With each passing year, smartphone cameras are getting better. But if you don’t have the budget for an advanced and sophisticated smartphone, you can look for point-and-shoot cameras under $300. Not only are they compact and easy to carry but they also capture stellar images, have more zoom reach, and come with wireless connectivity options.
The key advantage of point-and-shoot cameras is that they allow you to capture beautiful images without much technical knowledge of photography. Moreover, they are less expensive than DSLRs and you don’t have to dig deep to find the desired settings for your best shot.
For those who want to enjoy photography with budget-friendly, point-and-shoot cameras, we decided to whip together a list of the best point-and-shoot cameras under $300. Let’s take a look.
1. Panasonic LUMIX FZ80
Panasonic’s LUMIX FZ80 offers top-quality images and an incredible zoom power of 60x that brings it to the top. At a very affordable price, this fabulous point-and-shoot camera gives good competition to other cameras.
The camera features an 18MP sensor and a powerful lens with a focal range of 20 to 1200mm, which is 32mm equivalent. This literally allows you to shoot the moon. Additionally, you get 4K video capture at 30 fps, an image stabilization system, a post focus mode, and an electronic viewfinder.
There isn’t any physical ring for adjusting the lens, rather the camera sets it through the motor zoom lever that allows you to switch between wide macro and tele-macro modes. The best thing is, you can wirelessly operate the camera through a Wi-Fi connection with your smartphone, meaning you can easily adjust the settings and control other camera operations.
Likewise, you can share your best moments on social media platforms. All in all, our Panasonic LUMIX FZ80 review found it to be one of the best point-and-shoot cameras you can get at under $300.
2. Canon PowerShot SX730 HS
Featuring a compact design, a nine-point autofocus system, and a great super-zoom lens, the Canon PowerShot SX730 HS delivers a solid performance. This point-and-shoot camera makes use of a 20.3MP CMOS sensor, coupled with Canon’s DIGIC 6 processor to deliver outstanding images. Canon has also used a back-illuminated sensor that allows more light and produces enhanced results.
The powerful lens of the camera has a 24-960mm focal range, having an aperture of f/3.3-6.9. It has the ability to zoom up to an incredible 40x that helps you capture significant details in subjects at long distances.
Although the video capture is limited to only FHD, the state-of-the-art, lens-based, five-axis Image Stabilization gives more clarity to the footage. Furthermore, you get Wi-Fi and NFC for wireless connectivity with any of your smart devices.
With a compact and stylish design, this pocket-sized camera from Canon is equipped with a ton of features that can make it your next budget point-and-shoot camera under $300. Find out more in our full review of the Canon PowerShot SX730 HS.
3. Sony WX350
The Sony WX350 is another excellent point-and-shoot camera under $300 that is equipped with an 18.2MP BSI CMOS sensor and Sony’s BIONZ X image processing engine. It delivers high-quality JPEGs and Full-HD videos at up to 60 fps and is especially great as a low-light camera.
With a 35mm equivalent focal length range of 25-500mm, the lens on the WX350 offers up to 20x of optical zoom. It features an aperture rating of f/3.5–6.5 and an Optical SteadyShot image stabilization system.
Moreover, the camera has a three-inch LCD screen with a 460K-dot resolution on its back and it uses Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity options to transfer your images and videos through a wireless connection.
Although the Sony WX350 is a slightly dated camera, it’s still a solid competitor.
4. Canon PowerShot SX620 HS
Featuring a 20.2MP BSI CMOS sensor paired with a DIGIC 4 plus image processor, the Canon PowerShot SX620 HS delivers excellent results both in bright and low-light conditions. In fact, it’s one of the best point-and-shoot cameras under $300 for low-light shooting.
The lens on the SX620 features a 35mm equivalent focal length range of 25-625mm. It has a maximum aperture of f/3.2 in wide-angle mode and f/6.6 in telephoto mode. Thanks to optical image stabilization, you get stabilized shots while using the lens’ longest focal length.
As for video recording, the camera has support for Full-HD captures at up to a maximum of 30 fps. It offers a Hybrid Auto Mode as well, which helps you record a video of two to four seconds before the camera takes the actual shot.
Other key features of the camera include a three-inch LCD screen (lacks touchscreen) with a 922K-dot resolution, a pop-up flash, and a built-in Wi-Fi connectivity option.
5. Panasonic LUMIX ZS60 (Budget Winner)
The Panasonic LUMIX ZS60 is a portable camera that is compact enough to easily fit into your jeans pocket. Its lens also features a surrounding ring that helps to adjust the focus.
It packs an 18MP sensor paired with a Venus Engine processor. With a magnification range of up to 720mm (30x zoom), the camera enables you to capture long-distance objects. In addition, it features a 49-point autofocus and an optical image stabilization (OIS) system for image blur correction.
The lens has an aperture range of f/3.3 (wide) to f/6.4 (tele). You can capture 4K videos and an innovative 0.2-inch electronic viewfinder is also there to show you the captured images in daylight.
With a battery capacity of up to 320 shots, the ZS60 is an ideal point-and-shoot camera for traveling. In under $300, it certainly is one of the best cameras that can perform more than just your expectations.
Read our in-depth review of the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-ZS60 to get more details.
Picking the Best Point-and-Shoot Camera Under $300
Point-and-shoot cameras under $300 may seem less prominent these days than they were in the past, but they are far from being irrelevant and still offer a perfect middle ground between smartphone cameras and other professional DSLRs.
We hope this list will help you find what you were looking for, but if you have some extra cash to spend and want something a little more advanced, be sure to read our guides on the best point-and-shoot cameras under $1000 and the best advanced compact cameras.
