Point-and-shoot cameras are a huge upgrade from your smartphone. Don’t make the same mistake and buy a cheap knockoff that’s worse than a phone, we’ll show you the best point-and-shoot cameras under $300 today.
Point-and-shoot cameras were really a big thing until smartphones with cameras came in. Then onwards, things really started going downhill for the point-and-shoot camera industry. Cameras in smartphones have come a long way today. They produce exceptional results, no doubt. But, the quality of images you are able to get out of a point-and-shoot camera will always exceed that of a smartphone.
Being a dedicated camera, a point and shoot have various features that come in handy for photo and video work. A larger sensor, better optical zoom, more powerful flash, and better lens are some of the areas where a point and shoot still excels over a smartphone camera. Otherwise, it would make no sense to be purchasing a point-and-shoot camera today.
Today, we’ll have a look at some of the point-and-shoot cameras that you can buy for under $300 that has the best value for money.
Best Point and Shoot Camera Under $300: An Overview
The point-and-shoot cameras that you can find in this price range vary in the features that they have to offer. Some of the major features that you need to look out for include image resolution, zoom range, wireless connectivity, and video capability.
Canon PowerShot SX720 HS (⅘ stars)
- Slim point-and-shoot camera
- 3MP 1/2.3″ CMOS Sensor
- 40x Zoom Lens, 24-960mm (35mm Equivalent)
- Large 3.0-inch LCD
- Built-in Wi-Fi with NFC
- Full HD 1080p video recording at 60 fps
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Canon PowerShot SX540 HS (4/5 stars)
- Bridge camera with a long reach
- 3MP 1/2.3″ CMOS Image Sensor
- 50x Optical Zoom Lens, 24-1200mm (35mm Equivalent)
- Built-in Wi-Fi with NFC
- Full HD 1080p video recording at 60 fps
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Panasonic Lumix ZS70K (4.5/5 stars)
- Best compact point and shoot camera with 4K video capability
- 3 Megapixel MOS sensor
- Leica DC Vario-Elmar 30x Zoom Lens, 24-720mm (35mm Equivalent)
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- 4K QFHD video recording functionality
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Panasonic Lumix FZ80 (4/5 stars)
- Best point and shoot camera with 4K video capability
- 1MP 1/2.3″ MOS Sensor
- 60x Zoom Lens, 20-1200mm (35mm Equivalent)
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- 4K video recording functionality
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Nikon COOLPIX B600 (4/5 stars)
- Point and shoot under $300 with the longest reach
- 16MP 1/2.3″ CMOS Sensor
- NIKKOR Super ED 60x Optical Zoom Lens, 24-1440mm (35mm Equivalent)
- Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- Full HD video recording at 30p and 60i
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Canon point-and-shoot cameras under $300
Canon is a very reputable brand in the camera industry, you can barely go wrong with its products. It is only about finding yourself the product that best fits your needs.
If you’re in the market looking for a Canon point and shoot camera with a compact and slim profile, consider having a look at the Canon PowerShot SX720 HS. The Canon PowerShot SX720 packs a 40x optical zoom lens with a full-frame equivalent of 24-960mm in a very compact and stylish design. This makes it a perfect companion for traveling. Whether you want to take group shots, or zoom into something far away, everything is covered.
The Canon PowerShot SX720 HS features a 1/2.3-inch type back-illuminated CMOS sensor with a resolution of 20.3 million pixels which is plenty for a camera this size. The camera performs great in well-lit conditions. Images come out bright with punchy colours and good saturation.
If you’re into shooting videos, then Canon has designed the PowerShot SX720 HS to make beautiful, creative video capture easy and fun. Video quality is luminous and near to life thanks to the 1080p Full HD resolution. And don’t worry about any kind of camera shake when taking videos as the camera’s Dynamic IS feature offers 5-axis image stabilization to compensate for such movements [1].
If compactness is not something you’re looking for, and if you can make do with a slightly bigger form factor, you may also want to consider Canon PowerShot SX540 HS. The extra size comes from the camera packing a bigger 50x optical zoom lens that covers a 24-1200mm equivalent focal length range. In order to balance this extended reach, the body incorporates a design featuring a large grip that enhances stability.
Besides the longer reach, the Powershot SX540HS also has an advantage on the flash power over the Powershot SX720 HS. While the flash of the Powershot SX720 HS is effective only up to 4 meters, the one on the Powershot SX540HS covers a distance of 5.5 meters. However, the battery life is a bit lower on the Powershot SX540HS (250 shots) compared to the Powershot SX540HS (205 shots).
Panasonic point-and-shoot cameras under $300
The Panasonic Lumix ZS70K is easily our favorite compact point-and-shoot camera that can be bought for under $300. The design is sleek and compact with a 30X, 24-720mm equivalent lens. It sports a 20.3MP BSI CMOS sensor that is capable of recording 4K videos.
Interestingly, you not only get a 3” tilting touchscreen display to compose your shots, but also a 0.2”, 1.16M-dot electronic viewfinder. This is super useful when working in bright light conditions where you cannot see the content in the LCD properly.
The Panasonic Lumix ZS70K is a pocketable multimedia powerhouse that delivers rich image quality with low noise. The 30X Leica DC Vario-Elmar zoom lens is pretty impressive as well and delivers sharp and punchy images while handing aberrations and distortions pretty well.
The 5-axis Hybrid O.I.S. system built into the lens gives you the benefit of shake-free shots [2]. This is especially useful when shooting at longer focal lengths where the camera shake becomes more prominent.
Again, if you’d rather opt for a slightly larger Panasonic point-and-shoot camera to get that extra reach, we recommend the Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ80 digital camera. The Lumix DC-FZ80 from Panasonic is a versatile unit that pairs an expansive 60x zoom lens with high-resolution stills and 4K video shooting functionality.
The 18.1MP 1/2.3″ High-Sensitivity MOS sensor on the Lumix DC-FZ80 delivers fast overall performance and notable image quality that suits working in a wide variety of conditions. You will never find yourself stuck in a tricky situation with this camera.
Covering an expansive 20-1200mm equivalent focal length range, the built-in Lumix DC lens offers a 60x optical zoom range that covers wide-angle to super-telephoto perspectives. If that’s not enough for you, the optical zoom range can be effectively doubled through the use of Intelligent Zoom, to achieve a total magnification of 120x [3]. How crazy is that?
And in order to keep things steady when zoomed in to such a great extent, the camera features a POWER Optical Image Stabilization to minimize camera shake and deliver sharper handheld photos.
Like the Lumix ZS70K, the Lumix DC-FZ80 too features a 0.2”, 1.16M-dot electronic viewfinder along with a 3” screen LCD. However, the LCD, in this case, does not support touch input.
If you want to get creative with your photography, both of these Panasonic cameras feature different creative control modes that give some cool looks to the image like retro, sepia, cross-process, bleach bypass, and miniature effect amongst many others.
Nikon point-and-shoot cameras under $300
The Nikon COOLPIX B600 is a 16MP high-resolution point and shoot camera with a 1/2.3″ CMOS sensor. The camera features a 60x optical zoom lens that has a 24-1440mm equivalent focal length that comfortably covers wide-angle to super-telephoto perspectives. And if you really need it, the Dynamic Fine Zoom function allows you to further double the magnification for a total of 120x [4].
To tackle the camera shakes that creep in when using the camera at such high magnification ratios, the Nikon COOLPIX B600 has a Lens-shift Vibration Reduction feature built into it. The lens’ optical design incorporates extra-low dispersion glass to minimize chromatic aberrations and color fringing throughout the zoom range for a cleaner, clearer image quality.
On the video side, you won’t get the 4K capabilities like in the case of the Panasonic Lumix. The COOLPIX B600 only supports Full HD video recording in 30p and 60i frame rates. When using the camera in video mode, the 4-axis Hybrid Vibration Reduction kicks in to stabilize the footage.
Like in the case of other cameras, if you feel like further enhancing the look of the images you capture, you will find the functionalities offered by the Scene and Creative modes quite useful.
Which point and shoot camera should you get?
In a price range of under $300, all of these cameras that we’ve reviewed pack some similar features. Each of them performs equally great, so it mostly boils down to personal choice and brand preference.
Our favorite from the bunch definitely has to be the Panasonic Lumix ZS70K just for the electronic viewfinder and the touch screen. These two features make working with the camera and taking photos so much easier. Having your eye on the viewfinder not only prevents others from seeing what you’re shooting but also lets you take more stabilized shots due to the way you have to hold the camera when using it. If you’d like to save a lot of money then try picking up a film camera, like one of these.
Video is another field where the Panasonic cameras blow the competition away. While Canon and Nikon point-and-shoot cameras max out at shooting Full HD videos, the Panasonic cameras shoot crisp and detailed 4K videos. If you’re a video enthusiast and will need to take some great-looking footage, think no further.
References
[1] https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/cameras/point-and-shoot-digital-cameras/long-zoom-cameras/powershot-sx720-hs
[2] https://shop.panasonic.com/lumixsocialtc1/DC-ZS70K.html
[3] https://shop.panasonic.com/cameras-and-camcorders/cameras/lumix-point-and-shoot-cameras/DC-FZ80K.html
[4] https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/compact-digital-cameras/coolpix-b600.html
