When was the last time you heard of one of the big-name camera brands release a true entry-level camera? Gone are the days where you could pick up a beginner DSLR for under half a grand with a lens. Today's "entry-level" systems aren’t even that entry-level at all – most of them have impressive autofocus systems, pretty high-resolution sensors, a lot of smart features such as eye and face tracking, and most lack a guided mode.
The best cameras for beginners have changed a lot since the Nikon D3200 or Canon EOS 600D were in their heyday. They offered newbie photographers an affordable, easy-to-use setup with dedicated tutorial modes, which were very helpful for learning how to shoot manually, create a blurred background or capture motion. More often than not, they lacked the high-precision autofocus systems that more professional cameras featured, the continuous burst mode was pretty slow, and the sensor resolution was nothing to shout about – but that was their charm, too.
