What is the best low-budget Canon DSLR?

While it’s great to have the perfect setup for your needs, it’s unlikely you’ll have your full kit with you all the time. Having the right tools for the job is important. But the old cliché “the best camera is the one you have with you” is a cliché for a reason. Because it’s true.

After all, the sun doesn't set in a shoebox.

Many shops and manufacturers will try to convince you to buy the very-latest camera, with all the bells and whistles. Unless you really need these features, their cost is often disproportionate to the resulting images. For most people, you’d be better off spending the money on other things. Different setups for different purposes.

Regardless of the specs, it's always better used.

We spoke to MPB’s Marc, who decided to put this low-budget setup to the test. He spent just £115/$150 on a well-used Canon EOS 50D and 50mm f/1.8 II lens, and now takes it with him everywhere. Keep reading to hear what he has to say about it, and see the photos he’s taken with his low-budget setup.

“These days, some manufacturers will announce new cameras that promise to improve your photography and enable you to get better photos. Then, they’ll replace that camera within 12 months with an even better camera that will help you get even better shots. Most of the time, this is partly true and the extra autofocus points or megapixels might indeed get you a shot that its predecessor might not have achieved. But is this what photography is all about?

In January 2019, I decided to set myself a challenge to see what I could achieve on a small budget. I wanted a DSLR and a single small lens. After looking at the options, I purchased a well-used Canon EOS 50D. While it had obviously seen a lot of use over the years, it was still in full working order. In the lens department, to keep the cost down, I was limited to only a small number of lenses that would fit into the budget.

In the end, I opted for the classic ‘nifty fifty’, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II. I’ve been into photography on and off for around 15 years. I’ve mainly concentrated my photographic efforts on my main photography passion - wildlife. But this setup has made me branch out into lots of different genres that I’d never thought of trying. I’ve owned this setup for a year and it’s probably been one of my favourite years for photography.

The main benefit is not one I really expected. I’m now constantly on the lookout for things to photograph. I get excited if I see something a bit out of the ordinary, like a pair of shoes hanging from a power line, for example. I’ve ditched the nice padded camera bag I’d normally not bother to pick up in the morning. Instead, I quite happily chuck the Canon EOS 50D loose in the bottom of my backpack.

This means there are days when it gets covered in my lunch, but thankfully it has never stopped working. Having the camera on me at all times means I can capture some shots that I undoubtedly wouldn’t have had the opportunity to shoot had I had a more expensive setup. The Canon EOS 50D is always there and ready whenever I'm out.

Having a cheap old camera means I’ve achieved shots that a newer, better camera would not have. The Canon EOS 50D’s 15-megapixel sensor isn’t renowned for its image quality or its high-ISO capabilities. However, if I owned a more expensive setup with three or four lenses, it’s likely I wouldn’t have had it on me when I found a fox blocking my path, when I found a Lamborghini or when I saw this awesome sunset.

Ultimately, it’s good to have innovation and new technology in the camera industry. But in this day and age, it’s very easy to get caught up with megapixel, dynamic range and frames-per-second tunnel vision.”

Thanks, Marc.