7 Best Cameras For Beginners (and 3 you should avoid)

One of the most difficult parts of getting started with photography is figuring out which camera to buy. Remember, you’re not just buying one camera, you’re buying into an entire camera system of lenses, accessories, and even potential future camera upgrades that will fit those lenses.

So I took that all into consideration when I chose the Nikon Z50II as the best camera for beginners. It has everything a beginner needs to get started with photography and the Nikon Z mount system has some of the best lenses available on the market today.

But there are other options you may want, based on your own preferences and budget, so keep reading to check out my breakdown of all the best beginner cameras.

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The Nikon Z50II is an excellent crop-sensor camera in the Nikon Z Mount system. In short, this is my top recommendation for beginners because it comes in at a reasonable price point but still has all the features you need to develop good photography skills for shooting just about anything.

For more Nikon options, check out my picks for the best Nikon Cameras For Beginners.

The biggest highlight here is that despite being a crop-sensor camera, it has the exact same Nikon Z mount as the full-frame Nikon Z cameras. There are two benefits to this.

First, the Z mount is arguably the best mount on the market today. Its size and design allow Nikon to produce lenses that lead the pack in image quality while also making it easier to build smaller and more compact lenses without sacrificing that image quality.

For some great lens options check out my picks for the best lenses for the Nikon Z50.

Second, it means that even with somewhat of an “entry-level” camera, you can start building your kit of full-frame Z Mount lenses and they will work perfectly on this camera. Then, if you add a Z5 or Z6II to your bag, you won’t need any new lenses.

The Nikon Z50II is an upgrade to its predecessor (that I used to recommend here). The Z50II had a lot of under the hood upgrades that make this camera easy to use such as improved autofocus with enhanced subject detection (including birds, cars, and trains), a better ergonomic experience with a slightly larger body with a deeper grip. In addition it also has and more advanced video features like N-Log and 10-bit 4:2:2 recording.

There are some negatives, though.

Because this is a crop sensor camera, the low light performance and dynamic range aren’t as good as the more expensive Z5II or Z6III cameras. Of course, this is expected given the price difference, but if you want a camera that works great in low-light situations like parties, natural light portraits after sunset, evening street photography, or others, then you may want to check out the Z5 below.

If you want the same tech but in a very cool retro style and a screen that flips out to the side then you may want to