You Have $500 in 2025 - Best Pro Camera to Buy - Full-frame, APSC, and Micro Four Thirds

Best Camera for $500

It’s 2025 and you’ve got $500 and you want to buy your first camera. You want something professional, not some cheap piece of plastic. What should you buy and where should you buy? In this article, I want to discuss how to find the best camera body for under $500.

The cameras I will recommend are pro level bodies. They have what it takes to be used for professional client work. They’ve all been used by professional photographers for years and can produce publication worthy images. Keep in mind, just because a camera is cheap doesn’t mean its bad. There are a number of factors that affect a camera’s resale value.

Buying Tip #1 - Cameras Released Between 2015-2019 are Gold

Camera manufacturers and their marketing teams want you to think camera technology has changed dramatically in the last decade, but the truth is, it hasn’t. There have been improvements in certain areas, but when it comes to stills photography and image quality (and even some video), most camera sensors from 10 years ago perform almost identical to modern sensors.

I recommend looking for a camera that was manufactured in the 2010s, specifically after 2014, as these represent the best price to performance ratio.

Also, one great benefit of buying older cameras is that you can usually get very cheap accessories for them (cages, batteries, battery grips, etc).

Buying Tip #2 - Buy Used on Ebay, Not KEH or MPB

I’ve bought dozens of cameras on eBay over the past few years and have had great success. Ebay is no longer the wild west of the internet like it used to be. They provide protection to their buyers that allows them to return a camera if its not as described in the listing. Buying on eBay may not be as fast as purchasing from a dedicated camera store, you may have to wait for the right listing to appear, but you’ll usually get more for your money when you find the right deal.

Many camera YouTubers recommend buying on used camera websites like KEH or MPB because they’re sponsored by one of these two stores. In my experience, these camera resellers price their used gear towards the high end of the market. I don’t recommend them, personally.

Best Full-frame Camera Under $500 - Sony a7 ii

The Sony a7 ii was released in 2014 and can be had around $500 most days on eBay (although I have noticed inflation increasing the prices recently). That said, if you are patient, you’ll be able to get a great copy and keep things under budget.

The Sony a7 ii is such a well rounded do-everything camera that it is still being sold by Sony 10 years after launch… See it on Amazon here.

The camera has so many great qualities including:

24mp full-frame sensor
IBIS (Internal Image Stabilization)
The versatile Sony e-mount
Tilt screen

I’ve personally owned the two brothers of the Sony a7 ii, the Sony a7r ii and the Sony a7s ii, and both were exceptional value.

The Sony a7 ii is a great way to buy into the full frame e-mount system on a budget. The lens mount is one you can grow with. If you go this route, you can stick with the Sony system when you’re ready to upgrade cameras and you won’t have to worry about switching all of your lenses.

If you want to adapt M-mount lenses or vintage lenses, the a7 ii is a great option. Below you’ll see an image of my Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 adapted to my Sony a7s ii.

Best Pro Camera under 500 dollars - Sony a7s ii — Sony a7s ii (eBay, $550) and Voigtlander 40mm f/1.2 (eBay, $380)

Best APSC Camera Under $500 - Sony a6100 (or 6500)

This is the toughest category in my opinion. Fujifilm cameras have inflated in price so much over the past few years that I can’t recommend any of their older cameras. I considered the Canon M50, but Canon has abandoned that camera line and won’t be making any more lenses for it. Nikon has a few offerings, but they don’t seem very interested in APSC.

I’m going to have to give this category to Sony as well.

The Sony a6100 is a relatively new model with a bunch of great features:

24mp APSC sensor
4k video
Full tilt screen
Compact size
Versatile Sony e-mount
Excellent auto-focus

It features some of the fastest auto-focus in the world and would be a great YouTube camera. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have IBIS, which is why I also recommended the a6500. If IBIS is a deal breaker for you, consider the a6500, if it isn’t, the a6100 is superior in many ways.

As of the time of writing this article, you can order a “MINT” a6100 from Japan on eBay for $503.50.

Best Micro Four Thirds Camera Under $500 - Olympus e-m1 mark ii

This recommendation is easy for me because I used this camera for years as a working professional. The Olympus e-m1 mark ii is a great all around choice and the cheapest of my suggestions thus far. Cameras with micro four thirds (m4/3) sensors have fallen out of fashion since their prime in the mid 2010s, but they are still capable of incredible results.

The Olympus e-m1 mark ii can be purchased for around $450 in excellent condition.

Its standout features include:

20mp m4/3 sensor
Weather sealed
Compact for a professional camera
4k video
Fully articulating screen
High burst rates for fast shooting
Excellent IBIS
Great build quality
Stellar battery life

This camera is a gem for the jack-of-all-trades photographer. Olympus’ great lens lineup offers quality construction and premium feel. Panasonic Lumix m4/3 lenses are also compatible with the Olympus system, which opens up even more variety.

The auto-focus is very underrated. Olympus continued to update the e-m1 mark ii for years after its release, which brought improvements through firmware.

Don’t fear the 20mp sensor. I found that 20mp is more than enough, even for large crops.

Olympus IBIS is some of the best in the business. You can walk with this camera and get steady footage, something you can’t do with many flagship cameras even in 2025.

Recommendation and Conclusion

If I didn’t have a camera in 2025 and I wanted to buy one under $500 that would last me for the next couple years, I would buy an Olympus e-m1 mark ii. I really don’t believe there is a better value on the market right now. The e-m1 mark ii is capable of great stills, great video, and its compact size is a huge plus.

Micro four thirds cameras aren’t trendy right now, which means its a buyers market.

I’ve included a list of some of my favorite micro four thirds lenses below, as well as some links to some other reading you may find interesting. Thanks for stopping buy my website!!!