Focus on Camera Savings: Canon Rebel T3 for $252, Nikon D7000 for $550

Few hobbies sport a financial barrier to entry that's on par with photography, but clever shutterbugs know that buying refurbished is a great shortcut. That's why this roundup of the week's best Editors' Choice camera deals features a couple of refurb DSLRs from Canon and Nikon. Plus, we found a unique light field camera for just $100, and a super price low on a film-to-digital converter.

1. Refurbished Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2-Megapixel DSLR Camera with the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Lens
   Store: Canon
   Price: $251.99 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $63

   Is It Worth It?: Everybody has to start somewhere, and this refurbished Canon EOS Rebel T3 is an excellent entry-level DSLR. And at $252, you'll save $63 off the price of a new unit! "This 12-megapixel digital SLR is on the lower-end as far as price and features, but it has all of the options and flexibility an aspiring photographer might need to break out of the tedium of point-and-shoot and cell phone cameras," PC Mag noted. This camera boasts a 2.7" vari-angle LCD, 720p video recording, 3 fps continuous shooting, an SDXC card slot, and USB.

   A 1-year Canon warranty applies.

2. Canon Speedlite 90EX Flash
   Store: Another Deal Site via Amazon
   Price: $41.73 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $8

   Is It Worth It?: Want to make your photographs look more professional? Add an external flash like the Canon Speedlite 90EX. "An external flash provides superior and 'more' control over the lighting and exposure of the subject in low light (and even in bright light where you need to fill-flash) situations," according to PictureCorrect. This shoe-mount flash is compatible with all Canon EOS cameras, features a guide number of 30, and provides coverage for lenses as wide as 24mm.

3. Refurbished Nikon D7000 16.2-Megapixel DSLR Camera Body
   Store: BuyDig via eBay
   Price: $549.99 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $69

   Is It Worth It?: There comes a point in every photog's life when they need to take off the training wheels. With features like a 3" LCD, 1080p video capture, two SDXC slots, and HDMI, this refurbished Nikon body is a killer upgrade at a $69 savings. "The Nikon D7000 stands out as a great camera for experienced photographers and pros who don't have specific needs like full frame or fastest burst possible," CNET said. "If you're ready to replace your current DSLR with something a little more powerful, a look at the D7000 should top your to-do list."

   No warranty information is provided.

4. Refurbished Lytro 8GB Light Field Digital Camera with Slip Case
   Store: Voodublu via eBay
   Price: $99.99 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $64

   Is It Worth It?: As any shutterbug who's ever brought home an SD card full of blurry shots can tell you, picture composition is hard. Unless you have the Lytro Light Field camera, which lets you adjust the focus or perspective of a photograph after you've taken it. Click over to the Lytro gallery and play around with their test photos to get an idea of how the software works; it's a lot of fun. You can grab this innovative camera refurbished for just $100, which is $64 under the price of a new one.

   A 90-day warranty is included, although its unclear who backs it.

5. Film-to-Digital Converter
   Store: Fry's Electronics
   Price: $79.99 in-cart with free shipping
   Lowest By: $38
   Expires: August 7

   Is It Worth It?: Retro photography is all the rage these days, but it's not exactly Instagram. Thankfully, you can retain the timeless beauty of your old-school shots when you use the Wolverine 4-in-1 Film-to-Digital Converter to make them more uploadable. This tool converts 35mm, 110, 126KPK, and Super 8 slides into digital images, saving them to its internal memory or your SD/SDHC card. The Converter drops to just $80 in cart, saving you $38.