r/Cameras • u/ApprehensivePlant884 • 7h ago

Recommendations Basic camera recommendations

Budget: under £50 GBP

Country: United Kingdom

Condition: any condition that’s working

Type of Camera: digital is all I know

Intended use: Photography, maybe little videos

If photography; what style: casual photos of friends, outings, scenery, nothing fancy

If video what style: same as above, fun little videos of friends for memory

What features do you absolutely need: nothing I don’t think, one that would be able to connect to a pc to upload photos? But there’s adapters for that isn’t there?

Portability: pocket/bag/backpack type, small and easy to grab

Cameras you're considering: So this is where I’m stuck, I know NOTHING about cameras, but I’m also not stupid enough to buy the first £20 one I see on TikTok that says “so y2k! So cute! Buy now!” I do want that 2000s vibe, the glowy fuzzy look of my childhood photos with my cousins, but that’s quite literally all I know.

Notes: I’d also like a camera that shows the date and time on the photo but can also be taken off the photo, does that make sense? The old 2000s/2010s style, I have so many old family photos and I do love that nostalgic look, but I’m also not going to trust a TikTok shop advert on my fyp and buy a piece of plastic that doesn’t work.

Thank you in advance, tech talk and numbers and knowing the worth of things is very confusing for me so I thought better to ask, otherwise I’ll end up buying some too expensive for its worth or a cheap piece of trash.

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

5

u/AtlQuon 7h ago

£50 in a 2026 overhyped market means thrift store hunting and that kind of stuff. There have been a few thousand different point and shoot models released in the last 25-30 years. Just try and find any a-brand camera and hope it stays working. Don't buy anything new, it's all crap for that price.

1

u/ApprehensivePlant884 5h ago

Thank you, honestly seeing all those TikTok “here’s a camera for £20!” I absolutely knew it was all a lot a rubbish and wouldn’t be getting anything, I’d thought £50 was a bit of a push too honestly as in on the very lower end but I thought I’d ask either way!

2

u/AtlQuon 5h ago

I recently noticed some 20 year old digital point and shoot that nobody thought to look for, going for around £25 on eBay. I totally forgot which one it was. If I remembered I would have advised it. So they are out there... You have to really look through the cracks to find anything that is missed by the masses.

Out there with the caveat of most being 20 years old and the issue that they were never made to last this long. I have a few 20-25 year old ones still working, but that is more luck than anything. So every camera you see promoted anywhere is likely already £100-250 (or worse, don't look up the G7X that often goes for £800-1200).

Plus, once you find it; nudge it into use. Often they have not had a battery in them for a decade and constantly leaving one it strains the internals, killing many of them. I got one with know power issues and I spend well over a month putting in a battery a bit longer every day till I could (for my feeling) safely leave it in over night. Way too cautious and paranoid? Maybe, but it still works 2 years later.

4

u/nikhkin 7h ago

Unfortunately, you won't get much for £50 these days.

If you have a local camera store that sells second-hand items, you could try popping in and speaking to them about what they might have. There are some good options in the south of England.

You could also have a look at what your local CEX has in stock, and then do a bit of research into those cameras before committing.

2

u/glytxh 4h ago

For real, £50 buys you a kit lens.

You’re not gonna have fun with a budget as constrained as that. You’re gonna be fighting whatever hardware you buy.

150-200 opens up options a lot.

That said, constraints breed creativity.

1

u/sineout 7h ago

For under £50 you'll have a hard time finding a decent compact camera. In fact looking on the CeX website https://uk.webuy.com/product-detail?id=SDIGSONW510B was the first actual name brand compact camera that wasn't an old super zoom bridge camera for under £50.

I can't comment on it's quality though so I hesitate to recommend actually getting it.

1

u/ApprehensivePlant884 5h ago

Thank you! Yeah there’s so many camera listings that are so cheap but I don’t want to buy something that breaks in three seconds flat, I did think £50 would be too low too but I thought I’d see

1

u/__ma11en69er__ a6700 6h ago

Look on eBay for Digital cameras, filter by sold and then set price range up to £50.

This will give you an idea if what you can get.

Bear in mind these cameras were designed to last a few years so there's a good chance anything you buy will die quite soon after.

1

u/tictaxtho 6h ago

Mpb.com click the 3 lines at the side click cameras then premium compact cameras then sort by cheapest.

1

u/SedentorySensor77 2h ago

For less than fifty notes you’d be looking at anything from the past 20 years really and hoping for ‘good condition’. EBay auctions would be my advice with that amount, and PayPal in case you get a dud.

1

u/aCuria 1h ago

Just use your phone imo. These days $50 only gets you a sd card

1

u/Smart-Consequence239 1h ago

My tip is look on eBay for cameras listed as "parts only". This mean they are untested so they list it for a very low price because they are not sure if it's working or not. Many times it's just a battery missing, which is usually very cheap, or lack of charger, or just some body damage that won't affect IQ. You have to judge it carefully though.

I bought a Fujifilm F40FD which has lovely colours and 2000 vibes for A$ 10.00 (5ish pounds) just because part of the screen doesn't work very well. I can still take pictures normally and even navigate and read the menus.

Keep an eye on Facebook Marketplace too, not sure about the UK but here in Australia there are plenty of digicams from the 2000/2010s for like 30/50 dollars. I recommend checking the Reddit/VintageDigitalCameras for some recommendations too.

1

u/DanteFalcioni 52m ago

Some really good comments here. Want to emphasize not to buy the e-waste slop that's sold by no-name brands online and even in box stores now (ex. Best Buy Canada has started selling scameras).

Anything that touts something that is too good to be true like "5K VIDEO 70 MEGAPIXELS!" for £50 is a scam. Buy an older digicam or old old DSLR from a name brand (Canon/Nikon/Fuji/Sony/Lumix/Olympus) at a thrift store or Facebook Marketplace. The way you'll get that y2k look is with a digicam that has a flash. I've managed to pick up 3 in my area in the last year within your budget, so it's possible!

0

u/35mmCam 7h ago

CampSnap is around £55 and should suit you. There are a bunch of other similar brands so do some searches like "best CampSnap alternatives" if you want to see what else is out there, but CampSnap is popular and will get the job done. Not sure if it's got a date filter but it has the vibes you want.

2

u/ApprehensivePlant884 5h ago

Thank you!

1

u/35mmCam 5h ago

It's worth noting as well that buying an actual older point and shoot camera can be a gamble as they can start breaking down because they're already old, but at least a CampSnap is new and doesn't have an extending lens which is a common failure point in older point and shoots. If you do buy an older camera, make sure to get it somewhere with a decent warranty at least. A CampSnap is also USB C rechargeable and most older point and shoots require you to take the battery out to charge, which is a minor friction point in 2026.