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6 Best DSLR Cameras to buy under $1000

In 2023, the greatest DSLR cameras are still an excellent investment for photographers. While the greatest mirrorless cameras are on the bleeding edge of photography technology, the best DSLRs still have large sensors, long battery life, and best-in-class handling. These characteristics make them fantastic tools for both beginners and professionals, and they continue to be the perfect way to purchase a camera with a built-in viewfinder.

We tested nearly every DSLR on the market today and ranked our suggestions in the blog below. Hope it’s useful for you to buy the best DSLR camera regarding your need and budget.

Best overall DSLR

Nikon intl D3500

The Nikon D3500 is not only one of the greatest entry-level DSLRs available, but also one of the most affordable – it’s a timeless classic.

Best for Beginners

Canon EOS 2000D

A good thing for photographers looking for a simple and inexpensive DSLR, but don’t expect frills like an articulating touchscreen or 4k video capability.

Best Image Quality

Canon EOS Rebel T8i EF-S

The Canon EOS Rebel T8i is a straightforward APS-C DSLR camera. It produces high image quality even in low-light situations and boasts an autofocus mechanism that excels at tracking faces and objects during still shooting.

Most economical

CANON EOS REBEL T7 DSLR CAMERA

The T7 maintains good image quality for a camera in its class. The camera routinely delivered nice pictures in well-lit circumstances, nearly ensuring success right out of the box.

Table of Content

  • Why you should buy a DSLR Camera?
  • What are the Best DSLR Cameras under $1000?
  • Summary

Why you should buy a DSLR Camera

DSLR cameras allow you to attach your favorite lens attachments, such as a fisheye or zoom lens, to the camera body. In this regard, DSLRs are significantly more adjustable. You may buy several types of lenses that serve distinct aims and provide you with alternative styles.

Whether you want to capture intimate portraits or magnificent landscapes, knowing the appropriate focal length for each circumstance can help you choose the finest lens for your DSLR.

What are the Best DSLR Cameras under $1000

Nikon intl D3500 DSLR Camera

Price: ~ $899

While expert photographers should explore lower down our list for their DSLR match, the Nikon D3500 is an excellent option for novices wishing to hone their photography talents. Despite its age, the D3500 still features one of the best APS-C sensors available, as well as a useful retractable kit lens. When it comes to this lens, it’s worth investing the additional $20/£20 to acquire the ‘VR’ (Vibration Reduction) version, as this is Nikon’s image stabilization feature.


The Nikon D3500’s battery life and ease of use impressed us in our tests. Most notably, the camera’s superb sensor produced amazing results.


The D3500 demonstrates that you don’t have to spend a fortune to have a good camera. Its controls are meant to be simple for beginners, yet in the right hands, it can compete with cameras that cost much more. If you want to experiment with manual controls and benefit from a sensor significantly superior than that of a mobile phone, the Nikon D3500 is hard to match.

What I Like/Dislike About Nikon intl D3500 DSLR Camera:

Like

  • Excellent 24MP sensor
  • Outstanding value for money
  • Overall picture quality
  • Beginner-friendly autofocus with 5fps continuous shooting

Dislike

  • Fundamental external controls
  • Only 1080p Full HD video is supported.
  • The back screen is fixed.
  • Live view AF is relatively sluggish.

Overall, The Nikon D3500 is not only one of the greatest entry-level DSLRs available, but also one of the most affordable – it’s a timeless classic.

If you’re on a limited budget and looking for your first DSLR camera, a simpler, slightly older model is the way to go. Canon’s entry-level EOS Rebel T7 (known as the 2000D outside the US) meets the bill: the specs won’t blow anybody away, but we found it easy to use, it gets the fundamentals right, and it provides amazing value because it’s a few years old.

Of course, there are some tradeoffs. Burst shooting is restricted to a sluggish 3fps, and the aging focusing system has just nine points. The Live View focusing is slow, and if you want a touchscreen, you’ll have to go elsewhere. And, as expected, the plasticky casing lacks a quality feel.

But this is just a perfect DSLR camera for beginners.

Canon EOS 2000D DSLR Camera Body - Black

Price: ~ $299

What I Like/Dislike About Canon EOS 2000D DSLR Camera:

Like

  • Simple to use
  • Layout of logical controls
  • Battery life is adequate.
  • Image quality is adequate for its class.
  • Good ergonomics.
  • Excellent battery life for photography.

Dislike

  • 9-point autofocus from the past
  • There is no touchscreen.
  • Construction that appears to be low-quality.
  • Not the most portable option.
  • Dynamic range is mediocre.

Overall, That’s actually a good thing for photographers looking for a simple and inexpensive DSLR, but don’t expect frills like an articulating touchscreen or 4k video capability.

Canon EOS 250D (Rebel SL3) DSLR Camera

Price: ~ $599

Despite its compact size, Canon’s greatest budget DSLR, the Rebel SL3 – also known as the EOS 250D outside the US – combines a solid feature set with excellent handling. The Nikon D3500 (see no.1) is even smaller, but it lacks this camera’s flip-out LCD screen, which is very useful for shooting video.

The Rebel SL3 adds 4K shooting to its now-defunct predecessor, however this is cropped and rolling shutter is frequently visible. Nonetheless, as we discovered throughout our extensive testing, it provides attractive JPEGs, a fantastic 1,070-shot battery life, and compatibility with a wide range of EF lenses and other accessories that other mirrorless cameras lack. If those characteristics are at the top of your camera wishlist, this entry-level DSLR remains an appealing option.

What I Like/Dislike About Canon EOS 2000D DSLR Camera:

Like

  • Small, light body with excellent handling
  • Excellent Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus system
  • Excellent Live View autofocus responsiveness
  • Touchscreen with several viewing angles
  • Controls that are simple but effective

Dislike

  • 4K video crop
  • larger than competing mirrorless models
  • In viewfinder shooting, there are just 9 AF points.
  • Thicker body than mirrorless competitors
  • The four-way pad is relatively small.

Overall, The Canon EOS Rebel SL3 isn’t Canon’s cheapest DSLR, but it’s the one we’d suggest. The Canon DSLR lineup appears to be in a phase of consolidation rather than technical growth, which is a kind way of stating that it hasn’t done anything really novel in a long time.

The D7500 is best thought of as a scaled-down version of the D500, with some of its big brother’s features taken away but a smaller body and a lower price tag. The 20.9-megapixel sensor and Expeed 5 image processor are identical to those found in the D500, however continuous shooting is limited to 8 frames per second and there are only 51 focusing points as opposed to 153 in the more costly model. It also has a smaller viewfinder and just one card slot as opposed to two.

Despite this, you get 4K video recording at up to 30 frames per second and a convenient 3.2-inch tilting LCD touchscreen display with outstanding image clarity. And, like all of Nikon’s recent cameras, the D7500 features SnapBridge technology, which allows you to link the camera to your smartphone, tablet, or laptop through Bluetooth, NFC, or built-in Wi-Fi to upload photographs and videos and even control the camera remotely. If you can’t afford the D500 but want something more than an entry-level model, this is a good option.

Nikon D7500 DX-Format Digital SLR Body

Price: ~ $639

What I Like/Dislike About Canon EOS 2000D DSLR Camera:

Like

  • Continuous shooting at a high rate
  • Quick autofocus
  • a large number of features
  • Excellent high ISO performance
  • Continuous 4K video recording at 8 frames per second

Dislike

  • Cropped 4K video with inconsistent AF in video capture
  • There is only one card slot.
  • There is no provision for battery grip.
  • There are no discernible improvements in visual quality.

Overall, The Nikon D7500 doesn’t provide any revolutionary new technology, but it does fill a large void in the lineup. Because it is intended to provide a blend of high-end performance, varied features, and inexpensive pricing.

Canon EOS Rebel T8i EF-S

Price: ~ $899

The Canon EOS Rebel T8i (known as the EOS 850D outside the United States) is the successor of one of our favorite beginner DSLRs. While it isn’t a major improvement over the Rebel T7i / EOS 800D, which is now hard to obtain, it does provide a nearly equivalent shooting experience built around Canon’s superb Dual Pixel phase-detection AF technology, which we found to be a decent performer in our review.

Other features we appreciated were the adaptable, vari-angle LCD screen and delightfully familiar button arrangement, which make it a snap to shoot with, and the fact that you get 800 photos per charge when using the viewfinder. The only significant drawback is that the 4K video mode still entails a crop and the loss of phase-detection focusing, implying that this is primarily a 1080p video camera. If you don’t mind that and prefer the benefits of DSLRs, such as battery life and handling, the Rebel Ti / EOS 850D is an excellent starting point for your photography passion.

What I Like/Dislike About Canon EOS 2000D DSLR Camera:

Like

  • Excellent image quality
  • Autofocus that is quick and consistent
  • It is easy to use
  • Excellent focusing performance in photography.
  • Screen is bright, crisp, and completely articulated.

Dislike

  • 4K video restrictions due to shoddy construction
  • The design is bulky.
  • Maximum firing speed is limited.
  • The build quality is a little plasticky.

Overall, The Canon EOS Rebel T8i is a straightforward APS-C DSLR camera. It produces high image quality even in low-light situations and boasts an autofocus mechanism that excels at tracking faces and objects during still shooting.

Even though it’s more than four years old, Canon’s entry-level Rebel T7i (or EOS 800D outside the US) is still a very good choice for novices. Some of its specifications, such as 6fps burst shooting and video with a maximum resolution of 1080p, appear obsolete in comparison to the latest mirrorless choices, but the Rebel T7i still provides much for photographers who want to come to grips with the heaviness and feel of a DSLR.

Its plastic appearance is certainly entry-level, but we found in our assessment that the Rebel T7i is well made and has a decent, deep handgrip. It also has an easy-to-use interface and superb touchscreen control, making it ideal for exploring with manual modes. Dual Pixel focusing is another highlight, functioning consistently for Live View shooting, and our testing revealed that overall image quality is good – even if dynamic range could be improved.

Add in excellent battery life, and the Rebel T7i emerges as an excellent entry-level DSLR for stills photography. It’s also a better buy than the current EOS Rebel T8i / EOS 850D, which offers minor advancements for a significant price increase.

CANON EOS REBEL T7 DSLR CAMERA

Price: ~ $429

What I Like/Dislike About Canon EOS 2000D DSLR Camera:

Like

  • An easy-to-use interface
  • Overall, the photographs are impressive.
  • Excellent feature set
  • Excellent image quality
  • Guide to in-camera features

Dislike

  • There is no 4K video.
  • The finish is made of plastic.
  • Continuous slow shooting
  • There is no touch screen.
  • LCD display that is fixed (no tilt)

Overall, The T7 maintains good image quality for a camera in its class. The camera routinely delivered nice pictures in well-lit circumstances, nearly ensuring success right out of the box.

Summary

If you’ve read this far, you probably have your choice. If not, let me give you some advice:

  • You are a beginner and don’t have much money: Go for Canon EOS 2000D
  • You have been in this field for a few years: Go for Nikon intl D3500
  • You are a beginner but want a DSLR Camera which is as valuable as its price: Go for Nikon D7500
  • You want an excellent image quality: Go for Canon EOS Rebel T8i EF-S

And that’s all I want to cover in this blog. I really hope it can help you ease your DSLR Camera shopping. If this didn’t help or you just don’t agree with my opinion, please comment below so we can discuss this further to improve my blog. Thank you so much, mate!