What Camera Should You Buy (Next)? – Professional
If you’re still wondering what camera should you buy next after the previous posts, you’re probably a working professional who needs to upgrade your camera. I have a few recommendations.
The Rules
If you’re not an amateur nor an enthusiast, you probably fit within these parameters. You:
- Shoot frequently
- Get paid and make 50% or more of your income off photography
- Look for a tough camera body with weather protection
- Need high frame rates in burst mode
- Want an all around camera to shoot weddings, portraits, sports or nature
- Don’t need (yet) the flasgship camera of your system of choice
- Have a budget between US$1,500 and US$4,000
In this case the cameras that I recommend are the following:
Canon
5D Mk IV or 7D Mk II. Please consider there is a US$1,400 difference between these two cameras. But the 7D Mk II is the most capable of Canon’s APS-C lineup, while the 5D Mk IV continues the 5D line of all around full frame cameras. Both offer weather protection, dual card slots (CF+SDXC) and 65 focus points. The 5D Mk IV offers 4K video and higher resolution at 30 Mpx while the 7D Mk II records at Full HD and has 20 Mpx.
Nikon
D850 or D500. Just like with Canon’s options, there’s a US$1,500 difference between the two, for more or less the same reasons. The D850 is a full frame camera, while the D500 is the best Nikon APS-C. Both offer weather protection, 4K video recording, dual card slots. The D850 has 45 Mpx but shoots at 7 fps, while the D500 has 20 Mpx while shooting 10 fps. Both have constraints about what lenses are they compatible with, so choose both your camera and lenses carefully.
Sony
a7RIII. The choice is pretty simple with Sony. Their latest iteration of the a7 family really offers everything you may need if you’re already a Sony shooter, with 42 Mpx, 10 fps, dual card slots, 399 focus points, in body image stabilization, great low light performance. I think the only weakness is, up to a point, the lens lineup but has grown a lot in the last few years.
Fujifilm
X-T2 or X-Pro2. Both are amazing and the most capable cameras from Fujifilm. Their specs are very similar at 24 Mpx, dual camera slots and both are compatible with all the Fujifilm lenses. The X-Pro2 is a rangefinder-style cameras, with a few limitations in video (Full HD) and frame rate (8 fps), while X-T2 is a SLR-like camera, with 4K video and shooting at 11 fps.
Micro Four Thirds
Panasonic GH5 or Olympus E-M1 Mark II. Both cameras are awesome! With 20 Mpx, 4K video, IBIS, dual card slots and 12 fps, the GH5 can do pretty much anything you need, while the E-M1 II has very similar specs, except it shoots 15 fps.
Please notice all these are affiliate links, so if you buy using them I get a small commision at no extra cost for you.
As you can see, wondering what camera should you buy next is a common question between amateurs, enthusiasts and professionals alike. It all depends on your characteristics, budget and requirements.
