Best Professional Cameras for under £1000!
Can you get a professional camera and lens for under £1000 ($1200 approx)? Yes you can my photography friends, and I’m going to tell you how in this video.
I’ve got 3 of the best cameras you can get here: all with their own unique qualities. I’m going to talk through them, give you the pros and cons of each, then tell you what type of photographers I think each one will suit at the end.
What makes a professional camera?
Before we start, let’s answer this question – What exactly sets a professional camera apart from the rest and why does it matter?
Of there are many tech things that separate professional cameras from the rest but it actually breaks down into two main factors and these are as follows:
1 – Build Quality
A professional camera will have a much stronger build quality. Rather than being made from plastics it will be made from metals and alloys.
2 – Processing Power
Professional cameras come with bigger, more powerful computer processers which enable them to do more stuff at a faster speed. An example of this would be the camera’s continuous shooting speed. In some cases, a professional camera will churn through up to 60 raw frames per second. Now that’s fast!
Cost of professional cameras and lenses!
It comes as no surprise that professional cameras come with a big price tag. Remember it is not just the camera you are buying, it’s the lens as well and in most cases, you want the lens to be even better than the body itself.
3 professional cameras - all with their own unique qualities
Buying new professional camera equipment will see you spending in the region of £4-5k ($6.5k approx.) and that is above most people’s budget, particularly when you are starting up. But there is a way to get professional equipment for less, and that is to buy second hand. There are some things to be carful of when buying second hand and we’ll come to that later on in this blog.
When pricing up the cameras for this blog, I have chosen second hand cameras and lenses that would be described as ‘Good Condition’ from second hand camera retail stores. More on this later.
Let’s look at my first pick!
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Professional Camera 1 – Canon 5D Mark III with the EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens
Second hand Canon EOS 5D Mkiii
Second hand Canon 24-105mm L series lens
My first choice is the Canon 5D Mark III with the EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens. This camera and lens, rated as ‘good condition’ with a shutter count of around 50,000, has been priced up at £1033. This is from a second-hand retail store so I would imagine that you would get this even cheaper from auction websites.
The EOS 5D Mark III is a full-frame 22.3 MP DSLR with 61-point autofocus and 6fps continuous shooting. You can film high-quality Full HD movies and have manual control over everything from frame rate to audio.
The Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens is an excellent multipurpose professional lens. With its wide focal range, the lens is capable of capturing a range of subjects. The lens also has image stabilisation built into it.
The camera and lenses strong build gives the feeling of professionalism and confidence when out on a shoot!
Full specs - Camera
Built-In Bluetooth - No
Microphone Jack - Yes
Max FPS Max resolution - 1280×720 (HD)
Maximum Frames Per Second - 6
USB Port Type - Mini type B 2.0
Weight (Grams) - 860
File Format - JPEG + RAW
Touchscreen - No
HDMI Port - Yes
Lens Mount - Canon EF
Minimum ISO - 50 - Maximum ISO - 102400
Camera Type - Digital SLR
Storage Media Type - SD & CompactFlash
LCD Resolution (Pixels) - 1040000
Headphone Jack - Yes
Viewfinder Type - Optical
Maximum Video Frame Rate (FPS) - 60
Year of release - 2012
Articulating LCD Screen - No
Shutter Rating (Life) - 150000
Megapixels - 22.3
Integrated cleaning - Yes
Hot Shoe Connection - Yes
Bulit In Microphone - Yes
Minimum Shutter Speed (x) [Seconds] - 30 - Maximum Shutter Speed (1/) [Seconds] - 1/8000
Maximum Video Resolution - 1920×1080 (Full HD)
Sensor Type - CMOS
Built-In Wifi - No
LCD Size (Inches) - 3.2
Built-In Flash - No
Sensor Format - Full Frame
Viewfinder Coverage (%) - 100
Auto Focus Points - 61
Flash Compatibility - Canon TTL
Live View - Yes
Full specs - Lens
Minimum Focus Distance (m) - 0.45
Filter Thread (mm) - 77
Maximum Aperture - Tele (f)4 - Minimum Aperture (F) - 22
Year of release - 2005
Lens Mount - Canon EF
Image Stabilisation - Yes
Auto Focus - Yes
Weight (Grams) - 670
Pros
Quality of FF sensor – more dynamic range
Built like a tank
Optical view finder
Cons
Big and bulky in comparison
No flip screen
What this camera would be good for
Of course, all cameras featured here will be suitable for all genres of photography but here is my opinion on where this camera would perform best.
Studio portraits where image quality is key.
Getting a high dynamic range.
Shooting in dark places without flash.
Shooting at higher ISO’s.
Where you need to be doing lots of retouching.
Where you will be pulling and pushing RAW files in post.
Due to this camera being full frame it will suit any imagery where you need the maximum of detail possible. This camera will capture more detail than the rest however it is bulky and heavy and therefore not as portable.
Professional Camera 2 – Fujifilm X-T3 with XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS lens
Second hand Fuji X-T3 camera
Second hand Fuji XF 18-55mm lens
My second choice is the Fujifilm X-T3 with XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS lens. This camera and lens, again rated as ‘good condition’ with a shutter count of around 50,000, has been priced up at £1043. This is also from a second-hand retail store so again I would imagine that you would get this even cheaper from auction websites.
The X-T3 features a back-illuminated “X-Trans*1 CMOS 4” sensor, the fourth generation to feature in the X Series. The camera has a resolution of 26.1MP and a native ISO of 160. This was previously available only as extended ISO but is now part of the normal ISO range, allowing you to achieve incredibly clean, noise free images. It also films at full 4k and has a maximum filming frame rate of 120fps.
The lens is a versatile zoom featuring a maximum aperture of F2.8 and a full frame equivalent focal range from 27mm to 84mm giving the photographer the ability to respond to a variety of scenes. It is very portable thanks to its compact size, has fast autofocus features and a built-in image stabilization.
Full specs - Camera
Built-In Bluetooth - Yes
Microphone Jack - Yes
Max FPS Max resolution - 1920×1080 (Full HD)
Maximum Frames Per Second – 11 Mechanical – 30 Electronic
USB Port Type - Type-C
Weight (Grams) - 869
File Format - JPEG + RAW
Touchscreen - Yes
HDMI Port - Yes
Lens Mount - Fujifilm X
Minimum ISO - 160 - Maximum ISO - 12800
Camera Type - Mirrorless
Storage Media Type - SD / SDHC / SDXC
LCD Resolution (Pixels) - 1040000
Headphone Jack - Yes
Viewfinder Type - Electronic
Maximum Video Frame Rate (FPS) - 120 - Maximum Video Resolution - 3840×2160 (4K UHD)
Year of release - 2018
Articulating LCD Screen - Yes
Megapixels - 26.1
Integrated cleaning - Yes
Hot Shoe Connection - Yes
Bulit In Microphone - Yes
Minimum Shutter Speed (x) [Seconds] - 900 - Maximum Shutter Speed (1/) [Seconds] - 1/32000
Sensor Type - CMOS
Built-In Wifi - Yes
LCD Size (Inches) - 3
Built-In Flash - No
Sensor Format - APS-C
Viewfinder Coverage (%) - 100
Auto Focus Points - 425
Flash Compatibility - Fujifilm TTL
Live View – Yes
Full specs - Lens
Minimum Focus Distance (m) - 0.3
Filter Thread (mm) - 58
Maximum Aperture - Wide (f)2.8 - Maximum Aperture - Tele (f)4 - Minimum Aperture (F)22
Year of release - 2012
Lens Mount - Fujifilm X
Image Stabilisation - Yes
Auto Focus - Yes
Weight (Grams) - 310
Pros
Films 4K – 120 fps for slow mo.
30 fps in electronic mode.
Good auto focus settings
425 auto focus points with all the tracking and zones setting you would expect on a modern camera.
Solid build.
Small.
Cons
Batteries don’t last that long when filming.
Lens not weatherproof but I shot with this lens in the rain and it was fine.
Flip screen not good.
What this camera would be good for
Again, this is a professional camera so would be good for anything but here is my opinion where it performs best.
Filming – best for filming out of the 3 cameras featured for filming.
Good quality sensor.
Fast shooting fps with good tracking.
A good all-rounder - portraits, street, documentary, landscapes etc.
This is an ASP-C (crop sensor) camera which is the most popular of the 3 sensor sizes shown here. This makes it a good all-rounder. It’s compact and still gives a good quality image.
Professional Camera 3 – Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II with M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO lens
Second hand Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Second Hand 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO lens
My third and final choice is the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II with M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO lens. This camera and lens, again rated as ‘good condition’ with a shutter count of around 50,000, is the cheapest of the 3 being priced up at £928. This is also from a second-hand retail store so again I would imagine that you would get this even cheaper from auction websites.
This is a compact, high-tech micro four thirds camera. The professional-level OM-D E-M1 Mark II is a high-level system with innovative technology and features designed to change the power of photography.
The lens is superbly built and has an f2.8 aperture throughout the whole focal range of 12-40mm (24-80mm full frame equivalent). It’s engineered to meet every need of professional photographers and has a compact, lightweight design.
Full specs - camera
Built-In Bluetooth - No
Microphone Jack - Yes
Max FPS Max resolution - 1920×1080 (Full HD)
Maximum Frames Per Second – 15 mechanical - 60 electronic
USB Port Type - Olympus CB-USB6
Weight (Grams) - 574
File Format - JPEG + RAW
Touchscreen - Yes
HDMI Port - Yes
Lens Mount - Micro Four Thirds
Minimum ISO – 200 - Maximum ISO - 25600
Camera Type - Mirrorless
Storage Media Type - SD / SDHC / SDXC
LCD Resolution (Pixels) - 1037000
Headphone Jack - Yes
Viewfinder Type - Electronic
Maximum Video Frame Rate (FPS) – 60 - Maximum Video Resolution - 3840×2160 (4K UHD)
Year of release - 2013
Articulating LCD Screen - Yes
Shutter Rating (Life) - 200,0000
Megapixels - 20.4
Integrated cleaning - Yes
Hot Shoe Connection - Yes
Bulit In Microphone - Yes
Minimum Shutter Speed (x) [Seconds] - 60 - Maximum Shutter Speed - 1/8000 sec - 1/32000 electronic
Sensor Type - Live MOS
Built-In Wifi - Yes
LCD Size (Inches) - 3
Built-In Flash - No
Sensor Format - Four Thirds
Viewfinder Coverage (%) - 100
Auto Focus Points - 121
Flash Compatibility - Olympus TTL
Live View - Yes
Full specs - Lens
Minimum Focus Distance (m) - 0.2
Filter Thread (mm) - 62
Maximum Aperture - Tele (f)2.8
Maximum Aperture - Wide (f)2.8
Year of release - 2013
Lens Mount - Micro Four Thirds
Image Stabilisation - No
Minimum Aperture (F) - 22
Auto Focus - Yes
Weight (Grams) - 382
Pros
In body and in lens Image Stabilization
Tech heavy
Great quality - built to last
Small and compact
f/2.8 throughout lens
Pro capture feature
Cons
Mic 4:3 might not be enough detail
Doesn’t deal with higher ISO’s as well as FF
Need to get exposures correct to avoid excessive degrading in post
What this camera would be good for
Again, being a professional camera, it will work well in most situations but here is where I think this camera shines above the rest.
Good for portability – lighter, smaller unit.
Fast fps and excellent tracking system makes it good for fast shooting subjects – wildlife, sports etc.
IBIS is excellent meaning it works well handheld when doing street and documentary photography.
Not good if your to do a lot of retouching or going to be pushing and pulling the RAW files about in post.
The most compact of all the cameras featured here this will suit people where portability is key. The quality of the lenses is superb and are much smaller than the full frame or APS-C equivalent.
Buying Second Hand Cameras – Tips
As mentioned earlier in this blog, buying second hand is a great option but there are some tips to follow to ensure you don’t get caught out!
Buying from established second hand camera stores
There are companies out there that specialise in selling second hand camera equipment and although it is likely to be more expensive it does come with some benefits. These companies will check over the equipment, clean them and give you a warranty.
There are several to choose from and here are some that we have used before:
Buying from Auction and Marketplace sites
If you are looking for an even cheaper bargain, then maybe head for auction and/or marketplace websites. These cameras will not have been checked over by experts or come with a warranty, but they will be cheaper!
Just make sure you only buy from people who have a lot of good feedback and that there is a good returns policy should you need it.
General tips for buying second hand cameras
Make sure you see lots of good, clear photos before you buy the camera.
Go for a low shutter count, 50,000 or below is fine. There are ways to get this off the camera so ask for this before you buy.
The rubbing off paint (general wear and tear) is ok as long as the camera comes with low shutter count.
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