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Updated Oct 17, 2024
By the time you’re spending over $2,500, you’re looking at getting one of the best cameras around. You should expect it to deliver exceedingly detailed images and capture high-end video, all without having to compromise much on speed for when the action picks up.
For most applications, a camera around $2000 will be more than enough, but if you and your photography need the very highest image quality or some specialist capability, the cameras in this guide are among the best we’ve yet seen. There are a handful of dedicated sports/photojournalism cameras or luxury models above the $4000 upper limit we’ve set ourselves, but these are usually such singular offerings that we’re assuming you don’t need our help in choosing if you’re seriously considering them.
At this level, there aren’t really any bad picks, so if you have any investment at all in the lens system of one company, this should probably be the deciding factor for you. But we’ll highlight the particular strengths we found in each camera, just in case you are planning to switch systems.
Our recommendations:
- Best high-end camera: Canon EOS R5 II
- Another great option: Nikon Z8
- The compact option: Sony a7CR
- High-spec high res: Sony a7R V
- IQ above all else: Fujifilm GFX 50S II
- Best for video: Sony FX3
Best high-end camera: Canon EOS R5 II
45MP Stacked CMOS sensor | Eye-controlled AF subject selection | Up to 30fps continuous shooting
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The EOS R5 II is one of the most all-around capable cameras we’ve tested. Photo: Richard Butler |
What we like:
- Excellent image quality in a range of circumstances
- Very fast autofocus with great subject tracking
- Good video support tools, including waveform display
What we don’t:
- Slight reduction in dynamic range in extreme scenarios
- Eye control can be tempermental
- Temperature limits require considered shooting in heaviest video modes
See the EOS R5 II Studio Scene
Should I still buy the EOS R5?
Short answer: yes. It lacks some of the newer camera’s features like eye-controlled subject selection, action priority modes and AI noise reduction, but if those don’t matter to you – or aren’t worth the $400 MSRP premium of the EOS R5 II – the EOS R5 is still plenty capable in 2024.
Another great option: Nikon Z8
46MP Stacked CMOS sensor | 20fps Raw, 30fps full-size JPEG shooting | 8K/60 and 4K/120 video
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The Nikon Z8 delivers just about everything: speed, AF, video and, most importantly of all, image quality. Photo: Richard Butler |
What we like:
- Superb autofocus
- Fast shooting
- Excellent video
What we don’t:
- Large, heavy body
- Relatively low-res (though fast) viewfinder
- Not all subject detection modes equally good
The Nikon Z8 is a fast-shooting stills and video-capable mirrorless camera with a 46MP Stacked CMOS sensor. It’s an extremely strong competitor compared to the EOS R5 II, but Canon’s action sports settings and eye control push it over the edge.
If those things don’t matter much to you, you can pretty much base your decision on whether you prefer Nikon or Canon’s lens lineup. They’re broadly similar, and both brands tightly control which options third-party manufacturers can offer. Still, there are some key differences, like how Nikon’s Z mount 70-200mm F2.8 can be used with a teleconverter while Canon’s RF-mount version can’t.
The compact option: Sony a7CR
61MP BSI CMOS sensor | 4K/60p video with 10-bit color | Dedicated ‘AI’ processor for AF system
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You can’t do much to shrink the lenses, but the a7CR is both the smallest and least expensive camera here. Photo: Richard Butler |
Buy now:
What we like:
- Big camera features in a small body
- Outstanding AF performance
- Auto Framing video mode
What we don’t:
- Small, low-res viewfinder
- No joystick control
- No fully mechanical shutter
The Sony a7CR is a compact, full-frame camera with a 61MP BSI CMOS sensor. Despite its small size, it packs in most of the features found in Sony’s larger bodies while still delivering stunning detail, without sacrificing much performance.
Read our Sony a7CR initial review
High-spec high res: Sony a7R V
61MP BSI CMOS sensor | 8K/30p video | Subject recognition AF
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| Photo: Richard Butler |
Buy now:
What we like:
- Very detailed Raw files with excellent dynamic range
- Tilt/articulating display suits both photo and video
- Very reliable autofocus, especially for human subjects
What we don’t:
- Pixel shift high res and focus stacking require desktop s/w
- Severe rolling shutter for e-shutter and many video modes
The Sony a7R V is the company’s fifth-generation high-res full-frame mirrorless camera, built around a stabilized 61MP sensor.
The Sony a7R V is focused more on high resolution than the combination of resolution and speed that the Nikon Z8 and EOS R5 II offer. It can shoot 8K video but only with a major crop and significant rolling shutter.
As a high-resolution studio or landscape camera, the a7R V is very, very good, but the existence of the a7CR, which offers much of the same capability in a smaller, less expensive body, is its biggest threat. It offers a much nicer viewfinder, faster USB connector for tethering, and better Wi-Fi than the a7CR, but except in the case of shooting wide apertures and fast shutter speeds together, there’s no difference in image quality.
See the Sony a7RV studio scene
Should I still buy a Sony a7R IV?
The Sony a7R IV offers essentially the same image quality as the newer Mark V, and costs less, so it’s still worth taking seriously. It’s a less capable video camera, not so much because of the lack of 8K capture – which isn’t the Mark V’s best feature, by any means – but due to the lack of 10-bit recording, which gives the V’s footage more editing flexibility.
For stills shooters, the older camera doesn’t have the more sophisticated subject recognition AF of the Mark V, nor options such as focus bracketing, motion correction to make the high-res mode more useful, or the latest 2×2 MIMO Wi-Fi and 10Gbps USB port of the V.
IQ above all else: Fujifilm GFX 50S II
51MP CMOS sensor | In-body stabilization system (up to 6.5EV) | Full HD video at up to 30p
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| Photo: Richard Butler |
Buy now:
What we like:
- The most affordable medium-format ILC yet
- Photographer-friendly ergonomics, with lots of customization
- Effective in-body stabilization
What we don’t:
- Contrast-detect AF is slower than its peers
- Image quality not signficantly better than the best full-frame
- Eye-detection AF isn’t as dependable as rival systems
- Unimpressive video specifications (HD only)
The Fujifilm GFX 50S II is a (relatively) compact 50MP medium format mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with built-in image stabilization.
The GFX 50S II is perhaps the most specialized here: it’s not especially fast or versatile but in terms of image quality, it has a slight edge over the best of its full-frame rivals (some of which comes from its lenses – the GF primes often being particularly good). The more expensive 100MP versions offer a more significant IQ advantage, but for landscape and studio work, the 50S II is still very good.
Read our Fujifilm GFX 50S II review
See the Fujifilm GFX 50S II studio scene
Best for video: Sony FX3
12MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor | Full-width 4K/60p, 120p w/ slight crop | 10-bit 4:2:2 capture
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Buy now:
What we like:
- Excellent video quality
- XLR top-handle included
- Fan for extended recording
What we don’t:
- No DCI video options
- No viewfinder for stills shooters
- No shutter angle option
The Sony FX3 is part of Sony’s Cinema line of cameras, but we’ve included it here because it shares so much in common with the a7S III, but is a better choice, we feel.
It loses out on a viewfinder, compared to the a7S III, but gains dependability and extended recording times thanks to the addition of a cooling fan. It appears to cost a little more on paper but the FX3 comes with a top handle with built-in XLR adapters, which is an expensive add-on to the a7S III. Sony has also added some video-centric features, such as EI exposure to the FX3 that haven’t then appeared on its more stills-focused cameras.
You may also consider the EOS R5C, which is essentially a video-focused version of the original EOS R5. Compared to the FX3, it gains a fan but omits an image stabilization mechanism, though we prefer the more compact form-factor of the Sony, anyway, especially if you plan to shoot on a gimbal.
Why you should trust us
This buying guide is based on cameras used and tested by DPReview’s editorial team. We don’t select a camera until we’ve used it enough to be confident in recommending it, usually after our extensive review process. The selections are purely a reflection of which cameras we believe to be best: there are no financial incentives for us to select one model or brand over another.
Author:
This article comes from DP Review and can be read on the original site.
