The Best 8 Cameras for Photography in 2023

Body and ergonomics

An enhanced electronic viewfinder with a 3.69-million dot resolution and 120fps refresh rate is located on top of the camera body. It is a much-needed update and works especially well when you're trying to track moving subjects, even if this is now very typical at this price—you'll find an essentially identical viewfinder on the Canon EOS R6. One of the a7 IV's main upgrades is the completely articulating display. It can rotate 180 degrees to face you for simpler vlogging or selfie-taking and is more adaptable than the odd pop-out screen on the a7 III. Instead of bending awkwardly to check your image, you can pop out the screen at a 45-degree angle for truly close-up, low-to-the-ground shots. Anyone who has used an Alpha camera before will feel at ease using the A7 IV because its grip is more robust than that of its predecessor. There is a new ring beneath the mode dial that allows you to choose between stills, videos, and "S&Q" mode. A lockable exposure compensation slider and a new dedicated red "record" button for recording video are also included.

Video capabilities

The a7 IV can handle video just as well, but with a few issues, because it is a hybrid camera. The sensor supports 10-bit 4:2:2 in all recording formats and provides just as clear video quality, which makes editing the recordings considerably simpler. S-Cinetone and S-Log3 are supported by the a7 IV, giving you complete creative freedom when color grading and making other adjustments. Or you may just use the 10 "Creative Look" presets to minimize editing and greatly simplify your life.

Storage and Connections

Both SD UHS-II and the significantly faster CFexpress Type A cards are supported by the dual-slot card system on the A7 IV. It only features one dual slot, the other being SD UHS-II only, in contrast to the slots of the A1 and A7S III. With a top speed of 800 MB/s as opposed to 1,700 MB/s, Type A CFexpress cards aren't quite as quick as standard CFexpress cards. The A7 IV features a full-sized HDMI port and a USB-C port that can power the camera while it is in use, thank God. It makes use of Sony's brand-new NP-FZ100 battery, which can shoot up to 580 photos or approximately 2 hours of 4K video on a single charge.

Storage

Since there are two UHS-II card slots that also accept the newest CFexpress Type A (opens in new tab) cards, Sony has really outdone itself in terms of storage. These are sufficient for the majority of codecs if you utilize quick SD cards. However, you require CFexpress Type A cards if you use the most taxing settings, such as 4K/120p, S&Q, and All-Intra.

Ergonomics and build

The EOS R5 feels substantial in the hand and has a deep grip that makes it easy to handle and comfortable to carry without feeling heavy. The R5 should be able to handle inclement weather better than some photographers because its weather resistance is thought to be on par with Canon's 5D series. Your current shooting data is shown in a square on the camera's top right shoulder. The secondary display has a backlight that you can manually toggle on and off, and this is an excellent way to keep the rear monitor off in between pictures. The touchscreen display is an excellent one as well, coming in at a big 3.15 inches and with a 2.1MP resolution. Additionally, it is vari-angle, which is useful for video.

Autofocus and IBIS

The autofocus on the EOS R5 is especially noteworthy. Its subject detection and tracking are equally remarkable, and its eye detection is highly accurate and sticky. If you consistently engage in that type of photography, as we discovered on our wildlife shoot, animal detection is just astounding and a significant selling point on its own. This is Canon's first body to use in-body image stabilization, and the sensor is a new model (IBIS). This can work with a lens's image stabilization to provide, under the correct conditions, up to eight stops of image stabilization when combined with the RF mount's high-speed data transfer.

Video features

The Canon EOS R5 delivers amazing 8K videos. Filming in raw is an option; it can be done at 30, 25, 24, or 23.98 frames per second with a galactic bitrate of about 2,600Mbps. When shooting H.265 files with the same settings, the bitrate drops to approximately 1,300Mbps, and when shooting H.264 files, it drops even more to 300Mbps. A recent firmware upgrade incorporated the Canon Log 3 format to help the video footage fit into cinematic workflows, and it was also sharp and adaptable for color grading. The use of in-camera image stabilization (IBIS) in conjunction with stabilized RF-mount lenses also enables getting reasonably smooth pictures without a gimbal.

Build and ergonomics

The new hump on the top plate of the camera, which houses one of the greatest electronic viewfinders we've ever seen, makes it slightly larger than prior A7 cameras. The camera is sturdy and weatherproof; it also utilizes the same battery as newer Sony cameras. This holds up nicely, but if you are using 4K 120p settings with IBIS at high data rates, it does get eaten away. The 3-inch touchscreen can be used to fully navigate the main and fast menus. The touch display on all of Sony's earlier cameras was only useful for adjusting touch focus. Now, you can make adjustments without using any buttons, which is very practical if you're filming with the display pointed in your direction.

Image quality and ISO

The A7S III has a brand-new full-frame sensor with a 12.1MP resolution. Sony made a purposeful choice to keep the resolution low. While Canon's rival offers up to 45MP and 8K video capture, the A7S III steadfastly sticks with large pixels and a 4K maximum. Its mission is straightforward: to be the best 4K video camera possible, excelling at high-ISO, low-light shooting. The A7S III is a liberating camera to use because photographs taken at sensitivities between ISO 2000 and 4000 appear to have been shot closer to 200–400. Of course, you can raise the ISO much higher. Even with the ISO set above 40,000, it still produces decent videos for some kinds of videos.

Autofocus and video performance

The A7S III boasts a superb, fully-customizable focusing system with 759 phase-detection AF points and eye-tracking technology for both humans and animals that is reportedly 30% faster than its predecessor. This works well in conjunction with both optical and electronic stabilization, the latter of which has a slight crop factor. You can shoot 4K at up to 120 frames per second, allowing you a ton of creative freedom. Because it can supersample the full sensor, the A7S III offers the finest HD quality of any Sony mirrorless camera while shooting in 1080p. For super slow-mo effects, it also supports 240 frames per second.

Storage

Since there are two UHS-II card slots that also accept the newest CFexpress Type A (opens in new tab) cards, Sony has really outdone itself in terms of storage. These are sufficient for the majority of codecs if you utilize quick SD cards. However, you require CFexpress Type A cards if you use the most taxing settings, such as 4K/120p, S&Q, and All-Intra.

Build and handling

Although the Fujifilm X-H2 is not a particularly large camera, it offers a deep grip for a firm grasp and some room around the controls. These switch to a normal mode dial instead of the typical exterior controls of the Fujifilm X-T4. Fujifilm chose extensive customization over body filled-in buttons, and this has no fewer than 7 unique settings. The rear screen is excellent - it's fantastic to have a truly vari-angle screen rather than a mere tilting screen. The 5.76m-dot EVF is incredibly crisp and clear, as you would expect from that quality. A 3-inch 1.62 m-dot vari-angle touchscreen is located beneath the EVF and can be turned to face practically any direction, even directly forwards. This makes it ideal for recording videos and vlogging.

Focus, IBIS

A 160-megapixel multi-shot pixel-shift mode, which combines 20 individual images into one, is added to the X-new H2's 40MP APS-C X-Trans sensor, which is already a high-resolution in and of itself. Due to the special color filter array of the X-Trans sensor design, there are 20 photos instead of the standard 16, and the multi-shot merging is done later on a computer rather than in-camera. The camera also has Fujifilm's innovative AI-based subject identification focusing system, which can recognize people, animals, birds, and many sorts of vehicles, thanks to the integration of the most recent X-Processor 5. Alternatively, you can choose to manually select either 117 or 425 focus points.

Video specs

When the camera is used with lenses that have optical image stabilization (OIS), this can operate in concert with the 5-axis in-body stabilization (IBIS) for better stabilization. The 5-axis IBIS claims up to 7 stops of shaking correction. Additionally, the X-H2 offers 8K output at 30 frames per second, 4K at 60 frames per second, or Full HD at 240 frames per second, all in 10-bit 4:2:2 color. Internally, ProRes recording is supported, and HDMI output is available in either ProRes or BlackMagic raw.

Build and appearance

The X-S10 initially has the appearance of a larger, deeper Fujifilm X-T4 with a slightly smaller sensor. Due to that grip, the size difference isn't much different from the X-T4 in actual use. The X-S10 won't fit in your pocket, but at 465g, it is significantly lighter than its sister - about three-quarters the weight of the X-T4. A magnesium alloy construction also gives it a more upscale appearance. The smaller AF joystick serves in place of the d-pad on the back of the X-S10, making it more difficult to navigate through its settings than on higher-end X-series cameras. The X-S10 is still a great camera to shoot with and it's great to see an AF joystick included for selecting autofocus points.

Viewfinder and connections

The viewfinder, S10's a 2.36 million-dot device with a maximum refresh rate of 100 frames per second, is adequate but not outstanding, and its vari-angle touchscreen, which can be rotated 180 degrees to face the front, makes it useful for both video and still photography. Although tilting screens on stills-focused cameras like the X-T30 may be preferred by photographers, the versatility of this screen is unquestionably advantageous for lone videographers or vloggers. The presence of a 3.5mm mic input for using external microphones enhances those vlogging credentials. The Micro HDMI port, which allows you to send 10-bit 4:2:2 video to an external recorder, is located above a USB-C port, which may also serve as a headphone socket with an extra converter.

Video capabilities

It's a great tiny camera for recording videos and vlogging as well. For a 10x slow motion effect, it can record uncropped 4K/30p footage and Full HD at up to 240p. Along with F-Log recording (which preserves greater dynamic range than compressed formats), the X-S10 also has a micro HDMI connector that may be used to output 4:2:2 10-bit video. Excellent video quality is also a distinctive feature of this camera. The X-S10 shoots Full HD at up to 240p, which results in noisy but useable slo-mo, or uncropped 4K/30p video, giving you many choices over your video recording. You may also continuously shoot 4K for up to 30 minutes, which is not possible with the Fujifilm X-T30.

Build and build

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is exceptionally light and small, just like its predecessor. However, Olympus was able to reduce the Mark IV's weight by 27g, making it even more portable. The body material chosen to build a light camera is typically where the trade-off occurs. Compared to more expensive cameras, such as the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III, Mark IV's body is composed of plastic.

Image quality and sensor

The 20MP Live MOS sensor, an improvement over the 16MP sensor used in the previous generation, is one of the main new features of the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV. This aligns the E-M10 series with the most recent iterations of the E-M5 and E-M1 series, which use 20MP sensors as well. Action photographers may like the significantly increased burst rate of 15 fps, although that can only be obtained by locking the focus point at the first frame of the series; when constantly autofocusing, the EM-10 Mark IV can only operate at a relatively modest maximum speed of 6.5 fps.

Stabilization

A small in-body image stabilization mechanism with up to 4.5 EV steps of adjustment and 15 fps high-speed sequential shooting is another feature of the Mark IV. For continuous focusing on moving subjects, Continuous AF precision has also been increased. The Face Priority/Eye Priority AF can now focus on faces that are in profile or looking downward, which should make it easier for users to take excellent portraits even from unusual angles.

Shooting modes

A number of shooting modes are available on the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV, including AUTO, SCN (Scene), AP (Advanced Photo), and Art Filter. Panoramas, HDR, and other difficult shooting techniques are made accessible to beginners via the AP mode. While not especially helpful in more serious shooting scenarios, the Art Filter mode has a range of filters that are fun to experiment with.

Ergonomic and design

On the left side of the top plate of the A1, there are dials for focusing and driving mode. These parameters are hidden away in menus on A7 models, but the direct access knobs on the A1 focus entirely on making it quick and simple to modify these settings. The camera is super similar to other full-frame Sony mirrorless bodies in terms of how it feels in the hand, and it utilizes the same NP-FZ100 battery as more recent Sony Alpha models from the past couple of years, so it will easily fit into existing Sony kits. The A1 is pleasant to carry with ordinary lenses because it weighs 737g with a memory card and battery, but when using larger telephoto lenses, a battery grip improves the balance of the camera and lens and consequently improves comfort.

Image quality and sensor

The sensor and processor are the core components of every camera, around which all other features and functions revolve. Incredible image quality and speed are provided by its 50.1MP full-frame Exmor R BSI CMOS sensor, which is driven by dual Bionz XR image processors. The A1 can shoot at up to 30 frames per second with a buffer that can store up to 155 compressed raw files or 165 JPEGs thanks to this combination, which also produces detailed photos. The A1 does not fall short when it comes to image quality. Even studio photographers would be delighted with the quantity of detail that the 50.1MP stacked CMOS sensor captures. Not to mention the exceptional high ISO noise response and 15 stops of dynamic range, both of which add to the excellent image quality.

Video Capabilities

The ability to record in numerous raw formats, such as S-Cinetone and S-Log3, and capture video at up to 8K at 30fps in 10-bit 4:2:0 and 4K at 120/60fps in 10-bit 4:2:2, is another feature that is made possible by this combination. The latter is said to offer a dynamic range of more than 15 stops. It is also possible to match footage with some of Sony's cinema cameras and professional camcorders thanks to the incorporation of S-Gamut3 and S-Gamut3.Cine. Additionally, there is an HDMI-based 16-bit raw output to an external recorder.

Build and handling

The Lumix S5 maintains the weatherproof shell and tank-like construction of the other Lumix S-series cameras. All of the major seams on its magnesium alloy complete die-cast body, which is splash- and dust-proof, are tightly sealed. The S5 is perfectly balanced for vlogging at roughly 1kg with its LUMIX S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens attached. You will be totally in the image with an extended arm and lots of room for geographic background. I really adore the S5's overall ergonomics.

Resolution and shutter

The Lumix S5 has big pixels that are roughly 5.93 microns in size due to its higher surface area and modest 24.2MP resolution. Additionally, the S5 boasts a high dynamic range, valued at about 14 stops, which helps noise management in low light conditions. This assertion is supported by the new Sony A7C, although neither it nor any other full-frame camera at this price point can compete with the S5's specifications. Both the 7fps mechanical shutter and the 6K-photo mode can be used to capture moving subjects. The former can record at 30 frames per second for up to 15 minutes while the latter lets you extract 18MP stills from the captured video.

Autofocus

There has been a substantial improvement in autofocus from the S1/S1R, and it consistently performs admirably in most circumstances. There is hardly any background pulsing or hunting. When capturing portraits and people pictures, the ability to distinguish subjects like eyes and heads is helpful since it can track moving subjects that move in a regular rhythm.