Best Budget Cameras ($100-$300)
Photography isn’t really known for being an inexpensive hobby or profession. Sometimes that can be a huge barrier to entry for anyone looking at picking up their first camera to start learning photography. As of writing this, the least expensive new camera and lens (that’s been released in the last 5 years) is the Canon R100 which costs over $600. While that camera is mostly capable, we can stretch a lot less money for even better results.
As technology has improved over the years, it means there are actually quite a lot of very sufficient cameras out there collecting dust. Everyone has moved to mirrorless technology which leaves used DSLR cameras and lenses sinking lower and lower in price.
Simply put: there has never been a cheaper and easier time to start photography.
How to Find Cheap Cameras (and what to look out for)
Before we dive in, it’s good to know where to look and what to look for when buying an old camera. The places you’ll likely find the best deals are locally using Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. Sometime you can find something for a great price on Ebay as well. This is where I’d be looking around for to start, especially if you are not in a hurry. You’ll be able to stretch your money further and likely find some gems out there that don’t have large shutter counts.
Shutter counts are important on these older DSLRs as it gives a general idea of how much the camera was used, but more importantly these cameras all have mechanical parts that can fail with increased use. Typically the more entry level cameras have lower thresholds than the more professional series of cameras. For example a shutter count on an entry level Canon T3i might be rated at 50k where as the Professional series Canon 5D Mark II might be rated for 200k shutter actuations (these numbers are made up, I don’t know their actual ratings). Thus when you’re shopping around, try to find out what the shutter count is for the camera.
Taken with Canon T2i + 18-55mm Kit Lens
If you do decide to meet up, make sure to test things like auto-focus, turn the camera on and off a few times, enable live-view to see how the image looks, and of course take a closer look around the camera (including the battery compartment) for any visible issues. The Canon T2i I bought ended up having a focusing issue that’s likely due to the cheap kit lens, but it didn’t show up until I was out shooting. This can happen, so do your best to test everything before you walk away.
An alternative to dealing with people or worrying as much about whether you’re going to waste a couple hundred dollars on a non-functioning camera is to use a service like MPB or KEH. These are websites that buy and sell used cameras, include things like shutter counts, conditions, and warranties in case the camera you ordered doesn’t work out. When buying cameras this old, it might be worth it for a bit of peace of mind but it will end up costing you more overall. Thus that risk is up to you.
Throughout this article I’ll be using MPB for all suggested cameras as a baseline for pricing structure. Many times a camera on MPB might cost $170 but you could likely pick it up directly from someone for less than that. Thus you might see cameras suggested that are outside of the budget on MPB but within budget through other mediums like Ebay or Marketplace. I’ve tried to put all cameras in budget brackets that include a kit lens. Typically if you can get a $200 camera on MPB, you’ll likely be able to get the same camera + kit lens second hand for the same price or less. Lastly the MPB links are affiliate links, meaning I will get a couple dollars if you choose to use MPB but no pressure, it’s mostly the best way to organize and link all the suggestions in this article.
*note - You will only see Nikon and Canon cameras in this list. This is for a few reasons; most importantly just availability and numbers. The used cameras in this budget were completely dominated by both Nikon and Canon in terms of sales. Yes a few other brands made cameras, but in much smaller quantities and truthfully never quite as good as what Nikon and Canon were producing between 2008 and 2014 for DSLRs.
$100-$200 Ultra-Budget Cameras
You might be surprised of just how much camera you can get for so little nowadays. While some of these cameras will be nearly 15 years old, the sensors in them still perform quite well. Truthfully much of the technological advancements from 15 years ago are in everything but the image quality. For example if you compared charts or dynamic range from a brand new entry-level camera ($800-$1100) to cameras from this list, you won’t find huge leaps in image quality. Of course you’ll find massive improvements in areas like autofocus and video, but when it comes to pure image quality (especially in landscape photography) don’t doubt this group of cameras!
These will be listed by series, starting with the newest cameras to oldest. Many of these, especially the “entry-level” series, don’t see big image quality differences as their sensors weren’t typically updated. For example both the Canon and Nikon options below, the sensors don’t change throughout iterations.
Canon 700D (T5i), 650D (T4i), 600D (T3i), 550D (T2i) - I’ve had the most personal experience with this series of cameras, however it was for video all the way back in 2012. Recently I’ve spent time taking photos with the Canon T2i (more pictures below) and I must say, it is a very capable camera. If you can snag any camera from this series, you’ll have great results. There’s not large variations between these cameras as they were released essentially on a yearly basis. You should easily be able to find a T4i with a lens for under $200.
Canon 60D or Canon 7D - These are quite similar although the Canon 7D released at a higher price. Image quality wise you won’t notice any difference as they use roughly the same sensor and have the same processor. The 7D was built with a more premium body. If you can find either of these, they would be great.
Nikon D3400, D3300, D3200 - These were Nikon’s equivalent of the series above, however they have a 24.2 MP sensor as opposed to the Canon’s T4i 18MP sensor. Many of the features will be similar, keep in mind that Nikon’s video was very bad at the time, but I suspect most people are not looking into these cameras for video. You should easily be able to find a D3400 with lens for under $200. Something to note here (that I’m unsure why) is that the D3300 has a higher price than the D3400.
Nikon D5200 or Nikon D7000 - I’ve listed the D7000 here but if you can snag a D7100, it’s what I would recommend as the D7000 used the 18mp Nikon sensor which is slightly worse than the more budget oriented Nikon’s I listed earlier. The Nikon D5200 has the updated sensor and is my pick for enthusiast level cameras from Nikon in this price range.
$200-$300 Super Budget Cameras
If you’ve got just a bit more to spend, this is the sweet spot for the best bang for your buck. Likely closer to $300 you can find some absolutely killer systems that will give you results you’d be hard to ever see a difference from any modern Mirrorless system. I’m going to list less cameras in this section as I think there are more stand-out options here.
*Note that if you choose a full-frame option, lenses will also be more costly.
Taken with Canon 6D
Canon 6D or Canon 5D Mark II [Full-Frame] - The Canon 6D was the first full-frame camera I ever bought and served well over 5 years of my early photography. Both of these options would be sufficient, but you’ll likely have better luck finding better condition Canon 6D’s are they are 5 years newer. That being said, the image quality from both of these cameras will be very similar. My suggestion would be to look for a 6D but don’t hesitate to take a 5D Mark II in good condition if it comes your way.
Nikon D600 [Full-Frame] - This is the only full-frame from Nikon I’d recommend in this price range. Nikon didn’t start making mid-range level full frame cameras until a few years after Canon so they haven’t hit the age yet to trickle into this price range. Be careful to note that the D700 is absolutely not better than the D600 (and much older). If you can find a Nikon D610 and lens in this price, grab it as it improves on the D600 but not enough to spend a bunch more.
There are other options in this potential range such as the Canon 7D Mark II or the Nikon D7500 but not only would it be hard to grab one with a lens within this budget, they’d also have to be quite worn out. Ultimately this budget is where you can pick up some great old full-frame cameras. Suggesting slightly newer crop-sensor cameras from the entry level lines like the Canon T6i or Nikon D3500 would be within budget, but they wouldn’t produce images quite as nice as the older full-frame cameras.
Canon T2i Gallery Images
These were all taken October 2025 using just a Canon T2i and the kit 18-55mm lens. Very little editing and just some beautiful scenes. This should really show off exactly what you can get with just $100!
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