What are the best cameras under £500?

You might be looking for a photographic step-up from shooting with your smartphone, an affordable back-up device, or a starter camera for a relative or friend. Whatever your motivation might be, here’s our exclusive buyer’s guide to the best compact, DSLR and mirrorless cameras currently available around the £500 mark.

Camera makers are increasingly focusing on higher-end, higher-margin models in these economically uncertain times – they’re facing a perfect storm caused by Covid-19, the silicon chip shortage, the unstoppable surge in smartphone camera quality, and many other factors.

As a result, the latest mirrorless models, often with lots of heavyweight video features, can seem expensive. However, the good news is that there is still a reasonable choice of decent ‘new’ digital cameras for around £500. We’ve put ‘new’ in inverted commas as some have been around for a few years, but being older certainly doesn’t mean the cameras are obsolete.

So, without further ado, here is our round-up of some of the best budget camera buys currently on the market…

Olympus Tough TG-6

Price: TG-6 kits from £379

Olympus Tough TG-6 – at a glance

12MP image sensor
4x optical zoom; 25-100mm (35mm equivalent)
Waterproof down to 15m
Shock resistant – 2.1m (dropping from height)
Crushproof (to 100kg)
Freezeproof (to -10°C)
4K Movie
16 scene modes
Available in black or red
Measures 66x113mm

For families, rugged travellers or photographers who drive their kit hard, this tough 12MP compact is ideal – it’s waterproof to 15metres (perfect for snorkelling), can withstand a 2.4metre drop, and is also crushproof and freeze-proof.

As for the camera, you have a versatile 25-100mm equivalent lens, along with a 12MP sensor; while this is not a lot these days in terms of resolution, the TG-6 can also shoot in RAW, to ensure you get the most from this rugged travel companion. Another big attraction is the ability to record 4K and 120fps Full HD video.

The Olympus TG-6 comes with a host of shooting options from 16 different scene modes to an aperture priority setting. The ISO ranges from ISO 100 to 12,800, and the bright F2 lens enables faster shutter speeds for capturing moving subjects, meaning it should be able to cope underwater pretty well.

If you want to take the TG-6 for a deeper dive, the Olympus PT-059 Underwater Housing retails at £279 and enables the TG-6 to go down as far as 45 metres beneath the waves.

Read our Guide to the Top 12 Best Waterproof and Underwater Cameras

Panasonic Lumix TZ100

Price: £429.99

Panasonic Lumix TZ100 – at a glance

20.1MP image sensor
10x optical zoom; 25-250mm (35mm equivalent)
Light Speed DFD AF technology
4K Movie
5-axis image stabilisation
3-inch, rear LCD screen
Available in grey and silver or black
Measures 110.5×64.5×44.3mm
312g (with battery and card)

The Lumix TZ-100 is another handy travel compact with a built-in 10x zoom lens, equivalent to 25-250mm, and an aperture range of f/2.8-5.9. This covers a decent range of wide-angle to telephoto situations, while Panasonic’s Depth From Defocus technology enables fast autofocus.

The Lumix TZ100 is built around a 1-inch, 20.1MP sensor. It’s a really well designed camera that looks especially swish in its grey-and-silver configuration, although an all-black version is also available. Ergonomically, the TZ100 benefits from a small handgrip plus a thumb rest on the back for a secure grip, with all the camera’s buttons clearly labelled and falling within easy reach. We especially like how Panasonic has managed to cram four Function buttons onto the camera, each of which can be assigned to a function you regularly use.

The camera also comes with hybrid optical/electronic 5-axis image stabilisation, which helps to keep images sharp when shooting hand-held or using slower shutter speeds. The main drawback is a rather small electronic viewfinder, though it does offer a 1.16-million-dot resolution, but a 3-inch rear LCD with touch sensitivity further helps with the handling.

You can also record 4K video, process raw files in-camera and access a small pop-up flash. The Panasonic is very compact too, weighing in at just 312g with battery and card. Those looking for a pocketable camera with a powerful zoom, excellent customisation and good image quality need look no further.

Read our Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ100 Review

Sony RX100 III

Price: £500

Sony RX100 III – at a glance

20.1MP Exmor image sensor
24-70mm zoom, f/1.8-2.8
30cm close focus
Full HD video
Built-in ND filter
1,440k-dot OLED Tru-Finder
3-inch, 1,288,800-dot Xtra Fine TFT LCD ,180º tiltable
ISO 125-25,600
Measures 101.6×58.1x41mm
290g (with battery and card)

Another versatile and highly portable compact, this Sony model features a 1-inch 20.1MP Exmor sensor and Bionz X image processor, enabling the RX 100 III to deliver a maximum ISO sensitivity of ISO 25,600 while shooting at up to 10fps in its Speed Priority Continuous Shooting mode.

The lens, equivalent to 24-70mm, allows an aperture of f/2.8 to be used at full telephoto, while it can also focus to within 30cm of a subject at the long end of the zoom. The lens’s improved light-gathering capabilities also allows faster shutter speeds to be used to freeze fast-moving subjects. Furthermore, a built-in ND filter makes it easier to use slower shutter speeds in stronger light. There is also a pop-up electronic viewfinder, but video can only be recorded at Full HD, rather than 4K.

Another area Sony has looked to improve the RX100 III is in terms of its viewfinder. Those familiar with the RX100 II will remember the optional, and very expensive, EV1MK electronic viewfinder that was designed to clip onto the camera via the hotshoe and connect via the accessory port. The accessory port and hotshoe have both been removed from the RX100 III and in its place is a pop-up flash that’s raised using a small switch above the screen.

Sony’s answer to clipping a viewfinder onto the body was to produce the first ever premium compact with a pop-up EVF. This rises ingeniously from the corner of the body and helps to keep the body as streamlined as possible. It features a 1,440k-dot resolution and uses a Zeiss T coating to help reduce reflections and deliver excellent edge-to-edge clarity. What’s also impressive is the way Sony’s engineers have designed it, so that it can be used to power up the camera as an alternative to using the On/Off button. With an in-built EVF, it offers the perfect blend of what users want from a premium compact camera.

Read our Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 III Review

Panasonic Lumix GX880 with 12-32mm lens

Price: from £379 www.panasonic.com/uk

Panasonic Lumix GX880 – at a glance

16.1MP Micro Four Thirds sensor
Interchangeable lens system
Contrast AF System with Depth From Defocus technology
4K video at 30p, 25p or 24p
5.8fps shooting in high burst mode
3-inch, 1040K-dot static type touch control monitor with 180-degree tilt
Available in black, silver or tan
Measures 106.5×64.6×33.3mm
270g (with battery and card)

Moving on to interchangeable-lens mirrorless models, this attractive Panasonic Lumix camera has a 16.1MP Micro Four Thirds sensor without a low pass filter for better image quality. Being Micro Four Thirds, you can use a wide variety of Micro Four Thirds lenses from both Panasonic and Olympus, thus greatly extending the camera’s versatility.

Other useful features include the ability to shoot at up to 5 frames per second in burst mode, and an LCD display that tilts 180º to face the camera user. It’s great for selfies in other words; there are additional modes for taking selfies at night and a wide 4K option, so you can get more of the background into your self-portraits.

A portrait mode enables you to soften your subject’s skin and slim their faces, so this is a great choice for families, travellers and vloggers (it records 4K video and has built-in Wi-Fi). Taking advantage of 4K technology, users can enjoy 4K PHOTO as well as variety of related functions such as Focus Stacking, Post Focus and Light Composition. For more creative freedom, Creative Control, Creative Panorama and Photo Style including L.Monochrome mode are included.

The GX880 is also capable of shooting images in RAW format and developing them inside the camera. For those who are new to digital interchangeable lens system cameras, the Gx880 provides a variety of shooting assist functions such as iA (Intelligent Auto) mode and Scene Guide. All-in-all, it’s a beautiful looking camera with a potent mix of shooting options.

Panasonic Lumix TZ90

Price: from £319

Panasonic Lumix TZ90 – at a glance

20.3MP image sensor
30x optical zoom; 24-720mm (35mm equivalent)
Light Speed DFD AF technology
4K video (at 30p); 4K PHOTO
Viewfinder: 0.2-inch, 1,166k-dot device; 100% field of view, 0.46x magnification
3-inch, 1040K-dot, touch sensitive rear LCD screen, 180-degree tiltable
Measures 112×67.3×41.2mm
322g (with battery and card)

Panasonic’s travel zoom compact builds on the successes of all that came before it, and if you’re looking for as much zoom as possible in a compact, pocketable camera, then the Panasonic Lumix TZ90 is a great option.

It features a 30x optical zoom (equivalent to a monster 24-720mm range in 35mm format), but in return for that large zoom range, you need to accept that it has a smaller sensor than its one-inch comrade, the TZ100.

It’s arguably the most well-featured superzoom compact on the market and, as well as the huge zoom, you get an built-in electronic viewfinder (albeit small), 4K video shooting, a touch-sensitive screen, manual controls, RAW format shooting and a body which just about fits in your pocket.

A great choice for those looking for something to take on their travels, in low light it suffers by comparison to its larger sensor rivals. If you’re mainly going to be using it on your sunny holidays, you shouldn’t worry too much about that. The Panasonic Lumix TZ90 was updated by the TZ95 with a slightly larger EVF and the addition of Bluetooth, but the TZ90 remains excellent value for money at not much over £300.

Read our Panasonic TZ90 vs Panasonic TZ100 Review

Sony A6000 with 16-50mm lens

Price: from £429

Sony Alpha 6000 – at a glance

24.3-million-pixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor
ISO 100-12,800 (expandable to ISO 25,600)
Three times faster Bionz X image-processing engine
179-point hybrid AF system
Fast 0.06sec autofocus time
Full HD video
1,440k-dot OLED Tru-Finder with 100% field of view
3-inch, 921,600-dot rear LCD ,180º tiltable
Measures 120x67x45mm
278g (body only)

Despite being launched back in the spring of 2014, there is still a lot to like about this mirrorless veteran, especially at this price. It features a 24.3MP Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor, which still delivers reasonably high-resolution images, backed up by an improved Bionz X image processing engine.

This is still a pretty nippy camera too, offering a fast 0.06sec autofocus time and a 179-point hybrid AF system, covering almost 100% of the frame. The Alpha 6000 has 25 precision contrast-detection AF points. The hybrid autofocus system not only makes it easier for the camera to recognise scenes, but it also boosts the ability of the Alpha 6000 to lock onto the correct subjects and track them tenaciously.

In addition, the A6000 can shoot 11fps of RAW+JPEG for 21 frames or 49fps of fine JPEG before it begins buffering. There is also a tilting LCD, a pop up electronic viewfinder with 1.44-million dot resolution providing 100% frame coverage, and Full HD video recording (but not 4K, unfortunately).

Most of the camera’s weight sits in the grip, which houses the battery and memory card, but this is countered by the weight of the lens, making the Alpha 6000 well balanced. It’s comfortable to operate one-handed. Top-spec technology and a host of cutting-edge features have given the Alpha 6000 longevity and keeps it competitive even today.

Read our Sony Alpha 6000 Review

Nikon D3500 with 18-55mm VR lens

Price: £449

Nikon D3500 – at a glance

24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor
ISO: 100-25,600
Up to 5 frames per second continuous shooting
Screen: 3-inch, 921k-dot fixed TFT LCD
Full HD (1920×1080) at 60p, HD (1080×720)
AF points: 11-point system
Viewfinder: Pentamirror type, 0.85x magnification; 95% coverage
Dimensions: 124×97×69.5mm
Weight: 415g (including battery and memory card)

Now we move on to budget DSLRs, and this is certainly one of the best options for beginners. While the market momentum is with mirrorless cameras at the moment, DSLRs remain great value and can take a very wide choice of affordable lenses. The D3500 is an APS-C (DX) format DSLR that features a still-very-capable 24.2MP sensor, a decent sensitivity range up to ISO 25,600, and the ability to shoot at up to 5 frames per second.

It also comes with a Guide Mode, which helps beginners figure out the essential functions in order to take better pictures, but there is also full manual control for more confident photographers. For a DSLR, the D3500 is relatively compact and lightweight too, at 365g, and can record full HD video.

Although the sensor has the same effective 24.2MP resolution as Nikon’s earlier D3400 and D5600 cameras, the sensor in the D3500 is an updated version. It does away with an optical low-pass filter to help to maximise the ability of the sensor to resolve fine detail images.

The D3500 is also notable for its a great body design, deep grip and an intuitive layout of controls that make it straightforward to use. You’ll also find a range of Nikon lenses available, with Nikon ‘DX’ lenses being specifically designed for the the camera’s APS-C sensor. The D3500 remains not only a great Nikon DSLR but a great Nikon DSLR full stop.

Read our Nikon D3500 DSLR Review

Canon EOS 2000D / Canon Rebel T7

Price: £469 with 18-55mm IS lens www.canon.co.uk

Canon EOS 200D – at a glance

24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor
DIGIC 7 image processor
ISO: 100-25,600 (expandable up to 51,200)
Up to 5 frames per second continuous shooting
Screen: 3-inch, 1040k-dot, vari-angle touchscreen LCD
Full HD video
Dual Pixel AF system
Metering: 63 zone dual-layer metering sensor
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth
Dimensions: 122.4×96.2×69.8mm
Weight: 453g

This is a similar DSLR proposition to the Nikon D3500, featuring a 24.2MP sensor in a refreshingly small and compact body. Other key features include a reasonably versatile 9-point autofocusing system, a 3-inch 920k-dot LCD screen, 3fps continuous shooting and ISO capability of 100-6400 (expandable up to ISO 12,800).

The EOS 200D is petite in DSLR terms, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s lacking an impressive set of features. It boasts a good spec for its size and adopts a good number of features found throughout Canon’s DSLR range, including Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology, a vari-angle screen, Wi-Fi and you can record Full HD video.

The 200D presents a fairly basic layout of nine AF points in a diamond formation, with one single cross type in the centre. This arrangement is identical to that of the EOS 100D and presents an AF working range of 0.5EV to 18EV.

As well as offering the full manual shooting control you’d expect from a DSLR, the Canon EOS 200D offers good options for any newcomer to photography in the shape of a Scene Intelligent Auto mode, a selection of Creative Filters, as well as 11 scene modes. All of these beginner-friendly modes are easy to access directly from the mode dial.

As with the Nikon D3500, however, one of the biggest attractions is the option to use a very wide range of compatible and relatively affordable lenses. Overall, it’s a great APS-C format DSLR that won’t break the bank.

Read our Canon EOS 200D Review