The Best Entry Level DSLR Cameras for Beginners

Even though compact digital cameras can do an awful lot these days, there are numerous advantages that DSLR cameras still bring to the table. The wide array of interchangeable lenses, larger sensor sizes, and excellent low light performance make buying a DSLR camera a solid choice for those looking to explore the world of photography in greater depth and with more control over how the final image will look. Cameras range pretty widely in price, so in this guide we’ll be focusing specifically on those with MSRPs (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price) under $1000 including a kit lens, making these ideal not only for photography beginners, but also for advanced photographers who want to save money, but still capture awesome photos. 

Trying to decide which camera to actually buy isn’t an easy job. Outwardly, many of them look pretty similar, and if you don’t already have any lenses from a particular brand, you might not even be sure which brand you want to invest in. We’ll go into a lot of depth below the camera overviews, covering plenty of useful information, tips, and advice that will help you choose the best camera for you! For easy comparing, these top models of 2017 are organized by brand.

 

Tips for Buying Your First DSLR Camera

Whether you’re buying your first camera, or your 5th camera, buying a camera can be a tough decision making process. For may people who want to explore the world of photography in a more serious way, DSLR cameras represent a logical next step, but with so many different DSLR models to choose from, from numerous brands like Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Pentax, it can be tricky to know which DSLR camera to buy from among several top models. Like other types of cameras, DSLR cameras also come in assortment of price points, each offering a different set of features. For most newcomers and beginners, an entry level DSLR will be the logical (and most affordable choice). In the sections below, we’ll go over several topics that will help you learn more about these cameras and pick the one that’s right for you.

What is a DSLR?

A lot of people actually buy a DSLR camera without really knowing what they are or how they work. Whether you want to enjoy photography as an amateur hobbyist or if you have dreams of becoming a professional photographer someday, it pays to get to know a bit about how these digital cameras work.

DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex, which sounds terribly complicated, but is actually pretty simple. Just by looking at a DSLR camera, we can see that it has a single lens which is interchangeable with other lenses using the same lens mounting system. The reflex part refers to the reflex mirror inside the camera which redirects light from the lens to the viewfinder to help compose a shot. When you press the shutter button to take a photo, the mirror flips upward and out of the way and the shutter opens, exposing the camera’s sensor.

What is an entry-level DSLR?

Entry-level is an interesting term for classifying cameras marketed mainly to beginner photographers either buying their first digital camera or stepping up from a compact camera or smart phone. It’s important to clarify that in the context of camera buying, an entry-level DSLR doesn’t provide low image quality, but rather features that are easier to use for those just entering the field of photography. These affordable digital SLR cameras feature APS-C sized sensors and tend to use a menu system that’s designed to be easy to navigate, with physical controls that are simplified beyond what you’d find on most professional cameras.

Entry level Digital SLR cameras are designed specifically with beginners in mind, to help them capture great photographs regardless of how much they know about photography. There’s no specific rule on what defines an entry-level DSLR when it comes to pricing, but generally most of the cameras considered to be in this class have a suggested retail price under around $1000 including a general purpose kit lens.

Even though these cameras can take great photos right out of the box even if you’ve never touched a camera in your life, you’ll find that even the most affordable DSLR can grow with you as your photography knowledge and skills increase – they may be easy for beginners to use, but professional quality photos can still be taken with them, even if you’re interested in more specialized genres of photography like landscape, wildlife, and long exposure photography. Easy to use automatic modes can be used until you feel more comfortable with changing exposure settings yourself. Every DSLR camera, regardless of price, will allow you to manually change all of the exposure settings like ISO, shutter speed, and aperture when you feel like you’ve got the hang of things.

How do entry-level DSLR cameras differ from mid-range prosumer and professional cameras?

There is an obvious price difference between entry-level and professional cameras, with mid-range prosumer and semi-pro cameras falling somewhere in between. 

Mid range and semi-pro DSLR cameras like the Canon 80D, Pentax K3 II, and Nikon D7200 are marketed to photographers who have a good understanding of photography and want more advanced and specialized features beyond what most beginner photographers need. The APS-C sized digital sensors in mid-range DSLR cameras are often the same or very similar to the APS-C sensors found in entry-level DSLR cameras, but these more expensive cameras might have features like sturdier build construction, expanded ISO sensitivity, dual control dials, more robust video features, and more advanced autofocus systems. The number of images that can be taken per second, also known as the burst speed, is often higher in mid-range cameras than entry-level cameras, as is the top shutter speed — typically between 1/4000 and 1/6000 for entry-level DSLR cameras and 1/8000 for mid-range and professional DSLR cameras.

The final category is professional DSLRs. These cameras are typically full frame and utilize faster processors, the sturdiest constructions and weather sealing, the best low-light performance, the fastest and most accurate autofocus, the fastest burst speeds, and the most advanced features. It’s important to note that not all professional photographers use cameras that are considered “professional level DSLR cameras” — many use less expensive cameras that fall into the mid-range and even the ultra-affordable categories, finding that they meet their specific needs at a lower price point.

Professional photographers who need their camera to withstand extremely heavy usage in tough environments often find professional level DSLR cameras to be best suited to their demanding needs, but many photographers simply don’t need the specialized features that these more expensive cameras offer.

Why should you buy an entry-level DSLR?

Until you really find yourself needing a specific feature, you should save your money (or use it to buy great lenses) and learn all you can about photography using an affordable DSLR camera. These cameras typically include several convenient presets and automatic modes to help new photographers explore the world of photography as soon as they open the box and charge the battery. Learning the ins and outs of exposure and figuring out how to operate your camera using manual mode is very rewarding and an easy-to-use DSLR allows you to keep taking great photos while you learn.

If you’re shopping for an interchangeable lens camera and you’ve got a budget that’s large enough to afford a more expensive mid-range or even professional level camera, you might be wondering whether it would be a better idea to just get the fancier camera right away and skip the cheaper models altogether. This is obviously a personal decision that only you can make, but many beginners find it both easier and more fun to learn with a beginner friendly and less expensive camera that still provides plenty of room for growth. Although many photographers will eventually upgrade to a camera with even more features, it’s very possible to keep shooting with the same camera for years, especially if you add new lenses to your kit to expand your photography possibilities.

Why are interchangeable lenses useful?

One of the biggest advantages that a DSLR camera has over a compact camera or smart phone is the ability to use interchangeable lenses. Interchangeable lens cameras like mirrorless and DSLR cameras are incredibly versatile tools, thanks to their ability to use multiple lenses. While a compact camera is limited to the focal length range of its built-in lens, a DSLR camera enables a photographer to switch lenses depending upon the subject matter being photographed.

When shopping for your first DSLR camera, it’s very important that you not only buy a camera that you like, but that the brand has a lens lineup that you like. Depending upon what you see yourself photographing more of in the future, you’ll want to see what kind of lenses each brand offers. Are they affordable and within your budget?

Should I buy a DSLR camera or a mirrorless camera?

The question of whether to buy a DSLR vs a mirrorless camera is a debate that’s been raging for years, and like most photography debates, there’s really no clear winner. What it all boils down to is that each photographer should buy the camera that they think will best suit their individual needs and budget. Mirrorless cameras tend to be both smaller and lighter than DSLR cameras, but DSLR cameras typically have a greater array of compatible lenses that can be used, although mirrorless manufacturers continue to add to their lens offerings as well.

Paired with good lenses, both mirrorless cameras and DSLR cameras can produce images of excellent quality. One of the main differences between the two types of interchangeable lens cameras is that DSLR cameras have an optical viewfinder showing you the scene as the lens sees it, reflected by the reflex mirror. Mirrorless cameras have no mirror, so the camera’s rear LCD screen displays an image preview based on your current exposure settings. Some mirrorless cameras have an electronic viewfinder as well. Historically, inexpensive DSLR cameras have the advantage when it comes to autofocus performance over inexpensive mirrorless cameras, but mirrorless systems are rapidly improving and for most casual camera users, autofocus performance of either system is just fine.

When using live view on a DSLR, the camera’s mirror flips up and the image preview appears on the rear LCD screen, functioning as a live preview in much the same way that a mirrorless camera works. Many photographers like the ability to use an optical viewfinder to compose their shot, especially in lower light when electronic viewfinder may not perform as well. Others though, prefer to be able to compose a scene using the live preview a mirrorless camera offers, so that they’ll know exactly how their photo will look even before taking the photo. One disadvantage of mirrorless cameras is that their battery life is typically much less than that of DSLR cameras.

There’s no clear winner, but you may find that you can get more features for less money with an entry level DSLR. For many photographers, one of the biggest factors in making the choice between mirrorless and DSLR cameras is lens availability. Think about what you want to photograph, and research the lens offerings of the brands you’re considering to see how they stack up.

How to Pick the Best Camera

Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax….each with multiple models of budget priced digital SLR cameras. With such a broad field of entry-level DSLR cameras on the market, many priced very similarly, but with slightly different features, picking the right one can seem pretty overwhelming. A lot of beginners wonder what is the BEST camera brand, and just like with car brands, there is no best brand, but there is usually a “best for you.” Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and Sony are all very innovative companies, and the fact that there are multiple brands producing cameras at similar price points helps to keep the market very competitive and encourages fast-paced innovation that benefits everyone.

The good news is that no matter which camera you choose from any of these brands, you’re very likely to have a good experience, because every single modern DSLR camera can take great pictures, especially if you take the time to learn about photography. When it comes to price, more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better – part of what may make one camera more expensive than another might be the inclusion of a feature you’re not really interested in. For many shoppers, there’s always a temptation to spend more than intended, so if you begin your search for a camera with a relatively firm budget and an idea of what features you actually want and need, you’ll find it much easier to narrow down your choices, while still ending up with a great camera.

Let’s talk about what features distinguish one camera model from the next, with a little background information to help you decide how important each feature should be to your decision making process:

Camera Design and Durability

Entry-level DSLR cameras, and DSLR cameras in general tend to all look fairly similar when it comes to their physical design. They all feature pop up flashes, a mode dial, and an ergonomic hand-grip — and, with a few exceptions, they’re typically black. While they might look outwardly similar, they do vary quite a bit when it comes to size and weight, so you’ll want to consider your needs when choosing a camera. If you’ll be doing lots of traveling and want to carry a very minimal camera setup, a smaller camera models might fit the bill.

DSLR cameras in general can usually withstand heavy usage, but some are specifically designed to be used in more challenging environments and make use of more advanced weather sealing. When it comes to entry-level models, most cameras don’t feature weather sealing, with the exception of the Pentax K-S2, Pentax K-70 and their older (but still very capable) models the Pentax K-50 and Pentax K-30.

Sensor Size and Megapixels

More than any other feature, the megapixel count of a camera is the one that most beginners look at, usually because it’s one of the features manufacturers use most heavily to market their cameras. The truth is that almost all of the DSLR cameras produced within the last 5-10 years have enough megapixels to allow photographers to print sharp images at 20×30 inches…and often even larger. Digital camera sensor technology continues to improve (low light performance in these new cameras is really incredible), but you’ll be able to take great photos whether your DSLR has a 16 megapixel sensor or a 24 megapixel sensor. So, of all the different factors which you might evaluate to make your buying choice, the number of megapixels should probably be low on your list of priorities to consider. Whether the megapixel count is 18, 20, or 24, you’ll likely find that the image files are more than big enough for printing and web sharing.

All of the cameras in the entry level price range, as well as mid-range DSLR cameras use APS-C sized sensors, a smaller sensor format than full frame sensors found in professional DSLR cameras like the Canon 5D Mark IV, but still larger than the sensors found in most compact cameras and even in some mirrorless cameras which use smaller micro four thirds sensors. Larger sensors generally mean bigger photosites (also known as pixels), translating into more light gathering area and improved image quality, especially in low light situations.

One of the important distinctions between the two sensor sizes is that the field of view through the lens changes. This is a bit of a complex concept to explain in a short space, so if you’re curious and want to know more about how sensor size changes the equivalent focal length of a lens, you can read more in the article below:

Video Capture

The ability to capture HD video is something that all of the current entry-level DSLR models offer. For most camera shoppers, all of the current camera models on the market will meet (and usually far exceed) their needs, but some have more advanced video features than others. One thing you’ll notice is that while all of the entry-level models offer 30fps recording at 1080p, only some provide 60fps recording at 1080p with others offering 60fps recording at 720p.

Most photographers and amateur filmmakers won’t be affected by this, but fps refers to frames per second, the number of still images that are captured per second during a video recording. For capturing smooth slow motion video, the higher the frame rate, the smoother the video clip will appear when slowed down, making 60fps an appealing feature to DSLR filmmakers who plan to make use of slow motion video recording.

Autofocus System

Unless you’re manually focusing a lens, your camera makes use of an AF (autofocus) system to lock the focus on a particular area of your image. Digital SLR cameras use a variety of AF points, placed around the frame – mid-range and professional level DSLR cameras tend to have a very high number of AF points. More autofocus points allow for quicker and more accurate focusing, as these sensors search for areas of high contrast. Although more AF points are always a good thing, not all AF points are created equally, however. You may see terms like “All Cross-Type AF system” which describes an autofocus sensor that is essentially in the shape of a +. These cross-type sensor points provide more accurate results than vertical AF sensors, so the more cross-type AF points, the better.

ISO Range

Compared to DSLR cameras of a decade ago, the low light sensor performance of today is staggeringly good thanks to advanced sensors and greatly improved processors and internal noise reduction. Usable images can now be captured in very low lighting conditions using high ISO settings that would have once been either entirely unavailable or completely unusable due to noise. In small amounts, digital noise isn’t too bad and often resembles the grain found in high speed films, but the higher your ISO the more noise begins to appear.

On a digital camera, when you increase the ISO, the camera boosts what is known as the signal gain, increasing the amplification of the light information recorded by the sensor. Although a higher ISO setting can enable you to keep photographing in lower light without needing to use a slower shutter speed, it comes with a cost – increased digital noise. Some of the first top of the line professional DSLR cameras like the Canon 1Ds, released in 2002, had a maximum ISO of  1250. To show you how far technology has come, today’s current lineup of entry-level DSLR cameras all feature at least a maximum ISO of 6400, with some like the Nikon D5600 offering a maximum ISO of 25,600.

Bear in mind, that at or near the maximum ISO, images will be very noisy. Still, the ability to capture an image – even a noisy one – is a better option than capturing no photo at all!

Burst Speed

If you’ve ever gotten close to a professional sports photographer on the sideline of a big game, the rapid-fire of their shutter sounds a lot like a quiet machine gun — some pro-level DSLR cameras can shoot bursts of more than 10 frames per second. Most beginner photographers don’t need this kind of photographic firepower especially if you plan to photograph subjects that aren’t moving much like landscapes and portraits, but if you plan to shoot fast action, burst speed might be something you’d want to pay attention to. A fast burst rate won’t affect the shutter speed of your camera, but it will affect how many shots you can take each second. Most entry-level DSLR cameras can shoot at least 4 frames per second, while others like the Sony a68 can shoot up to 8 frames per second.

Rear LCD Displays

All of the current entry-level DSLR cameras have high quality rear LCD display screens, typically around 3 inches, although some are a bit bigger and some a bit smaller.

You’ll find that some feature fixed LCD screens, while others make use of articulating screens which can be tilted up and down to change the viewing angle and in some cases even swiveled. Being able to adjust the angle of the LCD screen can be helpful when composing shots low to the ground, at waist level, or when the camera is being held overhead.

Some of the newer entry-level DSLR cameras also feature touchscreen LCDs as well, which some photographers find to be handy when changing settings and navigating the menu systems.

Wireless Connectivity

It seems like nearly every gadget is beginning to support Wi-Fi these days, from coffee makers to thermostats, so it makes sense that more and more cameras now support Wi-Fi connectivity as well. Wi-Fi enabled DSLR cameras can allow for the transfer of files to your smartphone for quick editing and sharing, to your computer, and directly to a printer. Additionally, a Wi-Fi connection between certain cameras and your smartphone can allow you to remotely control the camera. Not all cameras in this class have built in Wi-Fi, but it’s a feature that is beginning to become more and more common.

Battery Life

Running out of battery power at a critical moment is no fun, so for photographers who plan to spend all day shooting, how long a camera battery will last can be pretty important. With entry-level DSLR cameras, manufacturer estimates of the average number of shots that can be taken with a fully charged battery vary pretty widely from model to model. Your own real world usage is what will really determine the battery life – with any DSLR model, you’ll likely use the battery quicker if you compose all your shots using live view rather than the optical viewfinder and if you shoot extensive amounts of video. Since camera batteries can take quite a while to charge, it’s a good idea to buy a spare battery to keep with you on longer photography outings.