Advertiser Disclosure: At Slickdeals, we work hard to find the best deals. Some products in our articles are from partners who may provide us with compensation, but this doesn’t change our opinions. Our editors strive to ensure that the information in this article is accurate as of the date published, but please keep in mind that offers can change. We encourage you to verify all terms and conditions of any product before you apply.
Reading Time: 6 minutesWith Black Friday around the corner, stores have already started dropping the best deals on your favorite cameras and even some you may not have heard of yet. You’ll be able to find great sales on a range of camera types, which will make perfect gifts for a friend or family member, or even for yourself.
We’ve rounded up which cameras to get this year and where you might find the best deals. Are you looking for a simple camera to document life’s good memories? Or maybe looking to become a content creator? Or perhaps you’re exploring photography as a new hobby? Either way, we’ve got something for everyone.
The Best Black Friday Camera Deals
Best Selfie Camera: Fujifilm Michael Kors Instax Mini 70
Sale Price: $79.95 | Regular Price: $139.95
This Michael Kors Instax Mini 70 offers multiple shooting modes, a self-timer and a reflective mirror perfect for selfies. Fujifilm has been making Instax cameras for the past two decades to fill the gap left by Polaroid (which has since made a return), offering consumer-friendly, easy to use and slick instant cameras that create physical memories perfect for remembering good times.
At nearly half off its regular price, this is the best deal on instant cameras available. Make sure to pick up lots of films as once you start shooting, you won’t want to stop! Currently, Amazon has a great deal on a Twin-Pack Instant Film.
Best Action Camera: GoPro HERO9 Black + 64GB Card + Extra Battery
Sale Price: $433.27 | Regular Price: $649.99
The HERO9, with its 8x slo-mo (240fps), HyperSmooth 3.0 stabilization, time-lapse and extreme durability, you can create dynamic and clean footage any adrenaline junky or travel vlogger could wish for. GoPro has been the biggest name in action cams since they hit the market, and the HERO9 is a distillation of everything learned in its tenure. While it may be a previous generation model, it contains the same body and software as the HERO10 but at a better price; the trade-off is the HERO10 is slightly faster and offers better slo-mo at a higher resolution.
For enthusiasts who want that extra bit of pixel power, the Walmart also has the HERO10 for a similar discount.
Best Entry Budget Camera: Canon EOS 2000D DSLR Camera w/ 18-55mm Lens Starter Bundle
Sale Price: $499.99 | Regular Price: $749.98
Here we have the Canon 2000D DSLR, a great budget entry camera. It has a sturdy form factor and accurate optical viewfinder (showing you exactly what the lens sees), giving it the look and feel of classic pro cameras. This option works great as a camera for a burgeoning photographer, as it offers excellent autofocus, fast sequential shooting and large clean images great for printing.
The starter kit gives you all the accessories needed to create and begin image-making right away. This is a great deal if you’re looking to start photography on nature walks, document fast-moving scenarios, or take quality portraits.
Best Point-and-Shoot Camera: Panasonic LUMIX ZS100
Sale Price: $397.99 | Regular Price: $699.99
This point-and-shoot is a perfect hybrid of advances made on in-camera software and hardware in one slick portable package great for travel documentation or casual shooters. Since smartphones started providing video, many thought point-and-shoot cameras were a thing of the past. However, manufacturers responded by creating cameras like the LUMIX ZS100, offering photo and video options that fits in their pocket but still offers all the perks of a pro camera.
With a 10x zoom, 4k video, and live viewfinder, it has all the bells and whistles that a much larger and more expensive camera has. Their “post focus” feature even allows you to select what you want to be in focus on after you’ve already taken a still, which to many will seem like black magic. There is currently a great deal on Amazon, with close to half-off the original price.
Best Camera for Filmmaking: Panasonic Lumix DC-G95 Mirrorless Camera w/12-60mm and Flash Kit
Sale Price: $697.99 | Regular Price: $1197.99
Here we start getting into the pro-shooter category of shooters, as the Lumix DC-G95 offers a litany of in-camera features that make it suitable for shooting an indie filmmaker or just taking quality photos of friends. The sensibly laid-out touch menu makes the 4x slo-mo options, 4k video recording, and enhanced auto-focus available at the flick of a finger. In addition, the optical image stabilization offered by the lens in tandem with the five-axis in-camera image stabilizer makes even the shakiest handheld look clean as can be. For indie filmmakers, all this is great, but the built-in V-Log L will give them even more options in post for color and effect work.
So whether you’re getting this as a gift for an aspiring filmmaker or putting in your run and gun filming kit, it is a great fit. If you’re a student, make sure to grab the educational discount.
Best Camera for Content Creators: Sony Alpha a7 III Mirrorless Camera w/ 28-70mm Lens Bundle
Sale Price: $2,089,95 | Regular Price: $3,134.92
The Sony Alpha series is where the consumer-styled camera gets all the inner workings of a Hollywood movie camera. Offering photo specs that make pictures suitable for billboard-sized printing and video paired with this premium kit lens is fit for the silver screen. Sony’s ability to balance photo and video abilities is exemplary. It makes this camera perfect for anyone looking to become an independent content creator or simply looking for their own personal documentation to look and feel premium.
With phone compatibility for remote shooting, timelapse, or image transfer, this camera manages to remain accessible while fit for a movie set.
Best Camera for Kids: Dartwood 1080p Digital Camera for Kids (2 Pack)
Sale Price: $61.99 | Regular Price: $99.99
Here at the other end of the spectrum, we have the cleanest, simplest camera possible made for children! Its clean look and simple design make it easy to use. It comes in a two-pack, with a 32 GB SD card perfect for gifting to siblings or having on hand for different family members. Its shockproof design and non-toxic silicone case make it safe and ready for whatever adventure a kid would take it on.
This is a perfect gift for children to learn about photography and video in a fun and safe way.
Do Smartphone Cameras Work as Well as Digital Cameras?
It’s 2021, and it seems as though smartphone cameras can do just about anything, including take high-quality selfies and film videos. But classic camera manufacturers (and even some newer ones) have spent the past decade carving out their own spaces to fill in the gaps your pocket computer can’t quite cover. So whether you’re a pro shooter, enthusiast or just interested in learning a new way of documenting, digital cameras still provide a lot of value and features that your phone simply can’t provide.
Which Cameras Go On Sale During Black Friday?
Black Friday is the best time to shop for digital cameras because retailers usually offer incredible deals from the most popular camera brands. You can expect to find bargain prices for a wide range of cameras, including cameras for beginners, DSLR cameras, mirrorless cameras and top-of-the-line cameras for professional photographers. Whether you’re looking for a high-end camera that will take the cleanest photos possible or you just need something to capture the holiday memories, there’s likely a camera deal for you.
Where To Find The Best Camera Deals
As always, retailers are competing to offer the best options to you. Whether it be general retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, or photo/video-specific retailers like B&H, Adorama, and Hunts Photo and Video, some of the most expensive cameras are taking big price drops in celebration of the biggest shopping day of the year. Some stores like Target and Best Buy will even price match competitors, so you can always know you’re getting the best price out there.
Want to stay up to date on all the latest Black Friday camera deals? Make sure to set up a deal alert so you don’t miss out on the best camera deals. Also download the Slickdeals browser extension to get instant coupons and discounts while shopping online. Download our Slickdeals App to get push notifications on deals as they are posted by our deal experts.
George Malouf
George Malouf is a Boston-based filmmaker and writer with a professional background in analog and digital camera systems, video, lighting tools, and computer parts. They spend most of their free time rewatching prestige television on multiple monitors to notice color and contrast shifts, anxiously backing up files to as many remote drives as possible, and performing maintenance on everything from cameras to countertops.