What are the Best Cameras? A Guide for Beginners and Amateurs

Often in photography; less is more, particularly for amateurs and beginners. High specifications with impossible user guides can become a whole course in themselves, bordering on a degree in using a camera. This guide focuses on best cameras for beginners with tips for making your life easy even as you explore this wonderful pastime.

(i)                 You should do better than the smartphone

At the very least your new camera should be better than the smartphone in terms of handling and the output that you get. For this we recommend the Canon 1200D (T5) at $400. It comes with a great 18-55 mm kit lens and can produce 18 megapixels with its CMOS sensor. Most importantly it has a companion app to get you going.

(ii)               Look for portability and malleability

It is not a good idea for a beginning to be carrying pounds upon pounds of camera. You will already be intimidated enough without fiddling about with a gigantic piece of hardware. Therefore we recommend the Canon EOS 1200D (Rebel T5) which is a nice little number. It is good enough to give you excellent images regardless of whether you are in the light or in the dark.  Its Full HD 1080p video at 30 fps qualifies this to be one of the best cameras for beginners.

(iii)             Never lose your sense of fun

This is supposed to be a wonderful new experience for you. Get a camera that has some spice and verve instead of going for the dull also-runs that everybody has. We certainly think that the Canon 1200D (T5) fits the bill with its 18-55-mm kit lens. If you want to try another brand then the Nikon D3300 works equally as well with its 24.2-megapixel APS-C 23.5 x 15.6 mm CMOS sensor.

(iv)             Stick to your budget

This is not the time to rob the bank in order to puff up your vanity. Beginners should start slow and then build up until they can handle the most expensive cameras fluently and confidently. That is why we recommend the Pentax K-S1 which costs a reasonable $350 and is quite modern in its design. Its ISO range can go up to 51200 and it is capable of burst shooting at 5.4 fps.

Conclusion

It is certainly true that the best camera for beginners is that one which is able to introduce them to great photography without overwhelming them with technical specifications. You also need to drive a hard bargain so that you can save later for the really technical stuff.