 For most things you might buy a cheap camera for, you're honestly better off using a smartphone. But if you want sharper pictures, or if you really need long zoom and more versatile performance, you're going to want a camera. And you might be surprised with how much camera you can get for not a whole lot of money. What's the best you can do for $250? If you're looking for the best camera you can get for under $250, you should buy the Canon PowerShot SX280 HS. It strikes the right balance of features, performance, ease of use, and picture quality, and it doesn't cost a fortune to do it. The SX280 HS has a long 20x zoom lens to get you close to the action, a compact, solid metal body that can survive banging around in your bag or your pocket, a big bright display for composing and reviewing your shots, 12 megapixels of resolution, and a variety of easy to use automatic and manual modes for taking pictures. As a bonus, it also includes Wi-Fi, NFC, and GPS, so you can quickly send photos to your smartphone for sharing on the go, or tag location data on your pics for plotting on a map later on. And it only costs $199, so you'll have enough money left in your budget for a memory card or two. The SX280 HS has accurate color and takes good pictures in most lighting conditions, but it will struggle a little in low light. That's just a fact of life with all inexpensive cameras. If you want better, you're going to have to pay for a mirrorless camera or a premium compact. The SX280 HS isn't the smallest or lightest in the field, and its battery life of 210 images per charge isn't class leading, but it is enough to last a day of shooting. But if you're looking for a cheap, compact camera that does more than your smartphone, the SX280 HS is the one that you should buy. There's also the Sony Cybershot WX350, which offers many of the same features as the Canon in a smaller, lighter package. And it lasts a stunning 470 shots per charge. But the Sony doesn't take as good pictures indoors as the Canon, and it doesn't offer any manual controls, which can make it easier to capture that picture of a fast-moving 8-year-old. The Sony is also $248, almost $50 more than the Canon and really pushing the envelope of our budget. And if you buy an SD card, you go over budget. There's a huge number of other cameras also in this category, but there's only a handful actually worth looking at. The Canon ELF line has been very popular for years because it's so small, but the latest model ELF 340 HS has a shorter zoom lens, no manual controls, and worse image quality and low light than the SX280. Similarly, Nikon's Coolpix S6800 is compact and cheap at $166, but its short zoom lens, slow focus, lack of controls, and poor low light quality take it out of the running. Panasonic, Samsung, and Fujifilm all also have cameras in this category, and they all have big zoom lenses and relatively compact sizes. But they are all really cheap feeling compared to the Canon, and in the case of the Samsung and Panasonic, took worse pictures in my tests and have other quirks that make them not as nice of a choice. Beyond that field, there isn't much else you should consider. Cameras that are super cheap, like under $150, have shorter zoom lenses, typically terrible battery life, lousy video quality that doesn't even compare to the video your smartphone takes, and are made with cheap-feeling plastic. They don't even warrant a look. But if you're willing to spend $100 more, you can really get something worth your time. An inexpensive camera won't ever take stunning photos in low light, but they can take better photos than your smartphone. With many offering built-in Wi-Fi, you can quickly send those photos to your phone for posting on Instagram or Facebook. The Canon SX280 HS is the closest thing to getting the best of both worlds, and you don't have to break the bank to get it.