Being able to capture the most valuable moments of your life is important if you wish to share the experience with friends and family. A trip to the mountains, sightseeing in foreign countries, a live concert of your favorite band, kid’s first day at school – no matter the event, you might want to immortalize it. But capturing highlights of your life is just one of many examples of camera use.
Today we’ll present you some of the best cheap cameras that can be used for many different things, from watching over a baby to shooting photos from above.
Take a look at some of the best cheap cameras you can get and choose the one that fits your needs best.
| Product | Key features | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 | Folding Selfie Drone GW58/XT-1 | – A 2.0-megapixel camera that can shoot photos and record videos – Intuitive and beginner-friendly controls – High stability and an altitude hold mode | Read more |
 | Wireless Baby Monitor | – Dual-way audio communication – Built-in night vision that works on up to 5 meters – Temperature sensor | Read more |
 | Car DVR Kit | – Includes 3 different cameras for different purposes – Instant preview of recorded videos – G-sensor that helps to record crashes | Read more |
 | Wearable Smart Sports Camera | – 1080p sports camera with recording option – Waterproof and drop-resistant construction – Connectivity via WiFi | Read more |
 | Sandberg Pocket Card Reader | – An easy way to read from and write to memory cards – Supports a variety of different types of cards, including SD, Micro SD, and M2 – Portable size – take the reader anywhere | Read more |
 | SJCAM SJ4000 WIFI Action Camera | – Records videos in 1080p at 30 FPS or 720p at 60 FPS – Connectivity via WiFi and HDMI – Waterproof construction – up to 30 meters | Read more |
 | Nikon D3200 DSLR | – Records videos in 1080p at 30/25/24 FPS or 720p at 60/50 FPS – Continuous shooting – up to 4 FPS – 100-6400 ISO range and the possibility to increase it all the way up to 12800 | Read more |
 | Q305 Waterproof Sports Action Camera | – 16-megapixel photo resolution – 900 mAh battery ensuring up to 60 minutes of work – Waterproof rated at IP68 | Read more |
 | Xiaomi AI Face Identification Doorbell | – AI Face Identification – Infrared night vision – Motion detection and SMS video push | Read more |
 | MJX B5W GPS RC Drone | – GPS positioning and altitude hold function – Intuitive and beginner-friendly controls – One-key return function | Read more |
Folding Selfie Drone GW58/XT-1
| A 2.0-megapixel camera that can shoot photos and record videos |
| Intuitive and beginner-friendly controls |
| High stability and an altitude hold mode |
If you want to take aerial pictures otherwise impossible to shoot, then you could do so with GW58/XT‑1 cheap drone equipped with a 2-megapixel camera, an affordable solution for every amateur photographer.
Make videos of the nearby area from an entirely new perspective or use the drone to take a picture of you from a further distance to get a better view of the surroundings on the resulting photo. The drone comes with various useful features, including the altitude hold mode, which allows the drone to hang in the air for increased stability to ensure a better quality of taken pictures. The drone can fly up to 100 meters away from the radio transmitter and is relatively easy to control, making it a great tool for both beginners and more advanced users alike.
Wireless Baby Monitor
| Dual-way audio communication |
| Built-in night vision that works on up to 5 meters |
| Temperature sensor |
Now let’s take a look at something entirely different – a nanny cam that helps you to keep an eye on your baby when you can’t babysit at the moment. This is the perfect solution if you have to move to another room in a big property leaving your baby asleep alone, or even to go outside for a short while – but no further than up to 260 meters away, as that’s the maximum working range declared by the manufacturer.
The Baby Monitor consists of two parts – the camera that’s meant to be put in the baby’s room to constantly watch over your little one, and a display that’s used to show the camera’s image in real-time. The camera itself comes with a few interesting features, including the 5-meter night vision that allows you to watch your baby even when the light is off, and a temperature sensor that makes sure your baby won’t get too hot or cold. You can even use the monitor to speak to your child, thanks to the dual-way audio communication.
Car DVR Kit
| Includes 3 different cameras for different purposes |
| Instant preview of recorded videos |
| G-sensor that helps to record crashes |
Car DVR Kit is an essential package that will be of use for every car driver. The package contains 3 different cameras that can be used simultaneously – a front camera, an inside camera, and a rear camera. The front one is meant to capture whatever lies ahead of your car and it does its job well, thanks to the wide 170-degree angle that ensures no important event goes unnoticed.
The inside camera can be used to capture whatever is going on inside your car. Lastly, the rear camera can be used to give aid during difficult maneuvers, such as reverse parking in a tight spot. Cameras are equipped with a G-sensor that helps to automatically record events that occurred shortly before a crash – such recordings are often invaluable and may be used as evidence.
Wearable Smart Sports Camera
| 1080p sports camera with recording option |
| Waterproof and drop-resistant construction |
| Connectivity via WiFi |
This one would perfectly complement the equipment of everyone who loves to do extreme sports or sports in general. In sports, it’s usually not possible to exercise while holding a camera in a hand, so a small clock-like device is a perfect solution. This wearable lightweight camera does not limit your movement and is barely noticeable when worn.
It can record whatever is going on in Full HD 1080p resolution. What’s more – it is waterproof, so you can capture the image no matter the weather and no matter the sports, including diving to up to 30 meters. Durable construction increases the chances that the camera will keep working even if you happen to crash or drop it. Its 900 mAh battery ensures the camera will work for up to 1.5 hours.
Sandberg Pocket Card Reader
| An easy way to read from and write to memory cards |
| Supports a variety of different types of cards, including SD, Micro SD, and M2 |
| Portable size – take the reader anywhere |
Let’s take a break from cameras for a second. Most cameras save their recordings and photos on small memory cards. That’s great, but sometimes you need to access the stored material on a device that has no way to read these cards. It’s not uncommon to see laptops and computers without any kind of a card reader built-in.
What they do usually have, however, are USB ports. So why not use USB to access data stored on memory cards? That’s exactly what Sandberg Pocket Card Reader does – it lets you write to and read from common types of memory cards, such as SD, Micro SD, and M2, from a device that has no card reader built-in, as long as it has a free USB port.
SJCAM SJ4000 WIFI Action Camera
| Records videos in 1080p at 30 FPS or 720p at 60 FPS |
| Connectivity via WiFi and HDMI |
| Waterproof construction – up to 30 meters |
SJCAM SJ4000 is a possible choice for fans of sports or for those spending their free time actively in general, but it can also be effectively used as a car camera, thanks to the recording overwrite feature.
The camera has a multitude of useful features, including a motion sensor that can be utilized to automatically start recording whenever a move is detected, so you can put it down and let it record your stunts right as you perform them. It’s also worth mentioning that the camera features image stabilization for better quality image and is waterproof, allowing you to submerge it in water completely in up to 30 meters of water. It also comes with a 2-inch TFT LCD display on which the recorded material can be previewed. Did we mention an HDR mode?
Nikon D3200 DSLR
| Records videos in 1080p at 30/25/24 FPS or 720p at 60/50 FPS |
| Continuous shooting – up to 4 FPS |
| 100-6400 ISO range and the possibility to increase it all the way up to 12800 |
Whenever you need to take a photo of excellent quality, there’s hardly anything better than a digital single lens reflex camera or DSLR for short. While not exactly a cheap camera, Nikon D3200 DSLR is quite a deal considering everything it offers. It’s a professional-grade device that can be efficiently used by both amateurs and professionals alike.
To ensure you can catch that perfect moment, the camera can shoot a series of 24.2-megapixel photos at a 4 FPS rate, so you can later pick the photo that you are most satisfied with. The high-quality image is provided thanks to the camera’s AF-S NIKKOR 18‑55mm 1:3.5-5.6G lens with Vibration Reduction.
Q305 Waterproof Sports Action Camera
| 16-megapixel photo resolution |
| 900 mAh battery ensuring up to 60 minutes of work |
| Waterproof rated at IP68 |
Q305 is a cheap alternative for those who need a camera that’s capable of taking good quality photos and record satisfying videos in difficult conditions. This sports camera will follow you wherever you go, recording your every move – mount it on your helmet or on a bike and enjoy the hand-free recording of your extreme actions and stunts.
The 900 mAh battery allows you to use the camera continuously for up to an hour, giving you enough time to immortalize the best moments. Q305 is compatible with smartphones and mobile devices running on at least iOS 7.0 or Android 4.4. It can connect via WiFi and it supports IEEE 802.11 b/g/n protocols.
Xiaomi AI Face Identification Doorbell
| AI Face Identification |
| Infrared night vision |
| Motion detection and SMS video push |
Now this one’s an interesting and practical use of the camera. This is a camera doorbell you can install at your home, giving you a better view of whoever stands next to your door. Isn’t it convenient?
But it’s not a simple camera – it has motion detection and an infrared night vision modules built-in, allowing it to show you your guests even in complete darkness. The most important feature, however, is the doorbell’s AI-supported Face Identification. The device works via WiFi and will work while being up to 50 meters away from the receiver.
MJX B5W GPS RC Drone
| GPS positioning and altitude hold function |
| Intuitive and beginner-friendly controls |
| One-key return function |
If you wish to record 4K videos from a bird’s-eye view, then this is your drone. It’s easy to maneuver with its intuitive controls that are further enhanced by the altitude hold function and a built-in GPS positioning system. The drone can travel at up to 60 km/h, so it can be effectively used to capture fast‑paced dynamic action from a safe distance.
The drone comes with a cool quality-of-life feature – a one-key return function. Whenever you need the drone to come back, just press the key and wait – the drone will navigate itself to the home point. The maximum remote distance, according to the manufacturer, lies somewhere between 200 and 300 meters.
Cameras are invaluable tools whenever you want to capture both a still and a moving picture. They can be used to take a photo of you and your friends with either an important object or a beautiful landscape in the background. They can be used to keep an eye on your baby at all times if you can’t babysit at the moment. They can be installed in your car to record the road as you drive, giving you important evidence material in case of a crash and giving you the possibility to resolve contentious issues in your favor. Thanks to the drones they even started to be used to shoot photos and record videos from above, allowing you to enjoy pictures that were unavailable to take for an average man not so long ago.
Picking a Right Camera
When shopping for a camera you should be aware of a few certain things, as not every camera will prove itself useful in every possible case – some of them may be well suited for one task, while the others can excel in something different.
For example, you need to ask yourself if you want to be able to take photos from a bird’s-eye or even a slightly elevated view. If that’s the case, then there’s no other choice than picking a drone camera that’s able to capture images as it flies around and hangs in the air. Such cameras tend to be more expensive than traditional ones because you’re not only paying for the camera, but also for the drone. If you don’t need such features then you can get an ordinary camera with possibly better image quality for a comparable price. And if you want a car camera or a camera you can use to watch over your baby, then the image quality is not as important anymore, but it has to have a good battery and should come with reliable connectivity features. If you are planning to use the camera in a wet environment, you should also consider the device that offers solid waterproof protection.
It’s quite obvious that the best camera with tons of different features will not be cheap – as the quality rises, the price does as well. However, today we’ll prove that if you are ready to make a few compromises it’s completely possible to get a good one without going broke.
Summary
The cameras available on the market can have a variety of uses, so before making a purchase you need to ask yourself what do you need it for. Do you need an action sports camera that’s durable, waterproof, and can withstand rough conditions? Or a fragile DSLR camera that can take photos of unparalleled quality but must be treated with caution? Or maybe you are interested in taking photos from above, where only a drone could succeed?
It’s important to know your needs because this will allow you to save money – you don’t want to overpay for a product that has features you don’t even need and won’t ever use, as every feature have a certain price. Eliminating unwanted and unnecessary features is the key to making a conscious purchase, and with the aforementioned list, we’re sure you’ll be able to pick something that’s right just for you.