Great Camera Deals on Small and Large Models

In most years, digital cameras go on sale in March and April, as older models are phased out to make way for the newest SLRs, mirrorless models, and point-and-shoots.

But this year, the deals on cameras have stretched into May—the rollout of new models was delayed due to the earthquakes that struck southwestern Japan in April. The deadly natural disasters also damaged camera factories in the region. (Note: Future supply-chain issues could push prices higher.)

Flat sales are another driver of the current camera deals. As more consumers use their smartphone instead of a camera for picture taking, B&H, Best Buy, Adorama, and other electronics retailers have discounted cameras. (Check out the best smartphone cameras.)

Deals on SLRs

The Nikon D3300 SLR with an 18-55mm lens for $396.95 at B&H.com, Adorama.com, and Amazon.com. This is a recommended, versatile, entry-level SLR that does a very good job of not just shooting photos, but also capturing video. In the past, we've seen it for $500.

The Canon EOS Rebel T5 SLR two-lens kit (18-55mm and 75-300mm) for $449 at B&H.com and Best Buy. What's great about this deal is that you get two lenses with this camera at a very affordable price.

The Canon EOS 7D Mark II SLR (body only) at Adorama.com for $1,399. This is a mid-range SLR that includes Canon's powerful dual-pixel CMOS autofocus system (for quicker autofocusing when shooting still photos or video). It can fire off a rapid 10 frames per second.

Nikon is offering a full-frame SLR, the D610 SLR (body only), at B&H.com and Best Buy for $1,496.95. That may sound expensive, but it's a very good price for a full-frame SLR, in which the sensor is the size of one frame of 35mm film and significantly larger than the sensors found in most digital cameras. This generally improves quality and performance, especially in low light. In the past, you'd normally pay at least $1,000 to $1,500 more for such cameras.

Nikon is also selling a second full-frame SLR, the D750 SLR (body only), for $1,996.95 at B&H.com and Best Buy. This is the highest-rated DSLR in our Ratings, and in the past it went for $2700.

Savings on Mirrorless Cameras

The Fujifilm X-Pro1 (body only) at B&H.com and Adorama.com for $499. This older mirrorless camera has a nice retro look to its camera body.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 (body only), on sale for $547.99 at B&H.com. A few years ago, this became one of the first mirrorless cameras to score higher than any SLR in our Ratings, demonstrating the rise in quality and popularity for this type of camera.

Breaks on Point-and-Shoots

Although you won't save quite as much as you will on an SLR, there currently are some good deals on point-and-shoots, too. For instance, the Canon PowerShot G16 advanced point-and-shoot is selling for $399 at B&H.com. It's a point-and-shoot that offers lots of manual controls for tweaking your exposures, and it normally runs.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 for $297.99, also at B&H.com. This is a good choice if you want a camera with a longer optical zoom lens (30x optical).