the best cameras for beginners in 2019

What’s the best type of camera for beginners?

Let’s start with some tips on what features you should be looking for when hunting out the best camera for beginners.Most models have a respectable zoom range and a built-in flash, while some add a viewfinder that helps when composing shots under bright sunlight.

With two or three lenses you can shoot anything from portraiture and still life, to action sports and wildlife, or sweeping landscapes and architecture, getting great results every time.

Our pick of the best beginners’ cameras includes some smart compact cameras with fixed lenses, as well as the best-buy DSLR and mirror less system cameras. Let’s get started.

1. Nikon D3500

The best all-round camera for beginners

Built-in photography tutor

Good all-round performance

Quite pricey for a basic DSLR

Lacks custom settings

It’s particularly easy to get up and running with the

Nikon D3500

. As well as an ‘intelligent’ fully automatic mode, there are wide-ranging scene modes and effects to choose from. More uniquely, there’s a Guide shooting mode, which serves as a kind of interactive photography course. There’s no shortage of quality either, with a high-performance 24.2MP image sensor and processor, a generous ISO (sensitivity) range, speedy 5fps maximum burst rate and a high-resolution LCD screen.

2. Canon EOS 4000D

This super-cheap DSLR kit is the best budget beginners’ camera

Good quality at a great price

Nice handling

Low-resolution rear screen

Sluggish burst rate

DSLR kit that comes complete with camera body and zoom lens, the 4000D is capable of delivering lovely image quality.The kit lens doesn’t feature optical stabiliaation, the continuous shooting speed is rather pedestrian, and the rear screen is relatively small and low in resolution.

3. Fujifilm X-T100

Great performance makes this the best mirrorless beginners’ camera

Simple but highly effective

Small, lightweight and stylish

Pricier than some mirrorless cameras

Slow frame rate for 4k movies

The impressive feature set includes high-resolution thrills all round, from the 24.2MP APS-C image sensor, to the 1,040k 3-way tilting touchscreen and the 2,360k electronic viewfinder. The 15-45mm kit lens is also a delight, delivering very good image quality while adding optical image stabilisation and power-zoom for smooth focal length transitions when shooting movies.

4. Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX80

A smart choice for both video and stills

Good for stills and 4k movie capture

High-res electronic viewfinder

Tilting rather than fully articulated touchscreen

Relatively low 16MP stills resolution.

Mirrorless system camera

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX80

is small and slim (especially when fitted with its retractable 12-32mm kit lens), but still features a high-res electronic viewfinder as well as a tilting touchscreen. Panasonic’s Post Focus feature is also on hand, effectively enabling you to adjust the focus position after shooting.

5. Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mk III

The best beginners’ camera for travel, Olympus has it in the bag with this compact system model

Travel-friendly size and weight

Nice electronic viewfinder and tilting screen

Quite modest 16.1MP stills resolution

Autofocus can be a little sluggish

It features a built-in motor that enables smooth zooming during video capture. The maximum burst rate for stills is a speedy 8.6fps, although autofocus can be a little slower than in many competing cameras, making it tricky to follow fast-moving action. 4k UHD movie capture is a bonus.

6. Nikon D5600

The best beginners’ camera for wildlife, this is also a top choice for action and sports

Sophisticated 39-point autofocus

Fully articulated touchscreen

Slow autofocus for live view and movies

Less beginner-friendly than D3500

Great for following the action in sports and wildlife photography, the

Nikon D5600

has an advanced 39-point autofocus system that boasts auto-area, dynamic-area and 3D-tracking modes.

The fully articulated touchscreen is an extra bonus, although for live view and video capture.

7. Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ100

The best beginners’ compact camera, this pocketable compact shoehorns a lot in

Feature-rich at a friendly price

1.0-type image sensor and 10x zoom range

Touchscreen has no tilt or pivot facility

Lacks textured grip surfaces

For such a small camera, the Panasonic TZ100 packs in some seriously big specifications and features.Clever tricks include ‘post-focus’, which enables you to capture a burst of stills with automatically transitioning focus distances, and select the frame with the ideal focus point afterwards.

8. Sony HX400V

The best beginners’ bridge camera packs a whopping 50x zoom range

Mighty zoom range

Competitive price

Low-res viewfinder

No touchscreen

Typical of bridge cameras, the has a fixed rather than interchangeable lens, but with a body shape that more closely resembles a DSLR than a compact camera.The Sony is no slouch when it comes to shooting speed, with a maximum burst rate of 10fps.