Best All Purpose Camera under $300!?

[IronFilm]

50D is very outdated for a stills camera, likely even just a humble Panasonic G7 would be nicer. 

And the 50D lacks 1080 internal or any sort of internal video at all.

[Micah Mahaffey]

Thanks everyone!! We ended up picking up a Sony A3000 for $149 USD at a pawn shop, it came with a 18 - 55mm kit lens, two batteries and a bag. (New Condition)  Shes new too photography/Video and so I thought this was perfect! Tested it out earlier and am actually quite surprised by this camera! Probably the best $149 we have spent on an entire shoot ready camera! 20 Megapixels, decent low light! 1080p video that's basically on par with Canon rebel cameras (Different color but gradable) and with decent auto focus, even during video!  Thanks again everyone

[Don Kotlos]

I should visit pawn shops more often. 

[Micah Mahaffey]

4 minutes ago, Don Kotlos said:

I should visit pawn shops more often. 

They're my first stop for camera gear! Lots of the time they just don't know the true value of the items they have, or are trying to clear out due too overstocking (Sometimes there's junk but hey, a $10 lens could still be fun) I'm still holding onto hope that one here in town accidentally sells an animorphic adapter for cheap   

[IronFilm]

31 minutes ago, Micah Mahaffey said:

Thanks everyone!! We ended up picking up a Sony A3000 for $149 USD at a pawn shop

Wow! :-o

Seems whenever I go into pawn shops they just have crazy wildly optimistically overpriced shit instead.

[Micah Mahaffey]

Just now, IronFilm said:

Wow! :-o

Seems whenever I go into pawn shops they just have crazy wildly optimistically overpriced shit instead.

Definitely a possibility too! There is a lot of random luck involved.

[noone]

A few years ago, Pawn shops were the FIRST place you should have looked (especially for film era lenses) but in the last year or two it seems they all use Ebay to check prices before they buy/sell so much less a bargain now.       Many of them also now sell on Ebay.

 

I think charity stores CAN still be real bargains though even some of those will check Ebay for prices now.      

I have gotten some very nice bargains from pawn shops but nothing lately.     I did get a couple of half decent tripods from a charity shop for $5 each (they have since realised they are worth a LOT more).

[kidzrevil]

You can get a panasonic gh3 for cheap. That camera was a beast

[Justin Bacle]

On 11/15/2017 at 4:14 AM, IronFilm said:

And the 50D lacks 1080 internal or any sort of internal video at all.

The 50D records 24,25,30p 1080p video. You need Magic lantern to enable it once, but the setting stays up, so you can record video without a magic lantern card. 
Video quality is between the 550D and 5dmk2.
Yes this camera is outdated for stills, but I never found it limiting in photography. You get, decent burst shots, nice colors and a very good build quality. Only high Iso is lagging behind new cameras.

[IronFilm]

11 minutes ago, Justin Bacle said:

The 50D records 24,25,30p 1080p video.

But without any audio whatsoever. That in my books hardly even counts as any sort of video.