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Best used mirrorless cameras under $500
You don't need a new camera to get interchangeable lenses, a real viewfinder and a sensor many times larger than a phone's. Several APS-C and early full-frame mirrorless bodies from Canon, Nikon and Sony have been replaced, and plenty of them now turn up used. We picked seven whose used dealer asking prices started under $500 at MPB on October 16, 2026. Used prices move every week and vary with condition, so we no longer list them; use Check price for current listings. For each one we give its launch price, what it does well, what to watch for, a link to our full article where we have one, and a Check price link.
How we picked: each body had to be mirrorless, APS-C or full-frame, and the low end of its used asking range at MPB had to be under $500 on October 16, 2026. Picks are listed in order of announcement, oldest first; the numbers are not a ranking. These didn't make the cut on price: Sony a6100, Canon EOS R50, Fujifilm X-T2, X-T20, X-E3, X-T30 and X-T3, Nikon Z fc and Sony a6400.
Photo: Akairom via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)
1. Sony a6000: a small, fast APS-C body
Launched at $650 in 2014 (Sony Electronics, body only).
Check price: Sony a6000 (Renewed) at Amazon
Why: Sony announced it in February 2014. It pairs a 24.3MP APS-C Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor with BIONZ X and Fast Hybrid AF (179 phase-detection and 25 contrast-detection points), shoots up to 11 fps, and fits a 1.44M-dot OLED viewfinder, a built-in flash and Wi-Fi with NFC into a body of 344 g with battery and card.
Watch for: No in-body stabilization in Sony's spec sheet, a 921k-dot rear screen, Full HD video only, and an NP-FW50 battery rated for about 360 shots with the rear screen (CIPA).
Source: Sony USA ILCE-6000 specifications; Sony's February 2014 announcement, as cited in our a6000 article.
Photo: Roman Eisele via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)_-_front_view_with_body_cap.jpg){kind=link}
2. Sony a7 II: full frame with in-body stabilization
Launched at $1,700 in 2014 (Sony Electronics' US release, body only).
Check price: Sony a7 II (new) at Amazon Check price: Sony a7 II (Renewed) at Amazon
Why: Sony announced it on November 20, 2014 as the first full-frame camera with 5-axis in-body stabilization, rated at up to 4.5 steps (CIPA). It has a 24.3MP full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor with BIONZ X, Fast Hybrid AF with 117 phase-detection and 25 contrast-detection points, a 2.36M-dot OLED viewfinder at about 0.71x, a tilting 3.0-inch screen, mic and headphone jacks, and Full HD video in XAVC S at 50 Mbps with S-Log2.
Watch for: Bursts top out at about 5 fps, video is Full HD only, and there's one card slot (SD UHS-I or Memory Stick). The NP-FW50 battery is rated for about 350 shots with the rear screen (CIPA), and the body weighs about 599 g with battery and card.
Source: Sony Europe α7 II release and specifications, November 20, 2014; US price: Sony Electronics release, November 26, 2014; battery: Sony USA ILCE-7M2 specifications.
Photo: Marcel Rogge via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
3. Canon EOS M50: Dual Pixel AF and a viewfinder in a small body
Launched at $779.99 in 2018 (Canon U.S.A., body only).
Check price: Canon EOS M50 (new) at Amazon Check price: Canon EOS M50 (Renewed) at Amazon
Why: Canon U.S.A. announced it on February 25, 2018 as the first EOS M camera with 4K video. It has a 24.1MP APS-C CMOS sensor with DIGIC 8, Dual Pixel CMOS AF with Eye AF (in One-Shot AF), about 10 fps in One-Shot AF (about 7.4 fps with Servo AF), a 2.36M-dot OLED viewfinder and a 3.0-inch vari-angle touchscreen, in a body of about 387 g with battery and card.
Watch for: A CIPA rating of about 235 shots per LP-E12 battery with the rear screen, no in-body stabilization (optical IS comes from the lens; movie digital IS is in-camera), 4K at 23.98/25p with contrast-detection AF in 4K Movie Servo, and Micro USB. It uses the EF-M mount; EF and EF-S lenses fit through Canon's Mount Adapter EF-EOS M.
Source: Canon U.S.A. release, February 25, 2018; Canon Europe EOS M50 specifications; battery: Canon U.S.A. EOS M50 specifications.
Read our Canon EOS M50 article · Compare Canon EOS M50 vs M50 Mark II
Photo: Matthias Süßen via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
4. Canon EOS RP: a small, simple full-frame body
Launched at $1,299 in 2019 (Canon U.S.A., body only).
Check price: Canon EOS RP (new) at Amazon Check price: Canon EOS RP (Renewed) at Amazon
Why: Announced on February 13, 2019. A 26.2MP full-frame sensor with DIGIC 8 and Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Eye Detection, down to EV −5), a 2.36M-dot OLED viewfinder and a 3.0-inch vari-angle touchscreen, in a body Canon puts at about 440 g.
Watch for: No in-body stabilization in Canon's spec sheet, bursts of about 5 fps, and a CIPA rating of about 250 shots per LP-E17 battery with the rear screen.
Source: Canon U.S.A. release, February 13, 2019 and Canon Europe specs, as cited in our EOS RP article; battery: Canon U.S.A. EOS RP specifications.
Read our Canon EOS RP article · Compare Canon EOS R vs EOS RP
Photo: Thilo Parg via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
5. Nikon Z50: Nikon's first DX Z-mount body
Launched at $859.95 in 2019 (Nikon Inc. US SRP, body only).
Check price: Nikon Z50 (new) at Amazon Check price: Nikon Z50 (Renewed) at Amazon
Why: Nikon announced it on October 10, 2019 as its first DX-format mirrorless camera. It has a 20.9MP DX CMOS sensor with on-sensor phase detection, EXPEED 6, ISO 100–51200, 209-point hybrid AF with Eye-Detection AF and focus down to −4 EV, about 11 fps in Continuous H (extended), uncropped 4K UHD, a 3.2-inch tilting touchscreen, a pop-up flash and a magnesium-alloy body. It takes every NIKKOR Z lens and F-mount lenses through the FTZ adapter.
Watch for: A CIPA rating of about 320 shots with the rear screen on the EN-EL25 battery (about 350 with the newer EN-EL25a). There's no in-body sensor stabilization: stills rely on VR lenses, and for Full HD and 4K video Nikon adds built-in electronic VR.
Source: Nikon Inc. release, October 10, 2019 (US price); Nikon Corporation release, October 10, 2019; Nikon Z 50 online manual, Battery Endurance and Electronic VR.
Photo: Josefine Hellroth Larsson (WMSE) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)
6. Canon EOS M50 Mark II: the M50 with Eye AF for video
Launched at $599.99 in 2020 (Canon U.S.A., body only).
Check price: Canon EOS M50 Mark II (new) at Amazon Check price: Canon EOS M50 Mark II (Renewed) at Amazon
Why: Canon U.S.A. announced it on October 14, 2020 as the M50's successor. It keeps the 24.1MP APS-C sensor and DIGIC 8 and adds Eye AF for stills and video, vertical video, webcam use with EOS Webcam Utility and wireless YouTube Live streaming. Canon lists about 10 fps in One-Shot AF, AF down to −4 EV, a 2.36M-dot OLED viewfinder and a 3.0-inch vari-angle touchscreen, at about 387 g with battery and card.
Watch for: A CIPA rating of about 305 shots with the rear screen, no in-body stabilization (lens IS, plus in-camera digital IS for movies), 4K at 23.98/25p with contrast-detection AF in 4K Movie Servo, and Micro USB. Same EF-M mount as the M50.
Source: Canon U.S.A. release, October 14, 2020; Canon Europe EOS M50 Mark II specifications.
Read our Canon EOS M50 Mark II article · Compare Canon EOS M50 vs M50 Mark II
Photo: FreeMediaKid! via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)
7. Canon EOS R100: an entry-level RF-mount body
Launched at $479.99 in 2023 (Canon U.S.A., body only).
Check price: Canon EOS R100 (new, body) at Amazon Check price: Canon EOS R100 (Renewed) at Amazon
Why: Canon U.S.A. announced it on May 24, 2023 as what it called its most compact and lightweight EOS R camera yet. Canon's spec sheet lists an APS-C CMOS sensor of about 24.1MP with DIGIC 8, Dual Pixel CMOS AF with face and eye detection, a 2.36M-dot OLED viewfinder at about 0.95x, a mic input and USB-C, in a body of about 356 g with battery and card. It takes RF and RF-S lenses, and EF and EF-S lenses through Canon's EF-EOS R adapters.
Watch for: A fixed 3.0-inch screen with no touch control, 4K at 23.98/25p cropped from the center of the sensor with contrast-detection AF, about 6.5 fps in One-Shot AF and about 3.5 fps with Servo AF, and no sensor-shift stabilization. Battery: about 430 shots with the rear screen, CIPA.
Source: Canon U.S.A. release, May 24, 2023; Canon Europe EOS R100 specifications.
Buying tips
- Look at new listings too. Six of the seven picks also have a (new) Check price button.
- Check which lens mount you're buying into. The EOS M50 and M50 Mark II use Canon's EF-M mount; the EOS RP and R100 use RF; the a6000 and a7 II use Sony E; the Z50 uses Nikon Z. Price the lenses you want before you choose a body. Canon's adapters take EF and EF-S lenses on both EF-M and RF bodies (per Canon); the other systems have their own adapter options, which we don't cover here.
- Plan for batteries. CIPA ratings with the rear screen run from about 235 shots (EOS M50) to about 430 (EOS R100) per charge, so plan on a spare.
- Check what the seller's warranty covers. Used dealers and refurbished listings set their own terms, so read them before you buy.
- Ask for the shutter count and photos of the sensor and mount. Some used listings include them. Bodies with complete accessories and a clear return window are the safer buy.
Sources: MPB US used listings (checked October 16, 2026); Sony Electronics α7 II release (Nov. 26, 2014); Sony Europe α7 II release (Nov. 20, 2014); Canon U.S.A. releases for the EOS M50 (Feb. 25, 2018), EOS M50 Mark II (Oct. 14, 2020) and EOS R100 (May 24, 2023); Canon Europe specifications for the EOS M50, M50 Mark II and R100; Nikon Inc. Z 50 release (Oct. 10, 2019) and the Z 50 online manual; Sony USA specifications for the ILCE-6000 and ILCE-7M2; Canon U.S.A. specifications for the EOS M50 and EOS RP (battery ratings); our a6000 and EOS RP articles for the specs they cite. More guides: all guides. Side-by-side specs: all comparisons.
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