I don’t just shoot with older cameras. I also use a Fujifilm X-T5 for travel and a Canon EOS R8 for video and product photography. I also review many of the latest cameras, so I have plenty of context for comparing the performance of older used models. For regular everyday stills photography, I think so little has changed or advanced over the past ten years that most beginners and enthusiasts, even many professionals, will be perfectly happy with most of the mid-high-end cameras from the past decade.
Canon
Canon is one of the biggest names in photography, making compact PowerShots for the consumer market, EOS DSLRs for learners, enthusiasts and pros, and an EOS M line of mirrorless cameras for new users. It also makes a more powerful range of EOS R mirrorless cameras which are steadily replacing its DSLR line-up.
My top 10 best used cameras to buy today: and I’ve owned all of them
This is not an exhaustive list! There are still lots of older cameras I will try to get hold of when good ones become available and funds permit. This list is of cameras I own right now or have owned, and which I think are particularly interesting buys. I happen to think that some of the best cameras have already been made, and that the new cameras now being released are not necessarily better than the ones we already had and which have now passed into history.
Canon EOS 50D review in 2024: excellent design, exceptional value
Verdict: 4.1 stars The Canon EOS 50D was launched way back in 2008, so its sensor specifications are some way behind a modern camera’s, and yet its 15.1MP resolution is still perfectly usable today for any kind of online imagery and even mid-large size wall prints. This is a camera for stills photography not video, as you would expect from this era, but perhaps the biggest surprise is this camera’s design, build quality and finish, which you just don’t see in the enthusiast sector today.
The long goodbye of the Canon EOS M system
It’s been predicted since the launch of the Canon EOS R system and its APS-C models, but now Digital Camera World reports that the EOS M system is officially discontinued by Canon Japan. It’s still listed on some regional Canon websites, but it’s surely only a question of time before stocks finally dry up.
I can’t get close to Canon’s claimed stabilization figures
It’s not just Canon. I’ve been testing cameras and lenses for years, and testing lens IS as well as camera IBIS. I do it with informal real-world testing because there are no reproducible tests for stabilizers unless you are a testing body like CIPA.
Why are kit lenses getting worse?
It’s as if the makers of full frame mirrorless cameras have suddenly realized that there’s no point making mirrorless cameras smaller if the lenses are as big as ever. So there’s a trend now to make compact zooms for these cameras to cut down on the overall system size. That’s great. But in making these kit lenses compact, have they also made them next to useless?
Canon and Nikon’s APS-C mirrorless lenses: strategic error or clever upsell?
Back in the days of Nikon and Canon DSLRs, both makers had APS-C cameras backed up by extensive ranges of APS-C lenses. You could buy an APS-C DSLR and stick with it for good. That’s not happening with their mirrorless replacements.
Canon EOS RP pros and cons
So nearly three years on from the original launch, here are my current thoughts on the Canon EOS RP, in the light of cameras that have come along since then, which all help to put Canon’s ‘starter’ full frame mirrorless camera into proper perspective today.
I’m waiting to review the Canon EOS R6 II, but why am I not more excited?
The Canon EOS R6 Mark II is an interesting camera for a number of reasons, but it’s not really lighting my fuse. I’m waiting for a loan sample from Canon, I’ve been told it’s not far off and for the sake of politeness I’m keen to see it. But I’m not too worked up.