Christmas 2021
Which Low Budget Interchangeable Lens Camera?
Are you or your child interested in getting into the photography hobby? Do you have a bridge camera but want to upgrade to something that you can perhaps use to start a photography career with or have more control over your lens with. Do you have any idea which low budget interchangeable lens camera would be the best to start with? Hopefully you will be able to make those answers a lot clearer as we explore three of the best entry level cameras on the market. We’ll check out the Nikon D5600, Canon EOS 250D, and the Sony α6000. There are even some links to take you to each camera with a kit lens on Amazon, who are offering some amazing deals on cameras. So let's get started.
Nikon D5600
UK £619 https://amzn.to/3vFZknV
USA $789 https://amzn.to/3vDs3tJ
24.2 megapixel DX, CMOS with EXPEED 4 Processor
100-25600 ISO
5 fps
3.2 inch multi angle touch screen
Nikon has been my choice of camera from the start of my photography career. I started with a Nikon D40 back in 2008 and moved onto a Nikon D7100 in 2015. They are truly amazing cameras and I find it difficult to fault them.
The Nikon D5600 would be an amazing first DSLR camera for anyone looking to start taking the artform a little more seriously. Equally the Nikon D3500 would also be great, however it looks like it may be getting discontinued at some point quite soon and has become quite difficult to find new. The Nikon D5600 seems like the logical choice.
The Nikon D5600 has a brilliant 3.2 inch multi angle touch screen which makes shooting with it very flexible. Not only can you tilt it on the back to help with viewing it when it’s on live view, but you can flip it round to the front which makes vlogging with the camera very easy. Not only is it multi angle but it also functions in a similar way to your phone screen in that you can select one of the 39 focal points, focus the camera and take the photo simply by tapping the screen which will be very useful when in live view.
If you need a screen that is bigger than the 3.2 inchs, the Nikon D5600 has built in Bluetooth, WiFi and NFC. This means you are able to connect the camera to a phone or tablet using Nikon’s software, SnapBridge. This is partially useful in a studio environment where you may need to stand back from the camera and be a little more flexible with your movement. Wildlife photography would also be another situation where this would be very useful, meaning you can set the camera up and move away to observe from a distance, getting more natural behaviour from the animals.
Nikon has created the Creative Lighting System which is an optical system enabling you to use the speedlight as an off camera flash. You can use multiple speedlights to create interesting lighting effects similar to how a studio would use strobe lighting. The only disadvantage is this can be quite unreliable as if you have anything blocking the sightlines they can fail to fire, meaning that you are better getting a radio remote trigger system, giving you more flexibility.
Nikon were the first people to put film mode and live view into DSLR cameras with the Nikon D90 with D Movie in 2008. Things have moved on drastically since then and have improved. The Nikon D5600 is able to record 1080p at up to 60 fps. It also has built in features to create time lapse movies. This makes it a great vlogging camera as well as being great for learning to create short films.
Nikon lenses are undoubtedly some of the best in the industry. Their skill with glass is amazing creating outstanding lenses with very little distortion. If you wear glasses there is a good chance you have Nikon lenses in your glasses. There is a wide range of lenses starting with prime lenses at just over £100 to very bright, complex lenses that retail into the thousands. Whatever you want to take photos of, Nikon have the lens for you.
Nikon has really great software in all their cameras with easy to navigate menus. It has brilliant noise reduction software and captures images with great sharpness and colours. With the camera being able to connect to the WiFi, it has also never been easier to do firmware updates with the camera, meaning that just like with your phone, you will always have the best, most up to date software on your camera.
Canon EOS 250D
UK £629 https://amzn.to/30T8UIZ
USA $699 https://amzn.to/3C6H2yD
24.1-megapixel APS-C sensor and a DIGIC 8 image processor
100-25600 ISO
5 fps
3 inch LCD movable touch display
Canon is currently the market leader for digital photography, despite Nikon being way better. Just kidding. Sort of… Anyway....
The Canon EOS 250D is the world’s lightest DSLR camera with a brilliant tiltable screen. This enables you to not only tilt it in a way that is useful to you when shooting in live view but also allows you to move it to the front of the camera which is great for vlogging. The screen is also touch sensitive meaning it can be used in a similar way to a phone to select focal points, focus and take photos by tapping on the screen.
If you need a larger display than the camera’s you can connect it to a phone with either WiFi or Bluetooth, and use the Canon Camera Connect software to control the camera. This is great for working in a studio if you need to be more mobile and again for wildlife photography so you can observe from a distance getting more natural behaviour from the animals.
Canon developed their lighting system shortly after Nikon developed theirs, only instead of using the onboard flash to trigger the external speedlights they use an infrared system called Canon Wireless eTTL. This does however have similar issues to Nikons system where if sightlines are interrupted the flash can fail to fire, meaning using a radio trigger system is the best to use, giving you more control.
The Canon EOS 250D is one of the only entry level cameras to film in 4K at 25fps which makes it great for people who want to take film making a little more seriously. Not only is it a great vlogging camera, but it is brilliant for recording short films due to its Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology. This means that you are able to select your subject and if someone walks in front of the camera it does not lose focus. If you would like a clearer understanding of how it works, check out this video by Canon USA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3YfRqGZ6C4
Canon has a brilliant, extensive range of lenses at all price marks. They have some brilliant budget friendly prime lenses starting at just over £100 going up to more expensive, more elaborate lenses which cost into the thousands. Whatever you wish to shoot, Canon has the suitable lens for that subject.
Canon undoubtedly has some of the best software in the industry. It has amazing imaging software which is sharp and has excellent noise reduction. Not only does it have amazing imaging software, but it has easy to navigate menus and something called Guided UI which teaches you how to use your new camera as you shoot.
Sony α6000
UK £479 https://amzn.to/3nfpo5E
USA $548 https://amzn.to/3C6MHVv
24.3MP Exmor™ APS HD CMOS sensor with BIONZ X™ engine
100 - 25600 ISO
11fps
3 inch tiltable LCD display (not touch)
1cm OLED Tru-Finder™ EVF
It used to be that if someone said that they shoot with Sony, all the Nikon and Canon users would have a bit of a giggle at them. For a long time Nikon and Canon have been the market leaders for DSLR cameras, but in recent years, Sony have slowly been catching up with them and have some pretty decent cameras.
The Sony α6000 is one of the first budget friendly mirrorless camera. The SMOS sensor is 1.6x larger than cropped sensor cameras meaning that more light is able to hit the sensor. It has a BIONZ X™ Processor which is able to capture great textures, reduce blur, and reduce digital noise making photos appear sharper. The autofocus is 0.06 seconds meaning you are less likely to miss the shot. The 3 inch display is tiltable, which is great when shooting at a difficult angle, however it is not a touch screen. Sony does get around this by having built-in WiFi and NFC which means you can connect your phone to your camera using Imaging Edge Mobile software. This is great for setting up for vlogging and taking photos in an environment where you want to be at a distance from the camera.
Sony uses a similar off camera flash system to Nikon in that the external flash can be triggered using the onboard flash, however knowing that this system can be unreliable they have developed their own radio flash system which enables the photographer to use up to 15 external flashes. This is brilliant for creating studio-like effects with your speedlights.
It has 1080p video which can be shot at either 60fps or 24fps which is great for vlogging and learning to record short films.
Due to mirrorless cameras being very much new technology, Sony’s range of lenses is still quite restrictive. They do however have all the basic lenses that you need to start out. A good quality kit lens, a good range of prime lenses, and a good telephoto lens. Undoubtedly as the mirrorless technology improves, the lenses and range of lenses will improve with it.
Perhaps the main disadvantage of a mirrorless cameras is how battery heavy they are. The Sony α6000 is only capable of around 360 photos on one charge, so it would be highly recommendable to have three or four spare batteries if you’re going to be out for a full day with no access to electricity. Spare batteries can be easily found on Amazon.
Sony has excellent software on all their mirrorless cameras. The menus are really easy to navigate even for a complete novice. The imaging and noise reduction software is also brilliant for a camera at such a low price mark. It is a great camera for taking into low light environments.
Overall the Sony α6000 is a fantastic beginner Mirrorless camera which will last you many years. Not only will you be able to use it as an everyday camera with it being more small and more compact than a DSLR, but you will also be able to use it to start freelancing as a professional photographer. It has many the same capabilities on a DSLR meaning you are able to get similar quality images in a smaller, lighter body.
So what is the difference between a mirrorless camera and a DSLR?
The simple answer is that one has a mirror and one does not. In a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) there is a mirror in front of the shutter which reflects the image seen through the camera lens to the viewfinder in the camera. A mirrorless camera does not have this mirror meaning you view everything either through the screen or the electronic viewfinder. The type of mirrorless camera you are perhaps most familiar with is the cameras in your phone. These cameras are constantly improving with each flagship phone that is released. Although there are many advantages of both DSLR cameras and mirrorless cameras, there are also some disadvantages.
DSLR
Advantages
Long Battery life meaning you can shoot for a whole day on one battery, two at most.
Optical viewfinder means you are not wasting battery by powering a screen all day. The high quality mirrors also mean you are able to see a really good representation of the composition.
The cameras are very durable, being made to withstand difficult conditions. The sensor is also more protected from the elements as the mirror is covering it when you change lenses.
DSLRs have been around for much longer than mirrorless meaning that there are more lenses available. You are even able to use vintage Nikon lenses on new Nikon bodies.
Autofocus is generally faster meaning you are less likely to miss a shot, however mirrorless are catching up for example the Sony α6000.
Disadvantages
DSLR equipment is heavy due to its many moving parts meaning that you may not want to take your camera everywhere with you.
The mirror can cause slight shake while taking photos which can sometimes cause blur in places you don’t want it in long exposure photography.
Much slower when shooting. Frame rates generally tend to be slower due to the mechanics within the camera to do frame bursts and it’s also much slower in live view for the same reasons which means you can occasionally miss a shot.
Mirrorless
Advantages
Mirrorless cameras are very light and compact, meaning that they are easy to carry and take up very little space. They are also more discrete, meaning that they are especially brilliant for street photography.
Having no mirror means that you do not get any mirror shake when you release the shutter, making them great for astral and night photography. It also means that shooting is silent.
The electronic viewfinder can be used in video mode which is great if you need to use yourself as a human tripod, using three connection points (both hands and head) to hold the camera very still in challenging lighting situations where a tripod is not suitable.
Stabilization is in the body, not the lens, again meaning more control and less camera shake.
Disadvantages
Battery life is the biggest disadvantage of using a mirrorless camera, as the battery is being consistently used to power the screen or electronic viewfinder. You would ideally want to have several spare batteries to accommodate for this.
Because mirrorless cameras are still fairly new, there are fewer lenses available for them, however the key important lenses are available at similar prices to Nikon and Canon.
The electronic viewfinder can be quite limited in low light situations, meaning that you may find yourself using the back screen, meaning that if you were photographing a concert, you would have a bright screen in your eyes.
So which one should you choose?
It very much depends on what kind of photography you are interested in and if you are also wanting to use your camera for recording film. If you are really interested in film, then the Canon EOS 250D would be the best camera for you as it offers you the 4K capabilities whilst also offering you a really good camera for photography. If you primarily want to use the camera for photography and maybe dabble in film a little, then the Nikon D5600 is going to be the ideal camera for you due to its extremely good quality lenses and the possibility of using vintage lenses. What it lacks in software can be compensated for in Photoshop through the RAW converter. For example if you have high noise in a photo you can use the RAW converter to reduce the noise and then sharpen the image which is what Canon does in camera. If you are on a very tight budget or just want to use your camera for short periods of time for things like street photography or as an everyday to carry in your bag camera, get the Sony α6000 as it’ll fit nicely in your bag and is more discreet. If you still cannot choose which camera to get, get what your friends have or if you’re studying photography at school, get what the school has. Simply because it means you can borrow their lenses and equipment and use them on your own camera. The quality of cameras is so high these days, that no choice is really a bad choice between these three cameras.
