Best Camera Under $500

There are few companies that are more trusted when it comes to camera manufacturers than Nikon. Its excellent and affordable camera models like this one that have gained Nikon that type of reputation. This is a digital SLR camera that will give you photos that have great definition and color for a decent price.

Digital SLR cameras are great because they can be used in two different ways. Beginners will most likely want to use them in a point-and-shoot mode which takes great pictures effortlessly. More advanced users may want to use some of the more advanced settings on the camera.

This camera has too many really good features to mention them all. They start with its excellent 24 megapixel photo quality. There is a big 3” digital display screen built in to review your photos and videos too.

It can also be set to be used under a very wide variety of light conditions too.

The absolute best feature on this model camera is the autofocus. It will lock onto a moving target and stay locked on it until you have snapped your photo.

Great pictures are not the only thig you can take with this camera model either. It also has the capability to shoot high definition videos. So now when you are on a tour or on a holiday you only have to bring one camera instead of two.

These are kind of a dying breed of camera. They were the original high quality cameras that many people used for years. Nowadays they are mostly used by professional photographers because you can still do more with film cameras than you can with digital SLR cameras.

With that being said, the gap is closing rapidly in picture quality between the two and more and more professional photographers are having great success using digital SLR cameras.

With these cameras after you are done shooting a roll of film you have to either develop it yourself or take it someplace to be developed. They are also very complicated to operate.

These are cameras that develop their own pictures right after you take a shot. They are a fun type of camera to use because of this. Before the advent of digital camera technology they were the only type of camera where you could see your results right away.

Polaroid was the original inventor of this type of camera and now Fuji film has their own versions too.

The drawbacks to these types of camera are the film they use is expensive, the user has very little control over how a photo is taken and the image quality is not as goos as other types of cameras.

These are one of the latest types of digital cameras but they are fairly new technology that has not quite caught on yet. They work very similar to digital SLR cameras but as the name implies they do not use a complex mirror imaging system like digital SLR cameras do.

One of the biggest advantages with these cameras is that you can use interchangeable lenses with them. The drawback with these types of cameras is these additional lenses will usually cost some significant money.

These are the most basic version of digital cameras available. The user controls very little as far as the settings on them go. That is why they are called point and shoot cameras. They are very simple to use and you can find them priced well under $100 for some models.

One of the major drawbacks with them is the image quality is not nearly as good as those pictures taken with a digital SLR camera.

These are by far the most popular types of cameras. As we have mentioned before they have modes where they act as point and shoot cameras and other settings that let the user have more control over their shots.

These come in all different price ranges too. The best cameras that you will find under $500 will most likely be digital SLR type cameras. This is because they are such a very versatile type camera. Best of all they can be used effectively by both novice and more experienced camera users alike.

If you would like to know how digital SLR cameras work in a little more detail, then you can refer to this informational YouTube video:

Let’s face it. You are not going to get a camera like professionals use for under $500. On the other hand, most people don’t need an expensive type of camera to take very good photos. So what should you look for to make sure you are getting a very good camera that is still less than $500?

Here are some of the main considerations when shopping for a camera in the less than $500 price range:

You most certainly want a camera that takes good clear pictures. The resolution a camera has is what determines how clear the images it produces are. This resolution of the image in a digital camera is determined by the number of megapixels it has. The higher the number of megapixels the higher resolution images your camera can take.

When you purchase a new camera you don’t want to spend hours reading an owner’s manual and watching YouTube videos to learn how to use it. That is why you want to find a camera that is easy to use. Look for a camera that has settings that are self-explanatory and has many auto functions too.

There are many important parts on a camera but few are as important as the camera lens itself. When you are looking at a particular camera model see if you can find out who the lens is made by. Once you do this then do a little research on that particular lens to see how well it is made. This is important because the higher quality lenses are less susceptible to such things as glare and a halo effect.

Light play such a key role whenever you are taking photos. A good camera can fool the lens into thinking there is more light in the room than there. A camera’s ISO rating is its range that it can sense light and adjust to it. The higher the ISO number that your camera can be set to the darker the setting you can take photos in. A camera that goes up to at least 6400 ISO is preferable.

One of the best qualities of digital cameras is that you can see the finished image right away. That way you can decide if you want that image or video taking up your limited space om your cameras SD card or not. The best way to see these images is with a generous size display screen on your camera. Look for a camera that has a diagonal display screen that is at least 2 ½ inches.

Having a camera that can get you closer to objects that are far away is a big bonus sometimes. Built-in zoom capability comes in very handy at sporting events and when travelling. Look for an optical zoom capability too because its produces a better quality picture than digital zoom capability does.

These days most cameras will have some sort of video taking capability. This is true even of inexpensive point-and-shoot models. If you are interested in taking videos and photos then look for a good camera that can do both. Some cameras will even have extremely high quality HD video capability.

Imagine being on vacation and viewing the most beautiful sunset in the world. Just as you go to get a photo of this amazing sunset your camera dies. This can and does happen all the time. That is why if you buy a camera with a longer battery life you stand less chance of having this happen to you. So be aware of the battery life of any camera that you are about to purchase.

As cameras get more and more sophisticated that also means that there is more that can go wrong with them too. Even a camera that costs less than $500 dollars is still not considered to be a disposable item. That is why you want your camera to come with the most comprehensive and longest warranty possible. Make sure you check out the warranty of any camera you are thinking about buying.

There are few things in life that are better to have than a camera that you can really rely on. After all, who does not like a keepsake of their favorite moments in life? You don’t have to spend a fortune anymore to do this either. A camera like the Nikon D3300 VR II Auto Focus is more camera than most people will ever need. Best of all it can be yours for under $500. Check this camera and the others on our top review list out before you buy. That way you won’t miss out on the best camera under 500 dollars.