People have a passion for capturing beautiful images around them due to the increase of social platforms such as Instagram. Now everybody has easy access to cameras because all smartphones have one. But if you want to pursue your passion a little seriously, then you might want to get the best camera under 300, so you can make the best of it and learn to be better in taking photos.
Photography has become an essential part of our lives these days. We like to express ourselves through this beautiful art form by capturing meaningful moments in our day to day life. Gone are the days where only heavily equipped photographers could take professional-looking pictures.
Cameras have become extremely affordable these days, and even if you don’t want to spend too much money, you could still get a nice camera that captures quality images. There are many cameras available on the market. Some are expensive, while others are midrange and less costly.
So, the point is anybody could get a camera; you just have to decide your budget and act accordingly. Cameras come in many sizes, but the bigger ones are less portable, so make sure to get a camera that has a decent weight so you can carry it with you easily. This article reviews some of the best cameras under 300 to help you make the right decision and continue on the beautiful art of capturing history.
Top 6 Best Camera Under $300 in 2022
S No. | Camera | mp/Zoom | Video Quality |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Panasonic Lumix FZ80 | 19MP/60x | 4K UHD 2160p |
2. | Nikon COOLPIX B500 | 16MP/40x | Full HD 1080p |
3. | Kodak PIXPRO AZ401 | 16MP/40x | HD 720p |
4. | Panasonic Lumix ZS70K | 20MP/30x | 4K QFHD |
5. | Canon PowerShot SX530 | 16MP/60x | FHD 1080p |
6. | Sony DSCWX350 | 18MP/40x | 4K |
Best Camera Under 300
1. Panasonic Lumix FZ80
The Panasonic Lumix FZ80 is an upgraded version of the previous FZ70. With a super-zoom of 60x, you can take fantastic landscape shots from afar without degrading the quality of the image. This camera has a powerful Optical Image Stabilizer that lets you capture pictures without blurring them. The black color camera has a similar minimalistic design as its previous models.
The Panasonic Lumix FZ80 has a viewfinder with a resolution of 1170k dots for capturing detailed images. The 3 inches LCD of this camera is touch-operated, which lets you easily navigate the menu options and view photos by zooming in. This camera has a decent sensor size of 1/2.33-inch and a resolution of 18 MegaPixels, which allows for more light exposure, and hence you get good quality images.
One of the unique features of this camera is the 4k video capture system, which makes it one of the best cameras under 300. You can record videos with this camera at 30 frames per second, which results in sharper and better images. It offers pause and saves options, which allows you to extract 4k photos from the video recordings, which can be used for Youtube video thumbnails or Instagram posts.
The Panasonic Lumix FZ80 comes with wifi connectivity, which is quite a useful feature in a digital camera. The wifi feature lets you connect to the photo applications on your mobile phone, where you can experiment with the settings such as shutter speed and ISO for taking better quality photos. It also offers a USB port for charging your camera on the go and for a smooth transfer of photos to other devices. You don’t have to remove the battery to charge it due to the handy feature of the USB port.
This camera weighs around 1.36 lbs, which is a decent weight for a camera that offers so many excellent features. The Panasonic Lumix FZ80 is a portable camera, and you can carry it with you with great ease when traveling.
- Super-zoom
- High resolution and 4k video capture
- Wifi connectivity
- Easy charging
- Fast autofocus
- Images can sometimes be noisy
- Small photo sensor
The fast autofocus sensor of the Panasonic Lumix FZ80 does not make you wait when taking angled shots of the subject in front of you. Taking quality images in the absence of light at night can be a bit bothersome. But with the low light performance feature of this camera, you can easily capture clear shots at nighttime. This camera offers a comfortable grip as it fits perfectly in hand and won’t exhaust you when holding the camera for long periods. With the advanced features, this is probably one of the best cameras under 300.
Best Nikon Camera for Videography
2. Nikon COOLPIX B500 
The Nikon COOLPIX B500 Digital Camera is an excellent budget-friendly camera that is quite suitable for beginner photographers who want to learn the art of photography gradually. This camera has a decent size and can be easily carried anywhere. This lightweight camera is easy to hold for long without causing you any discomfort. It comes in black color with the classic Nikon design.
The Nikon COOLPIX B500 has a 1/2.3 inches BSI CMOS Sensor that captures more light and a 16 MegaPixels resolution for capturing better quality images. It has a 40x optical zoom lens for capturing wide enough distant images of landscapes with detail. The 80x dynamic zoom offered by this camera lets you get even closer to the beautiful landscapes without bringing down the picture quality.
The rear of this camera has fewer essential buttons for navigating the menu and accessing image settings. The fewer buttons are less likely to intimidate you, and you can play with the settings without worrying about causing damage. The Nikon COOLPIX B500 has a 3-inch tilting LCD screen, which can be tilted up and down for easy viewing.
This camera comes with an amazing vibration reduction feature, which lessens the blur caused due to the camera shake while taking photos. It results in sharp images that do not contain any noise in them. The Nikon B500 is an easy to use point and shoot camera for taking quality images and everything else you learn with practice and time.
The Nikon COOLPIX B500 has a video resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. You can record HD quality videos at 30 frames per second with this camera. This camera uses the AA batteries, which can last for a long time once charged. Like most cameras, the B500 comes with flash, which offers four modes for avoiding dark shadows in images.
- Good resolution
- Easy to use
- Lightweight
- Portable and affordable
- Large optical zoom
- Perfect for outdoor daytime shoots
- Low quality at nighttime
- Focus is a bit slow
The Nikon COOLPIX B500 comes with wifi connectivity for easy transfer of photos as well as for viewing and controlling the image attributes once connected to a smartphone. With a wifi connection, you can easily zoom photos on your phone to check out the picture detail. It also offers low energy Bluetooth connectivity so you can connect to your with any Bluetooth enabled device for image transfer. This camera also has a face detection feature for automatically detecting faces and giving them a nice focus. This is a quite affordable camera if you want to start learning professional photography.
Best Budget Cameras for Photography
3. Kodak PIXPRO Astro Zoom AZ401
The Kodak PIXPRO Astro Zoom AZ401 is another budget-friendly camera for new photographers looking to master the art of capturing great quality pictures. The AZ401 has a 16 MegaPixels lens that lets you take brilliant photos of the great outdoors. This camera has modest design and comes in two rich colors, black and red.
The Kodak Pixpro AZ401 has a 1/2.3 inches sensor with a 40x optical zoom range for taking images of the distant landscapes. The 40x optical super-zoom of this camera makes you feel like you are standing closer to the beautiful natural subjects. As a result, you get impressive shots.
This camera comes with a 3-inch LCD screen, which allows you to make sure that everything you want in the frame is there. The LCD screen has 460k dots on it for easily viewing the subjects. The Kodak Pixpro AZ401 has an autofocus feature that focuses on the subject at the center, and you can adjust it accordingly for focusing on the desired subject or location. The LCD isn’t touch-operated, so you will have to do it manually, which will make you learn camera focus tricks.
With a 720p resolution offered by HD video mode, you can record videos and capture beautiful memories and cherish them later. The optical image stabilization feature of this camera eliminates the blur effect from your images, which is caused by camera shake when setting the camera on an angle. The images produced, as a result, are clear and noiseless.
The Kodak Pixpro AZ401 has a 180-degree panorama feature for capturing wide elongated shots of the environment around you. It lets you capture everything in a single image. This camera has a 24 mm wide lens that allows you to take wide-angle photos without having to worry about cutting your subjects from the frame.
- Quite inexpensive
- Ideal for beginner camera users
- Super-zoom
- Lightweight
- Quality images
- No wifi support
- Does not support micro sd
- Batteries run out quickly
The Kodak Pixpro AZ401 has a weight of 15.4 ounces. It is a lightweight camera, and you can travel with it as it offers easy portability. The AZ401 comes with 4 AA batteries for people who are always on the move. This camera has a neck strap for easy handling and a firm yet comfortable grip that does not tire you out. If you are looking for a decent camera on an extremely tight budget, then you should consider buying this camera.
Best Small Camera with wifi
4. Panasonic Lumix ZS70K
Panasonic is a well-known brand and comes with amazing pocket-size cameras that you can easily carry with you. The Panasonic Lumix ZS70K is another creation of Panasonic with the incredible image taking capabilities that amaze you. This camera has a 20 MegaPixels high-resolution MOS sensor for capturing photos with enhanced detail. It offers a 30x zoom, which is quite adequate for taking images of far off mountains and breathtaking sceneries. The powerful zoom of this camera lets you get closer to your subject without sacrificing the picture quality.
This camera has a simple and minimalistic design. It fits perfectly in your pocket due to its small size. You can carry it with you when going on a trip and capture memories. The Lumix ZS70K has a 5-axis optical image stabilization feature, which ensures the sharpness of images and reduces the blur effect caused by camera shake movement. This is a lightweight camera that weighs around 0.71 pounds. It is easy to hold and carry.
The Lumix ZS70K has a 3-inch LCD screen for reviewing your photos. The tilting LCD screen of this camera lets you easily view the images and the target subject that you want to capture with the camera lens. The LCD screen is touch-sensitive, so you can make good use of it by simply touching the options given on the screen. For taking 4k selfies with your friends and family, simply tilt the LCD screen and shoot.
It comes with an electronic 166k-dot viewfinder for viewing every little detail coming in the frame. This camera has a great Post Focus feature, which lets you sharpen the images after you have captured it. All you have to do is view the image on the camera’s screen and click on the area that you want to enhance, and your job is done.
The Lumix ZS70K comes with a 4k video capture feature that allows you to record videos with a high resolution of 3840×2160. The 4k video quality is desired by most people when looking at making videos for social media content. This camera offers ISO sensitivity starting at 80 and going up to 3200. So, you can take brighter pictures n the dark by adjusting the ISO level of the camera. But make sure not to increase the ISO level too high, as it will add more noise to your pictures.
- Small size
- Lightweight
- Good battery life
- Lets you take selfies
- Large zoom
- Touch operated screen
- Wifi support
- Small size may not be everyone’s ideal choice
The Panasonic Lumix ZS70K comes with wifi support. This is an amazing feature in the new upcoming cameras of today. You can connect your camera to your computer or tablet and view the images on a bigger screen. You can also upload your photos directly to your social media platforms and won’t have to wait to get them on a computer first. This camera has a long battery life, so it can last an entire day of shooting. It also provides a USB port for charging the camera on the go. The Lumix ZS70K is a great pocket-size camera that offers easy portability and amazing features. This camera is worth buying.
Best Canon Camera under 300
5. Canon PowerShot SX530 
Canon has been making cameras for all kinds of camera users, whether they are beginners or professionals. The idea is that anyone can learn photography, given the right guide. The Canon PowerShot SX530 is an upgrade to the previous version of SX520 with amazing new features such as the 50x optical zoom. The large zoom of this camera makes you get extremely close to your subjects, especially in mountainous environments. With a 16 MegaPixels CMOS senor, you can take brilliant photos with great detail and maximum quality.
The Canon PowerShot SX530 has a mid-range size. It is not a slim camera and cannot fit into your pocket, but its decent size and texted grip lets you firmly hold it. This camera has a classic black color and looks very professional when you hold it. The power image stabilization system of this camera lets you record and capture images without the blurring effect when the camera shakes. So, you get sharp and clear images of your subjects.
One of the special things about this camera is that it is compatible with the Connect Station CS 100. Connect station is storage offered by canon, where you can store your photos and images taken from the SX530. It has 1TB storage capacity. All you have to do is connect to the CS 100 by the NFC support and transfer your video and image files wirelessly. As a result, you could view your media files on other devices. The Canon PowerShot SX530 also comes with wifi connectivity, which helps you connect the camera with your smartphone and use the smartphone as a remote control for the camera.
This camera offers the full HD mode for recording videos with impressive quality. And now, it lets you record in the mp4 format so that you don’t have any trouble when you are sharing videos on your social media platforms. The Canon PowerShot SX530 comes with an amazing zoom framing assist feature. It allows you to locate and zoom in on your subject when capturing the image for close up shots.
The zoom lens of the PowerShot SX530 has a long focal length that ranges from 24mm to 1200mm. It allows for better quality images to be captured. This camera has a fast autofocus feature. Slow autofocus can cause you to miss capturing important shots. You would need to hurry up clicking shots when your camera has slow autofocus, and as a result, you end up with bad shots.
- Massive zoom
- Hight autofocus
- Good results at nighttime
- Offers easy transfer of media files
- Wifi support
- Limited HD resolution
Cameras usually don’t give good performance when capturing nighttime shots. The PowerShot SX530 offers better quality images at night when you adjust the shutter speed and ISO sensitivity. This camera has a 3 inch LCD monitor for viewing the captured images. The LCD screen has a good quality, and you can adjust its brightness level during day time when the sun is high in the sky. This is a good quality zoom camera offering amazing performance. You should go for this camera as it has all the amazing features that you need in a zoom camera.
Best Compact Cameras for Travel
6. Sony DSCWX350
Sony is another famous brand when it comes to making a quality performance camera. The Sony DSCWX350 is a mid-size camera that you can easily fit into your pocket. This camera has a solid metal body and comes in black color. It is an improvement to the previous DSCWX300, which did not have the NFC support. It has a moderate weight and does not feel either too heavy or too light. The compact build of this camera lets you carry it with you easily.
The Sony WX350 has an 18.2 MegaPixels Exmor RCMOS image sensor for capturing detailed and clear images. This camera has a 20x optical zoom lens for taking closer images of distant landscapes. With 40x digital zoom, the processor of this camera gives clear and realistic images by rearrangement of the picture pixels.
The Sony WX350 has a 3-inch LCD screen with 460k dots for viewing captured images and videos. The Optical SteadyShot feature of this camera stabilizes images and avoids image blur by sharpening the images. This camera offers a Lock AF feature for locking the autofocus on your subjects so that you don’t have to adjust the focus again and again when shooting videos manually.
This camera offers picture effects for enhancing your photos. In this way, you can make your ordinary photos more lively and pleasant. The Sony WX350 has wifi and NFC support for easy transfer of media from camera to other devices. It offers a sweep panorama mode for capturing long wide shots up to 360 degrees.
- Lightweight
- Portable and compact size
- Long battery life
- Large zoom
- Wifi connectivity
- LCD screen not visible during the daytime.
This camera has a Lithium-Ion battery type, which can last you an entire day. It also comes with a USB port for easy charging. It lets you record HD quality videos with 1080p. The Sony WX350 is a budget-friendly quality image camera and is extremely portable. You should get your hands on this camera, which is travel friendly and offers impressive features.
So, this was a detailed review of some of the best cameras under 300. There is a vast number of digital cameras available on the market. So, you need to be careful in selecting the right one for you. Our recommended pick from the reviewed cameras is the Panasonic Lumix FZ80 for its quality performance in both daytime and nighttime.
FAQ’s: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best camera for photography and video?
GoPro Hero8 Black is one of the best cameras for photography and videos.
What is a good cheap camera for YouTube?
Canon VIXIA R800 is the best affordable camera for YouTube.
What is a good digital camera?
Canon EOS Revel SL3/250D is the best digital camera in the market.
What is a good professional camera for beginners?
Nikon D3500 is the best camera in the professional version for beginners.
What is the best canon camera for beginners?
Canon EOS 80D is the best camera in the Canon series for beginners.
What is the best compact camera for low light?
If you are searching a compact camera for low light then Fujifilm X100F is the best option.
What is the best digital camera for the money?
For money best digital camera is FujiFilm X-T4.
What is the best lumix camera to buy?
Panasonic Lumix G9 is the best lumix camera to buy.
What is the best Nikon camera for action shots?
For action shots Nikon D3500 is the best camera is Nikon series.
What is the best professional camera?
CANON-EOS Rebel is the best camera for professionals.
What is the best starter camera for photography?
Nikon D5600 is the best starter camera for photography.
Conclusion
So, this was a detailed review of some of the best cameras under 300. There is a vast number of digital cameras available on the market. So, you need to be careful in selecting the right one for you.
Our recommended pick from the reviewed cameras is the Panasonic Lumix FZ80 for its quality performance in both daytime and nighttime.
The large zoom provided by this camera is sufficient for taking detailed images without degrading the quality. The greater light exposure and the touch-sensitive display of this camera make it one of the best cameras under 300. We hope you found this article useful and gained some knowledge about the fantastic cameras out there. If so, then do share it with your friends. We will be waiting for your precious and much-awaited feedback.