Used Nikon D3500 vs. Nikon Zfc: Which budget Nikon is best for a complete beginner?

Total photography beginner? Well, first of all – welcome! And second of all, you’re probably wondering which is the best camera to start with. A question we get asked all the time is which is the best beginner camera under £500, and truthfully there’s no single correct answer.

It’s easy for beginners to be overwhelmed by the level of choice on offer. Sellers will tend to throw loads of names and numbers at you. And buying a beginner camera is generally a matter of balancing a tight budget with a nagging worry that if you take to the hobby, you’ll quickly outgrow your new camera and need to trade up.

So, I’ll make it simple. If you’re completely new to photography, you should buy either the Nikon Z fc new, or the Nikon D3500 second-hand. And if you’re on a tight budget, it’s the D3500.

Let’s take a look at the Nikon D3500 vs the Nikon Z fc. The former is a DSLR, a slightly older format of camera, while the latter is mirrorless. The Z fc can be bought new as part of a kit with a Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR, while you’ll need to pick up a used Nikon D3500 with a kit lens purchased alongside – most people will send you in the direction of the Nikon AF-P 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 G DX Nikkor lens, which costs about £35 second-hand.

Both cameras have the same size APS-C sensor and similar resolution, so you’re getting excellent image quality in both cases. As you’ll see from watching or reading any Nikon Z fc review, the mirrorless is the newer, faster and better camera, and its uber-cool retro styling makes the D3500 look, well, a little dated. However, the Nikon Z fc kit will set you back £879, while the D3500 and kit lens combination works out to about £260.

That’s quite a difference! But can the Nikon D3500, announced in 2018, really still be worth buying in 2026?

Nikon D3500 vs Nikon Z fc: Unbeatable fundamentals vs retro cool

Nikon really got beginner photography right with the D3500, and I maintain that it’s still one of the best cameras you can buy to learn the fundamentals. It’s incredibly lightweight for a DSLR, easy to take everywhere with you, and its Guide Mode cuts through the jargon to explain important photographic terms in ways anyone can understand. Its deep grip and satisfying handling make it an intuitive camera to use, and for its current used price of around £230, it’s ridiculously good value.

Of course, the Nikon Z fc is a great choice too. Its retro-style shooting experience feels great, and the fact that it uses Z-mount lenses rather than F-mount is a bit more future-proof – although F-mount DSLR lenses can easily be adapted to mirrorless via the FTZ mount adapter, should you decide down the line to make the jump.

Photo of Nikon Z fc on desk with notebook, in silver< — Photo credit: Nikon – The mirrorless Z fc is undoubtedly stylish, but a used DSLR could offer better value.

In an entry-level camera comparison, I’d say that both of these cameras strike the perfect balance for beginners. They’re easy enough that total novices can pick them up and use them, but still offer sufficient versatility and image quality that users who’ve mastered the basics won’t get bored of them. But the D3500 is unbeatable in terms of value for money – so much so that our second-hand stock tends to go quickly. So don’t wait too long!

Take a look at our extensive range of second-hand products here!

About the Author

Jon Stapley is a London-based freelance writer and journalist who covers photography, art and technology. When not writing about cameras, Jon is a keen photographer who captures the world using his Olympus XA2. His creativity extends to works of fiction and other creative writing, all of which can be found on his website www.jonstapley.com