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In the last article we tell you which are the best photographic cameras to take street photography. But most of these cameras are not available to many people, due to their high cost. In this new article we tell you what are the best cheap cameras in 2020.
5 best cheap cameras that offer good-enough image quality for a very low price
With the cameras on this list you can take good photos for the price and can help you to teach the fundamentals of shooting.
1. Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W800
5x zoom and a sub-$100 price make this the best cheap camera overall.
- Inexpensive
- Portable
- Good image quality
- Display hard to see in sunlight
The Sony DSC-W800 is the top budget camera because it delivers good image quality in a compact package, measures just 2.1 x 2 x 0.9 inches when turned off, and weighs 3.5 ounces. However, it’s easy to inadvertently put your fingers over the flash.
When you turn it on, the lens telescopes out of the front, offering a 5x zoom that’s good enough to capture photos of a friend from a distance. It shoots 20.1-megapixel images that are saved to a (not included) SD card that fits alongside the slim battery. The 2.7-inch liquid-crystal display screen is a decent size, but looks blocky and is very hard to see in direct sunlight.
The images captured by the W800 have a strong color and detail when shooting in bright light. However, the quality drops rapidly as the light level decreases; night and indoor shots without flash have an opaque color and show noise.
Price: 98 $USD
2. Sony DSC-W830
If you want a better 8x zoom, choose this step-up model.
- 8x optical zoom
- Panorama mode
- Dust can get caught in lens
If you have a few more bucks to spend, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W830 packs a surprising amount of features into a small package, including high-definition video, panoramic images and a long 8x zoom lens. When you turn it on, the lens telescopes out from the front into three sections, but the assembly feels rather fragile. The DSC-W830 also has gaps that could collect grains of sand or dirt, jamming the camera.
The 2.7-inch screen on the back is clear and fairly sharp, but is rather hard to see in direct sunlight and lacks a touch screen. Instead, you get a selection of buttons and sliding switches, such as a three-position slider for camera, panorama or video-shooting mode. The zoom control at the top of the camera back is small but well-placed for one-handed shooting – you can zoom using your thumb and still reach the shutter with your index finger to take a photo.
Price: 209,90 $USD
3. Canon PowerShot Elph 190 IS
| A 10x zoom lets you get even closer to the action. |
- 10x optical zoom
- Wi-Fi
- Image stabilization
- Slippery case
The Elph 190 IS has a telescoping lens that offers an impressive 10x zoom range, from a 24mm-equivalent wide angle to a very long, 240mm-equivalent telephoto. That’s long enough to capture the dimples on a celebrity’s face before the security guards drag you away. The zoom control is a ring around the shutter button, so it’s easy to frame your shot, then quickly take it without moving your hand.
This camera is one of the cheapest we have seen that includes Wi-Fi, which can be used to send images to a smartphone, as well as to Facebook, Twitter and cloud services such as Google Drive. It’s a neat way to back up your images without using a laptop.
Image stabilization works quite well on the wider zoom settings, but not at the longer zoom ones. We did find that the smooth plastic case of the 190 IS was rather slippery. Its 2.7-inch LCD screen is crisp, but difficult to see in direct sunlight.
Price: 265,29 $USD
4. Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30
Budget waterproof shooter
- Waterproof to 8 meters
- Drop-resistant
- Flat colors in photos
If your adventures include the outdoors, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30 might be for you. It’s a tough little camera that can handle up to 26 feet of water and drops from up to 5 feet onto hard surfaces. It will also keep shooting in the cold: Panasonic claims it will keep working in temperatures as low as to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, so it can handle all but the most hard-core skiing and snowing adventures. The screen isn’t great, though: It looks blocky and pale compared with more expensive cameras.
The DMC-TS30 shoots 16.1-MP images and includes a 4x optical zoom, good enough for group shots or picking out a pine marten on a branch. The pictures it captures are good, but not great: The color was rather flat and became rather noisy in low light. Still, that’s an acceptable compromise for a camera that can survive your adventures and won’t bankrupt you if you drop it in raging rapids. The device doesn’t float, so make sure you use the included wrist strap, or it could end up sleeping with the fishes.
Price: 127,99 $USD
5. Kodak PixPro AZ421
Budget superzoom
- 42X zoom lens
- Optical image stabilization
- 720p max video
If you want to get close to a subject for less, than the Kodak PixPro AZ421 could be the ticket. This budget camera has a 42X zoom lens, the equivalent of a 24-1008mm lens for a 35mm camera, which means you should be about to see the Moon in all its glory, or capture wildlife from afar.
The PixPro AZ421 has a 3.0-inch 460k-dot rear LCD display (but no touchscreen), optical image stabilization (though you’ll still want a tripod), an ISO range of 80-3200. There are some compromises: Its f/stop range is limited, from f/3 to f/6.8, and it can record video at a max of 720p.
Price: 159,99 $USD
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