The Best Cameras Under $1500 to Buy Today
Buying a camera today can be very daunting. Mirrorless cameras are getting more expensive every year, and the new set of tariffs by Donald Trump makes the dream of buying new cameras just another dream. While the world deals with the financial meltdown that affects us every step of the way, we decided to come up with a list that can help photographers, especially younger ones, to be able to continue their passion. The list includes various options, so do have a look and see what fits your budget and your needs. Ricoh GR IIRicoh GR IIThis is a perfect choice for street photographers or anyone who wants a small but powerful camera. The GR II features a 16MP sensor with an 18mm (approx 28mm equivalent) lens. The camera can detect up to 10 faces, has a full HD mode, comes with various creative modes, and has a better life of 320 shots. Some of the things you will like are the image quality (including JPEGs), compact body, simplicity and intuitiveness, simulations, and a lens with character. The only challenge is the autofocus in low light.Sony a6100Sony a6100The a6100 is an APS-C camera that comes with a 24.2MP sensor, 14-bit RAW, 425-point focus points, and eye and animal eye tracking. It features a 1,440,000 dots EVF, a 2.95-inch 921,600 dots touch screen, and a continuous shooting speed of 11fps. What we liked about the camera was its weight and size, speedy autofocus system, real-time autofocus tracking, and overall image quality. The battery life is decent, and one can flip the screen to take selfies. However, what it lacks is weather sealing, and there is no image stabilization as well.Nikon Z 5Nikon Z 5The Nikon Z 5 features a 23MP backside-illuminated full-frame sensor with hybrid image autofocus and five-axis vibration reduction. It has an ISO of up to 51,200, weather sealing, and 4K UHD video with a crop and 14-bit RAW. For photographers, there is also a 4.5 fps continuous shooting speed and a 1/200th flash sync available. What it gives you is reliability, beautiful images, AF-F mode for tracking in video modes, and lively colors, and it also makes for a fantastic webcam. Olympus EPL10Olympus EPL10Olympus makes one of the sturdiest cameras in the industry. The Olympus EPL10 features a 16.1MP sensor, 121 autofocus points, and 3-axis image stabilization. The device has a 3.0-inch 180° tilting touch LCD, 8fps of continuous shooting speed, Bluetooth, and creative features such as live composite. Some of its stand-out points include its good image quality, a better LCD than the a6100, great battery life, and great autofocus performance. However, unlike other Olympus cameras, this one does not feature weather sealing despite having good build quality. Canon EOS RPCanon EOS RPAn entry-level full-frame 24MP mirrorless camera, the EOS RP has the same build as the Canon 6D Mk II. It’s one of the cameras with a higher autofocus point, at 4779, and an ISO up to 40,000. The RP can shoot 5fps continuously and 4fps with autofocus tracking. It can record 4K video at 23.98fps, comes with a 3-inch 1.04-million dot screen, and also has WiFi capabilities. The positives are that the camera’s image quality will be liked by many, but the autofocus can be challenging. It is weather-sealed and is also quite small and light. Fujifilm XE4Fujifilm X-E4One of the most affordable Fujifilm cameras, the X-E4 features a 26MP X Trans 4 sensor and an X Processor 4. It has a 2.36 million-dot EVF, a 3-inch 180-degree tilting touchscreen, and a 20 fps burst with an electronic shutter. It has hybrid AF, Bluetooth, and WiFi, as well as 4K video at 30fps. The sensor is taken from X-T4, which makes the camera a steal as it offers great image quality, along with compactness. As we said in our review: “It maintains the excellent color and noise reduction of pricier cameras, as well as Fujifilm’s film color profiles.”Canon 6D Mk IICanon 6D Mk IIWe won’t recommend DLSRs if they are not great. The 6D Mk II is one of the best Canon full-frame cameras with a 26MP sensor, DIGIC 7 processor, and WiFi. It has a vari-angle screen, 6.5fps continuous shooting abilities, weather resistance, 45 autofocus points, and the ability to shoot HD videos and 4K timelapse. It also offers color versitanility, a nice flippy screen, great battery life, as well as good high ISO performance. The color rendition of skin tones is also quite impressive. Since it is a DSLR, you will have to get accustomed to its autofocus, which is slower than mirrorless cameras. Nikon D750Nikon D750One of Nikon’s best cameras, the D750 featured a full frame 23MP sensor, EXPEED 4 image processor, and ISO up to 51200. It can capture 6.5fps continuously, 51 autofocus points, and includes timelapse and exposure smoothing. The camera has a deep grip, intuitive placements of controls, amazing details and colors, and files that are useable up to ISO 10000. It also is perfect for low-light performance and comes with great autofocus for dimly lit areas. Sony A7 MK IISony A7 MK IIThe Sony a7 Mk II builds on the legacy of its predecessor, which features a 24.3MP full-frame CMOS sensor and a BIONZ X image process. The camera also includes 5-axis image stabilization, fast and hybrid autofocus, 5fps of burst shooting, and a full HD video recording. The camera is weather-resistant, includes a robust grip, and has built-in WiFi. In our tests, we adored image stabilization, fast autofocus, great details in shadows, and more function buttons.
