When looking for an affordable camera, it’s important to choose one that fits your budget and needs. Fortunately, almost any modern digital camera can take great pictures in the right hands, but cameras can quickly veer into very expensive territory, especially if you’ve decided to buy brand new—and that’s not even factoring in the added costs of additional lenses and accessories like memory cards. card and camera case.

Fortunately, cameras generally don’t lose value or performance as quickly as other types of technology, so if you’re on a tight budget, you can always buy an older used model on eBay or at retailers like Adorama, B&H Foto Video, KEH, and MPB. Many digital cameras released in the last five to ten years are still worth considering and can be found at relatively low prices. An older camera body will also give you plenty of room to grow as a photographer and can still produce excellent results when combined with a good lens. As a general rule, it is better to invest in a cheaper camera body and better quality lenses than to invest in an expensive camera body and cheap lenses.

We’ve bought over 100 cameras, and below you’ll find the best cheap and budget cameras we’ve tested in our lab. If you’re on a budget, you can also see our recommendations for the best cameras under $1,000 and the best cameras under $500. If you’re particularly interested in mirrorless options, check out our best cheap mirrorless cameras. Or, if you’re more interested in taking videos than taking pictures, you can try our best cameras for YouTube instead.