Let’s get something straight from the start – there is nothing wrong with DSLR cameras. Sure, all the hype and frenzy was about mirrorless camera (opens in new tab)s of late, but let’s not forget, many of the most iconic images of the last 20 years were shot on the best DSLR (opens in new tab) cameras. And it’s not just an amateur thing. The world’s most demanding professional photographers rely on Canon cameras and DSLR-format Nikon cameras for their livelihoods, and continue to do so.
• Look at us DSLR vs mirrorless cameras (opens in new tab) guide to getting up to speed with camera formats if you’re not quite sure what the difference is.
Of course, as the latest in photographic technology, mirrorless cameras currently enjoy many advantages, not the least of which is that almost all the R&D budget of the major camera manufacturers has been channeled exclusively in their direction over the past years.
But there is a flip side. Some of us still favor the unadulterated purity of an optical viewfinder, compared to a pint-sized electronic screen. And there’s that fulfilling snap of a reflex mirror as it flips up to let light through to a DSLR’s image sensor.
Plus, there are decades of world-class lenses to choose from, lovingly designed and crafted to bring out the best of these cameras. There is still (although we haven’t counted) more choice of specialist optics for DSLRs than there is for mirrorless cameras. And let’s not forget the relatively long battery life.
What are the best DSLR cameras on the market?
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So what are the best DSLRs on the market today? The best budget DSLRs (opens in new tab) offers excellent shooting features as well as value for money, but there are fewer options than there used to be. Sony bailed a few years ago by working with single-lens translucent cameras in the transition to mirrorless. Pentax is still firmly in the DSLR camp, but so is Canon (opens in new tab) and Nikon (opens in new tab)as always, who really steals the spotlight and lights the creative fires.
We’ve picked four of the most amazing DSLRs available right now. And, unlike most things these days, the price of some of them has actually dropped recently, making them even better value. Let’s take a closer look…
We’ve already written about why the Canon EOS 6D Mark II is still a damn good camera (opens in new tab). Still going strong after more than five years, the 6D Mark II (opens in new tab) is quite compact for a full-frame DSLR (opens in new tab) and has good handling characteristics. Thanks to plenty of direct-access buttons and switches, it’s quick and easy to access all the important settings for creative shooting. To delve deeper into the settings, Canon’s ‘Quick’ menu system (opens in new tab) is particularly intuitive and works well with the rear touch screen. The weather-sealed construction is robust, but fairly lightweight for a DSLR.
• This is the best canon lenses (opens in new tab)
One of the big upgrades over the original 6D is that the MkII has a much improved 45-point autofocus system. Moreover, all the points are cross-type, capable of resolving detail in both horizontal and vertical planes, and 27 of them work at apertures up to f/8.
Even better, the Mark II has a Dual Pixel AF image sensor. This enables hybrid phase/contrast detection autofocus in live view photos and video recording. As such, sensor-based autofocus is much faster and less prone to hunting than in DSLRs that only have contrast-detection AF on the image sensor.
For practical use, live view and movie recording can also benefit from the upgrade to the variable-angle touchscreen, whereas the original Canon EOS 6D had a basic fixed screen. The newer model also adds Digital Movie IS which enables electronic image stabilization when shooting movies. One downside, however, is that movie resolution tops out at 1080p, so there’s no 4K UHD capability except for shooting in time-lapse mode.
Autofocus and metering are consistently accurate, while automatic white balance tends to give a subtle and attractive warmth to color reproduction. Image noise is suppressed exceptionally well, even at fairly high ISO settings and the maximum burst rate is a nippy 6.5fps. The camera’s stamina is also impressive, with around 1,200 shots from a fully charged battery.
The Nikon D780 (opens in new tab) take all the D750 (opens in new tab)‘s desirable design and handling but, in a first for a Nikon DSLR, adds hybrid phase/contrast detection autofocus to its image sensor. This puts it in the same league as the Canon cameras tested, with capable and natural-feeling photos taken in viewfinder mode, along with the same kind of accuracy and performance as a mirrorless camera in live view and for shooting movies. .
• This is the best Nikon lenses (opens in new tab)
For regular, viewfinder-based photo shooting, the D780 has a powerful 51-point autofocus module, in which 15 points are cross-type and 11 points work down to f/8. Autofocus works in low light levels down to -3EV. Switching to Live View mode gives you 273 phase detection sites on the image sensor and low-light autofocus works in near-darkness, down to -7EV with the ‘Low-light AF’ option enabled.
The megapixel count of 24.5MP is almost identical to the Canon 6D Mark II’s 26.2MP, but the D780 wins out for video resolution, with 4K instead of 1080p, with 30/25/24p frame rate options. The camera boasts uncropped 4K recording, downsampled from 6K recording.
For storing photos and video files on different cards, or for instant backups and other options, the D780 features two SD/HC/XC card slots compared to the 6D Mark II’s single slot, and they’re both of a faster UHS – II specification. You also get almost twice the battery life, at around 2,260 shots.
The Nikon’s viewfinder also wins with 100 percent frame coverage, and its rear LCD is larger and higher-resolution, at 3.2 inches and more than twice as many pixels, although it’s a tilting touchscreen rather than fully articulated. The maximum drive rate is faster, at 7 fps, and the buffer larger, with the capacity for 68-100 RAW files depending on quality settings, compared to the 6D Mark II’s 21. Overall performance and image quality are impressive, but the D780 much more expensive than the 6D Mark II.
Compared to many of the latest professional cameras (opens in new tab) and the Nikon D850 (opens in new tab)the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (opens in new tab) has a more modest 30.4MP image sensor, but the benefits include low noise image quality even at high ISO settings, and manageable data file sizes that speed up workflow. Even so, the maximum burst rate of 7fps is no faster than the Nikon D850, which has 50 percent more megapixels. You can increase the Nikon’s drive speed with an optional battery grip.
The 5D Mark IV is the same height and depth as the Nikon D780 on test, but is a bit wider. It’s a handful, but in a good way, as its size makes for comfortable, natural and well-balanced operation, even when using large telephoto lenses. The layout of direct access controls and the inclusion of a joystick-style multi-controller make it exceptionally quick and easy to adjust shooting parameters for creative effect.
The viewfinder-based autofocus module is adept at tracking action. It is a 61-point system in which there are 41 cross-type points, including five ultra-precise double cross-type. All 61 remain active at f/8, with 21 still working as crosshairs. As with other recent Canon SLRs, there’s a Dual Pixel CMOS AF image sensor with phase detection spots spread across most of the surface. This makes autofocus in live view and movie shooting much better than that of the Nikon D850, in terms of outright speed and reduction of focus hunting.
Despite being a year older than the 6D Mark II, the 5D Mark IV enables 4K movie recording rather than 1080p. However, there is a serious 1.74x crop factor for 4K shooting, which limits wide-angle potential. Another limiting factor when shooting video is that the camera has a fixed touchscreen with no tilt or vari-angle mechanism. Although it has two card slots, one is the anything but outdated CompactFlash format. Battery life of 900 shots beats mirrorless cameras, but the Nikon D850 has twice the stamina.
4. Nikon D850 (opens in new tab)
The main attractions of the Nikon D850 (opens in new tab) is its 45.4MP image sensor capable of capturing incredible levels of fine detail and texture, along with a fast and accurate 153-point autofocus system that includes 99 cross-type points. It manages a sharp 7fps burst rate, which rises to 9fps if you fit the optional battery grip and a D5 battery. This is backed by a buffer that can accommodate up to 29-200 RAW-quality shots, depending on size and compression settings, compared to the 5D Mark IV’s 17-21 shots.
While the fast autofocus system has excellent performance for viewfinder-based shooting, it’s sluggish and prone to hunting in live view and movie recording modes. That’s thanks to the D850 being the only camera in this test group that doesn’t have phase detection slots on its image sensor. Even so, a plus for film recording is that 4K UHD does not have a crop factor, unlike the Canon 5D Mark IV. For storage, the D850 is also better equipped with dual card slots that hold ultra-fast XQD/CFexpress and SD/HC/XC UHS-II formats.
While the D850 is capable of capturing ultra-fine detail, making the most of what’s on offer can be a challenge. Despite a smooth action compared to the reflex mirrors of many DSLRs, vibrations can be a problem. If timing isn’t critical, you can use the camera’s exposure delay mode with its variety of time settings to avoid any blur from mirror-hopping.
The optical viewfinder is excellent, with full 100 percent frame coverage and higher magnification than the others on test, at 0.75x. On the back, there’s the same 3.2-inch, 2,359k, high-resolution touchscreen as in the newer D780, again with vertical tilt rather than full articulation.
As expected, the high megapixel count has a downside of increased image noise at high ISO settings, but if you shoot images from the D850 down to around a comparative 25-30MP, it works out similarly.
