Choosing the best camera for wedding photography doesn’t have to be complicated… whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting. Here we look at some of the best wedding photography cameras available. Our top pick is a professional and reliable piece of kit. It has great video abilities and amazing autofocus. Have a look at the Canon 5D Mark IV! [Note: ExpertPhotography is supported by readers. Product links on ExpertPhotography are referral links. If you use one of these and buy something, we make a little bit of money. Need more info? See how it all works here.]
What’s the Best Camera for Wedding Photography?
Here’s a quick look at our top choices. Jump to the next section for even more details. The Canon 5D Mark IV is for professional wedding photographers. It’s for those who value quality and durability over size and weight. The Canon 5D was the most common camera for wedding photography. (Until the recent surge of mirrorless cameras.) And it’s easy to see why. Its weather-sealed ruggedness is combined with outstanding image quality and battery life. Plus, it has great low-light performance. And paired with Canon’s professional L lenses, it makes for sharp images in as little as moonlight. Like all big DSLR cameras, a 5D with an L lens can weigh about 2 kg (5 lbs). So if you are a two-camera person, you may want to invest in a harness to help spread the weight. The EOS 90D is the top of Canon’s consumer line APS-C DSLR cameras. The body and sensor are smaller than those of the 5D. But it has a lower price. It has a 32.5 MP sensor and a 10 fps shoot rate. So the 90D is an incredible entry-level wedding photography camera. Its handy flip-out screen allows you to use Live mode to get creative angles you might otherwise miss. And its compatibility with all Canon’s EFS and EF lenses. This means you can upgrade from affordable to high-end glass. The Canon EOS 90D is the best entry-level DSLR camera for wedding photography. Nikon’s full frame DSLR camera has fewer megapixels. But it has a massive 273-point hybrid focusing system and -5 EV low-light performance. And these features more than makes up for it. The Nikon D780 is a professional wedding photography camera with impressive autofocus capability. The AF eye detection locks on and tracks your subject as they move. Professional wedding photographers choose the Nikon D780 to capture the moment… regardless of the environment. But all that tech comes at a price, in both weight and dollars. Nikon took the full frame and low-light capabilities of the D780. And it put them into a mirrorless camera body. Nikon designed it for those who record wedding videos. So the Z6 II records 10-bit ProRes RAW video files to a compatible ATOMOS recorder. This doesn’t mean it skimps on the stills. The hybrid AF system is fast and sharp. And its low-light performance beats any DSLR camera. If the compact Nikkor Z lenses aren’t enough, you can use the FTZ mount adaptor. It gives you access to the whole range of Nikkor F lenses. This is the best Nikon camera for serious wedding photography videographers. The Canon EOS R6 is a mirrorless camera aimed at a professional wedding photographer. Its unrivaled low-light performance makes it ideal for those dance floor moves at the end of the day. And its 20 fps means you won’t miss any magic moments. Like the Nikon Z6 II, you can use a mount adapter. The EF-EOS R gives you access to Canon’s full range of lenses. But you will sacrifice some focusing speed. The Dual Pixel AF uses almost the whole frame to focus. And it has 1053 AF areas to track people and animals. The R6 is a professional wedding photography camera for those who want to buy into the Canon brand. But the cost of RF-mount lenses may put off existing Canon users. Sony is well known for its range of mirrorless cameras. The Sony a9 II has super-fast focusing with 693-point phase-detection AF. Plus, it has a silent shutter and a small body. So you can unobtrusively shoot those special wedding moments. This makes it their best camera for wedding photography. The in-body image stabilization means you can use analog lenses with pin-sharp results. This gives a vintage look to your work. Plus, the focusing and burst rates are both speedy. And the Zeiss lenses produce beautiful bokeh. The Sony a9 II is for professional wedding photographers. It’s for those who want powerful full frame imaging in a tiny package. But it’s a small camera with a hefty price tag. For those who like the classic film camera vibe, look no further than the Fujifilm X-T3. Its tiny form houses a very clever crop sensor. And the smaller sensor rivals the full frame cameras listed above! The body looks and works like a classic film camera with dial controls. And the software has built-in Fuji film simulations to give an analog feel to your photos. The 10-bit video option is a nice feature. But without in-body image stabilization, you need a tripod or gimbal to get the most out of it. It’s an excellent mirrorless for those starting or moving from analog to digital. And it’s perfect for those wedding photographers who love its vintage look and feel. The Olympus E-M1 Mark III is the flagship of the OM-D range. Olympus is not as commonly seen as the Canon and Nikon cameras in this list. But the E-M1 is a mirrorless camera with a feature set perfect for wedding photography. Olympus has a partnership with Zuiko lenses in much the same way Sony partnered with Zeiss. So there are quality Zuiko lenses available. Plus, the E-M1 Mark III can focus in extremely low light. And it has a compact, lightweight body. So the E-M1 Mark III is a versatile camera for wedding photography. For video recording, the E-M1 Mark III links to Olympus audio devices like the LS100. This enables you to get the mics close to the action while filming from a distance. It’s a superb choice for wedding photographers who produce videos. Or it’s for those who already have Micro Four Thirds mount lenses. Traditionally, photographers shot weddings on medium or large format cameras. And the Pentax 645Z is the most affordable digital medium format camera today. With a whopping 51.4 MP sensor, every beautiful detail comes in posed group portraits. In a multi-exposure mode, you can combine up to nine exposures in one image. Multi-pattern (Multi-P) white balance detects different light sources in the frame. And it adjusts them automatically. This camera is for serious traditional wedding photography. It’s for posed shots that you set up rather than ones captured on the fly. You won’t take candids or action shots with its low burst rate of 3 fps. I’ve spoken to wedding photographers who shoot with a Leica Q. They all comment on how it is a fantastic camera. But they also say how it has improved their photography! With a fixed lens, you may think the Leica Q2 is an expensive way to miss close-ups. But with 47 MP, you can crop photos without losing resolution. Plus, being forced to move to frame your shot can open up creativity you wouldn’t otherwise get using a zoom lens. The sensational 28mm Summilux lens costs over $5,000.00 on its own. And the camera has high-quality Cinema 4K video capabilities. So this camera is the perfect fit for the arty wedding photographer. This camera gives you famous Leica quality at a fraction of their normal prices. But it is still very expensive! If you want to go one step further, Leica does a monochrome version too!
Conclusion
When choosing the best camera for wedding photography, consider the practicalities. Do you want to look through the viewfinder or at a screen all day? Will you need two bodies and several wedding lenses? And how much will that weigh? Battery life is a big issue with mirrorless cameras. So will you buy spares or charge them at the venue or in your car? The best camera for wedding photography is one that fits your shooting style:
Do you shoot from the hip and capture the event as a guest? Then go for one of the mirrorless cameras like the Fuji X-T3. If you create video showreels, the in-body stabilization of the Sony a9 II is a great fit. But if you film the whole event, the Olympus E-M1 Mark III, with its link to sound recording equipment, could be for you. If you’re looking for a camera you can trust to capture the key moments, choose the Canon 5D IV.
title: “10 Best Camera For Wedding Photography In 2023” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-30” author: “Victor Willis”
Choosing the best camera for wedding photography doesn’t have to be complicated… whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting. Here we look at some of the best wedding photography cameras available. Our top pick is a professional and reliable piece of kit. It has great video abilities and amazing autofocus. Have a look at the Canon 5D Mark IV! [Note: ExpertPhotography is supported by readers. Product links on ExpertPhotography are referral links. If you use one of these and buy something, we make a little bit of money. Need more info? See how it all works here.]
What’s the Best Camera for Wedding Photography?
Here’s a quick look at our top choices. Jump to the next section for even more details. The Canon 5D Mark IV is for professional wedding photographers. It’s for those who value quality and durability over size and weight. The Canon 5D was the most common camera for wedding photography. (Until the recent surge of mirrorless cameras.) And it’s easy to see why. Its weather-sealed ruggedness is combined with outstanding image quality and battery life. Plus, it has great low-light performance. And paired with Canon’s professional L lenses, it makes for sharp images in as little as moonlight. Like all big DSLR cameras, a 5D with an L lens can weigh about 2 kg (5 lbs). So if you are a two-camera person, you may want to invest in a harness to help spread the weight. The EOS 90D is the top of Canon’s consumer line APS-C DSLR cameras. The body and sensor are smaller than those of the 5D. But it has a lower price. It has a 32.5 MP sensor and a 10 fps shoot rate. So the 90D is an incredible entry-level wedding photography camera. Its handy flip-out screen allows you to use Live mode to get creative angles you might otherwise miss. And its compatibility with all Canon’s EFS and EF lenses. This means you can upgrade from affordable to high-end glass. The Canon EOS 90D is the best entry-level DSLR camera for wedding photography. Nikon’s full frame DSLR camera has fewer megapixels. But it has a massive 273-point hybrid focusing system and -5 EV low-light performance. And these features more than makes up for it. The Nikon D780 is a professional wedding photography camera with impressive autofocus capability. The AF eye detection locks on and tracks your subject as they move. Professional wedding photographers choose the Nikon D780 to capture the moment… regardless of the environment. But all that tech comes at a price, in both weight and dollars. Nikon took the full frame and low-light capabilities of the D780. And it put them into a mirrorless camera body. Nikon designed it for those who record wedding videos. So the Z6 II records 10-bit ProRes RAW video files to a compatible ATOMOS recorder. This doesn’t mean it skimps on the stills. The hybrid AF system is fast and sharp. And its low-light performance beats any DSLR camera. If the compact Nikkor Z lenses aren’t enough, you can use the FTZ mount adaptor. It gives you access to the whole range of Nikkor F lenses. This is the best Nikon camera for serious wedding photography videographers. The Canon EOS R6 is a mirrorless camera aimed at a professional wedding photographer. Its unrivaled low-light performance makes it ideal for those dance floor moves at the end of the day. And its 20 fps means you won’t miss any magic moments. Like the Nikon Z6 II, you can use a mount adapter. The EF-EOS R gives you access to Canon’s full range of lenses. But you will sacrifice some focusing speed. The Dual Pixel AF uses almost the whole frame to focus. And it has 1053 AF areas to track people and animals. The R6 is a professional wedding photography camera for those who want to buy into the Canon brand. But the cost of RF-mount lenses may put off existing Canon users. Sony is well known for its range of mirrorless cameras. The Sony a9 II has super-fast focusing with 693-point phase-detection AF. Plus, it has a silent shutter and a small body. So you can unobtrusively shoot those special wedding moments. This makes it their best camera for wedding photography. The in-body image stabilization means you can use analog lenses with pin-sharp results. This gives a vintage look to your work. Plus, the focusing and burst rates are both speedy. And the Zeiss lenses produce beautiful bokeh. The Sony a9 II is for professional wedding photographers. It’s for those who want powerful full frame imaging in a tiny package. But it’s a small camera with a hefty price tag. For those who like the classic film camera vibe, look no further than the Fujifilm X-T3. Its tiny form houses a very clever crop sensor. And the smaller sensor rivals the full frame cameras listed above! The body looks and works like a classic film camera with dial controls. And the software has built-in Fuji film simulations to give an analog feel to your photos. The 10-bit video option is a nice feature. But without in-body image stabilization, you need a tripod or gimbal to get the most out of it. It’s an excellent mirrorless for those starting or moving from analog to digital. And it’s perfect for those wedding photographers who love its vintage look and feel. The Olympus E-M1 Mark III is the flagship of the OM-D range. Olympus is not as commonly seen as the Canon and Nikon cameras in this list. But the E-M1 is a mirrorless camera with a feature set perfect for wedding photography. Olympus has a partnership with Zuiko lenses in much the same way Sony partnered with Zeiss. So there are quality Zuiko lenses available. Plus, the E-M1 Mark III can focus in extremely low light. And it has a compact, lightweight body. So the E-M1 Mark III is a versatile camera for wedding photography. For video recording, the E-M1 Mark III links to Olympus audio devices like the LS100. This enables you to get the mics close to the action while filming from a distance. It’s a superb choice for wedding photographers who produce videos. Or it’s for those who already have Micro Four Thirds mount lenses. Traditionally, photographers shot weddings on medium or large format cameras. And the Pentax 645Z is the most affordable digital medium format camera today. With a whopping 51.4 MP sensor, every beautiful detail comes in posed group portraits. In a multi-exposure mode, you can combine up to nine exposures in one image. Multi-pattern (Multi-P) white balance detects different light sources in the frame. And it adjusts them automatically. This camera is for serious traditional wedding photography. It’s for posed shots that you set up rather than ones captured on the fly. You won’t take candids or action shots with its low burst rate of 3 fps. I’ve spoken to wedding photographers who shoot with a Leica Q. They all comment on how it is a fantastic camera. But they also say how it has improved their photography! With a fixed lens, you may think the Leica Q2 is an expensive way to miss close-ups. But with 47 MP, you can crop photos without losing resolution. Plus, being forced to move to frame your shot can open up creativity you wouldn’t otherwise get using a zoom lens. The sensational 28mm Summilux lens costs over $5,000.00 on its own. And the camera has high-quality Cinema 4K video capabilities. So this camera is the perfect fit for the arty wedding photographer. This camera gives you famous Leica quality at a fraction of their normal prices. But it is still very expensive! If you want to go one step further, Leica does a monochrome version too!
Conclusion
When choosing the best camera for wedding photography, consider the practicalities. Do you want to look through the viewfinder or at a screen all day? Will you need two bodies and several wedding lenses? And how much will that weigh? Battery life is a big issue with mirrorless cameras. So will you buy spares or charge them at the venue or in your car? The best camera for wedding photography is one that fits your shooting style:
Do you shoot from the hip and capture the event as a guest? Then go for one of the mirrorless cameras like the Fuji X-T3. If you create video showreels, the in-body stabilization of the Sony a9 II is a great fit. But if you film the whole event, the Olympus E-M1 Mark III, with its link to sound recording equipment, could be for you. If you’re looking for a camera you can trust to capture the key moments, choose the Canon 5D IV.
