What’s the best affordable camera for landscape photography? You’re going to find out in this article.
It’s crucial to point out some important aspects of landscape photography that will help you in your buying decision. And if you’ve been following this blog, you know that I’m a firm believer in not having to spend a lot of money to be able to deliver fantastic photos.
That’s why I decided to make this comparison list and see what’s the best cheap camera for landscape photography.
Related: the best lens for landscape photography
Best Affordable Camera for Landscape Photography: Our Top Three
The Best Affordable Camera for Landscape Photography: Canon EOS Rebel T7
- 24.1 Megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor with is 100–6400 (H: 12800)
- Built-in Wi-Fi and NFC technology
- 9-Point AF system and AI Servo AF
- Optical Viewfinder with approx 95% viewing coverage
- Use the EOS Utility Webcam Beta Software (Mac and Windows) to turn your compatible Canon camera into a high-quality webcam. Compatible Lenses- Canon EF Lenses (including EF-S lenses, excluding EF-M lenses)
Important Landscape Photography Aspects When Buying a New Camera
I posted an extensive article on the best camera for beginners. You will find more details on generic aspects to consider when buying a new camera, but let’s have a brief overview here focusing on landscape photography cameras.
- DLSR or Mirrorless? Mirrorless cameras tend to be smaller and lighter, they also have better video quality. DSLR cameras, on the other hand, tend to be more affordable. DSLRs have better battery life and they have a wider range of lenses available since they’ve been around for much longer than mirrorless cameras.
- Camera Sensor. Should you get a full-frame or crop sensor camera for landscape? The answer is: it depends. Full-frame sensor cameras have in general higher resolution and best low light capabilities, but they are more expensive than APS-C (crop sensor) cameras. APS-C cameras are more affordable and allow you to save some money and buy better lenses that you can use in the future on full-frame cameras if you decide to make the jump.
- ISO. To buy a great and inexpensive camera for landscape photography you might need to compromise on the ISO range. Low light capability is important, but if you are just starting with landscape photography, chances are that the best camera for you doesn’t need to be able to “shoot in the dark”. What I mean is that you can save some money and buy a tripod that will allow you to use a longer exposure and lower your ISO. High ISO is useful when capturing moving objects in low light conditions but in landscape photography, you’ll find yourself shooting the majority of the time at base ISO 100. So while it’s important to know the role the ISO has on your exposure, I wouldn’t overthink it too much when it comes to getting an affordable camera.
Best Affordable Camera for Landscape Photography: Comparison Table
Best Affordable Camera for Landscape Photography
These are in my opinion great cameras to start with if you plan on saving some money and buy a cheap camera for landscape photography.
Before we start, if your total budget is under $300 and you don’t want to spend extra money on lenses you can take a look at my previous article Best Cameras Under 300.
I’ve included a couple of compact cameras in the following list too just in case. Let’s get started.
Canon EOS Rebel T7 (With Kit Lens)
No products found.At a very affordable price, you can buy from Amazon the Canon EOS Rebel T7. A really good camera for photography enthusiasts that want to start getting serious about landscape photography without breaking the bank.
Canon EOS Rebel T7 Features:
- 24 MP APS-C sensor
- Continuous shooting up to 60fps (good for high moving subjects)
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- 9-Point AF system and AI Servo AF
Canon PowerShot SX730
- Compact digital camera
- Zoom 40x optical
- 20.3 MP Sensor
- 180-degree tilt screen
- Bluetooth + Wi-Fi built-in
Nikon D5600
- Nikon DX lens attachment
- 24.2MP APS-C Sensor
- 4 Image processor
- Bluetooth + Wi-Fi
- Versatile camera also good for video
Sony RX100 20.2
- Sony digital compact camera
- 20.1 MP sensor
- ISO 80 to 25,600
- Zoom lens 28-100mm full-frame equivalent
- F/18-49 aperture
Sony Alpha a6000 Mirrorless Digital Camera
- Evergreen Sony camera
- Compatible with Sony E mount lenses
- APS-C sensor 24MP
- ISO 100-25600
- 11 FPS continuous shooting (good for bursts)
- Great quality tilt LCD screen
Canon EOS M50
- Canon new mirrorless
- Great quality APS-C sensor 24.1 MP
- Tilt LCD touch-screen
- Hi-res electronic viewfinder
Canon EOS REBEL SL3
- 24.1MP Sensor
- Great quality small and light DSLR
- 4k Video quality
- Tilt LCD touch-screen
- Bluetooth + Wi-Fi built-in
- Optical viewfinder
- Won Pixinfocus 2020 best DLSR camera for beginners
Nikon D3500 DX-Format
- Nikon DX model camera
- 24MP sensor
- ISO range 100-25600
- Optical viewfinder
- Bluetooth + Wi-Fi
Panasonic Lumix FZ80
- 18.1MP point and shoot camera
- 60x stellar zoom
- 4K video
Canon EOS 4000D Bundle
- The bundle is best value for money in this list
- 18MP APS-C sensor camera
- ISO range 100-12800
- Optical viewfinder
- The bundle includes 18-55mm lens (great for landscape)
Nikon D3300
- Nikon DX format
- 24.2MP sensor
- ISO range 100-12800
- Optical viewfinder
- 1080 video at 60 fps
Conclusion
Before you go, please remember that the prices shown in this list can be different on Amazon. A few of the models are point and shoot cameras since in my opinion they are amazing for new starters.
But if you want to get serious about landscape photography nothing can beat an interchangeable lens camera.
What is your favorite affordable camera for landscape photography? Tell is in the comments below.
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Stefano Caioni is a photographer from Sydney, Australia. Founder and editor of Pixinfocus, his passion for photography helps him explore new places and live new adventures. Thanks to photography he reconnected with the outdoors and was able to travel the world and take photos of some of the most beautiful places on Earth.