

4 Great Cameras That Are Worth the Money

Do you still need a real camera? If it's one of these, then yes.

Gregory Reid

Lynsey Addario brings her camera to places where photographs matter. She brought it to Afghanistan before September 11. She brought it to Libya to document the 2011 revolution, and it got her captured by pro-Qaddafi forces, who held her hostage for six days. She brings it to South Sudan, to ISIS strongholds in Iraq, to the dark corners of the world where Syrian refugees hide. She has no formal training in photography, but she does have a Pulitzer Prize for her work at The New York Times, and she regularly reports for National Geographic and Time. The title of her excellent 2015 book answers the question people always ask about why she keeps carrying her camera into danger: It's What I Do. She thinks smartphone cameras are well and good, but she believes in carrying a dedicated camera, too. For when you want your photographs to matter.

"Unless I'm sneaking photos while I'm on assignment somewhere dangerous, I always use my camera's viewfinder. That removes me from the subject a little, and that distance allows me to analyze what I'm looking at. I always say: Get tight, get closer. Don't just take a general shot of your subject from 200 feet away. Compose it. With a real camera, you understand that commitment. I was on assignment in Michigan, photographing a Bengali wedding. I post to Instagram when I'm out, so I shot a few nice frames with my phone. But the photos taken with my camera were richer—the sharpness, the color saturation, the tone. A phone is handy. An f/1.4 lens and a big sensor is something different altogether. If you want to invest in photographing—even your everyday life—you need the right tool."—Lynsey Addario

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Fujifilm X-T20

Amazon | $900

For the intermediate to advanced amateur. You spend the money for the durable body, sharp photos, and Fujifilm's wide range of excellent lenses.

Sony a6000

Amazon | $500

A perfect first camera. Lucid menus and dials make it easy for beginners to use, but customization options and photo quality will last over the years as your skills improve.

Canon G9 X Mark II

Amazon | $500

Fits in a pocket, but its big sensor means richer images than any smartphone, particularly at night and indoors. Ideal if you want to be inconspicuous or travel light.

Leica M10

Leica | $10,000

Priced for the serious photographer, because the vividness you get from Leica glass is unparalleled. No autofocus means you have to work, but it's rewarding to master. And the metal body elevates it to something rare in gadgetland: an heirloom.

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