Best Canon Cameras for Beginners

Canon is one of the leading camera-manufacturing names in photography and video graphing. It also has a range of cameras created especially for amateur photographers. Some of its top DSLRs and mirror-less for beginner photographers are:

1. Canon EOS Rebel SL3 / EOS 250D / EOS 200D Mark II
2. Canon EOS M50 Mark II
3. Canon EOS Rebel T6 / Canon EOS 1300D
4. Canon 77D / EOS 9000D

The names of these models differ from country to country, with the first denoting the general title in the International market, and the second (XX-D) in the American market. AF refers to autofocus. 

Canon EOS Rebel SL3 / EOS 250D / EOS 200D Mark II

MRP: INR 94,999/- (average)

The EOS Rebel SL3 (aka EOS 250D / EOS 200D Mark II) has the top-of-the-range APS-C sensor with 24.1MP of resolution and brilliant Live View shooting, thanks to a fully-articulating touchscreen display and Canon's fast Dual Pixel CMOS AF autofocus.

There are cheaper models of Canon than this, but this is by far the best for features, performance, and value.

Specifications:

Sensor: 24.1MP APS-C CMOS, 22.3 x 14.9mm

Image processor: DIGIC 8

AF points: 9-point phase detection (viewfinder), xxx

ISO range: 100 to 25,600 (exp. 51,200)

Max image size: 6,000 x 4,000

Metering modes: Evaluative, Centre-weighted, Spot, Partial

Video: 4K UHD at 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p

Viewfinder: Optical pentamirror, 95% coverage, 0.87x magnification

Memory card: SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS I compatible)

LCD: 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 1.04m dots

Max burst: 5fps

Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

Size: 122.4 x 92.6 x 69.8mm (body only)

Weight: 451g (body only, with battery and SD card)

Reasons to buy:

• A lightweight, intuitive DSLR
• Superb Live View shooting
• Vari-angle touchscreen 
• Fast and reliable autofocus

Reasons to avoid:

• Larger than mirrorless rivals
• Relatively few AF points
• Mirror-less rivals are better for videography.
• Battery life rated at 1,070 shots

Canon EOS M50 Mark II

MRP: INR 60,493/- (Best Deals: INR 50,000/- – INR 57,500/-)

The Canon EOS M50 Mark II is, both internally and externally, virtually identical to the original Canon EOS M50. It avails the capable 24.1MP APS-C image sensor, with a sensitivity of ISO100-25600 and a maximum burst shooting speed of 10fps along with several modifications like improved autofocus (in addition to eye detection in stills and video), along with big boons for video shooters in the form of clean HDMI out, vertical video recording and the ability to live stream direct to YouTube. It is a preferable mirror-less alternative to the Canon Rebel SL3/EOS 250D.

However, despite its 1080p features, the 4K video is limited to a more primitive contrast-detect system.

Specifications:

Sensor: 24.1MP CMOS APS-C 

Image processor: Digic 8

Lens mount: Canon EF-M

Autofocus: Dual Pixel CMOS AF (contrast-detect only in 4K) with 3,975 focus positions

ISO range: ISO100-25600 (exp. to 51200)

Video: 1080p up to 60p, 4K (with 1.6x crop) up to 25p

Viewfinder: 0.39-type OLED EVF, 2.36 million dots 

Memory card: 1x SD UHS-I

LCD: 3-inch fully articulating LCD touchscreen, 1.04 million dots

Max burst: 10fps 

Connectivity: Wi-Fi (2.4Ghz), Bluetooth (4.1), micro USB, micro HDMI, microphone

Size: 116.3 x 88.1 x 58.7mm

Weight: 387g (black) / 388g (white) including battery and memory card

Reasons to buy:

• Great stills and 1080p
• Clean HDMI out
• Vertical video
• YouTube live streaming

Reasons to avoid:

• 4K is very compromised
• Eye Detect AF is not 100%
• Only one control dial
• Rolling shutter

Canon EOS Rebel T6 / Canon EOS 1300D

MRP: Price starts from INR 35,783/-

The Canon EOS Rebel T6 (also known as the EOS 1300D) is a budget-friendly DSLR with an 18MP APS-C-size sensor. It uses Canon's DIGIC 4+ image processor which offers an ISO range of 100-6400, expandable to 12800, as well as 3p fps burst shooting. It features a 9-point AF system with a cross-type sensor at the center. The EOS T6 is also outfitted with a 3-inch, 920,000-dot LCD or an optical viewfinder. The T6 features a host of scene modes, including a Scene Intelligent Auto mode, plus numerous creative filters. Full HD can be captured at 30p or 24p. The Rebel T6 also has Wi-Fi with NFC for easy sharing via Canon's Camera Connect app.

Specifications:

Sensor: APS-C CMOS

Megapixels: 18MP

Lens mount: Canon EF-S

Screen: 3-inch, 920,000 dots

Continuous shooting speed: 3fps

Max video resolution: 1080p

ISO: Auto, ISO 100-6400, expandable to 12800

Articulated LCD: Fixed

SD Card: SD/SDHC/SDXC card

Exposure metering: Full aperture TTL, 63 zones

Size: 129 x 101 x 78 mm

Weight: 485 g

Reasons to buy

• Low price
• Good image quality

Reasons to avoid

• No touchscreen
• Slow live view focusing

Canon 77D / EOS 9000D

MRP: The starting price is INR 86,495/-

The D/EOS 9000D is an advanced camera with an impressive control layout, and it includes almost all of the newest features of Canon. It features the familiar 24MP CMOS sensor and uses the latest DIGIC 7 processor. The camera has a fully articulating 3" touchscreen LCD along with an OVF with 95% coverage. It can capture Full HD video at 60p at a max bit rate of 60Mbps.

However, it is quite an expensive purchase and has alternatives with similar features at more affordable rates.

Specifications:

Sensor: APS-C CMOS

Megapixels: 24MP

Lens mount: Interchangeable (EF / EF-S)

Screen: 3-inch, 1,040,000 dots

Continuous shooting speed: Up to 6 fps (at 1/500 s or faster) (4.5 fps in Live View mode)

Max resolution: 6000 x 4000 pixels

ISO: Auto, 100-25600 (expands to 51200)

Viewfinder: Optical penta-mirror with 95% coverage and 0.82× magnification / LiveView LCD

Articulated LCD: Fully articulated

SD Card: SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I compatible)

Exposure metering: TTL, full aperture, 63 zones sensor with 7560 pixels RGB + IR sensor

Size: 131 x 100 x 76 mm

Weight: 540 g

Reasons to buy

• Excellent autofocus system
• Good image quality
• Touchscreen Interface

Reasons to avoid

• Expensive
• No 4K video
• Good but not stellar continuous shooting speed

When making a purchase, a defined idea about the required camera features will allow a smarter buying.

Happy Capturing!