Starter Cameras for Under $1,000
Linus Tech Tips
·Linus Tech Tips
·2016-05-06
·
1,412 words · ~7 min read
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So, our friends over at B&H graciously offered to send me a few cameras of my
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choice to check out. And since you guys always ask what Canon camera you should
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buy within a certain budget, I thought, let's talk about that. So, today, let's
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take a look at what you can get today under $1,000.
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B&H is our go-to place to shop for all of our photo, video, and audio
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solutions. Check out the link in the video's description to learn more. To be
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clear, when looking at the $1,000 price point, I wanted to find cameras that you
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could actually shoot with for that amount of money. Potential lens cost
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included. There are cameras like the Blackmagic Pocket and the recently
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released Sony a6300, which come in at under $1,000, but for the body only. So,
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for that price point, to get them shoot ready, you would need to spend a bit more depending on your needs. So, let's
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dive into your options below the $1,000 price point. First up, we have Sony's
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RX100 Mark IV. Now, while it's a point and shoot, it is by no means a slouch
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when it comes to stills or video. On the inside, the RX100 has a 24 megapixel 1
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in sensor with Sony's latest Bion's X processor. Glass-wise, it's sporting a
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35mm equivalent focal length of 24 to 70 mm from Zeiss that has a rather fast
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iris range of f1.8 to f2.8, which will
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still give you the ability to obtain a shallow depth of field even from the
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smaller sensor. Along with all the hardware specs, the RX100 boasts 4K
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video up to 30 FPS at 100 megabits per second and 1080p up to 120 FPS with a
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high frame rate mode that goes all the way up to 960 frames per second being
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available in various lower resolutions. The RX100 is great if your needs fit
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within the functionality of a point andoot camera. To me, it's a great
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sidearm camera for quick shots or stills where you don't want to carry a bigger
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body, but still want a really solid image. In our tech shopping in
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Switzerland video, 90% of the footage used was shot on the RX100 shooting in
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4K at 30 FPS. It was the perfect fit for that video since we didn't really want
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to draw too much attention to ourselves while shooting in each location. As far
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as point and shoots go, the RX100 is the bleeding edge of what technology has to
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offer in a compact camera. But if a point andoot isn't quite your speed,
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let's take a look at your other options. So, this is the Canon T6i or 750D in
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regions outside North America. Similar to my very first camera, the Canon 60D,
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it's a mid-tier DSLR in Canon's range and sports a 24 megapixel sensor and a
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fairly standard DSLR sized body that has a rather useful articulating 3-in
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touchscreen that you can control all of your settings from. Or, if you're like
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me and prefer buttons, it has physical buttons and dials for all of your most
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important settings like ISO, shutter speed, and iris control. Now, while the
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T6i is not a groundbreaking camera for its class in the same way the RX100 is,
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it still offers plenty to those of you just starting out, the APS-C size sensor
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will give you the control to have a shallower depth of field if you really want to isolate your subjects from the
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background. The EF mount on the T6i gives you access to the wide range of
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glass available to Canon cameras like this very inexpensive Canon 50mm F1.8,
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which when paired with the T6i is still comfortably under $1,000. Video-wise,
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you're getting 1080p up to 30 FPS and 60 FPS being available at 720p. On paper,
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the T6i doesn't quite match the RX100's video settings, but specs aren't
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everything. As a 1080p camera, it's still a great way to learn the basics of
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exposure, composition, and what makes a good image in general. And as a stills
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camera, the T6i is still a worthy first step, particularly in its color
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reproduction, which Canon has become known for over the years. Now, if a
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traditional DSLR and a point and shoot don't really fit your needs, you might
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want to take a look at Panasonic's G7. Coming in at $550, the lowest in our
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lineup, it's a 16 megapixel micro four third size sensor capable of very
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similar 4K to that of its more expensive big brother, the GH4. Physically,
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Panasonic gave the G7 all the hardware buttons and dials you need. The dual
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dials in particular on this camera are a nice touch for exposure control. It also
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features five programmable buttons to set and perform most useful functions.
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Along with that, the G7 has an articulating touchcreen similar to that
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of the Canons, making shooting at various heights or odd angles a breeze.
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Size-wise, the G7 comes in slightly smaller than the T6i, but also bigger
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and a bit easier to handle than the RX100, making it a good middle ground
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between the two cameras. While internally the G7 has a smaller sensor
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than the T6i, it makes up for it with its sharper overall video. Now, whether
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that's the type of look that you prefer is up to you, since the colors on the
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G7, in my opinion, seem a bit less natural overall than most Canon or Sony
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cameras. The G7 also has the added flexibility of the Micro Four Thirds
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mount. So, you have the option to adapt a wide variety of lenses to this camera
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with adapters such as the Metabone Speed Booster, which I covered in this video
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here. However, keep in mind that when adapting lenses, there are trade-offs
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like slower or non-existent autofocus, physical weight increases due to use of
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larger lenses made for other cameras, along with the added expense of buying
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an adapter that fits your needs and budget. Native Micro Four Thirds lenses
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are a good option if you still want to maintain the small form factor from your
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camera to your lens. And with the increased popularity of Micro Four
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Thirds cameras, lens selection has continued to get stronger and there's
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something for nearly any budget available to you. So, in conclusion, all
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these cameras have their pros and cons depending on the situation. The
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important thing to take away here is that there is not and will not ever be a
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perfect camera for all situations. Do your best to identify your needs and
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budget and then compare to find the camera that best fits you. Speaking of
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finding the camera that best fits you, B&H B&H has been LMG's go-to place to
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order everything production related from cameras, audio, and lighting gear. beat
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have an extremely comprehensive selection that will fit whatever budget you have for buying gear. They also have
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a deal zone section on their website where they have a different item every
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single day offered at a very competitive discount. They have free shipping on all
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orders to the US over $49 with end to end tracking so you know exactly when
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your purchase will arrive. I should know since I've had Linus spend thousands of
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dollars of LG money for the last 3 years there on all the production gear we have
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in the office. So, if you're looking to purchase your very first camera, I
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highly recommend checking them out at the link in the video description. So,
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little button in the top right hand corner to check out this video on
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lighting and why we switched to LEDs.