What is the best camera for beginners? When you’re just dipping your toes into a new craft, it can be overwhelming to parse through all of the various hardware options and find what best suits your individual needs. Whether you’re looking to get into videography, stills photography, or both, you’re sure to find an easy-to-use option that suits your budget in our rundown of the best cameras for beginners.
Best kind of camera for beginners
What is the best camera for beginners
What should you look for when choosing your first camera or any subsequent beginner camera? Lens options, sensor types, the maximum resolution for video, and the number of megapixels for stills should be at the top of your priority list. There are other factors worth taking into consideration as well, such as frame rate options, mount types, adaptability, and more.
We’re looking at all the applicable criteria for beginners and scoring each camera according to accessibility (how easy it is to use), the cost, and the overall quality of photo and video combined. Not just image quality, but the whole shooting package.
It’s worth mentioning that many modern smartphones come equipped with pretty good beginner cameras built in, so you can get plenty of practice before making a major purchase. Check out our list of the best cell phone cameras to learn more.
Now, let’s get started with our first pick for the best beginner cameras.
Top beginner cameras
Sony ZV-1
Best digital camera for beginners • A review of the ZV-1
One common reason many people first develop an interest in cameras is to become a successful content creator for YouTube and other social media platforms. If this describes you, then the Sony ZV-1 might be the perfect camera for you. If this type of content creation is of no interest to you, then continue down our list to find a camera better suited to your needs.
The Sony ZV-1 has been hailed by many as the absolute best camera for vlogging. It's also one of the best all-around cameras for any type of YouTube content. The rotating screen makes self-recording easy, and the small size and excellent autofocus makes the ZV-1 a breeze to use for beginners.
best camera for beginners
Conclusion
Nearly $700 might be a little steep for what the ZV-1 offers, but if you fall into the “aspiring content creator” category, then the ZV-1 just might be your top pick.
Price: $698
Nice camera for beginners
Sony RX100 VII
Top beginner cameras • Hands-on review of the RX100 VII
The Sony RX100 VII is one of the best cameras of the point-and-shoot variety, which is a type of camera that is generally recommended for beginners. Point-and-shoot cameras tend to be simple yet effective and easily accessible. For more information, check out our breakdown of different camera types.
The RX100 VII is far from being the cheapest point-and-shoot on the market but it does offer a great level of visual fidelity and is capable of shooting 4K video, which you don’t always get with this type of compact camera.
Beginner photography camera
Conclusion
It’s pricey, and you could get a more complex camera for the money, but the RX100 VII offers a good mix of quality and ease-of-use.
Price: $1,298
Best camera for beginners
Nikon Z50
What is the best camera for beginners? • Hands-on review of the Nikon Z50
The Nikon Z50 is a bit more complicated than the previous entries on this list but still remains accessible to beginners. With the added complexity comes additional settings and options to dial in your results and fine-tune your images. Some of the options offered by the Z50 may be a bit overwhelming for absolute beginners but they can be ignored until you feel ready to delve deeper into the workings of a camera. The Z50 offers room for growth.
The Z50 is a bit larger than a typical point-and-shoot but still qualifies as lightweight and compact. It is a much smaller camera than you typically get when going mirrorless. Read about mirrorless cameras vs. DSLRs and what the best mirrorless cameras are if you want to learn more.
Beginner photography camera
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a camera you can grow with, the Nikon Z50 is a great pick.
Price: $1,097
Best camera for beginners
Panasonic DC-LX100 II
Good beginner camera • A review of the LX100 II
The LX100 II is another good beginner camera in the point-and-shoot family. This camera has a lot going for it but it has some significant drawbacks as well. On the positive side, it boasts a better sensor than most point-and-shoot cameras and has impressive low-light capabilities.
The zoom functionality is strong and the LX100 II features a pretty good control interface and decent autofocus.
On the negative side, the LX100 II has a limited range of video options and, more importantly, a lower photo quality than you can find in other cameras of this scale. With a maximum photo resolution of 17MP, you can do better for the price if the positive features aren’t enough to convince you.
Best camera for beginners
Conclusion
Weighing the pros and cons is even more important with the LX100 II than with other cameras. Take careful stock of your personal camera priorities before making a decision about this one.
Price: $799
Best camera for beginners
GoPro Hero 9 - Black
Best kind of camera for beginners • Peter McKinnon tests the GoPro Hero 9
The GoPro Hero 9 — Black represents the very best of the “action camera” market to date. GoPros have always prioritized ease of use and feature genuinely impressive durability. These little cameras may convince you they’re indestructible, which can be an extremely valuable trait to have in a beginner camera. The key reason why the GoPro Hero 9 makes for a nice camera for beginners is its simplicity.
Featuring an intuitive touchscreen and just two main buttons, the GoPro Hero 9 — Black could hardly get any easier to use. The picture quality is great and the image stabilization is on a whole different level compared to similar cameras. The downsides come in the audio and stills department, but if video is your main focus, the GoPro camera line offers a number of great options.
]Best digital camera for beginners
Conclusion
To compare the Hero 9 — Black to other options offered by this brand, check out our rundown of the best GoPro cameras.
Price: $379
Best camera for photography beginners
Nikon D7500
A review of the D7500 • Best camera for photography beginners
The Nikon D7500 is a full-blown DSLR, meaning it’s a step beyond the point-and-shoot cameras we’ve been looking at. DSLRs are a bit more complicated but most remain fairly accessible to beginners. And the D7500 is one of the easiest DSLRs to use and certainly one of the most intuitive. If your focus is on stills, this is in the running for the best camera for photography beginners.
The Nikon F-mount means you have a bevy of quality lenses available to you with this camera. But if selecting and switching between different lenses seems too difficult for you at this point, don’t worry, you can stick with the stock lens until you feel ready. The D7500 holds tremendous potential for growth as you become more and more comfortable using the camera.
best camera for beginners
Conclusion
While it is a fair bit more expensive than the cheapest entries on this list, you certainly get your money’s worth with the added functionality of the D7500.
Price: $1,296
Best camera for beginners
Canon Rebel T8i
Best camera for photography beginners • In-depth review of the T8i
The Canon Rebel line of cameras has long been a favorite of beginner photographers and videographers. Canon DSLRs make for a great entry-point to the world of cameras. And if your budget is tight, you can pick up an older model, like the T3i, for extremely cheap and still get plenty of use of it as a practice camera.
Even the T8i is a notable step down in price from the previous entry. As a DSLR, this is another great pick for a beginner photography camera.
The Rebel T8i is technically designed with more of a focus on photography in mind, but the video capabilities are quite strong as well. DSLR filming can be pushed extremely far with enough ingenuity, and the T8i is a great camera to grow with as you advance in your camera knowledge and efforts.
Best camera for photography beginners
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a starter DSLR, it’s hard to do better than the Canon Rebel T8i.
Price: $899
UP NEXT
The Best Camera Bags
Those are our picks for the best camera for beginners. You should now have all of the information necessary to make an informed decision about your first camera purchase. Once you have your camera, you will want a safe and reliable way to transport it and to store your gear. Check out our recommendations for the best camera bags, up next.
Up Next: Best Camera Bags →
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