What are the best photography cameras? - 1

What are the best cameras for photography and why? Also, do you prefer Canon or Nikon? Please include the model of the camera you are referring to.

What ever specific model I, or anyone else mentions, means nothing. Why? Because you need to buy a camera that meets your specific needs and exceed your specific expectations. Buying a camera that I have, could be a great choice for you, but it's almost a certainty not to be a good fit.

I've shot Canon pro gear like their EOS-1 along with three f/2.8L zooms and a few other lenses too. Now I shoot with a Pentax 645. Why did I switch? Because the Pentax offers features and capabilities that I need that are not found on any Nikon or Canon at any price. Currently, Pentax is the best DSLRs for amateurs and some professionals. All of Pentax's amateur DSLRs such as their K-S2, K-70, and K-3ii are all highly rated and reviewed as being the best in their class. Pentax does not make a camera to compete with the professional Nikon and Canon bodies. However, unlike Nikon and Canon, Pentax makes medium format DSLRs while Canon and Nikon do not. But so what? If what you really need is a mirrorless like a Sony A6500, or a Panasonic GH5, who cares what Pentax, Canon or Nikon put out or how good they may be?

The best camera for photography? It depends upon the type of photography. While a travel photographer will choose a lite camera like the Sony A7R ii, a sports photographer would never do that. Instead a sports/wildlife photographer needs the focusing speed, super-fast frame rate and huge internal buffer of a camera like the Nikon D4 or Canon 1D. And a beginner wouldn't choose any of these because they're too expensive.

There's a lot of different models out there for a reason. You need to understand that there isn't a camera that is best for everyone. Even the top-end models like the Leica M, Canon 1D or Nikon D5 could be horrible choices for many reasons.

In order to avoid providing you with useless recommendations, you have to state what you plan on doing with the camera, and you have to provide a budget. It makes no scene to recommend a $2,000 camera when all you can afford is $99. It also makes no sense to recommend a DSLR when all you really need is a point-and-shoot.

What are your needs? What are your intended subject? Do you need full manual exposure and focusing? Do you need image stabilization? Do you need a weather-proof body? Do you need the camera to fit into a pocket? Are you shooting sports? Landscapes? Portraits? All of these?

There are many different brands. People who don't know anything about cameras will automatically gravitate to Canon and Nikon because that's what the pros use. Okay, fine. Unless you're going to be buying a pro-level body like a $6,500 D5, or a $6,000 1D, you do not need to exclude all other brands. In fact, other brands like Sony and Pentax make much better entry-level and even high-end camera than Canon or Nikon. Don't fall for the trap set by Nikon & Canon's marketing that you have to buy a Canon or Nikon to get good shots. That's simply not true and anyone who understand what goes into making a great photograph will tell you that too.

Those who buy expensive Canon or Nikons as their first camera are almost always disappointed because they're photos aren't any better than what they got off of their iPhones. Why? Because it's not the camera! It's what you do with it. Someone with little to no understanding of creative and technical sides of photography will not take any better of a photo with a pro camera than they would with their phone. 80% of what goes into making a great photo happens outside of the camera. The photographer's decisions regarding the lighting, lens, exposure, composition all have a much greater impact on the final image than the camera.

The best camera is the one you have with you!

Nikon, Canon, Sony, and Pentax are the four top[ brands in the DSLR market; indeed almost the only mainstream brands in the crop-frame and full-frame DSLR market.

Beyond that there are Hasselblad etc, but you would need a very sympathetic bank manager to even think about a camera of that sort.

Note that, at any price or degree of quality and versatility, the cameras is only the technical tool to enable you to record a photo. Your own brain must make the artistic decisions.