If you really want to get something affordable and don’t want a super large camera, you probably won’t go for a full-frame body. Afterall, if you get a camera, you should be taking it with you everywhere! But some of us can’t afford higher end full-frame camera bodies. So with that in mind, we’re rounding up the best APS-C cameras under $2,000. And we know you’re going to like these!
The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve fully reviewed in these roundups. If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Table of Contents
Using This Guide to the Best APS-C Cameras Under $2,000
Here’s some insight into our process of choosing the best APS-C cameras under $2,000.:
- Our roundups only contain longer excerpts on products we’ve fully reviewed. And you can easily distinguish them by our special format. We’ve tested every single APS-C camera on the market. So we can say with certainty that these are the best APS-C cameras under $2,000.
- APS-C cameras are great for their portability, especially when paired with really small lenses. But they’re also known for delivering image quality that breaks up at high ISO.
- You need really fast lenses to make APS-C cameras perform really well in low light. At the same time, the bokeh just doesn’t hit the same. But if you’re on a budget, these are still the best APS-C cameras under $2,000.
- We’re choosing the Canon EOS R7 because of how versatile it is. It boasts the Canon EOS R3’s autofocus with an insanely fast frame rate at a great price point. Use Canon L glass to take the most advantage of it.
- The Fujifilm XH2 is one of the best APS-C cameras under $2,000 because of the high resolution sensor and what it can do with older lenses. Photos will look great no matter what.
- Nikon’s Z30 is a nice compact camera mostly designed for content creators. But the form factor reminds us of a great point and shoot camera. Pair it with some of Nikon’s smaller lenses and it will become one of the best APS-C cameras for passionate photographers.
Canon EOS R7
PROS
- Compact
- Fantastic image quality
- Great autofocus
- Weather resistance
- Dual card slots
- Canon’s menus – deeper and pretty simple to navigate, and nowhere near the jungle Sony makes you venture into to find El Dorado
- Incredibly lightweight
- Insanely affordable
- Great high ISO output
- I like the dual back dial and joystick.
- Absolutely phenomenal autofocus when it comes to birds
- ISO 12,800 is incredibly usable.
- WITH A BIRD SHROUDED BY LEAVES, 4/19 PHOTOS WEREN’T IN FOCUS. That’s a great hit rate!
- 500mm at 1/160th still gave me usable results because the image stabilization is so good with this camera and the 100-500mm.
- Exposure preview enabled with focus tracking in low light is very accurate.
- Fastest mechanical shutter almost is like black out free viewfinder
- Canon lets you update the firmware via the app.
CONS
- IBIS doesn’t automatically detect that you’re on a tripod.
- Randomly finds an object and tries to constantly latch onto it at times
- I wish Canon offered more affordable lenses worthy of this camera.
- The ISO button is in an awkward spot.
- I had an odd issue using the Canon Control Ring Adapter and the Irix 150mm f2.8 macro lens. It wouldn’t recognize the lens’s aperture. When I tried to make a photograph, it kept the shutter open. I had to pull the battery to get it to stop.
- I wish it had a blackout-free viewfinder in mechanical shutter mode for all settings.
- Electronic shutter can really be affected by a rolling shutter issue.
- Canon Connect doesn’t let you see the star rating of images within the app.
- Exposure preview really slows down performance with scene recognition, especially in low light. Otherwise, it’s fine.
- Scene recognition isn’t as great for some wildlife in low light.
- Canon’s vehicle technology looks at the shape of a vehicle and whether or not it has wheels. Therefore it isn’t great at tracking trains.
In our review, we state:
The Canon EOS R7 is an fantastic camera. Canon took the autofocus of the EOS R3 and packed it into a camera with an APS-C sensor. This is perhaps the thing worth talking about the most as it more or less outperforms the EOS R5 and EOS R6. With that said, the EOS R3 is a fantastic companion to those cameras as well as the original EOS R. As the spiritual successor to the Canon 7D series, the EOS R7 performs very well across the board. The changes to the ergonomics will be welcome to new customers, and possibly divisive amongst Canon loyalists. The build quality is outstanding when paired with equally weather-resistant lenses. And the image quality is a fascinating thing to talk about. High ISO output is exceptionally clean for a camera like this. In some cases, it even outdoes the Canon EOS R, a full-frame sensor camera.
Buy Now: Amazon
Fujifilm XT5
PROS
- Lovely detailed images at 40 megapixels
- Great color
- Classically-inspired ergonomics
- Weather-sealed
- 7 stops of stabilization
- Great updates to the EVF
- Better battery life
- Eye AF is better, and now works on animals
CONS
- The autofocus had more misses than the XT4
- No touch menu
- It needs a dedicated control for switching subject detection AF
- The XH2 has a better buffer because it’s not limited to SD cards
- The tilt screen no longer flips forward or flips closed
In our review, we state:
Photos from the Fujifilm XT5 find a happy medium between technical greatness and character. The 40-megapixel sensor creates sharply detailed photos, yet the colors are still classic Fujifilm. An updated processor helps the added resolution not wreak havoc at high ISOs. And, with the right lens, it’s easy to make great bokeh and flare. That’s all packaged in a body with a classic look and feel that can withstand inclement weather.
Buy Now: Amazon
Nikon Z30
PROS
- Super compact
- Affordable
- Comfortable grip
- Dual control wheels
- Eye AF
- Excellent noise reduction at high ISOs
- Simpler menus and dials
- Finally, weather sealing in a budget camera!
- The build feels great and less plasticky than other budget cameras.
CONS
- No viewfinder
- No in-body stabilization
- Slower autofocus performance
- Shutter speed tops out at 1/4000
- 300 shot battery life
In our review, we state:
The Nikon Z30 is so small it resembles an oversized point-and-shoot camera. Compact size, $709 price point, and excellent image quality in low light are three strong reasons to consider this camera. It also has some weather sealing and doesn’t feel as plastic-fantastic as other budget models. It has a wealth of features for vlogging and video, but doesn’t slack when it comes to stills. Images from the Z30 are great for this price point. In particular, images in low light are quite impressive. The controls and menus are newbie-friendly, and the grip will make even DSLR die-hards happy.
Buy Now: Amazon