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Best DSLR Camera Under $1000

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Best DSLR Camera Under $1000

The Best DSLR Cameras Under $1000 Reviewed

Canon EOS Rebel T7i US 24.2 Digital SLR Camera

If you want to take your photography to the next level, you should consider buying the EOS Rebel T7i. It has a high-resolution camera that captures photos and videos of great quality. You can easily shoot pictures of moving objects, still images, and movies because of the autofocus system. It has a very fast autofocus system and it can lock focus quickly so you can take pictures at any time. With a 24.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, it gives you beautiful photos and videos. It is equipped with wireless technology, such as Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth, so you can easily share these photos and videos with your friends and family and upload them online.

PROS

  • Great image quality
  • User-friendly interface
  • Great implementation of touchscreen
  • Impressive autofocus performance

CONS

  • Has no 4K video
  • Cheap plastic finish
  • Dynamic range could be better
  • Only 95% viewfinder coverage

Nikon D7500 DX-Format Digital SLR Body

The D7500 is an outstanding stills camera that improves upon an already excellent DSLR, its a mid-range DSLR camera that has evolved from the D7200, and leaning on the D500 technology with the 20MP CMOS sensor, enabling it to shoot 4K videos at up to 30 frames per second, and improving Its ISO sensitivity. These improvements are seen in improved speed and buffer depth, along with additional subject recognition. In addition, the sensor also gains the feature of the high-sensitivity metering system from the D500, allowing it to detect objects even when there is low light. It features an upgraded 51-point autofocus system.

It’s more convenient to use than its predecessor. Adding a tilt screen only makes it easier to use. And although the Nikon D7500 is a fine choice for still photographers, its poor video performance makes it less appealing to video professionals. Still, the D7500 is one strong performer for stills photographers.

The Nikon D7500 is a well-featured camera for shooting traditional stills photos, it’s great for sports and action photographers.

PROS

  • Great image quality
  • Advanced high ISO performance
  • 4K video
  • Good ergonomics and handling
  • Fast and accurate autofocus

CONS

  • No second memory card slot
  • Does not support UHS-II card
  • Tilt screen is limited
  • 4K video is cropped

Canon Rebel SL3 with 18-55mm Lens Black

Canon’s EOS Rebel SL3 is the smallest, lightest DSLR camera ever. This feature-rich digital camera is the ideal companion to record those special moments with family. The camera’s powerful 4K video recording capabilities can capture footage at 4K resolution, or the movie files can be saved in HD format at 1080p. The Dual Pixel CMOS AF system is great for capturing fast action with pinpoint accuracy, and a host of creative options including 4K time-lapse movie recording, Creative Assist, and 4K Photo mode allow you to create images and videos that are stunning to watch and share.

PROS

  • Good image quality
  • Vari-angle touch LCD
  • Good build quality
  • Advanced wireless connectivity options

CONS

  • 4K video has significant crop
  • No USB charging
  • Thicker body mirrorless alternatives

Pentax K-70 24MP DSLR with 18-55mm WR Lens and Extended Warranty

The PENTAX K-70 is a handy compact camera with great weather-resistant performance that makes it easy to take along for shooting in outdoor environments. The camera has a bright, attractive appearance and captures excellent images in a variety of outdoor scenes, including bright, blue skies, overcast days, gentle rains, and dark, starry nights. Even when it is raining, shooting is easy with its weather-resistant structure. The PENTAX K-70 helps you capture your shots and experience new exciting discoveries in the beautiful scenery, whether you are shooting outdoors or under starry night skies.

The Canon EOS 70D trumps its rivals, the Nikon D5500 and the Canon Rebel T6i, in terms of controls and customization.

PROS

  • Great still image quality, especially in Raw
  • Fast autofocus
  • Vari-angle display
  • Easy to use Wi-Fi
  • Advanced in-camera Raw conversion interface

CONS

  • Limited AF points
  • Quite heavy
  • Pretty slow buffer clearing

Nikon D5600 DX-format Digital SLR w/ AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR

The D5600 is one of the most general-purpose entry-level DSLRs available. It has a high-resolution 24.2MP DX-format sensor that provides excellent detail, a versatile touchscreen, an efficient 39-point AF system, and excellent handling.

You can stand out from the crowd with great photos and videos. It’s easy to take them right out of the box with exceptional image quality, intuitive controls, and powerful tools for pushing the boundaries of your creativity. As your skills develop, the D5600 offers plenty of room to grow with exceptional image quality, intuitive controls, and powerful tools that will help your creativity further away. This battery has an operating time of over 970 shots per charge. So you’ll be able to keep shooting for longer.

PROS

  • Great image quality
  • Compact
  • Tilting touchscreen
  • Fast AF

CONS

  • Limited external controls
  • No 4K video
  • Pricey

Canon EOS 80D Digital SLR Camera Body Only

The Canon EOS 80D is an advanced digital camera that provides amazing photo quality and professional features to dedicated photographers.

The 80D is a good, basic camera for those who have no need for the absolute latest tech. It has a sturdy build, sensible controls, good ergonomics, and a wide range of features. Most importantly, the images display a lot of detail, especially at lower sensitivities.

The Canon EOS 80D camera is the right tool for anyone wanting to take photos at the SLR level. It features an impressive 45-point cross-type AF system that can operate even in dim light. With the Intelligent Viewfinder, a photographer won’t miss a shot. A 24.2 MP (APS-C) CMOS sensor and Dual Pixel CMOS AF for Live View shooting help ensure fast, precise AF in virtually any kind of light. The EOS 80D is a dynamic SLR camera that offers a variety of ways to capture, view, share, and print your work.

PROS

  • Very easy to use
  • Fast and effective AF system
  • Articulating and sharp touch LCD screen
  • 45 AF cross-type points
  • Strong and quality designed camera body

CONS

  • Quick Menu isn’t customisable
  • No 4K video
  • Autofocus loses tracking quite easily
  • Only one card slot

Buyer’s Guide

Lenses

One of the advantages of shooting with a DSLR is the ability to use different lenses. Different photo shoots will call for different lenses, which vary in terms of focal length. For instance, if you are trying to take very close up images of flowers or insects, you will most likely want to use a macro lens. In the opposite situation, you would most likely spring for a telephoto lens if your subject is very far away from your camera.

To get the most out of your camera, it’s a good idea to have a variety of different lenses you can use in different shooting situations; the downside to this is that lenses can often cost as much if not more than the DSLR itself. However, many DSLR “kits” can be found for under $1,000 these days that come with a few different focal lenses.

Sensor

The image sensor is the part of a DSLR that processes light and is responsible for capturing the image once the shutter is pushed down. When it comes to DSLRs, you really only have two options in this department: full frame or APS-C, commonly referred to as a crop sensor. Cameras that use a crop sensor will generally be less expensive, while full frame sensors are considered to be of higher quality as they allow more light in and will provide clearer image quality, especially in low light situations.

Shutter Speed

The power of a DSLR lies in what is known as the photography triad, which refers to the ability to manually control shutter speed, ISO and aperture. We’ll get into the second two elements next, but let’s start with shutter speed. Shutter speed refers to how quickly the camera’s shutter opens and closes when you take a picture. The length of time that it remains open controls how much light enters and how long it takes the camera to capture an image.

In most situations, you will be using a shutter speed of 1/60th of a second or faster, as to not let in too much light or cause the image to blur from small movements in your hand. However, in low light situations or for the special effect we often will need a much slower shutter speed. The range of shutter speeds each camera is capable of will vary. Some cameras will allow you to have very long shutter speeds, up to 30 seconds or a minute, while others may top out at a lower value.

ISO Sensitivity

ISO, which stands for International Standards Organization, is a measurement system that pertains to a camera’s sensitivity to light. The lowest number, generally 50 or 100, indicates the smallest amount of light the camera can sense, with the highest number representing the highest sensitivity to light. The upper limit of a camera’s ISO can fall within a wide range, with some models capping out around 800 while others go all the way up to 10,000 or even much higher. For everyday purposes, we won’t generally go over a thousand or two, but for nighttime photography or it can be necessary to have a much higher value.

Aperture

Aperture is another important element of the photography triad and is used to control how much light enters the camera’s lens. When you adjust the aperture, the camera’s iris will either open larger or get smaller. The size of the aperture is measured in f-stops, with larger f-stops representing a smaller aperture and vice versa. The number of f-stops available on each DSLR will vary some but most will feature a range from 1 up to 32, though most of the cameras in our price range won’t go that high. Different lenses can be used to supplement the f-stop range as well. To have the most control over your image, you will want as wide a range of f-stops as possible.

Video Mode

Another common feature that you’ll find on many modern DSLR’s is the capability to record video footage. While this won’t be an important feature to everyone, it can definitely add a lot of value to a camera and make it a more versatile creative tool. In fact, DSLR’s have become a standard in contemporary film production in recent years and many customers who are looking to buy one will be intending to use it primarily for videography. All the photographic advantages of a DSLR like the depth of field and manual control will apply to video work, and most of what you’ll find will be capable of shooting HD footage.

Advanced Features

The features discussed above are fairly standard and should be present on basically all DSLRs to some degree, but there are a number of advanced features that may or may not be important to you. These include extra bells and whistles like Wifi connectivity so you can post your pictures to the internet from your camera, HDR (High Dynamic Range) and Panoramic modes, scene recognition modes, burst mode and automatic exposure and focus adjustments. You may also want to consider the accessories that come included with your cameras, such as camera bags, memory cards, lens filters, extra batteries and external flashes.

Conclusion

After weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each of the cameras on this guide, we’ve determined that there are two winners, the Canon EOS Rebel T7i and the Nikon D7500. those two are the best DSLR Camera under $1000. There is a lot of competition in the mid-range DSLR market, but the T7i and the D7500 manage to blow it out of the water with a ton of great features like excellent image quality, wide range ISO sensitivity, high quality video mode. All in all, both Nikon and Canon offer a ton of value for the money and you would be hard pressed to find a better DSLR in its price range.

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AUTHOR
Hey there, my name is James and I am the creator and editor of this site. I have been photographing for the past 20 years and my mission is to simplify this misunderstood art of taking and processing photographs I love. I invite you to say “hey” on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram.

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