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With more than 3.2 billion images and more than 720,000 hours of video posted online daily (source) the right camera can help your work stand out! Digital cameras deliver amazing features and convenience, and you’ll see the difference in your photography when you upgrade. Knowing what cameras you like, including whether or not you have invested in a set of lenses, is probably the most important. Also, as famous photographer Chase Jarvis once said, “The best camera is the one that’s with you.” So, finding one that you like to use and will have on you will be key to winning images.
Industry advances like mirrorless cameras result in better resolution and ultra-high definition videos. Finally, some of these are surprisingly affordable, while professional cameras nearly always ring it at four figures. Elevate your Instagram photoshoots with some of our top picks for the best cameras.
The Best Cameras You Can Buy
The Best Overall Camera: Sony a7 III
Price: $1,798
Resolution: 24.2 MP
Type: Mirrorless
Weight: 2.03 pounds
The Sony a7 III camera packs advanced tech features in a full-frame digital package that really delivers. What makes it stand out is that it’s at a sweet spot of price, functionality, and ease of use. The 24 MP BMI sensor creates beautifully crisp images rich with detail and saturation that functions well in any light. In addition, its internal processor engineers photos to look their best with 5-axis stabilization and 10 fps with tracking.
A user-friendly touch LCD screen allows you to tilt it for the best viewpoint. It’s one of the best cameras because of its versatility and intuitive design. The video capability is also impressive, allowing for 4K footage and slow-motion shoots at up to 1080p. Photographers can extend battery life with the grip, fitting two batteries, which doubles the shooting time. Upload pictures with the mobile app, Bluetooth, NFC, or Wifi, and you can also use your phone as a remote control.
The Best Camera for Instant Film Photography: Polaroid Now Instant Camera
Price: $100
Type: Instant film camera
Weight: .70 ounces
Model: Polaroid Now
Polaroid’s resurgence in the past decade has resulted in entertaining cameras that offer digital or analog photos. Simply point and shoot the Polaroid Now Instant Camera and create a physical photograph that prints right away. Choose your favorite body from more than nine color options, including a holiday bundle or Mandalorian edition (hello, Star Wars fanatics). These are the best cameras for collectible mementos, especially with Polaroid’s nostalgic square frame that makes the brand an icon.
Set up the shot with the optical viewfinder with a range of -41 degrees vertical and 40 degrees horizontal. Explore innovative features like double exposure to give photographers the option to make more artistic shots. The built-in autofocus and flash render bright and clear images with more vivid colors than its vintage counterparts. It’s compatible with multiple film types, including the i-Type and 600 films. And remember, manufacturers recommend not to shake the photos while developing.
Best Camera for Full Frame Shots: Nikon D850 Full Frame DSLR Camera
Price: $2,996.95
Resolution: 45.7 mp
Type: DSLR
Weight: 2.02 lbs
Nikon’s D850 shoots with a full-frame sensor that gives the best of still shots and 4k video. This award-winning camera features a jaw-dropping resolution of 45.7 megapixels to capture all of the finest details. It lends versatility that makes it a favorite for portraits, landscapes, sports, and everything in between. A continuous shooting speed of 7 fps comes standard and the MB-D18 battery pack upgrade featuring an EN-EL 18b/a Lithium-Ion Battery goes up to 9 fps.
The touchscreen offers dynamic controls, a live view option, and pinpoint AF. Its processor delivers top-of-the-line features and capabilities like an attenuator mode to “roll-off” loud noises in the background when shooting video. Premium touches include weather sealing, a control joystick, and a lightweight frame for a professional-level camera that’s accessible to photographers of all skill levels.
The Best Camera for DSLR Photography: Canon EOS 90D
Price: $1,199.00
Resolution: 32.5MP
Type: Digital DSLR
Weight :1.32 pounds
Canon’s EOS 90D adds to the camera maker’s impressive list of its high-performing “prosumer” line. With an inexpensive price point, it’s a good entry-level DSLR for photographers looking to upgrade with plenty of upscale features that attract enthusiasts. Still-image photographs are a shining feature with clear, grain-free images and 45-point autofocus that creates excellent face detection. It’s also capable of filming 4k video, and the external mic input lets you capture quality audio.
Frame photos with the easy-to-use touchscreen 3 million dot 3-inch LCD or the pentaprism optical viewfinder with either lens or touch focus. Photographers can switch from matte or grid views to line up the perfect shot when using live screen. A joystick controller, multiple shooting levels, and optional silent mode let users customize their experience. The clean HDMI output allows users to record directly to an external video recorder. To add to its versatility, the EOS camera converts to an HD webcam for business meetings.
Best Camera for Digital Point and Shoot Photography Olympus Tough TG-6
Price: $449.00
Resolution: 12MP
Waterproof: Up to 50 feet
Weight: 8.9 ounces
The pocket-sized Olympus Tough TG-6 shoots fantastic off-the-cuff images in almost any situation with its waterproof casing and shockproof design. It’s customizable in a choice of two colors with a durable body that makes it ideal for the outdoors. Also, the lens ring lets photographers add a fisheye lens for more width. While it performs well in low light conditions, its compatibility with flash accessories means that you can also get excellent close-up shots with a zoom feature and macro.
With easy and familiar point and shoot controls, the Olympus Tough TG-6 is ready to shoot 12 mp pictures and 4k video from the get-go. Additional photo modes like the sports mode or multiple long exposure options help achieve the right balance and focus. Tech features such as GPS and wifi make sharing your adventures simple at the click of a button. The rechargeable battery lasts for up to 340 shots and connects via USB.
6. Best Camera for Mirrorless Photography: Panasonic Lumix G9
Price: $1,997.99
Type: Mirrorless
Resolution: 20 MP
Panasonic’s LUMIX G9 excels for both stills and video. A free-angle touchscreen LCD display uses a 1.04m dot-free touchscreen for versatility and an outstanding 3.69 dot resolution with a .83x magnification for lifelike images. Photographers can shoot up to 80 MP in RAW or JPG, and 20 MP is standard thanks to the powerful Venus Engine processor. Made from a premium weather-resistant magnesium alloy, the rugged camera’s splash-proof, freeze-proof, and dust-proof construction holds up. It also has joystick AF controls and built-in animal detecting software for precise images that favors landscape or wildlife photography.
Photographers enjoy the dual-slot capacity for maximum storage for memory-heavy 4k video, while videographers make good use of the mic jack or headphone jack to optimize audio. A high-speed shutter captures up to 12 frames per second with a manual shutter, and with a tripod, it shines for food or architecture photography. Shooting modes like the HDR setting or focus stacking combine multiple images for a digitally improved product. Additionally, there are nine photo styles and 22 creative filters. Bluetooth and built-in 5 GHz Wifi facilitate wireless image sharing or syncing with smart devices with remote control, with functions like geolocation.
7. Best Camera for Vlogging: Fujifilm X-S10
Price: $1059.99
Resolution: 26 MP
Weight: 465 g
Type: Mirrorless
The Fujifilm X-S10 features a lightweight, compact body and powerful mirrorless sensor, making it ideal for vlogging in almost any scenario. High-tech color sensors include up to 18 “film” settings, making this camera a smart choice for cultivating a feed aesthetic. Its video settings shoot in 4k with 24 frames per second, and you can customize the tone curve for more details or cinematic effects. Also, the slow-motion option creates some pretty amazing videos.
Videographers can shoot in manual or autofocus for the most control over the shot. The in-body image stabilization provides clear stills or videos combined with the 5-axis IBIS. Its body also has a pronounced grip which is perfect for selfie-style shots, with a package great for filming walkthroughs. You can also keep track of your vlog in progress with the front-facing display.
8. Best Camera for Action Photography: Go Pro Hero 10
Price: $499.99
Resolution: 23 MP
Type: Action camera
Weight: 1.01 pounds
Waterproof, petite, dual-screens, 5.3K60 Ultra HD, live-streaming– what’s there not to love about the GoPro Hero10? It syncs up for live streaming at 1080p with its super-fast USB input or wireless upload and WIFI capability as well as instant cloud uploads. Also, an upgraded processor provides incredible low-light performance and high-resolution captures. You can shoot in video or still mode, and pausing the video creates detailed 15 MP photos.
The built-in image stabilization creates super smooth photos and video even when on the go. Plus, its 8x slo-mo gives amazing play-by-plays. Water photography just got better with the all-new water repellent hydrophobic lens and waterproof case up to 33 ft of depth. Its rear touch screen offers intuitive controls, and you can frame the perfect selfie with the front screen.
9. Best Camera for Videographers: Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K
Price: $1995
Type: Mirrorless
Resolution: up to 6K video
Weight: 1.98 pounds
The Blackmagic Video Camera is the #1 choice for incredibly high definition shots for a lightweight pocket camera. It has an EF lens mount to customize your depth of field compatible with Canon’s popular lenses. With a huge 5″ LCD touchscreen, you can easily enjoy playback while shooting. An HDMI video output cable is super helpful, and there are also mic and headphone jacks. Additionally, it has four built-in mics for capturing audio.
On the bottom are a fan to prevent overheating and a tripod mount for optimal filming. You can convert 6k to 4k easily with internal color processing. Its Super 35 sensor performs similarly to a full-frame APS-C sensor, which improves performance in low light conditions. Shooting modes include black and white film or time-lapse, and you can get a lot of flexibility with the 12-bit color post-editing. The Resolve studio version software suite comes with this camera for enhancing video and sound.
10. Best Camera for Professionals Nikon Z7 II
Price: $2,996.95
Type: Mirrorless
Resolution: 45.7MP
Weight: 3 lbs
Nikon’s Z7 II is an ultra high resolution (45.7 MP) dual-processor camera. The dual card slot allows photographers to store video and images separately and allows more freedom while shooting. A full-frame sensor captures 93% of the sensor and is optimized by the 5-axis in-body stabilization — it even received a DXOMARK score of 100 thanks to its super dynamic range!
Autofocus modes include eye/face detection, wide-area AF, or animal-focused mode, and the expected manual options. The Z7’s WiFI capability makes it simple to upload photos, and hardware updates can be performed automatically. Videos record at an 8-bit 4K/60p video, and built-in features easily control many parameters. It has a stereo microphone and mic jack for video.
Which Cameras are Best for Your Life & Style?
The camera industry advances more every year, and these top choices are some of the best cameras of the bunch. Flexibility is one of the biggest must-haves for buyers, and companies like Nikon and Canon deliver the broadest range of lenses and accessories available. Specialized cameras have user-centric features, like Fujifilm’s color film adaptation, which bring photographers’ hours of enjoyment. Finally, high-performing cameras are available at every price point, so it’s easy to get out there and get shooting!