DSLRs are increasingly becoming more mainstream, and is no longer reserved to enthusiasts. The sub Rs 50,000 segment is a great starting point for anyone who is seriously looking to explore photography. Fortunately, Canon, Nikon and now, Sony do have their best offerings in the price range in India. As this is a more beginner segment, ease of use is also prioritized as these could be your first DSLR with a changeable lens.
While there are quite a few decent options available under Rs 50,000, we implore you to evaluate what you plan on using your camera for. This will not only help you with your purchase decision, but also help you figure which lenses to eventually invest in.
For starters, the bundled kit lens will suffice to teach you the basics. But once you get to speed, its limitations may start surfacing. If you know your specific use cases, it could be a better deal to just get a camera body, skip the included kit lens and invest that saving into a better lens.
Decent quality DSLR cameras start at around Rs 30,000 from companies like Canon and Nikon. For a beginner, these mid-range cameras are good to test waters with. However, once you move into the enthusiast category, these mid-range DSLRs may not cut it, and you may want to look for some high-end options. Let’s take a look at some of these options to help you decide.
The Canon EOS 200D II is one of the best beginner DSLRs available in India that does not break the bank. Equipped with a 24.1MP CMOS sensor with the new Digic 8 iage processor, it can deliver great quality images that are fairly easy to edit too.
The dual pixel CMOS AF paired with eye-detection AF allows users to achieve fast autofocus with the continuous shooting speed of 3.5fps during Live View and video. Further, it can deliver impressive videos in full HD quality at 60fps and even at a 4K resolution which is rare in this price segment.
In addition to this, you now get crisp images in low lighting conditions as the camera offers an ISO speed of up to 25600.
The camera also sports a 3-inch articulating touchscreen LCD monitor and has a user-friendly interface which comes handy for first time users.
Read the full review: Canon EOS 200D II / 250D / Rebel SL3
Arguably the best DSLR camera under Rs 50,000, the Nikon D5600 offers great bang for your buck. It features a 24.2MP CMOS sensor and the EXPEED 4 processor which give you improved autofocus, lesser noise and more details.
The D5600 has a mid-range DX format camera that offers an ISO range of 100-25600 along with 5 frames per second burst shooting. Nikon has also thrown in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC support for quick and effortless connectivity. If you are looking for a DSLR under Rs 50,000 keep an eye out for this one.
Read the full review: Nikon D5600
Offering a slightly better feature set, the Sony Alpha A68 comes with a 24.2MP Exmor CMOS sensor. The Alpha A68 has a BIONZ X processor that processes at three times the speed compared to its predecessor.
Additionally, it also has another trick up its sleeve – while the other cameras in the list offer 3D subject tracking, the Alpha A68 supports 2D, 3D and 4D tracking.
It also offers up to 8 frames per second shooting with autofocus tracking, 79-point phase detection autofocus and an Indian colour profile, optimised for the local environment.
Read the full review: Sony Alpha A68
The Canon EOS 750D features a 24.2MP CMOS sensor along with DIGIC 6 image processor that promises to deliver high quality images as compared to other mid-range DSLRs.
It has 19-point all cross type AF system and Hybrid CMOS III AF system which offers rapid auto focusing in Live View. The camera also comes with in-built Wi-Fi and NFC support that allows users to connect the camera to their smartphone or tablet.
Read the full review: Canon EOS 750D
The entry-level DSLR of choice from Nikon, the D3500 is the upgrade to the D3400. While it still doesn't have a touchscreen, it has connectivity in the form of Bluetooth (but no WiFi). The D3500 offers a blend of easy handling, solid performance and image quality far beyond what you can expect from a smartphone or most compact cameras, and it's a budget buy.
Read our in-depth Nikon D3500 review
With the only real difference in EOS 1500D over the EOS 1300D being the upgrade of the sensor from 18MP to 24.1MP. It's a great option for beginners at DSLR photography with its intuitive features. But it would have been more appealing with an uprated AF system with Canon's Dual Pixel CMOS AF and touchscreen control, along with beginner-friendly graphical interface.
It retails for Rs 26,347 on Amazon.
