A decent camera under $100 / £100? It can absolutely be done – and in this guide, I’m going to show you how. A little expectation management is in order, as naturally you are not going to get the latest premium mirrorless cameras. But there are plenty of compact cameras and instant film cameras available for this budget that still can produce good-looking pictures.
I’ve only included cameras that I genuinely think are worth the money, even for such a small budget as this. That means there are plenty of cameras under this budget reviewed by AP, such as the Kodak Charmera, which haven’t made the list simply because I don’t think they’re worth it!
So, take a look below for my full list – and if you’ve got a little more budget to spend, check out our guide to the best cameras under $200 / £200.
Best cameras under $100 / £100: the quick list
- Best all-rounder: Kodak PixPro FZ45 – buy now
- Best screen-free: Camp Snap 2 – buy now
- Best instant: Polaroid Go Gen 3 – buy now
- Best X100-style: Camp Snap Pro – buy now
- Best retro: Chuzhao Retro Camera – buy now
- Best instant: Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 – buy now
Looking for the best deal on cameras under $100 / £100? Our ‘Buy now’ buttons are set to automatically take you to the best prices, from trusted retailers, plus you’ll also find a list of other retailers below each camera, so you can find the right deal for you.
Our guide includes cameras that are available in the US and the UK, with $100 / £100 as our rough guide. Bear in mind that prices and exchange rates do fluctuate in both territories and while we keep this guide regularly up to date, sometimes a camera will nudge over the $100 / £100 mark in one territory or another. In general, it won’t be too significant.
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Best all-rounder
Best all-rounder camera under $100 / £100: Kodak PixPro FZ45
Amateur Photographer verdict
Want a do-it-all camera for a two-digit price? The Kodak PixPro FZ45 is just that – a capable (if unremarkable) compact that offers 16MP images and a 4x zoom.- Easy to use
- Very portable
- Takes common AA batteries
- Small screen
- Average image quality
- MicroUSB connection
| Specifications | Kodak PixPro FZ45 |
|---|---|
| Type | Digital compact |
| Sensor | 1/2.3 inch |
| Resolution | 16MP |
| Video | Full HD |
| Price | $99 / £95 |
Kodak has seen enormous success with its PixPro range of highly affordable compact cameras – and the Kodak PixPro FZ45 is the cheapest of the bunch. This is a properly no-frills camera, the cheapest known-brand camera you can buy without going second-hand. And the images it produces are perfectly decent! They’re nothing exceptional to say the least, but as Josh found in our review, on sunny days and in well-lit environments, the PixPro FZ45 can produce shots that are bright and pleasant, with decent-looking colours.
The poor dynamic range of the small sensor means it struggles with highly contrasting light sources – it’s easy for bright highlights to be blown out, or shadows to be murky and indistinct. Still, there is a flash for illuminating selfies and group shots, and even an HDR mode to help out – though it’s slow, and reduces the resolution to 8MP.
The PixPro FZ45 is nothing special. But for the price, it ain’t bad, and it’s the best all-around digital camera you can buy for our under-$100 / £100 budget.
Read our full Kodak PixPro FZ45 review
Best screen-free
Best screen-free camera under $100 / £100: Camp Snap 2
Amateur Photographer verdict
Beautifully simple and pocketable, the Camp Snap 2 improves on the successful original screen-free compact, fixing the shutter lag and adding a fun selection of image filters.- Point-and-shoot operation
- Very small
- Digital filters add creative options
- Tripod mount and physical filter thread
- Slightly oversharpened images
- Screen-free design not for everyone
| Specifications | Camp Snap 2 |
|---|---|
| Type | Digital compact |
| Sensor | 1/3.2 inch |
| Resolution | 8MP |
| Video | No |
| Price | $69 / £53 |
The original Camp Snap – a cheap-as-anything digital compact camera with no screen – was a huge hit. It turned out that people loved the disposable-style vibes of having to wait until later before seeing what their shots looked like, and especially adored the idea of a camera purchasable for barely more than $50 / £50.
The Camp Snap 2, released in 2026, is a follow-up that wisely does not rework the winning formula. It’s still a point-and-shoot compact with fixed settings, a fixed-focus lens and no screen, meaning that you can’t view your images while shooting. What it adds is an interesting filter button, allowing you to imbue your image with one of six stylised looks. This adds a bit more creativity compared to the original, while keeping the pocketable dimensions and wallet-friendly price. That nasty shutter lag has been much-improved, too.
Read our full Camp Snap 2 review
Best instant
Best instant camera under $100 / £100: Polaroid Go Gen 3
Amateur Photographer verdict
The smallest instant camera around, the palm-sized Polaroid Go Gen 3 is immensely fun to use and easy to take everywhere. Its film is cheaper than I-Type, but still represents an ongoing cost.- Extremely small and simple to use
- Attractive styling
- Prints have bags of lo-fi charm
- Excellent for selfies
- Prone to blown-out highlights
- Ongoing cost of film
| Specifications | Polaroid Go Gen 3 |
|---|---|
| Type | Instant film |
| Film type | Polaroid Go |
| Image size | 47mm x 46mm |
| Video | No |
| Price | $89.99 / £79.99 |
Immensely fun to use and cheap to boot – the Polaroid Go Gen 3 is my personal favourite instant camera for beginners, families, and anyone looking to experience the magic of instant-film photography on a budget. It uses the smaller Polaroid Go format, which is a lot cheaper than full-size I-Type but still manages to capture some of that lo-fi magic. Its desaturated colours give it that cool glow that just screams ‘Polaroid’.
Of course, while the film is relatively inexpensive, it does represent an ongoing cost. You can pick up the Go Gen 3 with a pack of 16 shots and still just about stay within our budget, but reloading it down the line is naturally going to push you over.
The Go Gen 3, released in 2026, kept the formula more or less the same, but reworked the lens and the flash to improve the camera’s selfie-taking abilities. Having tried this myself, I can confirm that it is markedly better in this regard, with the flash reliably producing well-exposed, flattering self-portraits. Still, if you’re not too bothered about this, you may be able to save even more cash on the Polaroid Go Gen 2.
Read our full Polaroid Go Gen 3 review
Best X100-style
Best X100-style camera under $100 / £100: Camp Snap Pro
Amateur Photographer verdict
If you love the look of Fujifilm’s sexy X100 cameras, but have nowhere near the budget required, the Camp Snap Pro brings something of their style to a much cheaper format.- Resolution/operability upgrade over standard Camp Snap
- Stylishly Fuji-like design
- Very easy to use
- Battery lasts well
- Xenon flash is overpowered
- Not many filters available by default
| Specifications | Camp Snap Pro |
|---|---|
| Type | Digital compact |
| Sensor | 1/3.06 inch |
| Resolution | 16MP |
| Video | No |
| Price | $99 / £76 |
Camp Snap’s upgraded ‘Pro’ camera offers more resolution and better operational speeds, without radically increasing the price from the original (or indeed the subsequent Camp Snap 2). It retains the screen-free point-and-shoot format that’s proved so popular, but dresses it up in a black-and-silver style that will look instantly familiar to anyone who has ever coveted a Fujifilm X100 premium compact like the X100VI.
Of course, this camera can’t shoot like an X100VI – it costsmore than $1,500 / £1,500 for a reason! But it does offer an upgrade over standard Camp Snap cameras, with 16MP resolution rather than 8MP, and improved operability that banishes the infamous shutter lag. It also has a fun filter dial on top (another hat-tip to Fujifilm), which allows you to select from a number of vintage-style looks for your images – more of which can be downloaded and applied via the Camp Snap online store.
Read our full Camp Snap Pro review
Best retro
Best retro-looking camera under $100 / £100: Chuzhao Retro Camera
Amateur Photographer verdict
This novelty retro camera may be nothing like the TLR cameras it’s styled after in terms of image quality or even size, but it’s got a charm all of its own, and produces decently impactful images.- Images are bright and punchy on small screens
- Vintage styling
- Shoots Full HD video
- Top viewfinder for waist-level shooting
- Highlights blow out easily
- Prone to flare
| Specifications | Chuzhao Retro Camera |
|---|---|
| Type | Digital compact |
| Sensor | 1/4in CMOS |
| Resolution | 12MP |
| Video | Full HD (no audio) |
| Price | Around $55 / £50 (varies) |
Retro cameras are never not trendy, but the Chuzhao really goes above and beyond. Not only is it literally named ‘Retro Camera’, but it’s also styled after a classic Rolleiflex twin lens reflex (TLR) camera. It even has a crank on the side!
Naturally, the similarities are surface-level only. This camera does not shoot film – it contains a 1/4in CMOS sensor to produce square-format images with a possibly upscaled resolution of 12MP. Turn that crank, which on a TLR would be used to advance the film, and the Chuzhao will actually start recording sound-free Full HD video.
It’s not a serious camera. But as John Wade found in our full review, the Chuzhao Retro Camera is a surprising amount of fun. The images it produces are decently punchy as long as you don’t attempt to view them on too large a screen, with solid-ish detail and fairly vivid colours. And as someone who adores waist-level viewfinders, I’m a sucker for that square preview screen on the top of the camera.
Prices on this one can vary quite significantly, but it’s not too difficult to find around the $50 / £55 mark – and frankly, you should not be paying more than that for a camera like this.
Read our full Chuzhao Retro Camera review
Best Instax
Best Instax camera under $100 / £100: Fujifilm Instax Mini 12
Amateur Photographer verdict
Even cheaper than the newer Mini 13, the Instax Mini 12 is a fun and easy-to-use instant camera that’s great for selfies, travel and parties.- Prints are bright and distinctive
- Great for portraits and selfies
- Point-and-shoot operation
- Ongoing film cost
- Slippery surface and boxy design
| Specifications | Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 |
|---|---|
| Type | Instant film |
| Film type | Instax Mini |
| Image size | 46 mm x 62 mm |
| Video | No |
| Price | $93 / £69 |
In the battle of Instax vs Polaroid instant film cameras, which one is right for you is more a matter of personal taste than anything. I personally prefer the more muted, lo-fi look of Polaroids, but Instax has a lot going for it – not least that its film is cheaper.
The Instax Mini 12 isn’t the newest in this series, as Fujifilm has subsequently produced an Instax Mini 13. However, the release of this newer camera has engendered price reductions, especially in the UK, giving you more change from our $100 / £100 budget to spend on film! And Instax Mini film is pretty charming – images are more saturated and vibrant than Polaroids. Fairly small and very easy to use, the Instax Mini 12 is an excellent option for travel and parties – there’s a reason these little instant cameras sell by the bucketload.
Read our full Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 review
Specifications compared
| Specifications | Kodak PixPro FZ45 | Camp Snap 2 | Polaroid Go Gen 3 | Camp Snap Pro | Chuzhao Retro Camera | Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Digital Compact | Digital Compact | Instant film | Digital Compact | Digital Compact | Instant film |
| Sensor / film | 1/2.3-inch | 1/3.2-inch | Polaroid Go | 1/3.06-inch | 1/4-inch | Instax Mini |
| Resolution / image size | 16MP | 8MP | 47mm x 46 mm | 16MP | 12MP | 46 mm x 62 mm |
| Video | Full HD | No | No | No | Full HD (no audio) | No |
| Price | $99 / £95 | $69 / £53 | $89 / £79 | $99 / £76 | Around $55 / £50 (varies) | $93 / £69 |
How we test budget cameras under $100 / £100
We put budget cameras through their paces in a similar manner to premium cameras. We take them out and shoot with them, aiming to cover a variety of environments, lighting situations, subjects and shooting styles. While we are aware that budget cameras are not going to offer anywhere near the same level of quality as top-end cameras, we still aim to assess whether they offer enough to justify their price point, low as it may be.
We look at image quality in terms of resolution, colour accuracy and general appeal. We assess a camera’s build quality and ease of use, as well as any ancillary features like Wi-Fi connectivity or special shooting modes.
Related reading:
- Best cameras under $300 – top cameras for cheap prices
- Best classic compact cameras
- Vintage digital cameras you should actually buy
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