People are documenting everything in their lives now with cameras, and that’s no bad thing. From family functions to kids growing up, to simply going out with friends, it’s fun to have access to something that will freeze memories in time. However, one thing that is becoming increasingly popular are DSLRs among the non-expert photographer demographic. Now that they’re becoming cheaper they’re more in reach for those who don’t really know what they’re doing. But you don’t need a DSLR to take good photos. There are tons of cameras out there that aren’t DSLRs, but still take amazing photos and give you a lot of creative freedom. Here’s a collection of some of the top cameras you can purchase with a relatively small budget.
Lumix DMC FZ70 (or 72 depending on country)
This Panasonic bridge camera costs around $300, but it comes with tons of fantastic features, great auto, but also all of the manual features you’d want if you wanted to up your game a bit. It takes beautiful photos and video, has a rechargeable lithium battery, a viewfinder, an LCD screen and 60x optical zoom. It’s on par with a DSLR camera, only not quite and without the changeable lenses, which make it easier for carrying around and traveling with.
Nikon Coolpix S7000
Nikon makes a great selection of cameras of all levels, but as far as small point and shoots go this one is definitely up there. Costing around $250, this little camera packs a pretty big punch. With 20x optical zoom it covers pretty much all of your bases. Although it doesn’t have full manual mode you can still control a few aspects such as sensitivity and the autofocus point. For such a small camera, this is probably one of your best options.
Canon PowerShot A4000 IS
This camera only has 8x optical zoom, but it still has some great features that put it at the top of its price category. Costing around $185, this camera is incredible value. The camera comes with 32 different shooting modes, from low light settings to portrait to fireworks and snow. It has some additional features like scene detection and red eye correction, making it pretty high-tech for its price point.
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS
If you’re looking for something a bit more sophisticated than your typical point and shoot and similar to the Lumix featured above, than this camera may be for you. The price varies greatly depending on where you buy it, but it costs around $300, but takes some pretty spectacular images with 50x zoom. Similar to the Lumix, you have the ability to shoot in full manual, comes with an LCD screen and viewfinder, as well as a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. For its price, this camera is pretty spectacular.
There are tons of cameras out there for taking more professional photos or just casual ones of your life. You don’t need to spend a lot to have professional-looking photos to document your life, but you may need to consider what camera you need depending on the type of photography you’ll be doing. If you’re looking to take snaps on holiday, then you should research the best travel cameras to take abroad with you. However, if you’ll mainly use it for taking professional photos, then a DSLR may be a better choice.
