Black Friday doesn’t officially start until next Friday, November 27, but retailers are already offering some enticing discounts in the run-up to the big day. It’s not surprising: with a lockdown currently affecting England, and other restrictions in place across the UK, online shopping’s had a bumper year.

So what are some of the best deals for photographers at the moment? Here’s a round-up of some of the top early-bird discounts from a range of retailers (not JUST Amazon as it’s really important we support independent retailers in these tough times, too).

We also realise that a lot of people are looking to save money in these times of economic uncertainty, so we’re kicking off with some of the most eye-catching deals under £1000. Over the next few days, we will be revealing some more great camera deals, along with savings on lenses and accessories.

Pentax K-70: now £499
Features include a 24.2 APS-C sensor, effective in-body image stabilisation that works with every lens, a large, bright viewfinder, a vari-angle LCD monitor and a good contingent of external controls, which makes it easy to change settings. “Overall, the K-70 offers great value and a solid set of features in a compact body that should be easy to use for beginners,” we said in our original review. “But equally, it will keep budding photographers happy for longer as their experience grows and they start to experiment with the more advanced features that it includes in abundance.”

Fujifilm X-T200, 15-45mm lens and vlogging kit: now £599
You can now get a great deal on this appealing, retro-styled entry level mirrorless model, complete with a vlogging kit that includes a tripod and Rode microphone. There’s even a 16Gb SD card thrown in. The X-T200 itself features a 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor, ISO 100-51,200, 2.36m-dot electronic viewfinder, 3.5in, 16:9 articulated touchscreen and 4K video recording at 30fp. Image quality is excellent too, with lovely JPEG colours.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 MK IV twin lens kit (14-42mm + 40-150mm): now £699
“A lovely little camera that’s a joy to use and delivers great pictures,” we said in our original review. Considering you get two decent quality lenses, including the 14-42mm pancake, you are getting a lot of bang for your buck here: the camera itself features a 20MP Four Thirds sensor, ISO 200-6400, ISO 80-25,600 (extended), up to 15 frames per second shooting, 121-point contrast-detect AF and effective 5-axis in-body stabilisation

Canon EOS M50: now £699 with EF-M 15-45 mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM & 55-200 mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lenses
This likeable little APS-C format camera is simple and approachable for novices, while offering plenty of manual control for enthusiasts. Its central electronic viewfinder is joined by a fully articulated touchscreen, and the autofocus is fast and accurate. It’s capable of producing consistently fine images, which are easy to share thanks to well-designed smartphone connectivity. Features a 24.1-million-pixel Dual Pixel CMOS sensor, 10fps continuous shooting, 3inch fully-articulated touchscreen and 4K video. A good deal considering you get two lenses, otherwise the price has not shifted much since launch at £649.

Nikon Z 50: now £685 body only
This was Nikon’s first mirrorless camera in its Z range to feature an APS-C sensor, so it is a great choice if you don’t need the extra resolution (and cost) of a full-frame chip. This well-made, well-designed contender features a 20.9Mp sensor, 11fps continuous shooting, tilting touchscreen and the ability to record 4k video at 30p.

Fujfilm X-T3: now £889

With the release of the well-regarded Fujifilm X-T4, you can get some sweet deals on its predecessor. The X-T3 features the X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and X-Processor 4 image processing engine. Key features include a 26.1-million-pixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor, ISO 160-12800 (80-51200 extended), 425-point AF system with 2.16-million phase detection pixels, 30fps continuous burst shooting Dual SD card slots and good video features. As we said in our original review, “it’s a compelling choice for those who wish to bypass the larger full-frame mirrorless systems in the market.”

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, now £929
Although this is a 2016-era camera,it still has a lot going for it – as well as looking good, too. Key features include a 20MP Four Thirds sensor, up to 60fps continuous shooting, 5-axis in-body stabilisation, which is still very effective, and 4K video recording. You also get a fully articulated touchscreen and decent electronic viewfinder. And, of course, there is a great range of quality Micro Four Thirds lenses too, at a decent price.

Cashback deals
In addition to these budget highlights, check out the wide-range of other cashback deals around the moment on both a wider range of cameras and lenses; many of these go up to the end of the year, so also cover the Black Friday period. Highlights include £220 cashback on the Canon EOS R and RF 28-70mm f/2. L USM lens; £200 of the Sony Alpha 7 Mark III; a whopping £900 of the Fujifilm GFX 50S and more.

See below for further details.
Canon
Sony
Olympus
Fujifilm
Tamron

Further reading
What are the best DSLRs you can buy?
What are the best mirrorless cameras you can buy?