In today’s post I recommend the best Canon cameras, whether for landscape, sports, reportage or wedding photography.
In addition, I show you what you should pay attention to before buying. If you don’t want to read everything, you can find a quick overview with my recommendations here.
Contents
Of course, this article reflects purely my personal opinion and is based on my experiences from 15 years of photography.
Why can you trust me?
I have been taking pictures with Canon EOS cameras since 2005. My first SLR camera was an EOS 300D. After that came 450D, 5D, 700D and 77D. I used many different lenses on these cameras. There were not only Canon lenses, but of course also Sigma and Tamron.
My main area is landscape photography. My second horse is architectural photography. But I have also photographed portraits, sports and reportage. Several friends of mine are wedding photographers, so I have some insight into this field as well.
After all the cameras, I want to give you some insight on what matters when choosing your Canon camera. Every camera has its specialty. So it makes sense to know what you shoot so you can choose the best camera for you.
Why Canon?
Canon has dominated the digital SLR market for many years. The cameras are known for high image quality and perhaps the best handling. An important argument for today’s Canon cameras is the large and good range of lenses and accessories. Therefore, Canon is still interesting in the field of digital SLR cameras. But Canon has now also caught up with mirrorless cameras and is on par with Sony, Nikon and Fujifilm.
Which features play a role for which photo directions?
Sports, Reportage & Animals
For these subjects, it is important that the camera is robust and fast. The autofocus must be accurate. In addition, the camera’s mechanics should be designed for many releases before a new camera is needed.
Landscape & Architecture
Here the image quality plays the most important role. Your camera should deliver high-resolution images that are also as noise-free as possible. A high dynamic range also plays a role.
Portraits & Weddings
Here, too, a very accurate autofocus counts. The camera must deliver an appealing dynamic range so that details can be seen everywhere, especially with bright wedding dresses and dark suits.
The best Canon cameras – My top 3 recommendations
All the cameras I recommend are part of the Canon EOS system. Accordingly, there is a wide range of lenses and accessories. I update this list regularly.
Best Canon APS-C mirrorless camera: Canon EOS M6 Mark II
The flagship of Canon’s mirrorless APS-C cameras is the Canon EOS M6 Mark II. It houses a sensor with 32.5 megapixels. This is perfectly sufficient to make large prints from the pictures. Of course, the lenses have to be correspondingly good to be able to handle this resolution. In the wide-angle range, the 15-45 mm kit lens is good in this respect.
The mirrorless M6 Mark II has a 3-inch display, which can be operated via touch. In terms of size and shape, the camera delivers a good feel. The menu and the various buttons are well thought-out, making the camera easy to use.
The missing electronic viewfinder is not optimal. However, the EVF-DC2 viewfinder is available directly from Canon, which can be plugged into the hot shoe of the Canon EOS M6 Mark II. With a magnification of 0.63, this viewfinder is even the same size as that of a 7D Mark II.
Best Canon APS-C DSLR camera: Canon EOS 90D
Especially for ambitious photographers, the Canon EOS 90D is a camera that offers enough potential in the long run. It has a 32.5 megapixel APS-C sensor. Despite the high megapixel density, the noise performance of the 90D has not increased significantly compared to its predecessors. In combination with good lenses, this allows for high image quality that is sufficient for large prints.
As usual with Canon, this DSLR is very easy to use. Here, the manufacturer simply understands how to make all the features of a modern camera easily accessible to the user. The Canon EOS 90D is a very good camera for both photographers and videographers. It shows that SLR cameras can still compete with mirrorless cameras. Especially with the high continuous shooting rate and the good autofocus, the camera shows what it can do.
Professional photographers might have wished for a second memory card slot, but that’s also the only drawback of the 90D.
Best Canon full-frame DSLR: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
If you’re looking for an absolute workhorse, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV is worth a look. With 30.4 megapixels, it also delivers enough reserves for large prints. Nevertheless, its speed of 7 frames per second is high enough for fast image sequences. The dynamic range of 13.6 f-stops is currently one of the best among Canon DSLRs.
Canon has also improved the autofocus over the years. While many wedding photographers still grumbled about the autofocus system with the 5D Mark II, this point was already much improved with the 5D Mark III and has been raised to a new level with the 5D Mark IV. It is a very good all-rounder camera that can be used well for almost all areas of photography. WLAN, NFC and GPS are also on board. The digital SLR camera is also a good choice for videos.
Best Canon mirrorless full-frame camera: Canon EOS R5
When the Canon EOS R5 was introduced, there was a lot of hype about this camera. And in a way, it was justified. While Canon not only slept through several years of mirrorless camera development, but then lagged behind, the empire has been fighting back ever since.
The Canon EOS R5 has an internal image stabilizer (IBIS) and 45 megapixels. While there aren’t an overabundance of native lenses available for the RF system yet, the ones that are already available are almost all incredibly high quality and resolution. In terms of dynamic range, Canon is finally catching up with Sony.
The R5’s display is 3.2 inches and can be operated via touch. The image is just as easy to read from the electronic viewfinder, which is not only large, but also high-resolution. The autofocus is snappy and accurate. The package is rounded off by a weatherproof housing.
In the video department, the R5 does well, but the camera overheats over time with 8K videos – one of the few drawbacks of the otherwise very good mirrorless camera.
Conclusion: Which is the best Canon camera?
Currently, the Canon EOS R5 is the best Canon camera. The mirrorless full-frame camera brings a high dynamic range in addition to with the 45 megapixel sensor. It delivers great image quality and has an accurate autofocus. The housing is sealed and thus insensitive to weather and dust. In combination with the right lenses, you get a very good all-round camera here that you can use for all photographic areas.
Did this article help you? Which is the best Canon camera for you? Write me in the comments!