What Are the Best Entry-Level Cameras Right Now?

This episode is brought to you by OM SYSTEM, and their Black Friday pricing is here! There are incredible savings on OM SYSTEM gear that you won’t want to miss. OM SYSTEM has nearly every lens on sale, right now, with discounts up to $700 off! It’s the ideal opportunity to expand your kit, upgrade to the lenses you’ve had your eye on, or purchase a holiday gift for a loved one.  Whether you’re looking for a new camera or the right lens for your next adventure, check out OM SYSTEM’s Black Friday deals. Head over to explore.omsystem.com/petapixel to see all the savings. Offers end December 8. Tamron’s high-quality all-in-one zoom lenses offer photographers the flexibility to capture every moment, whether you're a professional or a hobbyist. Their 18-300mm and 28-200mm lenses cover everything from wide landscapes to detailed close-ups — all in one compact, lightweight lens. Perfect for travel, street photography, or family portraits, these lenses offer sharp image quality, fast autofocus, and a weather-resistant design. Tamron’s Holiday Savings are happening now! You can save up to $100 on these incredible lenses, but hurry, this offer ends January 5, 2025. It’s the perfect time to upgrade your gear or give the gift of a Tamron All-in-One zoom lens to the photographer in your life. Visit tamronamericas.co/all-in-one for more information. With the recent announcements of the Fujifilm X-M5 and the Nikon Z50 II, the entry-level segment got a sudden burst of new interest. With that in mind, Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake share their thoughts on the best entry-level cameras you can get right now. Support Chris and Jordan directly with a PetaPixel Membership! Check out PetaPixel Merch: store.petapixel.com/ We use Riverside to record The PetaPixel Podcast in our online recording studio. We hope you enjoy the podcast and we look forward to hearing what you think. If you like what you hear, please support us by subscribing, liking, commenting, and reviewing! Every week, the trio go over comments on YouTube and here on PetaPixel, but if you’d like to send a message for them to hear, you can do so through SpeakPipe. In This Episode 00:00 - Intro (daily updates from Portland's Japanese Garden) 13:22 - Apple is acquiring Pixelmator 19:31 - Apple's week of Mac updates: New Macbook Pro, new Mac mini, and new iMacs 25:17 - Nikon 28-135mm f/4 Power Zoom is its first full-frame cine-first lens 30:13 - Canon adds 24mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.4 primes 32:46 - Canon's new 70-200mm f/2.8 is designed for hybrid photo/video, comes in black or white, and costs $3,000 35:36 - Panasonic updates it camcorder line for the first time in six years 38:16 - Nikon announced the Z50 II: https://petapixel.com/2024/11/06/nikons-z50-ii-camera-adds-fuji-like-styles-and-robust-video-features/ 41:18 - What are the best entry-level cameras right now? 58:09 - What have you been up to? 1:00:18 - Jordan's Movember is live: 1:04:18 - An update on the iPhone 16 Pro's durability vs Chris's dad wallet 1:05:14 - In the Nikon Museum Tour video, it's not Jordan's fault the sensor is dirty 1:06:30 - Never read the comments 1:16:25 - Tech support 1:35:48 - Feel Good Story of the Week