A CAMERA FOR STARTERS

For beginners starting out in photography, an SLR has long been the most obvious choice of ‘proper’ camera. With extensive shooting controls, interchangeable lenses and optional extras, you can start simple and expand your kit as your expertise grows. However, this has become equally true of compact system cameras, which do away with mirrors to enable downsized designs. Some super-skinny models ditch the viewfinder as well, and photographers moving up from a smartphone might find composing shots on an LCD screen entirely natural.

Any camera for beginners should be modestly priced, intuitive and easy to use, so that you can enjoy getting great results, straight out of the box. However, it should also be able to grow with you, enabling and even encouraging you to learn new skills and techniques, and put them into practice.

THE CONTENDERS

1 Canon EOS 1300D with 18-55mm lens £360/$450

2 Canon EOS 200D with 18-55mm lens £550/$700

3 Fujifilm X-A10 with 16-50mm lens £400/$540

4 Nikon D3400 with 18-55mm lens £450/$500

5 Nikon D5600 with 18-55mm lens £730/$800

6 Olympus Pen E-PL8 with 14-42mm lens £550/$650

Lumix GX80 with 12-32mm lens £530/$700