Imaging Resource Camera of the Year 2020: Best Entry-level Full Frame & Fixed Lens cameras
posted Monday, November 16, 2020 at 12:00 PM EDT
It's that time of year, everyone... Camera of the Year time! We're extra excited about it this year at Imaging Resource because this is our first awards season under our new awesome parent company, Madavor Media. It's more special than ever to be unveiling our choices for the Best of the Best cameras and lenses from 2020 for you!
And even though 2020 was a trying year in many ways for most of us, it sure was an exciting year for new cameras and lenses rolling off the manufacturer assembly lines. So rather than letting the year get the better of us, let's focus on the bright spots like the awesome gear that still makes its way to our eager fingertips!
As we do most years in these awards, we're going to roll them out in daily waves across this entire week. Today, we're pleased to showcase two very special cameras that deserve your attention if you're serious about capturing terrific imagery without breaking the bank. Even in trying financial times we still need photography to get us through, and the manufacturers who bring us terrific gear at affordable prices certainly get our vote!
Best Entry-level Full Frame Camera 2020: Nikon Z5
Nikon wisely chose to take their time entering the world of Full Frame mirrorless, and the decision resulted in superb models such as the Z6 and Z7. In 2020, the line took a step further in feature sets, only lowering the model number... and the price! Meet a Full Frame camera with an entry-level price tag and an enthusiast feature set: The Nikon Z5.
Start with a 24-megapixel full-frame sensor paired with an EXPEED 6 processor, then add enthusiast-grade weather sealing, 4k/30p video, dual card slots and 5-axis in-body IS. Despite all that, Nikon kept the price to an affordable $1299, a number that won't likely rattle your accountant nor your significant other. This should surely turn the heads of many enthusiast photographers out there, in addition to those looking to step into the exciting world of Full Frame for the first time.
Want to go enthusiast-grade full frame at an entry-level price? The Nikon Z5 ranks very highly in our experienced book.
Nikon Z5 Best Prices • Image Gallery
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Best Fixed Lens Camera 2020: Fujifilm X100V
Simplicity. Sometimes that's what a photographer needs most in the field, yet still maintaining high image quality with a relatively large sensor and an excellent lens. No camera line in modern times has done this better than the Fujifilm X100 line, and this latest Mark V model makes a great thing even better.
For starters, let's add weather resistance to this classic street camera! And let's improve the 23mm f/2.0 lens so that it's even sharper wide open when used up close. Perhaps amp-up the focusing horsepower just a tad, too. Oh yeah, let's update the LCD and other ergonomics for just the right balance between retro and modern, yet still keeping the familiar old-school feel we've come to know and love.
That's the Fujifilm X100V, folks, and it fills a very important niche in the world of modern classic photography. It's a terrific primary photographic tool and an almost "must-have" as a second camera for your bag. Shooting on drizzly afternoons in the Lower East Side of Manhattan or the East End of London never felt so good.
Fujifilm X100V Best Prices • Image Gallery