The 12 Best Cameras For Every Kind Of Photographer

If you’re looking for the best cameras for photography, you probably already know even the very best camera phones have some serious limitations. They lack interchangeable lenses, the ability to zoom more than (at best) 2x optically, and don’t have much in the way of exposure controls, just to name a few. That doesn’t mean the camera in your iPhone or Android phone is bad, but it’s not necessarily what you want to use to explore creative photography or shoot photos you’ll want to frame or share with others. You can do a lot better with a “real” camera.

From point & shoot to DSLR to mirrorless, there are countless cameras to choose from. Here are the ... [+] best cameras for photography. getty

Depending on your needs and interests, there are all sorts of cameras to choose from. The traditional “serious” camera has long been a big, heavy and powerful DSLR, but in the last few years, smaller mirrorless cameras have become popular—they can do more or less everything DSLRs can do and have the advantage of being smaller and lighter.

Want the better image quality and flexibility of a standalone camera but want to keep things simple? There are also point and shoot or instant cameras to choose from. And action cameras are an entirely different kind of camera, made for anyone who wants to mount a camera to their helmet or chest and capture their crazy antics, be it mountain biking, rock climbing or snow boarding. There are a lot of options.

With so many choices, you might need some help picking the best camera for your artistic needs. So keep reading —we’ve rounded up a dozen of the very best cameras you can get today.

Best Instant Camera

Great Image Quality And Versatile Square Prints

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Type: Instant film | Resolution: n/a | Zoom: None | Video: None

You remember instant film, right? Back in the 80s, it seemed like Polaroid cameras were everywhere, and seemingly against all odds, they’re back. Like almost all instant cameras, the Fujifilm Instax Square SQ6 records your picture on film and develops it almost instantly. Nothing about this camera is digital, and so there’s no memory card and nothing to copy to your PC or edit in Photoshop.

The SQ6 has a nice Instagram-come-to-life aesthetic and is available in seven different colors. The camera produces prints that are 2.4 inches square about 90 seconds after snapping the shutter release. Image quality is surprisingly good—well above average for most instant cameras thanks to a high-quality glass lens—and it comes with some nifty extras, like colored filters you can fit over the flash to add an artistic hue to your shots.

Best Point & Shoot Camera

Almost As DSLR Image Quality But Fits In Your Pocket

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Type: Point & Shoot | Resolution: 20 megapixels | Zoom: 4.2x | Video: 4K

If price were no object, you could find a handful of point & shoot digital cameras that outperform the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III. But for those dollars, it’s hard to justify not going the extra yard or two and just getting a mirrorless camera with swappable lenses. But dollar for dollar, the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III is the best value you can get in a point & shoot—it gets close to rivaling what you can do with a pro camera.

Despite still being small enough to slip into your pocket, the G7 has a big one-inch sensor that lets in a ton of light, so the camera makes crisp, gorgeous shots in a wide array of lighting conditions, including very low-noise images at night. It would be nice if there were more than a 4.2x zoom range, but that’s enough to give you a lot of flexibility composing shots in most ordinary situations. It also records 4K video—awesome for a general-purpose camera—though be aware that this is at 30fps. At 60fps, you can only shoot in HD.

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Best Mirrorless Camera for Beginners

Sony Can Lock Focus on Your Pet’s Eyes

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Type: Mirrorless | Resolution: 24.2 megapixels | Zoom: n/a (interchangeable lens) | Video: 4K

Novice photographers coming to the Sony A6100 might not appreciate how compact and light it is, because they don’t have a ton of experience lugging around a DSLR to compare it to. Nonetheless, this is a perfect camera to start a photography hobby; in the slight camera frame lives a formidable 24 megapixel sensor and the ability to shoot 4K video.

In addition, the camera has all the modern luxuries, including a responsive touchscreen display that tilts to any angle you need, pop-up flash and an excellent, easy-to-use interface. But perhaps the best reason for a beginner to choose this camera is the fast and accurate autofocus that can detect faces and focus on eyes—both in people and animals. Combined with a shooting speed of up to 11 frames per second, this is a beginner-friendly camera that can serve you well as you learn and grow as a photographer.

Best Mirrorless Camera for Enthusiasts

Shoot 11 Frames Per Second And Capture 4K Video With Nikon’s Superb Lenses

Amazon Nikon Z50 with Nikkor Z 16-50mm & Nikkor Z 50-250mm BUY FROM AMAZON

Type: Mirrorless | Resolution: 20.9 megapixels | Zoom: n/a (interchangeable lens) | Video: 4K

Mirrorless is poised to be the future of serious photography, and the Z50 is an excellent starter camera for getting your feet wet in the world of mirrorless photography without spending a fortune.

The Z50 shoots 20.9 megapixel images on the somewhat smaller APS-C sensor, so the body is small and fits easily in your hands. It has the ability to shoot a blazing fast 11 fps, can record a full 4K video, and has a large, articulating 3.2-inch touchscreen monitor in addition to an electronic viewfinder. It can use any lens in Nikon’s Z-series, and this particular model comes with two kit lenses: a wide angle 16-50mm and a generously deep 50-250mm lens. There’s enough here to carry any beginner well into advanced photography before feeling the need to upgrade.

Best DSLR Camera for Beginners

A Modest Set Of Features At A Great All-In-One Price

Amazon Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR with 18-55mm Lens Buy From Amazon

Type: DSLR| Resolution: 24.1 megapixels | Zoom: n/a (interchangeable lens) | Video: 1080p

Canon’s compact and lightweight Rebel T7 is a textbook example of why it can still make sense to buy a single lens reflex camera when there are so many superb mirrorless camera alternatives out there. This “classic” DSLR design is a slight evolution from the older, venerable (and now discontinued) Rebel T6. For under $500, you get a great camera body and an all-around versatile 18-55mm lens; you could go a long time before feeling the urge to add a telephoto lens to your camera bag.

The cheapest camera in Canon’s DSLR stable, the T7 is aimed squarely at beginners, which is why you won’t find a fast burst mode (at best, you can only take three frames per second), the rear LCD monitor isn’t a touch screen nor does it pivot for unusual shooting angles, and there’s no 4K video recording—it’s 1080p only. But set aside the things the T7 can’t do, and you end up with an impressive DSLR that can teach any beginner the ins and outs of photography. It has Wi-Fi and NFC for transferring images to your smartphone, and the 9-point autofocus is fast and accurate, and may whet your appetite for a more advanced camera that has dozens or hundreds of autofocus points.

Best DSLR Camera for Enthusiasts

A Solid Glass Pentaprism Elevates This Camera To The Next Level

Type: DSLR| Resolution: 20.9 megapixels | Zoom: n/a (interchangeable lens) | Video: 4K

The D7500 is an impressive DSLR that is a significant step up in a lot of ways from most beginner bodies. Not only is it rugged and made to take a beating in the field, but it has a lot of the same high-end internals that you’ll find in a pro-level camera like the D500. The solid glass pentaprism trumps the dimmer pentamirror you’ll find in a camera like the D3500, and the 51 point autofocus system is fast and accurate—which enables you to shoot at a maximum speed of 8 frames per second, indefinitely. And when we say this camera is fast, we mean it; it can lock focus in 0.05 seconds. And it’ll take its first shot in less than a quarter second after powering it on.

The rear has a convenient tilting touchscreen LCD display and you get both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity to transfer images wirelessly. In addition to the 21-megapixel stills, it can shoot in 1080p or 4K. There’s only one thing we don’t love about this camera, and that’s the lack of dual memory card slots.

Best Rugged and Waterproof Point & Shoot Camera

Shockproof, Dustproof, Crushproof—Even Waterproof

Type: Point & Shoot| Resolution: 12 megapixels | Zoom: 4x | Video: 4K

Ruggedized cameras are a special subcategory of point & shoot models, and they’re relatively rare. The Olympus Tough TG-6’s name tells you everything you need to know: It’s shockproof, dustproof, crushproof and even waterproof to a depth of 50 feet. If you’re a snorkeler or a diver, you can use this camera without an underwater housing on shallow dives, which is an enormous convenience. If you thrive in the great outdoors, few point & shoot cameras are as well equipped for the rough-and-tumble as the TG-6.

The camera is a modest performer, though. The optical zoom is just 4x and you only get 12 megapixel images, which is pretty small by modern standards. But the camera can shoot as fast as 20fps and it records 4K video. Throw in the camera’s many shooting modes and scene selections, and you have a real workhorse for documenting adventures.

Best Full Frame Mirrorless Camera

One Of The Few Mirrorless Cameras With Dual SD Card Slots

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Type: Mirrorless | Resolution: 24 megapixels | Zoom: n/a (interchangeable lens) | Video: 4K

You can spend a small fortune on mirrorless cameras—the Sony A7S III, which captures relatively small 12 megapixel images, lists for $3,500 for example. But the Nikon Z5 is proof you don’t need to take out a second mortgage. This excellent camera looks and feels like a pro model. It’s fully weather-sealed and sculpted from a rugged magnesium alloy frame. It has dual card slots because many photographers write to two memory cards simultaneously for security, and the full-frame sensor can capture more light for better low light photography.

The camera also features an integrated 5-axis vibration reduction mechanism and a highly effective 273-point autofocus system. It can capture up to 4.5fps of continuous shooting and the ISO ranges from 100 to 102,400. Do you shoot video? If so, you’ll be happy to know this camera can capture 4K at up to 30fps. It also supports wireless image transfers using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Best Full Frame DSLR Camera

A 45-Point Autofocus With Wi-Fi And GPS. What’s Not To Love?

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Type: DSLR| Resolution: 26.2 megapixels | Zoom: n/a (interchangeable lens) | Video: 4K

The Canon EOS 6D Mark II is not a high-end professional-only model; instead, this DSLR is is an approachable compromise that incorporates a full-frame sensor with more modest features and costs only a little more than entry-level DSLRs. Make no mistake: You can spend three times this much money on cameras from Canon, Nikon and Sony that take incrementally better photos. But unless you have some very specific needs (like the ability to capture 4K at 60fps or need a much broader autofocus coverage area for action photos) then this is a great choice.

Here’s what you do get: a full-frame 26.2 megapixel sensor with a 45-point autofocus system (which, as alluded to earlier, is mostly clustered towards the center of the frame), an excellent secondary autofocus system for the live view mode in the LCD monitor, and integrated GPS for geotagging your photos. There’s also Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity so you can use your phone as a remote trigger or to download images. Pros might not appreciate the limited top ISO of 40,000—which produces above-average noise at higher levels—but overall, this is a camera to be reckoned with, especially considering the price.

Best Action Camera

Film Your Parasailing Adventure At 240 Frames Per Second

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Type: Action| Resolution: 23 megapixels | Zoom: None | Video: 5.3K

Action cameras have come a long way since GoPro more or less invented the category in 2004. The latest model—the GoPro Hero 10—can not only shoot 23-megapixel stills, but you can shoot video at a massive 5.3K at a full 60 frames per second. Dial down to 2.7K (which is still significantly sharper than full HD), and you can record at a blistering 240fps for awesome slow-motion.

The GoPro Hero 10’s image stabilization is now up to version 4 (GoPro calls it HyperSmooth 4.0) and it can level the horizon with tilts up to 45 degrees. In most other respects, the Hero 10 is largely the same as the Hero 9, and that is a good thing. The lens cover is removable for example, so you can replace it if it gets scratched. You can also attach other lenses for special projects if you need a different field of view. And don’t forget about the dual LCD monitors—the large rear sensor is now joined by a smaller display in front so you can frame shots without pulling out your phone to see what you’re shooting. The Hero 10 has about 4 hours of battery life per charge, which isn’t amazing, but you can swap batteries mid-day if needed.

Best Camera Drone

This Drone Can Track Your Every Move In Glorious 4K Video

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Type: Action | Resolution: 20 megapixels | Zoom: 3x | Video: 5.4K

There are a lot of excellent quadcopter drones out there you can use to shoot video of scenic vistas and take selfies while you go rock climbing. Many of those drones—if not most—come from DJI, and the DJI Air 2S is currently among the most advanced and affordable camera drones you can buy. Not only does it fold up compactly for travel, but it has a large 1-inch CMOS sensor that can shoot 4K video at 60 fps or even 5.4K at 30fps.

All that is not to mention the Air 2S’s HDR, low-light photography and the ability to crisply capture video at night, as well as hyperlapse and panoramic shooting. And you can put all those camera capabilities to good use; the drone has AI-based flight modes called MasterShots in which it can employ any of 10 different maneuvers to smartly keep the subject in the center of the frame while flying autonomously. And it’s almost impossible to crash the drone thanks to obstacle avoidance in all directions, not just forwards or backwards.

Best Point & Shoot Camera for Vloggers

A Point & Shoot That Knows What Vloggers Need In a Camera

Type: Point & Shoot| Resolution: 21 megapixels | Zoom: 3x | Video: 4K

Sony’s ZV-1 is just short of genius. While vlogging has exploded as a career choice in the last few years, there are surprisingly few cameras made expressly for that purpose, and vloggers tend to make do with ordinary point and shoot or DSLR cameras. If you’re looking for a camera that’s designed from the ground up with vlogging in mind, the Sony ZV-1 is one of your few choices. Thank goodness it happens to be a great choice.

So what makes the ZV-1 a vlogging camera? For starters, the articulating LCD monitor flips down to face front, so you can frame your shot easily while keeping on your mark. It also has a larger recording button, which might sound like a small thing, but is actually quite handy while shooting. And for anyone who knows how poor Sony’s camera interface used to be, the software improvements here can’t be understated. Besides usability, that software also adds neat new features like Product Showcase mode, a great vlogging feature which disables face priority focusing and locks onto the product you’re discussing. It also has improved audio recording thanks to a trio of microphones.

All that said, while it takes 21 megapixel images and can record 4K video, this camera isn’t a good general purpose point & shoot snapshot camera. The battery life is anemic, for example, and there’s no electronic viewfinder—just an LCD monitor.

How to Choose the Best Camera

Before you consider specific models, you should decide what kind of camera you want. There are more kinds of cameras than ever: instant cameras, point & shoot, DSLR, mirrorless and action cameras, to list a few. Where to start? It all begins with what you want to do with the camera.

For example, are you looking mainly for a camera for snapshots or do you want to approach the craft of photography with an eye towards controlling exposure setting? While instant and point & shoot cameras are great for snapshots, for anything else you’ll want to look to DSLRs and mirrorless models.

Also consider your budget and skill level. Not only are intermediate and pro-level cameras much more expensive, but if you get one as a beginner you might be buying features you don’t need. Of course, specific models also come with any number of capabilities that could come in handy—like super high frame rates to capture fast-moving action and the ability to wirelessly transfer photos to your phone or PC.

Mirrorless vs DSLR vs Point-And-Shoot

This is the most important decision you will make. Get a point and shoot camera if you want a small and lightweight camera for casual snapshots. If you are more serious about the nuts and bolts of exposure, creative control and composition, get a mirrorless or DSLR. DSLRs have been around for decades, have a traditional form factor and are compatible with a large number of lenses; mirrorless cameras are the future of photography, but have fewer lenses to choose from—right now.

Point and shoot

One step up from the camera app on your phone, point and shoot cameras generally offer better image quality, more shooting options, and, depending on the model, sometimes even a fairly amount of exposure control. It’s a good entry point into the world of standalone cameras if you want to keep it both inexpensive and casual.

DSLR

For half of a century, SLR (Single Lens Reflex) cameras were the most common camera for serious photographers. Thanks to their interchangeable lenses, you could swap the lens in seconds to go from wide angle to telephoto. They offered complete exposure control. And the reflex mechanism—a mirrored prism that let you look through the viewfinder, but rapidly swung out of the way to expose film when you pressed the shutter button—enabled you to see exactly what you were about to take a picture of.

These days, DSLRs are still that, only they use digital sensors (hence the “D”) instead of film. DSLRs have been the choice of serious (and aspiring) photographers for decades, but mirrorless cameras will someday replace them.

Mirrorless

Mirrorless cameras are sort of like DSLRs, without the SLR part. In other words, there’s no mechanical mirrored prism that needs to move when you take the picture—the camera is a true digital device, and simply sends the same signal to the electronic viewfinder and the sensor that records the image. This lets mirrorless cameras (and their lenses) weigh much less than DSLRs.

Mirrorless cameras are the future of photography and will completely replace DSLRs eventually—but currently still have some disadvantages. They can suffer from shorter battery life than DSLRs, for example, because they have to power an electronic viewfinder. And at least for now, the lens selection is often much more limited.

Should I Buy a Lens?

If you own an interchangeable lens camera—namely, a DSLR or a mirrorless camera—you might wonder if you should purchase additional lenses and what advantages they might bring. If your camera came with what’s often called a “kit lens”—a lens that comes bundled with the body—it might be all you need for all-around photography, especially when you’re first starting out. But there are some excellent reasons to consider upgrading.

A kit lens is usually a zoom that covers a range of common focal lengths, but you might want a different lens for certain situations. For example, a super-wide-angle lens can capture a wider field of view for landscapes. Or consider a telescopic zoom to pull in distant subjects.

Also: Your kit lens is probably pretty “slow.” Lenses are generally referred to as “fast” or “slow” according to the the maximum aperture. Here’s why: The lens’s “f-stop” indicates the size of the aperture; the larger the aperture, the more light that gets in. A lens with a large maximum aperture can shoot in low light situations or at faster shutter speeds—this is called a “fast” lens because it’s indicated by an f-stop with a small number. (F-stop is a ratio, so the smaller the number, the larger the opening. A lens with a maximum f-stop of f/2 admits more light than f/4, for example.) Kit lenses are generally fairly slow, so if you want to do low-light photography, you may need to invest in a faster lens.

There are other reasons as well. Most kit lenses are zooms, and zoom lenses generally are never quite as sharp as a “prime” lens—a lens with a single focal length. And there are specialty lenses out there as well, like macro lenses that you can use to take close-up photos of very small subjects. Do you need to buy a separate lens? It depends; if you’re perfectly happy with your kit lens, probably not. But when you find that you simply can’t capture a photo you are trying to shoot, you’ll know you’re ready to buy a new lens.