If you’re looking for the best camera for product photography in 2023, you’ve come to the right place.
In this blog post, we’ll compare 9 different mirrorless cameras that are perfect for product photography for 3 different levels of photographer experience: beginners, professionals, and experts.
Whether you’re a beginner just starting out or you’re looking to upgrade your photo equipment, we’ve got you covered!
If you’re looking for a quick answer, the best camera for product photography is Sony A7 IV. It has a 33-megapixel full-frame Exmor R CMOS sensor and it is packed with features for still photography and video for many years to come.
We highly recommend you read this in-depth article to discover 8 other cameras which are great for product photography. Additionally, at the end of this article, you will find useful tips which you should consider when choosing a product photography camera.
Best Product Photography Cameras for Beginners
The Canon EOS M6 Mark II is our top pick for the best camera for product photography for beginners. It’s a great entry-level mirrorless camera that offers excellent image quality and features at a very reasonable price point. This camera has a 32.5 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, which is plenty of resolution for most product photography applications.
It also has Canon’s excellent Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus system with 5481 autofocus points, which makes it quick and easy to focus on your subject. It is also a very compact camera, making it easy to carry around with you when youŗe out shooting products.
Canon EOS M6 Mark II Features Related to Product Photography
- 32.5MP APS-C CMOS sensor
- DIGIC 8 image processor
- Dual Pixel CMOS AF with 5481 AF points
- 3.0″ rear touchscreen flips up by 180° or down by 45°
- DIGIC 8 image processor
- USB 2.0 port with Type-C connector
- Weighs only 408 grams
- 25,600 ISO sensitivity
Pros of the Canon EOS M6 Mark II
- Exceptional dual pixel autofocus technology
- Beautiful Canon colour science
- Affordable camera (~ $1,099, check the latest price here)
- Great selection of high-quality interchangeable lenses
Cons of the Canon EOS M6 Mark II
- Although Canon lenses are great, there are not that many native M-Mount lenses available at the moment.
- Some people might not like the optional viewfinder
The Nikon Z5 is our second pick for the best camera for product photography for beginners. It’s a great camera that offers excellent image quality and features at a very reasonable price point. The Nikon Z5 digital camera has a 24.3-megapixel FX-Format CMOS sensor, which delivers outstanding image quality and is also capable to record high-quality 4K videos if needed.
It is also important to highlight, that Nikon Z5 is an entry-level full-frame camera. This means, that it features a larger sensor in comparison to cameras with APS-C crop sensors. In general, you will get a better depth of field and image quality out of full-frame cameras in comparison to cameras with a crop sensor.
Also, Nikon Z5 features a dual SD card slot, which is also a very important factor, which can help you prevent problems in case one of your SD cards will be damaged during or after the product photoshoot.
Nikon Z5 Features Related to Product Photography
- 24.3MP FX-Format CMOS full-frame sensor
- 3.2″ 1.04m-Dot tilting touchscreen LCD
- Dual SD UHS-II card slots
- 3.6m-Dot OLED electronic viewfinder
- EXPEED 6 image processor
- 5-Axis sensor-shift vibration reduction
- UHD 4K and full HD video recording
- ISO 100-51200
Pros of the Nikon Z5
- Very good and well thought out ergonomics
- Affordable full-frame camera (~ $1,296, check the latest price here)
- Dual card slots (for backup or more storage)
- A reasonably good kit lens
- Available lenses for all budget levels
Cons of the Nikon Z5
- No front-facing screen
- Not inexpensive in general, but not as costly as many other full-frame cameras.
The FUJIFILM X-S10 is our third pick for the best camera for product photography for beginners. The FUJIFILM X-S10 has a 26.1 megapixel APS-C X-Trans BSI CMOS 4 sensor, which is a great sensor for product photography. It also has an advanced autofocus system with 425 phase-detection autofocus points, which makes it quick and easy to focus on your subject.
The FUJIFILM X-S10 also has a tilting 3.0″ 1.04m-dot LCD screen and a fully articulating touchscreen, which makes it easy to take photos from different angles. The FUJIFILM X-S is a great camera for product photography for beginners because it has a very intuitive menu, a lot of features, great autofocus, and in-body stabilization.
Also, if the aesthetics of the camera is an important factor for you, you can’t go wrong with the FUJIFILM X-S10 camera. This camera features a beautiful, retro-inspired design with physical controls, including a dedicated exposure mode dial and two additional top dials, for quick and intuitive control over the camera and exposure settings.
FUJIFILM X-S10 Features Related to Product Photography
- 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans BSI CMOS 4 sensor
- 5-Axis in-body image stabilization
- The 425-point hybrid AF system
- 3.0″ 1.04m-dot vari-angle touchscreen
- X-Processor 4 image processor
- 2.36m-dot 0.62x OLED EVF
- ISO 160-12800, up to 8 fps shooting
Pros of the FUJIFILM X-S10
- A very good price and feature ratio (~ $999, check the latest price here)
- Superb image quality
- Many features for an amazingly competitive price
- Very good in-body image stabilization
- The workflow and menu system is very intuitive even for absolute beginners
- The kit lens is the best in its class
- A wide range of native fuji x lens mount lenses for every budget
Cons of the FUJIFILM X-S10
- Not a lot of custom buttons on the camera body
- Autofocus is not as good as Sony or dual-pixel Canon
Best Product Photography Cameras for Professional Photographers
#1. SONY A7 IV
The fourth-generation SONY A7 IV is the perfect camera for product photography for professionals. Announced in 2022, SONY A7 IV is the most advanced SONY A7 mirrorless camera, incorporating many of Sony’s advancements in terms of autofocus and user interface design since the release of the a7 III, back in February 2018.
Quick fact: The SONY A7 IV is a #1 best seller in the mirrorless camera category on B&H, one of the most popular photo gear online shops in the world.
The SONY A7 IV digital camera features a 33-megapixel full-frame Exmor R CMOS sensor, which is great for product photography. It also has a BIONZ X image processor, which is very good for handling noise and color reproduction. The SONY A7 IV has an advanced artificial intelligence-based autofocus system with 759 phase-detection points for quick and precise focusing in a variety of lighting conditions with sensitivity down to -4 EV, which makes it quick and easy to focus on your subject.
The Sony A7 IV also has a side-opening 3.0″ 1.03m-dot vari-angle articulating screen that can be used in either a front-facing or tilted up or down position to suit working from high or low angles. This LCD is also a touchscreen, allowing for intuitive shooting management and menu navigation.
Features Related to Product Photography
- 33MP full-frame Exmor R CMOS sensor
- 3″ 1.03m-dot vari-angle touchscreen LCD
- 3.68m-dot EVF with 120 fps refresh rate
- 759-Pt. fast hybrid AF, real-time eye autofocus
- 5-Axis SteadyShot Image Stabilization
- ISO 100-51200
Pros of the SONY A7 IV
- Exceptional image quality
- Advanced autofocus system
- In-body stabilization
- A great selection of native Sony lenses and inexpensive 3rd party lens options available in 2022
- Flip out screen
- Features for many years to come
- Outstanding dynamic range
- Great battery life
Cons of the SONY A7 IV
- It is quite expensive (~ $2,500, check the latest price here)
- An LCD display could be better at this price range
- Sony menu navigation can be a little confusing at the beginning
The Canon EOS R5 is our second-best digital camera for product photography professionals. The Canon EOS R5 is a high-end full-frame mirrorless camera and the R line flagship model. The key features of the Canon EOS R5 that make it a great camera for product photography are the 45MP full-frame sensor, the in-body image stabilization (IBIS) with up to eight stops of compensation, and the advanced autofocus system with eye detection, which can be very helpful if you will work with models to shoot lifestyle product photography.
The Canon EOS R line cameras are known for their great ergonomics and the R camera body is no different. The handgrip has been designed to be comfortable even when using large and heavy lenses. The button layout is very intuitive and easy to use, even if you are coming from a different camera system.
The EOS R5 is powered by an advanced LP-E6NH battery, which adds 20 percent more capacity than older LP-E6N batteries, letting you capture 490 shots on a single charge.
The Canon EOS R line cameras also have great weather sealing, which is important if you will be shooting in different environments.
Features Related to Product Photography
- 45MP full-frame sensor
- In-body image stabilization (IBIS) with up to eight stops of compensation
- Advanced autofocus system
- DIGIC X image processor
- Sensor-Shift 5-Axis image stabilization
- Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with 1053 Points
- 3.2″ vari-angle touchscreen LCD
- CFexpress & SD UHS-II memory card slots
Pros of the Canon R5
- High-resolution sensor (45 megapixels)
- Superb image quality with very sharp images
- Excellent dynamic range performance
- Best-in-class image stabilization
- The sturdy build of the camera body
Cons of the Canon R5
- Professional photographers might get it, but it’s beyond the budget of amateur and novice product photographers. (~ $3,899, check the latest price here)
- Some users have reported overheating problems (particularly when recording videos, but some users report the overheating problem even for still photographs).
- Aging menu system
The Sony A7C is our third camera pick for product photography professionals. The Sony A7C is a top-notch camera that offers high-quality images, an advanced autofocus system, in-body stabilization, and a very compact and lightweight body made out of magnesium alloy. The A7 series cameras are known for their great image quality, and the A7C is no different. The 24.2MP full-frame sensor captures amazing detail and color with low noise levels. The autofocus system is very fast and accurate, thanks to the advanced 693-Point Hybrid AF System.
Sony A7C also has a weather-sealed design for use in a variety of conditions, which is great if you are working outside of your product photography studio or use your professional camera for family trips where weather conditions sometimes can be unpredictable.
Interesting fact: Sony A7C is the smallest and lightest full-frame camera in the world.
Features Related to Product Photography
- Advanced 24.2 megapixels back-illuminated 35mm full-frame image sensor
- 2.36m-dot OLED electronic viewfinder
- 3” flip-out, vari-angle LCD makes framing and vlogging easy
- 5-axis in-body image stabilization
- BIONZ X image processor
- 693 phase-detection / 425 contrast AF points w/ 93% image coverage
- 3.0″ 921.6k-dot vari-angle touchscreen
- Shooting up to 10 fps, ISO 50-204800
Pros of the Sony A7C
- Compact and lightweight body design (Compared to other A7-series cameras, the A7C is approximately 20% smaller and lighter)
- The full-frame sensor in a very compact camera body
- A lot of new and inexpensive 3rd party lens options available in 2022
- Flip out screen
- It has a very good battery life (it has a CIPA rating of 740 shots per charge when using the LCD or 680 shots when using the EVF)
- Very good dynamic range
- Room to grow in the full-frame arena for beginner and professional product photographers
- Features for many years to come
Cons of the Sony A7C
- Pricey (~ $1,798, check the latest price here)
- Button options are limited
- Sony menu navigation can be a little confusing at the beginning
Best Product Photography Cameras for Experts
#1. SONY Alpha 1
The SONY Alpha 1 is our top pick when it comes to the best product photography cameras for experts. The Sony Alpha 1 is one of the best cameras for product photography on the market. It has a 50-megapixel sensor that can capture amazing shots with lots of detail. This camera was designed for professional photographers who need a very high-resolution camera to produce high-quality images with lots of details for large prints or for cropping purposes.
Interesting fact: The Sony Alpha 1 has received a “Gold Award” from dpreview.com, a well-known product photography equipment review website.
The Sony Alpha 1 is the company’s flagship interchangeable lens camera, with a 50MP sensor that can capture 50-megapixel images up to 30 times per second, record 8K video at up to 30 fps, and make 120 autofocus calculations every second. There is not much that Sony Alpha 1 can’t do.
Features Related to Product Photography
- 50.1-megapixel full-frame stacked Exmor RS™ CMOS sensor with integral memory
- 8x more powerful2, next-generation BIONZ XR image processing engine
- World’s first anti-flicker mechanical and electronic shutter
- Dual drive mechanical shutter for up to 1/400 sec. flash sync
- 9.44m-dot EVF with 240 fps refresh rate
- 5-axis SteadyShot image stabilization
- 759-Pt. fast hybrid AF, real-time eye autofocus
Pros of the SONY Alpha 1
- The best of the Sony’s cameras in one body
- Does everything really well (still images and video recordings)
- Autofocus is better than ever
- Amazing viewfinder quality
- Lossless compressed RAW images
- Great white balance performance due to the new White Balance sensor
- Stunning dynamic range and ISO performance
Cons of SONY Alpha 1
- Incredibly expensive (~ $6,498, check the latest price here)
- 1.44 million dot LCD screen seems insufficient for such an expensive camera
- The LCD screen is limited to basic tilt capabilities rather than a fully articulating screen
The Fujifilm GFX 100 is our second best pick when it comes to the best product photography cameras for experts. The Fujifilm GFX 100 is a medium format mirrorless camera with a 102-megapixel sensor. This camera produces some of the most detailed images that you can get from any digital camera today. It’s a great choice for photographers who need the highest quality images possible.
The GFX 100 is the successor to the GFX 50S, and it inherits many of that camera’s best features while adding some important new ones. The most notable improvement is the new 102MP sensor, which offers twice the resolution of its predecessor. This allows the GFX 100 to produce extremely high-resolution images that are suitable for large prints and heavy cropping.
Other notable features include in-body image stabilization (IBIS), phase detection autofocus (PDAF), and a fully articulating LCD screen. The GFX 100 is also the first Fujifilm camera to offer video recording at up to 30 fps in DCI and UHD resolutions.
Interesting fact: The Fujifilm GFX 100 offers three “World’s Firsts” including:
- World’s first medium format mirrorless camera with in-body image stabilization (IBIS).
- World’s first medium format camera to feature phase-detection pixels built-in to the sensor.
- The first medium format (43.8mmx32.9mm) mirrorless digital camera with 4K video recording (4K/30P).
Features Related to Product Photography
- 102MP 43.8 x 32.9mm BSI CMOS sensor
- 3.2″ 2.36m-dot tilting LCD touchscreen
- 425-point phase-detection autofocus
- 400MP pixel shift multi-shot
- X-processor 4 image processor
- 3.69m-dot OLED EVF
- 5-Axis sensor-shift image stabilization
- ISO 100-12800
Pros of the FUJIFILM GFX 100
- World-beating image quality
- Extremely high build quality
- Excellent price for a 102mp medium format camera (~ $5,999, check the current price here)
- Stabilized 100MP sensor
- Dual-hinge rear display
- In-camera Raw processing
- Great dynamic range
Cons of the FUJIFILM GFX 100
- Some users note that the handgrip is a little too small for the camera
- Mediocre autofocus compared to Sony and Canon
- Could have a better EVF at this price range
The Hasselblad X1D II 50C is our third best pick when it comes to the best cameras for product photography. The Hasselblad X1D II 50C is a medium format mirrorless camera with a 50-megapixel sensor. This camera produces some of the most detailed images that you can get from any digital camera today. It’s a great choice for photographers who need the highest quality images possible.
The X1D II 50C is the successor to the original X1D, and it inherits many of that camera’s best features while adding some important new ones. The most notable improvement is the new 50MP 43.8 x 32.9mm CMOS sensor, which offers twice the resolution of its predecessor. This allows the X1D II 50C to produce extremely high-resolution images that are suitable for professional photography.
Interesting fact: The XID II 50C is the first digital camera to be released with the new Hasselblad Natural Color Solution (HNCS) technology. This technology promises accurate colors and improved skin tones.
Features Related to Product Photography
- 50MP 43.8 x 32.9mm CMOS sensor
- 3.6″ 2.36m-dot touchscreen LCD
- ISO 100-25600
- 16-Bit Color, 14-Stop dynamic range
- 0.87x 3.69m-dot electronic viewfinder
- Leaf shutter system, 1/2000 sec sync
- Dual SD UHS-II memory card slots
Pros of the Hasselblad X1D II 50C
- Excellent image quality
- Compact medium-format camera
- Excellent ergonomics and feel
- Crisp OLED EVF
- Dual UHS-II card slots
- Advanced iPad application
- Looks very unique and interesting
Cons of the Hasselblad X1D II 50C
- Video recording isn’t available
- It is pricey (~ $5,750, check the current price here)
- The autofocus on this camera is incredibly slow in comparison to other modern mirrorless cameras
- No eye or face detection, and no continuous autofocus modes
- No rear joystick to select focus points
To Sum Up
The best mirrorless cameras for product photography for beginners:
The best mirrorless cameras for product photography for professionals:
The best mirrorless cameras for product photography for experts:
As you can see, there are a lot of great options when it comes to the best cameras for product photography. Each product photography camera has its own set of features and benefits that make it unique. We hope that this blog post has helped you narrow down your choices and find the best product photography camera for your needs.
But before you go, we’ve got a few more tips that we’d like to share with you to help you choose the best product photography camera for your needs.
What To Consider When Choosing a Camera For Product Photography?
When it comes to choosing a camera for product photography, there are a few things you need to consider:
- Price of the camera – If you are just starting out, you may not want to invest too much money into a high-end camera start with something relatively inexpensive and switch to a more expensive camera once you have perfected your craft.
- Price of camera lenses – When purchasing a new digital camera, it normally comes with a standard kit lens. You may begin your product photography career with the kit lens and proceed to a more professional lens specifically built for product photography as needed. Lens prices vary quite significantly from one brand to another, so when purchasing a new digital camera, it is best to take into account lens prices and the range of different lenses that is available from the brand of the camera you consider.
- Sensor size – Sensor size is an important factor when choosing a digital camera. Most mass-market cameras come either with a crop sensor or a full-frame sensor. The primary difference between crop sensors and full-frame sensors is the physical size of the sensor within the camera. Full-frame sensors are 35mm x 24mm in size, whereas crop sensors are smaller than this and may vary in size. A larger sensor will result in better photo quality, but it will also mean that the camera body and lenses are larger, which can be a drawback if you plan to do a lot of traveling with your equipment.
- Megapixels – The megapixel count is another important factor to consider when choosing a digital camera. Megapixels refer to the number of pixels that make up an image sensor. The more megapixels, the more detail the sensor can capture, and the larger you can print your images without losing quality. However, it is important to note that megapixels are not everything – a higher megapixel count does not necessarily mean better photo quality and you should not choose a camera based solely on the number of megapixels.
What Camera Features Do You Need for Product Photography?
There are a few key features that you should look for when choosing a camera for product photography:
- Interchangeable lenses – some mirrorless cameras come with fixed lenses, the ones which you cannot unmount from your camera, meaning that you will always be using the same lens. For some scenarios, this is enough, for example, if you look for a compact travel camera, but if you are planning to do commercial work as a product photographer, you definitely need a camera with interchangeable lenses. This way, you can mount different lenses depending on the product you are shooting and the effect you want to achieve.
- High-resolution sensors – as we have mentioned before, megapixels are not everything, but when it comes to product photography, you definitely need a high-resolution sensor to make sure that all the details in the photo are sharp. Also, keep in mind that some clients may give you specific guidelines for the photo gear they expect you to use during the commercial photoshoot and in most cases, they will require you to have a camera with at least a 24 megapixels sensor. If your client is planning to print photos in really big sizes you will need a camera with a higher megapixel count.
- A good autofocus system – Autofocus is an important feature for all types of photography, but it is especially important for product photography as you will often be taking photos of small objects that are close up. Look for a digital camera with a good autofocus system so that you can take sharp, detailed photos of your products.
- Dynamic range performance – Dynamic range is the measure of the darkest and lightest tones that a camera can capture in an image. A good dynamic range will allow you to take photos in both dark and light areas without losing detail in either. This is important for product photography as you often need to take photos of products with a lot of different colors and shades.
Conclusion
There is a lot to consider when choosing a digital camera for product photography, but we hope that our list of cameras for product photography and tips will help you choose the best camera for product photography.
If you still have questions, feel free to get in touch with us using the Contact page. We normally respond to all inquiries within one working day.
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