There nothing better than having fun with photography, and these cameras make that easy.
There is nothing more fulfilling than being able to just pick up a camera for the fun of it. It can be so easy to get bogged down with tons of complicated gear, or gear that’s a burden to carry around, and those two things can easily take the fun out of photography. Fortunately, there are some cameras on the market that make it easy to have fun with photography! After the break, we will take a quick look at some of these cameras.
There’s nothing better than simply enjoying photography. If you’re a pro, it can be easy to forget why you got into the art form in the first place, so we must make time for ourselves to have fun with what we do. It’s so nice to be able to just pick up a camera and go and shoot with no rules and no expectations. The cameras we have listed below are all small, lightweight, and have fun features baked right into them. If you want to start having fun with photography again, check out the cameras below.
Sony a6100
Sony’s entry-level a6100 is the little camera that could. This pocket-sized Mirrorless camera packs a punch when it comes to specs, but its small size and rangefinder design are what make this a fun camera to use. Put a pancake lens on the a6100, and you’ll take it with you everywhere you go. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Small and very light
- Autofocus system is beyond fast
- 11 frames per second burst mode and 425 AF points
- Real-time Eye AF and Animal Eye AF
- Great tracking capabilities
- Very good overall image quality
- Decent battery life
- Flip-up screen for selfies
- The splash screens that tell new photographers what each mode does is a nice touch
Cons
- The EVF and LCD are low quality
- No weather sealing
- The layout of the controls should be simplified
- The menu system is convoluted
- Only 1/4000s max shutter speed
- The camera desperately needs a shutter speed dial on the grip
- Just one UHS-1 card slot
- The camera slows down a lot when writing files to the SD card after a burst
- No included dedicated charger
Buy now: $588
Olympus OMD EM5 Mark III
The Olympus OM-D E-M5 III is a fantastic camera for anyone who wants to travel light and have access to the cool features Olympus has in their cameras. You’ll find fun features such as live composition, in-camera focus stacking, and numerous filters that can add a unique look to your images. The E-M5 III also has incredible weather sealing, and just look at the nod and wink to vintage camera design: it even looks fun! Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Beautiful retro styling
- Excellent image quality
- Robust weather sealing
- Reliable image stabilization
- Accurate autofocus
- Compact form factor
- Built-in Live Composite and 50 MP High Resolution shooting modes are highly effective
Cons
- Form factor can be too compact for some
- Plasticky build quality
- Single UHS-II SD Card slot
- Lacks dedicated joystick
- Poor battery life
- Convoluted menu systems
- No major innovations after over four years
Buy now: $999
Fujifilm X Pro 3
Fujifilm’s X-Pro series captured the hearts of many photographers who yearned for a rangefinder-style camera. The X-Pro 3 not only delivers nostalgia in buckets, but also brings back the joy of photography thanks to it’s hidden LCD screen that makes you focus on doing what we love to do. In its place is a small display that can show which film simulation you are using: a nice touch that harks back to the days of when we placed a part of the film box into the back of the camera to remind us what film we were shooting with. Fujifilm’s excellent X-Trans sensor, the stunning film simulations, and the retro style of this camera will make you want to go out and shoot. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Superia is beautiful (Classic neg)
- We love the lack of no major screen
- Autofocus can be fine-tuned for different situations
- Everyone loves the look of Classic neg
- You can push the shadows for forever and get details: the highlights not as much, but they’re still there
- The screen helps you stay focused and aware
- USB C charging ensures that you can keep using the camera
- Video features deliver pretty video
- Arguably, you don’t need to edit the RAW files because the JPEGs let you do so much
- For street and documentary shooting, the hidden screen will keep you in the zone when shooting
- Face detection is fantastic when not trying to track erratic movements
- Acros and clarity enhancements are going to make you fall in love with Fujifilm all over again
- The Chrome effect for skies is very nice, but sometimes very subtle
- Autofocus is fantastic for events and most professional work
- The best camera to embrace high ISO noise on the market
- Using the OVF will prolong battery life at the expense of slower autofocus
- The wider lenses make zone focusing easy. This is imperative for street photography
- Multiple exposure mode is a very welcome addition
- Very good battery life
Cons
- Has problems keeping subjects in focus when they’re continuously moving
- This camera desperately needed Blackout Free EVF shooting
- Touchscreen menu navigation should be on this camera, but it isn’t
- Autofocus needs improvements still
- Enhancing the clarity makes the camera take extra time to render the image
- For street shooting, the wide and tracking AF area still lets you select a zone. And it shouldn’t. This can throw off shooting in real-life street situations
- Shooting from the hip? You may accidentally hit the function button and not the shutter release
- Exposure dial needs a locking mechanism
- Multiple Exposure mode saves the final images only as JPEGs
Buy now: $1,729
Pro Tip: Having fun with photography is always something we should strive to do. Having cameras that are fun to use is one thing, but the best way to do this is to try and shoot genres you don’t usually shoot. Try shooting macro photography if you haven’t before, or perhaps street photography, or even astrophotography. The choices are limitless. Arm yourself with knowledge, take a course, grab your camera, and go and have fun.
Canon EOS M6 Mk II
Canon’s EOS M6 II boasts the highest Megapixel sensor of any APS-C Mirrorless camera, and its small size and great image output will make you want to pick up the camera and take it along on your trips. We were really impressed with JPEG output from the M6 II, so if you don’t like having to edit images, this could be the camera for you. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Beautiful colors
- The sound of the shutter will appeal to long-time photographers
- It feels like a solid, impressive camera
- Canon’s implementation of the Touch and Drag AF system is the best it’s ever been with the Canon EOS M6 Mk II
- Pretty stellar battery life
- You’ve got more megapickles than you need. U DONT NEED MOAR MEGAPICKLES!!!!
Cons
- We really wish it was weather sealed
- An integrated viewfinder would have put this over the top
Buy now: $849
Ricoh GR III
It’s not uncommon for us to not want to go out and shoot because of the size and weight of our gear, but that won’t be the case with the Ricoh GR III. This little APS-C Mirrorless camera has a fixed lens that takes the hassle out of carrying more bulky gear around, and its simplistic design makes it fun to shoot with. Slip it into your pocket, and you have a capable point and shoot camera that’s bags of fun to use no matter where you might find yourself. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- We are smitten with the JPEGs and the color profile simulations
- Snap focus is nice
- Sharp image quality
- The small size of the camera
- Good battery life if you leave the screen off
- USB charging
- Touchscreen
- Image stabilization is nice
Cons
- We don’t really care for the RAW files
- Autofocus is slow
- No weather sealing is a problem
- This camera desperately needed a faster aperture lens
- Deep menus
- No pop-up flash
- It could have used a viewfinder
Buy now: $899.95
Leica Q2
If money is no object and you want a fun camera that’s as tough as nails and boasts a huge sensor mated to a fast prime lens, the Leica Q2 is the camera you need to take a look at. This Leica point and shoot has a massive 47.3 Megapixel sensor under the hood, and a gorgeous 28mm f1.7 fixed lens on the front. The Leica Q2 emphasizes simplicity, and that is what makes it so fun to pick up and use. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- Good image quality, though arguably better offerings from competitors
- Weather sealed
- Feels nice in the hands
- Beautiful
- The lens is exceptional
Cons
- The Leica Q2 could have really used a joystick. Not everyone wants to manually focus the lens
- High ISO output is a bit under par
- The LCD screen is low resolution
- Autofocus in very low light isn’t great
- Could have used a few more function buttons
Buy now: $4,887.66
Olympus Pen F
Just look at it! Take in the glory of the vintage-inspired Olympus Pen F. How can you possibly look at this camera and not think fun? The Pen F is small, lightweight, packs all the fun features Olympus is known for, and it’s a dream to use with small prime lenses. Having fun with photography is easy with this camera. Here are the pros and cons from our full review:
Pros
- The absolute best and in some ways almost perfect image quality from an Olympus ILC camera yet
- Handles very much like an old analog camera
- Feels amazing in the hand for street photography
- Thumb rest is absolutely fantastic
- Autofocus performance is more than satisfactory
- Not too large of a camera body.
- The knob that lets me shoot in black and white mode has me addicted to not only shooting in black and white but also being very happy with the JPEGs
- Flippin’ fantastic JPEG output
- Great EVF
- The electronic shutter is super nice
- The most beautiful digital camera made thus far
- 80MP High res mode is here
- We haven’t been this excited about a camera since the Olympus OMD EM5 came out
Cons
- Price point
- Really wish Olympus put some weather sealing into the camera
Buy now: $999