Why Aren’t There More Entry-Level Cameras?

Just a couple of years ago, a friend of mine (who’s not a photographer) asked me what camera he should buy. He wanted something with better image quality than his phone, something that he could possibly learn on and grow with, should he decide that he wants to pursue photography as a hobby. I asked him what his budget was, and he told me, “$500 max, preferably less.” When I told him that there’s nothing brand-new, and slim pickings on the used market (I suggested a few options), he was very surprised and disappointed. He ended up not buying a camera. I mention this because maybe it’s a more common problem than some realize. There seems to be a disconnect among the price expectations of some potential first-time buyers and the actual cost of cameras nowadays. Once upon a time you could walk into Costco and buy a DSLR bundled with a lens for $500. Of course a lot of things were cheaper back then, but finding a brand-new camera body and lens together for under $1,000 isn’t easy. In the…