The Budget Camera I'd Buy If I Started Again in 2025

Links to the Cameras Under Here!

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Camera for PHOTO Users

Camera for VIDEO Users

Lens I HIGHLY Recommend

Budget Lens

Video Editor: Jonathan Brinton

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Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:42 The Two Cameras
02:14 Camera for Photo Users
03:27 Camera for Video Users
04:43 How to Shop Used!
05:20 The Lens I Recommend!
06:59 Cost
07:45 Support the Channel!

In this video, Jason Vong goes over his top choices for budget cameras if he had to start photography and video over. Perfect timing as holiday sales are ramping up: Black Friday, Christmas, and New Years! There are a couple of great choices that you can pick up right now for around $500 and with the right lens, you can get amazing results that can vastly differ from your smartphones.

[JasonVong]

Links to the Cameras Under Here!
🛒 Camera for PHOTO Users
🛒 Camera for VIDEO Users
🛒 Lens I HIGHLY Recommend
🛒 Budget Lens

[adamvass]

It so good to see this videos for beginners. I just bought recently a Sony a6700 with a Sony 35mm 1.8 OSS lens and this video gave me the courage to start making those videos that I bought this camera for. Thank you!!!

[coder]

I wish Sony would update the A6100 to have USB-C, even if they didn't change anything else. microUSB in 2024 is just rough.

[PinotNoir_]

ZV-E10 MK I is a no brainer at that price. it shoot a great video if you have a steady hand, and it takes great photos that still looks sharp even when you crop in!

[Gatornade]

I just started out this year with a NEX-6 and no idea if I would enjoy photography. Despite my desire, after taking it out a few times, all my shots were 'blah.' But then I took it with me a GT3 auto race with a rental lens and was suddenly was hooked. Now I want the fastest, latest, greatest Sony camera on the market and to quit my job to do motorsport photography even though out of 100s of photos only a handful were keepers (due to my general inexperience and a fast moving subject)!

[BADQGARAGE]

0:27 You almost turned into Uncle Roger lol

[letsgowalk]

I had an old Sony Nex-5 collecting dust, and just dug it out for a spin recently. It's still super fun and capable!

[MarkusMh]

Very nice getting confirmation that I bought, almost, the right things as a beginner. I started a few months ago and I have the a6000 and the 30mm prime 1.4, so almost the same. The combo rocks.

[donovantheeroyal]

This was the best review I’ve seen so far for both of these cameras. You really covered all of my concerns.

[EliteOnly]

The A6100 was my first camera ever. It really was the perfect budget camera to start out with! only reason I upgraded was for the picture profiles in full frame and newer cameras

[optical_ideas]

I do prefer the ZV-E10 due to the flippable and rotatable screen (especially with vertical content) and it has usb-c 😎

[TenzDelek]

These cameras are good for learning purpose. I have Sony a6400 and with the Tamron 17-70mm it gives almost perfect results that I wanted . Still learning to shoot with slog but grading 8bit is just hard. My advice would be if you have the budget, just go for a 10bit camera it will make your life way easier.

[Brunoxid]

I recently got the a6400 on cyber Monday and I'm loving it! Very compact and powerful. Finally upgraded from my nikon d3100 and it's leagues better.

[lacasadelvideojuego]

A7iii is getting cheaper and cheaper, got mine new for $850 which is a deal here in Mexico. A7iii is just so superior to many cameras and does everything

[highflyer]

Started with a6300 last year just upgraded to a7iii will be keeping the 6300 as a back up.

[pschepps]

Exactly what I've been looking for! You promised a budget camera video and delivered!

[AKGamer-brrb]

Timestamps
00:02 - Best budget cameras for photography and videography in 2025.
01:09 - Key budget camera features for 2025: autofocus and 4K capabilities.
02:05 - The Sony A6100 excels for both photography and video use.
03:09 - Recommended budget cameras for beginners focusing on video capabilities.
04:12 - The camera excels in photo quality, outperforming newer models despite limited audio options.
05:14 - Choose a reputable source for camera gear and opt for a 35mm prime lens.
06:18 - Choosing the right lens significantly impacts video stabilization and cost.
07:25 - Upgrading lenses can extend camera life without needing a new body.

[redfire]

I started with photography like 3 months ago and for me alpha 7 and alpha 6000 were the 2 options. I went for the alpha 6000 and i must say its soo awesome. I got the body for 250 and a ttartisans 35mm with f1.4 for 50€. All used but in a pretty good condition. I also got 2 aftermarket Baterries with twice the power which are in my opinion a must have for the camera. I guess all in all i payed 320ish. The f1.4 is sooo important if you want to go for low light performance because i would exactly this is the "big" problem for this camera. Videowise i would not get this camera if you are planning to film a lot. Also i think a lot of the reviewers forget how compact this camera is. I can easily put it in my jacket and take it with me and for street photography this formfactor is perfect. You dont interupt any people and also dont attract a lot of attention. Another point it that the preset on the camera is handling the colours really good. It different to the newer models which make the photo look really modern? cold? The colors on the a6000 at least on my one are really soft they kinda pop but not really too much to look unnatural. Really good for beginners because the raw picture has such a clean whitebalance so you dont have to edit it alot or maybe at all which can be really confusing for beginners. one big downside is that it still uses microUSb which is a pain. Quality of the camera/ my setup is pretty good. A bit of vignette but for streetphotography not a problem. The sharpness is really decent and ngl as long as you dont plan to print it out on a 2x2 metres canvas, you good to go. Financialwise perfect. Setup didnt cost that much i would say if you want a setup asap you will pay kinda 400 but if you take your time 300-350 is possible. Also i saw a lot of videos where people used the kitlens and it did seem fine. APC-S lenses are also less expensive than fullframe ones and there are a lot of aftermarket items for this camera available. For me important too is how stable the price is for this camera. It a decently old camera and the price has been kinda stable around 300€ so if you decide to drop photography after i dunno 6 months you can sell this camera for nearly the same price i would say. Ye so all in all i am very very happy about this camera. No problems at all. But tbh we live in a era where it is really difficult to buy a camera which really disappoint you so just go for a camera you feel good about you cant really make a bad decision. (as long as you dont go for c mount) imo sony e-mount is the way to go

[marioalejandro]

Hello, Uncle Jason. This is my first time watching your content. I'm looking for a video camera for beginners. I loved your suggestions. I'm so new at this.

[PurchenZuPoden]

Great video! Regarding the budget buy option. I have a Sony Alpha a6000 which I bought used for 230 bucks. I personally hate the camera so much that it is now only working as a webcam. I hate the battery runtime and I absolutely hate it how confusing the menus and controls are. I also do not like the picture quality. Now I am back to my old Nikon D200 for taking pictures.