These affordable cameras prove you don’t have to spend crazy money for a great DSLR or Mirrorless camera.
Being a photographer isn’t cheap, and it just seems like the latest and greatest DSLRs and Mirrorless cameras keep on getting more and more expensive, but what if we told you that you can get quality, feature packed cameras for under $1,000? It’s true, there are affordable cameras out there on the market today that can do amazing things, and you won’t have sell the house to buy one. Here we will take a look at eight DSLR and Mirrorless cameras that are under $1,000. So what can you get for $1,000 and under these days? The answer is a lot.
There are affordable cameras that are solidly built, have amazing autofocus systems, and some are even Full Frame. Some of these are pocket powerhouses that feature touchscreens, EVFs, eye autofocus capabilities, and weather sealing. These affordable cameras can offer all the modern conveniences that far more expensive cameras have for a fraction of the cost. If you’re looking for your first DSLR or Mirrorless camera, and you don’t want to be in debt up to your eyeballs, you should check out these affordable cameras right away.
Olympus OMD EM10 Mk II
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Beautiful wink and a nod to the retro ergonomics
- Feels great in the hand
- Good image quality, but the Micro Four Thirds sensors currently used by Olympus are starting to show their age
- Fast AF
- AF selection pad using the LCD screen is freakin’ brilliant!
- S-OVF’s effects were simulated easily with some tweaks to previous cameras, but it’s nice that they made it more simplistic and put into one setting.
- Not a single mis-focus during our testing even in very low light conditions
- Olympus by far leads the way when it comes to ergonomics in the Mirrorless camera world. This camera is evidence of that fact.
Cons
- Image quality is still great, but it’s starting to show its age vs APS-C sensors
- We wish the dials would have been created with a higher quality metal
Buy now ($499): Amazon
Ricoh GR II
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Fantastic image quality
- JPEGs so good that I’d have no problems just posting the JPEGs and not even bothering to edit the RAWs (yes, it’s true. That’s a very strong statement.)
- Compact body
- The rough texture of some of the body.
- Pretty simply to use, though we wish there were a few more direct controls
- Really nice effects simulations
- Very low profile look
- LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact this lens tends to embrace flares rather than killing them.
- Feels as if it really should’ve had an integrated viewfinder; something like the Fujifilm X30.
Cons
- Autofocus suffers in low light and with moving subjects
- Those that want the clinical look of a photo probably won’t be able to embrace the grain at higher ISOs, the fun of the creative effects, or the lens flare that’s possible here
Buy now ($546.95): Amazon
Canon EOS M50
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Nice feeling in the hand.
- Absolutely fantastic battery life
- Canon’s colors are really nice, and I’ve come to think of this sensor sort of like shooting with Slide film
- Autofocus is pretty good, but I wouldn’t use it for street photography
- We finally got 4K video
- There’s a silent shutter mode, finally
- Big LCD screen
- Canon’s menus continue to be the easiest to go through
- Canon’s monochrome images are really nice
Cons
- This camera deserves to be bundled with a nice wrist strap
- Image quality breaks up basically as soon as you edit.
- Who the hell thought of putting the silent shutter mode in its own dedicated camera mode and robbing the photographer of all traditional exposure control?
- Silent shutter mode should be a drive mode option
- High ISO is barely usable above ISO 3200
Buy now ($599): Amazon
Pro Tip: While all of these cameras are feature packed powerhouses, not all of them are weather sealed, that’s okay though because you can get around this. You can use affordable weatherproof covers that will cover your entire camera, and the lens you are using. With these covers you can go out and get the shots you want no matter what the weather is doing.
Nikon D7500
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Solid Build
- Incredible Battery life
- Control Wheels and Thumb ‘Multi Selector’ changes setting quickly.
- Touchscreen to preview images, and control finer settings
- Wi-fi and Bluetooth integrated
- Burst function works wonderfully
- Much more affordable than the D500
Cons
- Needed to remove lens to carry in small messenger bags
- Probably overkill for anyone short of Semi-Professionals
Buy now ($796.95): Amazon
Fujifilm X-T2
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Great image quality
- Versatile raw files
- Weather sealing
- Super solid build quality
- Reliability
- Fast autofocus, though still not the fastest
- 4k video addition due to the heat sink on the camera
- Dials can be locked into place
- With the battery grip and two other batteries in the grip, it can last for forever basically.
- Fast FPS shooting
Cons
- Tracking autofocus isn’t the fastest
- Autofocus in low light isn’t so great
Buy now ($899.99): Amazon
Sony a6400
Here are the pros and cos from our full review:
Pros
- Compact & lightweight
- Fast & accurate autofocus
- Excellent image quality
- 11 FPS continuous shooting with AF & AE tracking (mechanical shutter only)
- Improved Real-time Eye AF
- Real-time Tracking
- Real-time Animal Eye AF
- 4K video recording without 30 minute limit
- Competitively priced
Cons
- Lacks in body image stabilization
- External battery charger not included
- Single SD card slot with support for only up to UHS-I speed cards
- Rear screen flips up into where the hot shoe is located and becomes essentially useless if you’ve got any attachments mounted onto the camera
Buy now ($898): Amazon
Pro Tip: Have you ever had a SD card fail on you? Have you ever experienced that gut wrenching feeling? Let us tell you, it’s not nice at all. As great as SD cards are, they can and do fail. If this has not happened to you yet, it will, it’s just a matter of time. Fortunately they are incredibly affordable, and they’re small enough to just throw some extras in your pocket or camera bag. Don’t leave home without extras.
Sony RX100 V
Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Fantastic image quality (some of the best I’ve seen from a point and shoot camera with a 1 inch sensor)
- Fast autofocus
- Slim, compact size
- Nice EVF
Cons
- Just because the autofocus is fast doesn’t mean it’s always accurate
- We’d actually love a hot shoe
- Ring around the lens could use a clicking mechanism
Buy now ($898): Amazon
Canon 6D
Yes, we’re aware that there is an upgraded and newer version, but this one still isn’t all that bad! Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Comfortable size and weight in-hand
- Great High-ISO image quality
- Silent Shutter!! (Sorry, that one just really excites me)
Cons
- Rear panel layout feels strange coming from 5DmkII
- 1/4000 Top Shutter speed & 1/180 Max sync speed
- Does not recognize 3rd party batteries
Buy now ($934): Amazon