It’s a new year and it is safe to expect more first dates, weddings, new colleges, jobs and everything in between. You won’t always want to capture all these special moments with just a cellphone camera – you need a gadget that can take your business marketing to a new level.
Below are three of the best beginner cameras you can get for less than Sh50,000.
Nikon D5300
The D5300 is an excellent pick for an entry-level photographer. It’s a step up from the most basic cameras but doesn’t quite reach the professional-level feature set. It’s got a high megapixel count at 24MP. It also has the largest display screen at 3.2 inches, but it lacks a touchscreen feature, which can complicate things a bit. There’s built-in wi-fi, GPS and strong battery life. The D5300 also has the ability to sync with a smartphone for better control.
The Nikon’s compact size makes it easy to hold on to, with a secure grip for extended periods of time. Controls are straightforward, despite the lack of a touchscreen, as most major functions are available from the menu button.
Image quality is one of the best and so is the video quality at 1080p HD, which gives you the best picture available. For the money, not much else can match the D5300’s capabilities.
Canon EOS M100
This digital camera has been designed to be simple and unintimidating for novices and smartphone photographers. It boasts very good image quality, with a 24MP APS-C sensor and fast and responsive autofocus thanks to its dual-pixel autofocus system, which were borrowed from higher-quality and costlier Canon models. The ability to ‘rack focus’ by dragging a finger across the touchscreen is a nice bonus for people who are going to record video with this camera.
If there’s a problem with the EOS M100, it is that in super-simplifying the outside, Canon has pushed all the technical stuff inside, therefore making common adjustments like exposure mode that much harder to apply.
Sony A6000
Sony’s outstanding A6300 and A6500 might be out of budget, but the A6000 is a worthy alternative. The price is so low it’s almost silly. This mirrorless camera shoots images at 24.3MP and has a video resolution of 1080p. In fact, the company claims it is its best-selling mirrorless camera to date. The metal body feels solid with a rubber grip, and offers an ideal weight for a camera of this size. It offers fast continuous shooting and autofocus, multiple custom control options, above-average image quality and excellent low-light performance
One thing to note is that Sony lenses are more expensive than Canon or Nikon. This will pile on additional costs to the base camera. Overall, the Sony A6000 is a fun and rewarding camera to shoot with.
