Buying guide

Best cameras under £500 in the UK

Five hundred pounds buys a lot of camera in 2026 — if you know where the value sits. Here is what to buy at this budget, and what to avoid.

By the Camera Kings team · · updated

Five hundred pounds is a genuinely good camera budget — provided you spend it in the right category rather than buying the most impressive-sounding thing you can afford.

Everything we track under £500, cheapest first

  1. GoPro HERO Action CameraGopro · 3 retailersfrom £169.99
  2. DJI Osmo Action 4 - Standard ComboDJI · 3 retailersfrom £209.00
  3. DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro StandardDJI · 3 retailersfrom £305.00
  4. Go Pro HERO13 Power BundleGopro · 3 retailersfrom £364.99
  5. DJI Osmo Action 6 Standard ComboDJI · 3 retailersfrom £379.00

Live prices, reordered automatically as the feeds update.

Best under £500 by purpose

For action and adventure: DJI Osmo Action 4

A large sensor, 18m waterproofing and magnetic mounts, now well under budget because two newer models exist. It remains excellent — see the Osmo Action 4 review.

For vlogging: DJI Osmo Pocket 3

Sits near the top of this budget and is worth every penny if you film yourself. Mechanical stabilisation and a 1-inch sensor — read the Osmo Pocket 3 review.

For travel: Panasonic Lumix TZ90 or TZ80

Pocketable cameras with 30x and 60x zoom respectively, comfortably inside budget. See the TZ90 review and TZ80 review.

For fun and gifts: an Instax or Polaroid

You can buy an instant camera and a great deal of film for well under this budget. Start with the instant camera guide.

For photographs generally: entry-level mirrorless

Bodies like the Canon EOS R100 sit near or just above this budget with a kit lens, and represent the biggest jump in outright image quality available here.

Where the value is

  • Last year’s flagship. Cameras improve slowly. A discounted previous-generation model usually beats a new budget one.
  • Bundles including what you need. Instant camera bundles with film, and action camera combos with spare batteries, are typically cheaper than buying the parts separately.
  • Lenses over bodies. If you are buying interchangeable-lens, spend less on the body and put the difference into a fast prime.

What to avoid at this budget

Very cheap unbranded action cameras, which stabilise poorly and are unsupported. And superzoom compacts bought purely on the zoom number — reach is useless if the images at full extension are unusable. Check our action camera guide and travel camera guide before committing.

Watch the prices

Everything here is price-compared across every retailer we track, updated daily — the deals page shows where the biggest gaps between current price and RRP currently sit.

Compare prices

Live prices from the retailers we track, updated daily. We may earn a commission if you buy through these links — it never changes what you pay.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best camera for under £500?

It depends entirely on what you shoot. For action, a DJI Osmo Action 4 or GoPro HERO13. For travel, a Lumix TZ compact. For photographs generally, an entry-level mirrorless body with a kit lens if you can find one at this price.

Should I buy last year’s model to save money?

Usually yes. Cameras improve slowly, and a one or two generation old model at a discount is almost always better value than the newest release at full price.

Is it better to buy a cheaper body and a better lens?

For interchangeable-lens cameras, nearly always. A modest body with a fast prime beats an expensive body with a basic kit zoom in almost every situation that matters.

More reviews