was posted)

This camera is the best point and shoot camera on this list. It is quite compact and weights an astonishing .15lb, or 2.5 oz. My other favorite feature is the 30x optical zoom. With this camera your never going to miss out on a distance shot. The HX-99 also pack 18.2 megapixels. This article is based around photography but this camera also has 4k video recording. The HX-99 can also shoot up to 10 fps continuously. This camera is perfect for you in your traveling or even going on a walk and don't feel like carrying a big heavy camera around, this camera even fits in your pocket. The HX-99 also features a maximum ISO of 6400. I really like this camera compared to other point and shoot cameras because of its versatility. You can take it anywhere with you, and it weights little to nothing.

Buy the DSC-HX99 Here:

Panasonic Lumix FZ80

$397 (at the date the article was posted)

Now this camera is something special, not that any of the previous cameras weren't but this camera specifically is equipped with a 60x zoom! And the best part about it is the FZ80 get a sub 6 aperture at a 60x zoom! Technically the camera gets a 5.9 maximum aperture and a minimum of 2.8 which is pretty respectable. It gets 18.1 megapixels and has onboard Wi-Fi. The FZ80 presents a solid maximum ISO speed of 6400, and was built for amateur photographers. The camera does come in as a heavier one on the list (although still really light) at 1.36lbs. Overall this camera is great for beginners, or even professionals just looking to enjoy at 60x zoom.

Buy the Panasonic Lumix FZ80 here:

Polaroid Camera (Bonus)

$74-219 (at the date the article was posted)

Okay, Okay, I know what your saying, maybe even screaming, I clicked on this article to see the best cameras under $500 and this is what I'm looking at right now. Here me out. If bought the FZ80 or really any other cheaper camera and are just looking to add to your collection, this is perfect! A lot of people don't realize the potential a polaroid camera has. Plus they are just a lot of fun in general. Second plus, if you need some interior décor you don't need to spend any extra money on getting a canvas or a whole bunch of your pictures printed, because thing camera will do it for you. I've heard it so many times, don't say no until you've tried it. I can promise you that you will not regret it, landscapes, portraits, candid, really anything except for sports/action photography. The only other thing this camera lacks is the ability to zoom in and out.

Buy a Polaroid Camera here:

Nikon D3400

$378 (at the date the article was posted)

This camera is $378 for the body only, but if your budget is $500 that leaves you around $120 to buy a good lens. This cameras main competition is the T7. It comes with 24.2 megapixels beating the T7 by 0.1 megapixels. It weighs 0.87lb beating the T7 by 0.2lb. It does feature 6fps continuous shooting which is twice the the T7! Just like the T7 the camera has Wi-Fi. Really the only win that the D3400 takes is the continuous shooting, but unless your shooting action or sports I would take the T7, personally I like the colors of Canon better than Nikon but I will let you guys decide that one.

Buy the Nikon D3400 here:

Thank you guys for reading the article. If you plan on buying a camera please use the links provided in the article. It doesn't cost you any extra and I get a small commission which helps us keep making content for you guys. If you have any questions or see anything wrong with the article feel free to contact us. Keep it a Hundred Over always.