For new photographers choosing the right camera to get you started is a big decision. You want to be sure you're not only getting a camera with the features and capabilities you need but that you are investing wisely in your new creative endeavour. To help you make this critical decision, we closely examined the field of entry-level cameras from all the major brands to share our top five choices for beginners.
1. Canon R50 - The best entry-level Canon mirrorless camera
What we love:
- Fantastic 24MP files with plenty of detail and sharpness
- Canon’s great Dual Pixel AF and Tracking/Subject Detection
- Respectable burst rate for the price
- Light & Compact body, perfect for travel
What we don’t love as much:
- No IBIS (In-Body Image-Stabilization)
- Very basic controls with a design that might be uncomfortable for those with larger hands.
The EOS R50 camera makes photography fun, simple and convenient with intuitive photo functions that automatically capture beautiful images, just as you imagine. We particularly love the R50's speedy and reliable Dual Pixel autofocus, which pairs nicely with the camera's respectable 12fps burst rate to produce a more-than-capable beginner sports or wildlife camera. The photos from the R50 are 24MP, with plenty of detail and sharpness, leaning slightly on the magenta side when shot in JPEG. While the camera's design focuses on keeping things compact and lightweight, which admittedly does make the R50 great for travel, we aren't the biggest fans of its ergonomics. The extremely shallow grip and limited controls will likely leave manual shooters wanting a bit more.
Key features:
- 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor with Dual Pixel AF
- Burst shooting at up to 15fps
- 4K video up to 30p with no crop
- 10-bit HDR video and HEIF images
- 2.36M dot OLED viewfinder
- 1.62M dot fully articulating touchscreen
» Canon R50 Test Images
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2. Nikon Z30 - The best entry-level Nikon mirrorless camera
What we love:
- Great ergonomics
- Awesome 4K video with no crop
- Reliable connectivity options to wirelessly transfer photo and video files
- Tally light
What we don’t love as much:
- No headphone jack for monitoring audio
- Limited native lens availability
- No built-in IBIS
- No viewfinder
Creators, meet the camera you've been looking for. The Z30 is packed with the features you need, like a front-facing screen, crisp 4K video, crystal-clear audio and worry-free autofocus. We love how this camera feels in our hands, with a nicely shaped grip and enough depth for even the largest digits. The lack of a viewfinder may be off-putting to some traditional shooters, though we love how small and discreet the camera is for street shooting and run-and-gun video. The Z30 delivers sharp, detailed 20MP files with plenty of dynamic range in RAW. The JPEG files tend to be slightly cooler than other models in this same price range, though this can easily be fixed in-camera by setting white-balance manually or with just a few clicks in editing. In our opinion, the only real downside to this model is the lack of native lenses designed for a DX format Z-Mount. However, this will be remedied as Nikon and other third-party manufacturers develop new lenses in the coming years.
Key features:
- 20.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor
- 4K video at up to 30p
- 1080 video at up to 120fps (as slow-mo)
- Around 2 hours of video with USB power
- Fully articulating 3.0", 1.04M dot touchscreen
- Tally lamp
- Re-arranged buttons with a more prominent REC button
- Single UHS-I SD card slot
» Nikon Z30 Test Images
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3. Sony ZV-E10 - Best for Vloggers or Video Content Creators
What we love:
- Fantastic AF performance for both photos and video
- Articulating touchscreen
- Solid built-in microphones
- Tons of native lenses available for the Sony E-Mount
- Plug & Play streaming/webcam support
What we don’t love as much:
- Fragile Micro-HDMI port
- Severe rolling shutter when panning
- No viewfinder
- Cumbersome menu system
- Less than ideal ergonomics
Perfect for vloggers, the Sony ZV-E10 pairs a large APS-C sensor and mirrorless versatility with a specialized feature set built just for content creators. Sony had about a 5-year head-start over their competitors in the mirrorless sphere and consequently has the widest array of lenses to choose from, ranging from inexpensive manual-focus-only models to the award-winning G Master series. The ZV-E10 pairs its well-developed E-Mount with fantastic video features like 4K recording, a flip-out touchscreen and impressive built-in microphones. We love this camera for its vlogging potential, though we did notice a fairly severe rolling shutter when panning quickly. That said, you won't find a better compact camera for video content creation for the price.
Key features:
- 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor
- Highly reliable AF system with face and eye detection
- 4K/24p video capture with no crop (4K/30p is cropped)
- 1080/120p capture for slow-motion footage (cropped)
- Built-in directional 3-capsule microphone with windscreen
- Fully articulating touch-sensitive display
- 3.5mm headphone and microphone ports
- Livestream-capable via USB-C connection
- 440 shots per charge, 80 mins continuous record per charge
- Capable of shooting vertical video
» Sony ZV-E10 Test Images
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4. Panasonic ZS80 - The Best Compact Model for Beginners
What we love:
- Compact & portable design
- Speedy AF with subject/face detection
- Easy-to-navigate menu with responsive touchscreen controls
- High-quality materials and build quality
What we don’t love as much:
- Softness at wide-angle settings
- Less than ideal EVF placement and resolution
- Not the speediest to startup or power off
This pocket-sized compact camera has a powerful Leica zoom lens ranging from a wide 24mm to a 720mm focal length. We love having a compact camera with this versatile focal range. It makes for the ideal travel companion and leaves more room in your bag without lugging around a camera body and several lenses. The ZS80 is easily the most beginner-friendly model on our list, with a simple menu system and intuitive touchscreen controls. The 20MP files off the ZS80 are a touch soft at the wide end but quickly sharpen up once zoomed in to around 35mm. Colours and detail are respectable, if not a little muted, and noise is relatively well-controlled in good lighting conditions. In poor lighting, however, the ZS80 does start to lag behind some of the other offerings on our list with its smaller 1 2/3" sensor. That said, the ZS80 is an excellent choice for travellers looking for an image quality upgrade on their smartphone without eating up valuable luggage space.
Key features:
- 20.3MP sensor and Venus processing engine
- 2.3 million-dot electronic viewfinder
- 3-inch touchscreen with 180-degree tilt
- 10fps continuous shooting
- 0.21-inch EVF, 2,330k dots
- 4K30p video recording
- Approx. 380 shots per charge
- Lens control ring
» Panasonic ZS80 Test Images
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5. Used Equipment - The Best Bang for your Buck
For those that are looking to spend less than $1000 but still want a camera with an interchangeable lens mount, look no further than our used inventory. We stock a variety of older Mirrorless and DSLR camera bodies that, in some cases, will outperform a similarly priced model that is brand new.
Visit mcbaincamera.com/used to browse our full inventory, or visit us in-store at our Red Deer, Lethbridge and Edmonton 107th Ave locations.