Best Professional Camera (Full Frame DSLRs)

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Are you looking for a new professional camera?

Picking a camera use to be easy, it all depended on how much money you had to spend. Now, with the same money amount you can buy a wide variety of cameras. And sometimes, choices you have are overwhelming. You have to take everything into account and find the camera that is best suited for you.

We have reviewed some of the best full-frame cameras, in hope to help you choose the one that will fit your needs the most. Also we’ve added most important things to look for in a camera to make your decision making easier.

Dive in, and good luck!

Professional Camera Comparison Table

CAMERAMEGAPIXELSISOAF POINTSVIDEO RESOLUTIONCONTINUOUS SHOOTINGBATTERY LIFEWEIGHTPRICE
1. Canon 5D Mark IV30.4100-32000614096 x 21607.0 fps900 shots890gNo products found.
2. Canon EOS 5DS50.6100-6400611920 ×10805.0 fps700 shots930gNo products found.
3. Nikon D8103664-12800511920 x 10805.0 fps1200 shots980gNo products found.
4. Nikon D75024100-12800511920 x 10806.5 fps1230 shots750gNo products found.
5. Nikon D521100-1024001533840 x 216014.0 fps3780 shots1415gNo products found.
6. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II20100-51200614096 x 216016.0 fps1210 shots1530gNo products found.
7. Sony Alpha a99 II42100-256003993840 x 216012.0 fps490 shots849gNo products found.

The winner: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

This is a clear winner.

Mark II is a specialty model, made for those who shoot action, sports or wildlife. But, many found that this camera can do anything you want it to do. Mark II features 61-point AF system, 14 fps continuous shooting, 20 MP sensor and 4K video capture capabilities. Only objection for this camera is the price, but it is worth that amount of money.

Get Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

Best value deal: Nikon D750

Nikon D750 is a perfect choice for those who are just starting out as professionals. At just under $2,000.00, D750 comes with a great price tag. Images you’ll capture with this model, will look impressive due to a 24 MP sensor and 51- point AF system. Capturing a moving subject will be easy wit 6.5 fps burst shooting. If you’re still not set, take a look at our other reviews.

Get Nikon D750

Customer reviews

 

Canon EOS-1D X Mark II: I love everything about this camera!

This is the best purchase in my professional career. I use it mainly for sports photography, but 1D X Mark II performs amazingly in every situation. Autofocus is extremely fast and accurate, you will always end up with a sharp photo. Image and video quality are astounding, and colors are magnificent! Everything about this camera is just perfect! It’s a bit pricier, but this should be your choice if you can afford it. It doesn’t matter what type of photography you are interested, you will always get great images, this camera is a beast in every way!

Read more reviews here.

Nikon D750: Does just about everything well!

If you are aspiring to be a professional photographer, this is the camera you should go with! Nikon D750 is an outstanding camera, and it’s not as expensive as other full-frame DSLR’s. It’s excellent in low light settings and it has a great dynamic range at high ISO. With D750 I’ve tried shooting astrophotography just for fun, and you wouldn’t believe a number of stars and Milky way details I was able to pull out cleanly. Everything you shoot will look amazing, D750 has great image quality, AF works perfectly, and video recording is easy.

Read more reviews here.

How to choose the best Full-frame camera?

When buying a camera, there are a few things you should take into consideration, depending on your taste. Inform yourself about the main differences between models and manufacturers and choose based on your needs. Below are some of the things you’ll need to think about when purchasing a camera.

Firstly, it must fit into your budget. Pricing on these devices can range from a couple hundred to a couple of thousands of dollars, so this is usually the first criteria that should be met. There are many supplementary parts that go along you new camera, and a good research can help you figure out exactly how much will the price be at the end of the day.

Size matters. If you are often on the move, maybe a smaller device is the way to go. But on the other hand, if you want a bigger, professional camera you may opt for a larger model. Purchasing a DSLR means you’ll probably want a carry on bag for it, various lenses, a tripod, etc. Additional equipment is additional money, which brings you right back to the first checkpoint – budget.

After zooming in on your top choices, it’s time to take a peek their resolutions. New and better models pop up so quickly, it is becoming a sprint race, and that makes it hard sometimes to keep up with the innovations and improvement manufacturers make. DSLR cameras usually all have full-frame sensors but the pixel count is whole other thing. We now have full-frame cameras that go up to 50 mp but how much is enough? Again it varies depending on your needs.

If you like to take pictures out of a hobby, to keep those road trips in perfect memory or make beautiful desktop backgrounds from you skiing vacation shoot, a camera resolution ranging from 10-20 megapixels should fit your every need.  But if you require more, there is plenty of other options on the market. It’s important to mention that bigger MP number doesn’t automatically mean better photos. There are 10-15mp DLSR cameras that will easily outshine that 40 MP camera phone. So, quality, not quantity.

Shutter speed. This feature makes it possible for you to choose how much light gets into your camera from the moment you press the “trigger” to the moment when shutter, well, shuts. The bigger the shutter speed is – the larger amount of light will enter through the lens.

Allowing you to make great motion blur photos and capture movement. And vice versa, making the shutter speed smaller will result in more precise, concise pixels as if you were to “freeze” the moment. So, for an action shot of a football game, for example, you would need to lower your shutter speed to a small fraction of a second such as 1/100 or less. And for taking a night shot of a busy boulevard, you might want to slow down the shutter speed to a couple of seconds and take a great shot of blurred red and yellow light beneath the dark sky.

ISO sensitivity makes your camera more or less sensitive to light. With shutter speed, you adjust the amount of light, and with ISO sensitivity you control the amount of noise and the overall quality of the photo. ISO value should be increased when the lighting is limited, high enough to avoid blur but not so high to make your photos grainy.

It all about balancing it with your shutter speed. As for the lower values of ISO, they should be used more as they provide the highest photo quality. So when you are outside, and there is plenty of light lower ISO to a 100, it will result in richer colors. Whatever effect you desire to achieve, ISO certainly plays a big role in it.

Video mode in DSLR cameras is usually quite satisfying. There is a wide variety of DSLR cameras that will not let you down when it comes to recording. Panning in and out, making close-ups, wide landscape shots, indoor or outdoor – with a good DSLR camera you can make HD videos in 4K resolution.

With frames per second adjustment you can determine the number of frames your camera takes, so a high fps adjustment – 48 or 60  will most likely result in a slightly blurry way, so they are more commonly used for slow motion videos, while a smaller fps, such as 20 will result in a perfect capture of a high-speed movement, movie-like shots.

Professional Camera Reviews (Top 7)

 

1. Canon 5D Mark IV

Canon 5D Mark IV is an ideal camera for professionals and experienced amateur photographers.

With 30.4 MP full-frame sensor you will get fantastic, sharp and detailed images, with well-saturated colors. The great thing about this camera is that image quality doesn’t falter at high ISO settings, so shooting in low-light situations or at night won’t be a problem.

Advanced 61-point AF system is incredible, it’s connected with the metering system which can help track and detect colored objects, and manage face recognition. AF system, combined with 7 fps continuous shooting and 3.0 in LCD touchscreen will allow you to easily switch trough AF points and take some amazing shots of your favorite player.

5D Mark IV captures 4K video, but because of 1.64x crop you will get APS-C shooting experience, also shooting in 4K will eat up your storage, so be sure to invest in some memory cards. However, you can rely on this camera to produce smooth, accurate and professional-looking videos, due to Dual Pixel AF and LCD touchscreen.

Canon 5D Mark IV is a versatile, well-built camera, weighing 890 g, with a battery life of 900 shots, perfect for those interested in portraits, events, landscapes and some studio work.

Specs:

  • Megapixels: 30.4 MP
  • ISO: Native 100-32000
  • Autofocus: 61-point AF, 41 cross-type
  • Screen: Fixed 3.2 inch touchscreen, 1,620,000 dots
  • Maximum continuous shooting: 7fps
  • Shutter speed: 30-1/8000 sec
  • Video resolution: 4096 x 2160
  • Battery life: 900 shots
  • Dimensions: 151 x 116 x 76 mm
  • Weight: 890 g

Pros:

  • 4 MP full-frame sensor with Dual Pixel autofocus
  • Excellent high ISO performance and quality
  • Fast 61-point AF system
  • Built-in Wireless and GPS

Cons:

  • Cropped 4K video
  • 4K video files are large, you will need a CF memory card
  • Optimization of AF takes practice

 

2. Canon EOS 5DS

Canon EOS 5DS is the highest resolution camera on the market, it tops Canon 5D Mark IV by 20.2 MP. With this kind of resolution, you can capture high quality images, but you’ll need to take more care about how those images are captured. You will have to invest in good tripod and lens, to truly get the best out of this model.

Canon released two versions of this camera, 5DS and 5DS R. They are almost identical except for a small difference with the sensor. Both cameras have low pass filter, but 5DS R has secondary elimination filter that enables it to recover a bit more detail. Both models keep the high level of details even at the highest ISO value.

New addition to Picture styles, a collection that adjusts the contrast, saturation, and sharpness of the subject, is called Fine detail. This addition will come in handy to those photographers who love shooting still photos, landscape, and macro subjects.

AF system works great, it’s fast and precise, but it still trails behind the other cameras on this list.

Video mode is not that good, so you should skip this one if that is your primary interest.

Canon EOS 5DS is a camera built for still photography, it’s meant to give you an incredible amount of detail, and does so brilliantly.

Specs:

  • Megapixels: 50.6 MP
  • ISO: Native 100-6400
  • Autofocus: 61-point AF, 41 cross-type
  • Screen: Fixed 3.2 inch, 1,040,000 dots
  • Maximum continuous shooting: 5fps
  • Shutter speed: 30-1/8000 sec
  • Video resolution: 1920 x 1080
  • Battery life: 700 shots
  • Dimensions: 152 x 116 x 76 mm
  • Weight: 930 g

Pros:

  • Highest image resolution with huge amount of details
  • Excellent build quality and weather sealing
  • Available time-lapse mode
  • Dual memory card slots

Cons:

  • Limited ISO (12800 expended)
  • JPEGs are not as sharp and detailed as other cameras in our list
  • Limited video features
  • Slow AF in Live view and video

 

3. Nikon D810

Nikon D810 gives you whole package in terms of image quality and other features.

It features 36 MP sensor that will bring you high quality images with vibrant colors and well-controlled noise, however, to get every detail you’ll need to use a tripod with this camera. There is a lack of low pass filter, which makes Nikon D810 amazingly sharp, but it’s prone to moire noise.

ISO range is dramatically expanded, native ISO goes from 64 to 12800, and throughout the ISO range, D810 doesn’t falter. Noise reduction does cut into detail but images still remain superb.

Autofocus system is extremely fast and accurate, even in low light settings. Still, this is not a camera aimed at sports photographers, so don’t expect too much from it. New addition to Live View is split screen zoom mode, which allows photographers to check sharpness in two areas at the same time, this option will be helpful to those who love shooting landscape.

Video mode offers shooting in Full HD at 1080/60 fps with manual exposure control, zebra pattern and focus peaking, but unfortunately, there is no 4K capture.

Build quality is fantastic, it’s made out of magnesium alloy which gives it much tougher feel. Weather sealing has been improved, so going out and shooting in harsh weather shouldn’t worry you.

Nikon D810 is an excellent camera for those interested in studio work and landscape photography, and for amateurs who want to up their game for an affordable price.

Specs:

  • Megapixels: 36 MP
  • ISO: Native 64-12800
  • Autofocus: 51-point AF
  • Screen: Fixed 3.2 inch, 1,229,000 dots
  • Maximum continuous shooting: 5fps
  • Shutter speed: 30-1/8000 sec
  • Video resolution: 1920 x 1080
  • Battery life: 1200 shots
  • Dimensions: 146 x 123 x 82 mm
  • Weight: 980 g

Pros:

  • High image resolution
  • Beautiful out-of-camera colors
  • Wide ISO range
  • Great ergonomics and build quality
  • Fast AF system

Cons:

  • No integrated GPS or Wi-Fi
  • No 4K video recording
  • AF in video recording is almost unusable

 

4. Nikon D750

Nikon D750 is a camera directed at enthusiasts wanting to better their shooting experience without all the complicated options any pro full-frame DSLR has to offer.

24 MP CMOS sensor is not as good as D810’s, but it will produce amazing and sharp images with a lot of detail and impressive dynamic range. D750 also features low pass filter over the sensor.

Even at high ISO values, Nikon D750 maintains a good amount of detail, and images stay sharp with a well-controlled level of noise.

There is an updated AF system with 51-points, 15 of which are the more sensitive cross-type. If you match Nikon D750 with a good lens, AF will perform greatly, with fast and precise focusing, even in poor lighting.

In terms of video quality, Nikon D750 performs quite well. Video recording is smooth and sharp with a lot of fine detail, in almost any situation. Also, there is a tilting LCD screen, it’s not fully articulated, but it helps if you love filming or shooting at high or low angles.

Continuous shooting speed is not as fast as most photographers hoped for, but it holds its ground with 6.5 fps.

With a built-in Wi-Fi, and incredible battery life of 1230 shots, Nikon D750 is a great choice for wedding photographers and everyone who wants a full-frame DSLR that can produce professional quality images for a reasonable price.

Specs:

  • Megapixels: 24 MP
  • ISO: Native 100-12800
  • Autofocus: 51-point AF
  • Screen: Tilting 3.2 inch LCD, 1,229,000 dots
  • Maximum continuous shooting: 6.5fps
  • Shutter speed: 30-1/4000 sec
  • Video resolution: 1920 x 1080
  • Battery life: 1230 shots
  • Dimensions: 141 x 113 x 78 mm
  • Weight: 750 g

Pros:

  • Excellent image quality
  • Great AF system with face recognition and tracking
  • Amazing high ISO performance
  • Tilting 3.2 in LCD screen
  • Built-in Wi-Fi

Cons:

  • Optical low-pass filter is included in a sensor
  • Maximum shutter speed is 1/4000 sec
  • Time lapse is limited to 8 hours
  • Slow AF in Live view

 

5. Nikon D5

This camera might be too big and bulky for some users, but there is a reason why it is built like this. Shooting action will always bring some risks, and Nikon did a great job making sure that it won’t break that easily if a flying ball or rock hits it. D5 is extensively weather sealed, rain and freezing temperatures won’t pose a threat to this camera, you can use it in almost any environment without a problem.

If your previous camera was Nikon D4 or D4S, you will be able to pick up D5 and use it right away. However, if this is your first time buying a camera of this level, you are going to need some time getting used to all the new controls and buttons, there are many.

One thing everyone raves about is D5’s AF system, which is without a doubt the most sophisticated autofocus system there is. Nikon D5 comes with amazing 153 AF points, 99 of which are cross-type, and 55 of which are user-selectable, you can use the touchscreen to select the AF points. But, 3D tracking is the thing that sets apart D5 from other cameras on the market, All you need to do is choose a single AF point to track your subject, and the camera shifts the point around to follow your chosen subject. And it works magnificently.

With 20.8 MP sensor, image quality is great and the colors look beautiful. At high ISO settings, D5 performs very well, but the dynamic range is not as good as it was on Nikon D4S.

Nikon D5 features 3.2 in LCD touchscreen, but the touchscreen is limited, unfortunately. You can use it to shift trough images and zoom into them, but you cannot navigate the menu.

Overall, Nikon D5 is an amazing camera that comes with an amazing price tag. Action shooters and wedding photographers will fall head over heels for this beast.

Specs:

  • Megapixels: 20.8 MP
  • ISO: Native 100-102400
  • Autofocus: 153-point AF, 99 cross-type
  • Screen: Fixed 3.2 inch LCD touchscreen, 2,359,000 dots
  • Maximum continuous shooting: 12 fps
  • Shutter speed: 30-1/8000 sec
  • Video resolution: 3840 x 2160
  • Battery life: 3780 shots
  • Dimensions: 160 x 159 x 92 mm
  • Weight: 1415 g

Pros:

  • High image resolution
  • Class-leading AF system
  • 12 fps shooting
  • Enormous ISO sensitivity range
  • Great ergonomics and build quality

Cons:

  • Dynamic range is not that great
  • 4K recording is limited to only 3 minutes
  • No integrated Wi-Fi
  • Expensive and heavy for some users

 

6. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II

Just as the Nikon D5, Canon EOS-1D X Mark II is a bulky camera built to withstand a lot, in almost any condition due to extensive weather sealing. Mark II features tough magnesium alloy shell, with rubber coating on both grips for better handling.

Mark II’s autofocus system is not as good as D5’s, but it performs amazingly. Canon AF system lacks an option to manually select and track a subject as D5 does, however, it is a very customizable focus system. With Intelligent Tracking and Recognition (iTR) the Mark II can easily recognize and track subjects as they glide through the frame. While choosing a focus point, you can decide whether to pick a single point or a bunch of few on either side of the focus area. It really doesn’t matter whether you’re shooting a wedding, basketball court, or racing dirt bikes, you will always end up with a sharp, clean image.

EOS-1D X Mark II is capable of recording in 4K at up to 60 frames per second. However, 4K capture is limited to Motion JPEG format which means that the recorded files will be quite large, and for that, you are going to need the right memory card when filming a video. Mark II also features Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus system and two AF modes for filming a video, FlexiZone and Face+Tracking. With EOS-1D X Mark II you will film natural-looking, sharp videos with a lot of detail and beautiful colors, without a doubt!

With great image quality, both at low and high ISO settings, fascinating video quality, and one hell of an autofocus system, Canon EOS-1D X Mark II is an incredible camera! It does come a bit expensive, but for all that is packed into this body, it is worth that money.

Specs:

  • Megapixels: 20 MP
  • ISO: Native 100-51200
  • Autofocus: 61-point AF
  • Screen: Fixed 3.2 inch LCD touchscreen, 1,620,000 dots
  • Maximum continuous shooting: 16 fps
  • Shutter speed: 30-1/4000 sec
  • Video resolution: 4096 x 1080
  • Battery life: 1210 shots
  • Dimensions: 158 x 168 x 83 mm
  • Weight: 1530 g

Pros:

  • Class-leading dynamic range
  • Excellent high ISO performance
  • 14 fps burst shooting
  • Tap-to-focus touchscreen
  • 4K video mode
  • Great build quality
  • 20 MP full-frame sensor

Cons:

  • Touchscreen is only limited to AF control
  • Very heavy and bulky for some users
  • Cropped 4K video
  • There is no focus peaking and zebras
  • Expensive

 

7. Sony Alpha a99 II

Sony Alpha a99 II features an amazing 42MP sensor, 12 fps burst shooting and 4k video capture. This camera is a real match for Nikon D810 and Canon 5D Mark IV.

Sony Alpha a99 II has an electronic viewfinder, and most optical viewfinder users will need a moment to get used to that difference. The electronic viewfinder is not perfect, but it’s excellent in low light, it helps you see the darker clearly.

3.0 in LCD screen is bright, and it doesn’t drain the battery life as you’d expected. Tilting screen comes in handy when you are filming yourself or shooting some low or high angle images.

Alpha a99 II is a great camera that gives you amazing image and video quality in almost any situations. With 12.0 fps burst shooting and AF system that performs extremely well, you’ll get sharp and clean images. I need to mention that AF system does falter a bit in low light settings, other than that Alpha a 99 II is a brilliant camera.

Specs:

  • Megapixels: 42 MP
  • ISO: Native 100-25600
  • Autofocus: 399-point AF
  • Screen: tilting 3.0 inch LCD, 1,228,800 dots
  • Maximum continuous shooting: 12 fps
  • Shutter speed: 30-1/8000 sec
  • Video resolution: 3840 x 2160
  • Battery life: 490 shots
  • Dimensions: 143 x 104 x 76 mm
  • Weight: 849 g

Pros:

  • Amazing overall image quality
  • Fast and accurate focus system
  • Flexible LCD screen
  • 12 fps continuous shooting

Cons:

  • Short battery life
  • There is no touchscreen

 

Conclusion

In the end, it all comes down to your preferences. These are the questions you have to ask yourself.

What do you want out of a camera? What do you need it for? What will you be photographing?  How much money are you willing to spend on it?

If you’re just starting out as a professional, you should opt for Nikon D750 or Nikon D810 if it fits your budget. These are perfect full-frame cameras for novices, with user friendly layouts and amazing specs.

Portrait photography and still work in the studio is your passion? It’s easy, go for a Canon EOS 5DS. With this camera, you will get everything you need, sharp photos with a lot of detail. But be sure to invest in some tripods.

If you’re interested in something like a general purpose camera, your choice should be Sony Alpha a99 II or Canon 5D Mark IV. Alpha a99 II is a brilliant choice, but my money would go to Canon. 5D Mark IV will cover you on everything, still work, sports, landscape, street photography…everything! Trust me, just go with it!

If you want a camera that can shoot some fast action, you will have to invest around $6,000.00. And the best options for that kind of photography are Nikon D5 and Canon EOS-1D X Mark II. Both cameras have similar specs, differences are in autofocus systems and continuous shooting, Nikon shoots at 12fps and Canon offers 14fps shooting. As for AF systems, Nikon has 153-point AF system, and Canon has 61-point AF system, and both preform incredibly well. With differences aside, choosing between these two is not that hard. It all comes down to your previous equipment, or maybe jumping ships and choosing the other brand. With either, you’ll do just right.

I hope this helped you make the best decision. Happy shopping!

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