10 Best budget camera for street photography: (2023 Guide & Reviews)

Last Updated on September 5, 2023 by Sharon Advik

Street photography takes candid, unposed pictures of people and their surroundings in public areas.

Chronicling daily life, seizing fleeting moments, and telling stories about the people and places that make up the city are frequently associated with it.

Street photographers frequently use available light and shoot on the fly to blend in and capture candid moments without standing out too much.

This type of photography demands an acute sense of timing, meticulous attention to detail, and the ability to anticipate and capture crucial moments.

It can be time-consuming and challenging at public locations, and the outcomes might be arbitrary.

You need the best cameras to achieve stunning results but on a budget.

The top pocketable camera for taking street photos.

Which are the Best budget camera for street photography?

Here are my recommended top 10 Best budget camera for street photography:-

Nikon Z50: (Best budget camera for street photography)

The air was crisp as I was jogging along the pavements of Street Petri.

I had my trusty companion with me: my camera.

Ice blanketed the street, and snow hugged the leaves hanging from the vines.

Brandenburg was all in its glory, even in winter.

I hadn’t realized how far I had come.

In front of me was St.

Peter and Paul Cathedral, standing tall and looking as regal as ever.

Awe-struck at the sight, I leveled my camera and captured the moment.

I had heard stories of how the aerial view of the cathedral looked like a crucifix.

The area around the cathedral is green, but it was all white since I was here in winter.

I used this camera I just bought.

I had around $900 and was searching for a camera for my street photography, and I saw this camera for only $857.

It had all the features I needed and was perfect for street photography.

It is the best budget camera for street photography.

Features:

• Model: Nikon Z50
• Body type: SLR-style mirrorless
• Max resolution: 5568 x 3712
• Effective pixels: 21 megapixels
• ISO: Auto, 100-51200
• Lens mount: Nikon Z
• Shutter speed: 1/4000 sec
• Weight: 450 g
• Dimensions: 127 x 94 x 60 mm

ISO/Shutter Speed:

I use ISO 640 with a shutter speed of 1/500 a second to capture this lovely view.

Set exposure at +0.3 and took the picture.

And the results were astonishing: the less noisy picture with a little motion blur, everything was perfect.

Aperture/Depth of field:

The aperture of f/13 was a fantastic choice.

A narrow aperture deepens the depth of field, keeping almost everything sharp and clear.

Using a wider aperture could be fine if you want to portray someone, but I wanted to capture the beauty of snow.

White balance/Frame rate:

White balance might get hard to set in this type of weather.

Usually, using auto mode is fine, but it also messes up the picture during cloudy weather.

The best option is to try different modes to check the best one.

I used incandescent white balance for this picture to give it more real output.

Is this the best camera?

This camera is fantastic in all the ways that we can quantify.

Its shortcomings are found in the harder-to-quantify areas, such as the overall value when considering the entire system investment, including the available native lenses.

Thus, the best camera for street photography is this one.

Conclusion:

It is a capable camera that is comfortable for various types of photography.

Although the autofocus system is a little more awkward than it should be, the camera is competitive overall.

It should be on your list of potential cameras if the lenses you want to use are available.

Click the link to buy.

Canon EOS M50 Mark II: (Best budget camera for street photography)

Tokyo is my favorite city of all time.

It looks so beautiful during the night.

Surrounded by lights and people, it is one of the busiest worldwide, and I was determined to take the best pictures when I traveled there.

I decided to take pictures of the Shibuya crossing; there were so many people, and the whole place was filled with people.

The buildings were so beautiful, especially during the night.

I went there around 9 p.m. with my favorite camera I bought for just $700.

I was so happy to get this fantastic camera for just $700.

I took some pictures, and the results were unbelievable.

It is the best budget camera for street photography.

Features:

• Model: Canon EOS M50 Mark II
• Body type: SLR-style mirrorless
• Max resolution: 6000 x 4000
• Effective pixels: 24 megapixels
• ISO: Auto, 100-25600
• Lens mount: Canon EF-M
• Shutter speed: 1/4000 sec
• Weight: 387 g
• Dimensions: 116 x 88 x 59 mm

ISO/Shutter speed:

Using ISO 1600 to capture more light and a shutter speed of 1/30 second is the best option for night photography.

I like this setting for nighttime photography.

That’s why I saved this setting. With this, I captured the beauty of the Shibuya district.

Aperture/Depth of field:

I used an aperture of f/16 because I wanted to give the picture a little darker tone.

Shibuya crossing was already shiny enough to make it perfect.

A narrow aperture also gives a deeper depth of field that helps me take every building possible with people, sharp and smooth.

White balance/frame rate:

Setting the white balance at auto was helpful.

I first tried with different modes, but still, the auto was easier.

Auto gives the picture a warmness that makes it even better.

The fps was 60 fps, and still photos.

Is this the best camera?

It is the best camera for street photography for those only interested in still photos because it delivers excellent results, has a 10 fps burst speed, good dynamic range, and respectable noise performance.

Therefore, it is one of the best options for videographers, more specifically content creators, who don’t need fancy specs; it is also among the best Canon cameras and beginner mirrorless cameras to consider, and at its current price point, also one of the best cheap cameras and travel cameras.

Conclusion:

It is a good choice for quickly taking still photos and moving pictures on the go.

Although live streaming can be challenging, its still images are beautiful.

Despite the camera’s small size, it feels quite comfortable to hand.

Click the link to buy.

Sony A6000: (Best budget camera for street photography)

I feel San Francisco is one of the most attractive cities in the world.

The street from San Francisco to Buenos Aires is the prettiest place I’ve ever seen.

During my travel, I got to cross this street, and without wasting any time, I picked up the new camera I bought for under $600 and started clicking to capture this amazing place in my camera’s memory.

The pictures were astonishing: the water on the side lake, the road, cars, people, everyone was looking insanely perfect.

In my opinion, it is the best budget camera for street photography.

Features:

• Model: Sony A6000
• Body type: Rangefinder-style mirrorless
• Max resolution: 6000 x 4000
• Effective megapixel: 24 megapixels
• ISO range: Auto, 100-25600
• Shutter speeds: 1/4000 sec
• Dimension: 120 x 67 x 45 mm
• Weight: 344 g

ISO/Shutter Speed:

Using ISO 200 with a shutter speed of 1/60 of a second, it was easy to capture it because it was not moving objects.

That’s why using 1/60 second shutter speed was good.

I tried different ISOs, too, but ISO 200 was perfect for still photography during the daytime.

Aperture/Depth of field:

I used an aperture of f/16 to take as much area as possible in a picture without blurring out the background.

The depth of field was deeper because of the narrow aperture.

A narrow aperture helps focus on everything.

White balance/Frame rate:

Using white at auto was a good choice here.

I tried others, too, and daylight was also good, but overall, I liked the auto white balance and used 11 fps for the continuous shoot.

Is this the best camera?

The best camera for street photography is this one’s mirrorless model, which is obvious.

It is compact, strong, and capable of producing stunning images at a price that will only deter the majority of photographers.

It is lightweight and has interchangeable lenses.

It received the most recent interface, upgrades, and improved JPEG processing for a well-equipped, reasonably priced mid-range camera.

Its standout features are its comprehensive video controls and continuous autofocus performance, which is unmatched at this price.

Thanks to the adaptable but optically average power zoom, it is a very capable and small package.

Conclusion:

It is the first E-mount camera from Sony to do away with the NEX branding, which was used to debut the company’s mirrorless camera lineup about four years ago.

And even though it may resemble the NEX-6 that came before it, the changes made collectively make it a very different camera.

That’s partly due to Sony’s rapid technological advancement.

Still, it’s also because the company has finally chosen to pair its impressive image makers with a user interface entirely geared toward photographers.

Canon EOS M200: (Best budget camera for street photography)

I saw the perfection in Recife. Rua do Bom Jesus in Brazil.

The distribution of colors is fantastic.

I used my new camera I got for just $500, set my camera at the end of a street on my tripod, and set the ISO, exposure, shutter speed, aperture, etc.

I was able to capture the palm trees.

Even the sky looked amazing when the colors of houses spread in it.

The palm tree and sky enhanced their quality a lot.

It is the best budget camera for street photography you can get.

Features:

• Model: Canon EOS M200
• Body type: Rangefinder-style mirrorless
• Max resolution: 6000 x 4000
• Effective pixels: 24 megapixels
• ISO: Auto, 100-25600
• Lens mount: Canon EF-M
• Shutter speed: 1/4000 sec
• Weight: 299 g
• Dimensions: 108 x 67 x 35 mm

ISO/Shutter speed:

I wanted the best front-lit of that place, so I set ISO 100 with a shutter speed of 1/100 of a second.

I used low ISO because I already had a good light source and with this shutter speed because none of the objects was in motion, so using low shutter speed was good.

Aperture/Depth of field:

The aperture of f/16 was what I used because I wanted to capture as many objects as I could.

And it also deepens the depth of field, which gives smoother and less blurry results.

White balance/Frame rate:

I tried two white balances that could be the best ones.

First, I tried auto-white balance, which gave okay results, but I also wanted to try sunny white balance, so I did.

The results were superb, so I decided to stick with a sunny white balance.

And I used 30 fps for the image frame rate.

Is this the best camera?

For travel photography, it works well.

Because of its excellent image quality and low minimum shutter speed, you can use it to take time-lapse photos that are crisp and detailed.

Its autofocus feature is also excellent at following moving objects and maintaining their focus.

It is the ideal camera for taking street photos.

Conclusion:

It is one of the easiest cameras for beginning photographers to use.

It doesn’t have the best video capture or the fastest burst speeds, but it has plenty of resolution, is simple to use, and almost fits in your pocket.

Lastly, it’s reasonably priced, as are any additional lenses you might need.

It benefits beginning photographers, those who want to learn more about photography than what their smartphones can offer, and travelers seeking high image quality in a compact design.

But it now

Fujifilm X-S10: (Best budget camera for street photography)

I have a dream to travel to all of my favorite places I want to go, and one of them is Pretoria, South Africa.

It is stunningly beautiful when jacaranda trees bloom, covering everything like a blanket.

I fulfilled my wish to go there last year when I visited that place.

I was so happy I didn’t believe I had arrived here, and to capture this unreal memorable moment, I opened my shiny black camera; I bought it for $1000, set it on a tripod, and started taking pictures.

I got fantastic street views with dozens of people.

It is undoubtedly the best budget camera for street photography.

Features:

• Model: Fujifilm X-S10
• Body type: SLR-style mirrorless
• Max resolution: 6240 x 4160
• Effective pixels: 26 megapixels
• ISO: Auto, 160-12800
• Lens mount: Fujifilm X
• Max shutter speed: 1/4000 sec
• Weight: 465 g
• Dimensions: 126 x 85 x 65 mm

ISO/Shutter speed:

I used the same settings as my sunny area photography ones, ISO 200 with a shutter speed of 1/100 a second.

This ISO was good because I was getting enough light there, and I used this shutter speed to catch the movement of every leaf singing with the air.

Aperture/Depth of field:

I set my aperture at f/16 on my sunny settings because the narrow aperture is good during the daytime and makes the field’s depth deeper.

A deeper depth of field makes a less blurred background, and the picture gets smoother.

White Balance/Frame rate:

I liked using white flash balance and sunny white balance even though the auto white balance is a great choice.

But when I tried cloudy white balance, it looked flat, and the color wasn’t blooming perfectly.

The frame rate of 60 fps is terrific for still photography.

Is this the best camera?

One of the top small, mid-range mirrorless cameras available is this one.

It has IBIS, excellent handling, and a smaller body that can powerfully shoot.

The tracking autofocus is outperformed by Sony rivals, which is unfortunate, but those are the only flaws in an otherwise nearly faultless performer.

This camera is for you if you want something new for street photography.

Conclusion:

It is a top-notch camera for amateur photographers in general.

It has strong video quality and features, excellent image quality, and quick burst rates for capturing fast action.

Our one primary concern is its autofocus system because it simply cannot keep up with competing cameras regarding tracking performance.

Otherwise, it is a valuable companion for travel, landscape, and other types of photography.

Click the link to buy.

Ricoh GR III: (Best budget camera for street photography)

Chengdu, China, is the most engaging place in China.

The reddish-orange colors on the streets and the lanterns hanging in a row are perfect.

The traditional look is what makes it the most memorable place.

When I got there, I was so excited I opened my camera, which I had just bought for under $1000, checked the perfect point to cover most of the beauty, and set up there.

The color was quite different.

That’s what makes it interesting to watch.

Overall, I think it is the best budget camera for street photography.

Features:

• Model: Ricoh GR III
• Body type: Large sensor compacts
• Max resolution: 6000 x 4000
• Effective pixels: 24 megapixels
• ISO: Auto, 100 to 102400
• Shutter speed: 1/4000 sec
• Weight: 257 g
• Dimensions: 109 x 62 x 33 mm

ISO/Shutter speed:

I set ISO 800 because it was quite dark at night, so I used the shutter speed of 30 seconds.

Thirty seconds blurs the moving object, but there wasn’t any moving object, and the output was good with these settings.

That’s why I use this.

Aperture/Depth of field:

I used an aperture of f/11 because I wanted a little light to pass through the lens and also wanted to get a smooth background.

That’s why a wider aperture was not a good choice.

Also, a narrow aperture deepens the depth of field.

White Balance/Frame rate:

I used auto-white balance because I tried others, and the results weren’t like the one I wanted, so I used auto-white balance, and the frame rate was at 60 fps.

Sixty fps is best for still photography.

Is this the best camera?

If you love cameras, you will adore what this camera has accomplished.

It offers several positive qualities, including speedy operation, dependable image quality, a clear and sensitive touchscreen, and a lower overall size than previously.

However, it is not cheap, and the excellent shake reduction system significantly reduces battery life.

It adheres to the same design principles as its previous iteration, but every significant element has been updated.

The 24.2MP and 16.2MP APS-C sensor pairs with the new GR ENGINE 6 processor for improved image quality and faster performance.

The best camera for street photography is unquestionably this one.

Conclusion:

It significantly updates the GR series and introduces the first hybrid autofocus and high-resolution sensor to the lineup.

Controls have been made simpler, and a new touch-sensitive rear screen speeds up image navigation and autofocus positioning.

Although JPEG shooters may find that the ‘Std’ profile produces rather uninteresting results, image quality is excellent.

The only significant drawbacks to this portable camera are the absence of a flash and the underwhelming battery life.

Click the link to buy.

Sony RX100 III: (Best budget camera for street photography)

Once, my friends and I decided to go on a trip to Iran.

We were traveling in Tehran while watching the beauty of nature connected to rushy streets.

There was one place that made me want to take pictures.

It was at the start of the Tohid Tunnel.

The majestic Alborz Mountains to the north of Tehran perfectly fit between the residential buildings on both sides.

You can also see the Milad Tower in the background.

It was so glorious that it felt unreal.

It felt like someone drew all of this.

I used this new camera I wanted to buy; it was for $750 only.

But the results were terrific if you are looking for the best budget camera for street photography.

Features:

• Model: Sony RX 100 III
• Body type: Compact
• Max resolution: 5472 x 3648
• Effective pixels: 20 megapixels
• ISO: Auto, 125-12800
• Shutter speed: 1/2000 sec
• Weight: 290 g
• Dimensions: 102 x 58 x 41 mm

ISO/Shutter speed:

I used ISO 200 with a shutter speed of 1/1000 of a second.

This ISO was good because I was getting enough light there, and I used this shutter speed to freeze all the moving cars because cars make it so much better than usual.

Aperture/Depth of field:

I set my aperture at f/16 because the narrow aperture is perfect during the daytime and makes the field’s depth deeper.

A deeper depth of field makes a less blurred background, and the picture gets smoother.

I also wanted to capture the mountains, so this setting was the best.

White balance/Frame rate:

I tried auto-white balance, which gives okay results, but I also wanted to try sunny white balance, so I did, and the results were unexpected.

Sunny would make too much light in the picture, but it enhances the quality instead.

I took some pictures using auto and some with a sunny white balance.

Is this the best camera?

For those who desire the ease of a compact camera, excellent image quality, and a viewfinder, this camera is the “all-rounder.”

It is a great camera, though we are only partially happy with how the viewfinder is turned on.

Generally speaking, it is simple to understand, enjoyable to use, and capable of taking high-quality pictures across its sensitivity range.

It is still the ideal camera for taking street photos.

Conclusion:

We’ve never seen a compact camera with such power.

Nothing can offer better image quality in such a small package than this camera’s built-in viewfinder and consistently fast lens.

Although it’s not the ideal camera for shot-to-shot control, its capabilities justify its high price.

Click the link to buy.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV: (Best camera for street photography)

There was rainy weather in Bruges, Belgium.

And it feels fantastic to take pictures of the street right after it has rained.

Since I had never done it before, I also wanted to take pictures after it had rained.

Fortunately, I had some free time last week, and suddenly, due to the weather changing, it started to rain.

I got ready, got ready after the rain stopped, and left the house.

I managed to take some beautiful pictures with this new camera I bought; it was for $700.

One of my favorite photos was taken in a park with raindrops on the grass.

The photograph makes the grass appear to be covered in diamonds.

Because of its fantastic quality, it has become my best budget camera for street photography.

Features:

• Model: Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV
• Body type: SLR-style mirrorless
• Effective pixels: 20 megapixels
• ISO: Auto, 200-25600
• Lens mount: Micro Four Thirds
• Max shutter speed: 1/4000 sec
• Weight: 383 g
• Dimensions: 122 x 84 x 49 mm

ISO/Shutter speed:

The situation where I chose to shoot after it rained was the most time-consuming.

Because it was my first time, I needed to figure out what precise settings to use, so I tried different things.

Fortunately, ISO 200 was ideal for this.

After experimenting with various shutter speeds, I finally used the shutter speed of 1/30 of a second to take a good photo.

Aperture/Depth of field:

The aperture was the same, but I used a smaller aperture for wide-angle shots, like f/16, because it deepened the depth of field.

I used a wider aperture of f/4 to focus on a particular object when I wanted to, like a bench covered in raindrops.

White Balance/Frame rate:

I had to use the cooler white effect for the white balance to bring out the background colors and objects.

Because I wasn’t using continuous shooting, I also used 60 frames per second for smooth quality.

Is this the best camera?

This camera has a lot going for it, including being reasonably priced, incredibly portable, lightweight, and working well with the 14-42mm kit lens.

Furthermore, it offers generally respectable image quality and significantly outperforms its predecessor’s capacity to capture detail and high ISO noise levels.

Without a doubt, it is the best camera for street photography.

Conclusion:

It produces incredible image quality and works well in low light.

It is also portable and light, though those with very large hands might find it too small.

Although the approximate battery life advertised is sufficient, settings and usage patterns can alter this.

While the camera can accept USB charging, you cannot operate it simultaneously.

The system does a great job of tracking moving objects while it autofocuses.

It struggles to keep up with faces.

Furthermore, it is not weatherproof.

Buy it now

Nikon D3500: (Best budget camera for street photography)

During April, Kyoto looks like heaven.

Kyoto, Japan, is one of the popular cities and my favorite.

During April, the season of spring is the most beautiful site all over the world.

There’s a street named Tetsukagi no Michi.

It runs parallel to the Ginkaku-ji temple, with cherry trees lining in between.

It’s my favorite place to take pictures.

I usually went there to take pictures of cherry trees or the streets.

It is the place where I took my first picture using the camera.

This place is filled with memories; I take photos of the cherry tree I once planted whenever I go there.

I took my new camera I bought for just $630 from the internet.

The features were terrific, and it created another memory there.

I think it is the best budget camera for street photography, which was under $800

 Features:

• Body type: Compact SLR
• Max resolution: 6000 x 4000
• Effective pixels: 24 megapixels
• ISO: Auto, 100-25600
• Lens mount: Nikon F
• Shutter speed: 1/4000 sec
• Weight: 365 g
• Dimensions: 124 x 97 x 70 mm

ISO/Shutter speed:

It was straightforward to capture using ISO 200 and a shutter speed of 1/60 second because it’s my favorite setting.

I experimented with various ISOs, but ISO 200 worked best for daytime photography.

Aperture/Depth of field:

To capture as much of the scene as I could in a photo without blurring the background, I used an aperture of f/16.

The narrow aperture caused the depth of field to be deeper. A small aperture makes everything easier to focus on.

White Balance/Frame rate:

I tried other settings, and daylight was also good, but overall, I liked the auto white balance on this scene and used 60 frames per second to get the best results.

Is this the best camera?

The entry-level DSLR camera for the company is this one.

It is nearly identical to its predecessor.

The 24-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, EXPEED 4 image processor, Full HD video capture, and user-friendly interface are all still present.

The camera can shoot at 5 frames per second and has an 11-point autofocus system with an ISO range of 100 to 25600.

The best camera for street photography is this one.

Conclusion:

A portable and appealing DSLR for beginners is this camera.

It transfers images slowly and could be better for video.

However, for still photos, it’s a good option, and thanks to its Guide Mode, learning is simple.

The camera’s autofocus is limited, especially when capturing moving objects or challenging lighting conditions.

While not the most enjoyable camera to use, it produces good images.

The high-quality frames produced by the 24-megapixel sensor and EXPEED 4 image processor would look fantastic as prints.

But it now

Panasonic Lumix GX85: (Best budget camera for street photography)

There’s a place in New York where you can see the Manhattan Bridge.

It is one of those places I wished to take pictures of.

I finally decided to visit that place.

When I arrived at that location, I was stunned by the excellence of the bridge between the residential buildings, and I just said, “People here are lucky.”

It is still one of my lucky days.

To brighten this moment, I bought this new camera for under $600, which was cheap and pocket-friendly.

The street in front of it looked amazing, and I shared it on my social media.

This one is one of the best budget cameras for street photography.

Features:

• Model: Panasonic Lumix GX85
• Body type: Rangefinder-style mirrorless
• Max resolution: 4592 x 3448
• Effective pixels: 16 megapixels
• ISO: Auto, 200-25600
• Lens mount: Micro Four Thirds
• Shutter speed: 1/4000 sec
• Weight: 426 g
• Dimensions: 122 x 71 x 44 mm

ISO/Shutter speed:

I chose ISO 100 and a shutter speed of 1/100 of a second to get the best front lighting of that location.

I used a low ISO because I already had a reliable light source, and this shutter speed was appropriate because none of the objects were moving.

Aperture/Depth of field:

I chose f/16 as my aperture setting because it produces a deeper depth of field and is excellent for daytime photography.

The picture becomes smoother, and the background blurs less with a deeper depth of field.

White Balance/Frame rate:

I only used auto-white balance and set the frame rate to 60 fps because the results weren’t what I looked for when I tried other options.

For still photography, 60 fps is ideal.

Is this the best camera?

It creates clear images.

When shooting RAW files, this image quality is excellent and comparable to most modern Micro Four Thirds cameras.

The GX85’s 16-megapixel AA-filter-less sensor offers noticeably better sharpness than previous Panasonic models with an optical low-pass filter without a noticeably increased amount of aliasing artifacts, even though it doesn’t have the highest resolution currently available from a 4/3″ sensor (20 megapixels).

Although not as good as most APS-C cameras, the high ISO performance and dynamic range are respectable and comparable to other recent 16-megapixel Micro Four Thirds models.

It is, without a doubt, the best camera for taking street photos.

Conclusion:

It shows how Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds line has improved.

Although it isn’t the company’s flagship model, the most compelling Panasonic release to date may be it in many ways.

One factor is that this camera does not experience shutter shock, a serious problem with some older M43 models from various manufacturers, including Panasonic.

The new electromagnetic shutter mechanism reduces nearly all vibrations that cause this very annoying phenomenon.

It has the best image stabilization performance of any Panasonic camera, which is another strong point.

Click the link to buy.

CONCLUSION:

Alright, guys, that concludes all the cameras we will discuss today in this article.

Do you guys have any experience with these cameras? What are your thoughts on them?

Which is your Best budget camera for street photography?

Is there a camera you love to use for street photography that I didn’t mention in this article?

Would you please leave your thoughts and comments below?

Related post:

Best cameras for street photography: