How to choose your camera for landscape photography (and why there are more important things to improve first)
HEy Felix, i want to learn photography- which camera should i buy?
This is (by far) the most asked question that i always get asked over on my Instagram account @felixinden.
Of course i know a thing or two about cameras after around 10 years of landscape photography. But this question is one that is almost impossible to answer. And that´s because of many reasons and factors that will have to be considered to answer. Make sure to read this article to the end to learn why you might better focus on different topics first. And those won´t cost you anything but time!
LET´S DIVE RIGHT IN
Now i will recommend you camera bodies that are great for landscape photography. I will recommend you different cameras for three stages of an evolving photographer. I focus on brands and models that i have either tried myself or seen clients use during my phototours.
camera bodies for beginners
This camera is a great camera for beginners as it has a rather low price. It features a DX (APS-C) cropped Sensor with 24 megapixels. For around 400 bucks you have a solid DSLR body. It will fit you well in case you still don´t really know if photography is something for you. Combine this body with a kit zoom like the 18-55mm and a cheap 50mm f/1.8 prime lens. This will give you a great combination to play around and explore different fields of photography. If you already feel the passion for landscape photography grow in you while you read this article, look at the other options too. Otherwise you might be struck by GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) earlier than needed. Because this camera while it is a solid entry level camera, will have it´s limits. For example you won´t get impressive image quality when using high ISO.
The Z50 is the newest mirrorless model by Nikon. It´s a great entry level camera which uses the modern mirrorless technology that many people see as the future of photography. It´s beeing sold in different kits. If it suits your budget i would go for the kit that includes the Z50 body, the 16-50mm and the 50-250mm Nikkor Z lenses. This combo will allow you to dive into landscape photography with full force. And give you a huge variation of subjects that you can approach right from the start. From wide angle lens to telephoto zoom you will be flexible. All Nikon Z cameras are known for supreme image quality and the new lenses are of very high quality (even the cheaper ones). This combination will cost you around 1100 bucks depending on where you live and buy it.
Canon EOS Rebel SL3 / EOS 250D / EOS 200D Mark II
While this camera body isn´t the cheapest entry level camera body at around 650 bucks , it has to be mentioned as one of the best entry level cameras. It features a 24.1 megapixel APS-C image sensor. A very bright live view screen comes handy and it even records video files in 4K resolution. Great to have in case you want to dig into videography at the same time than photography. Helpful for the videography part is also the full articulating touchscreen display. And of course the great lens lineup that Canon features. Buy it in a kit with a lens of choice and start enjoying your passion right away. Compared to the lower priced alternatives that Canon offers, this camera is superior. And better suiting for landscape photography.
The M50 features a lot of modern mirrorless technology in a lightweight and small camera body. You get it in a kit with a 14- 45mm lens. This zoom range allows wideangle approaches and you can also zoom a little further in to capture detail images. When you buy the M50 you will also be abled to use Canons new mirrorless lens lineup which has proven to be of very high quality. Beeing lower priced than the 250D this camera comes with a few limitations in the video settings. But after all it is not the camera you would want to buy if videography is your main thing.
While this model is one of the oldest in the acclaimed Sony lineup of mirrorless cameras, it is still one of my recommended cameras for beginners. Not everybody can step right in with a big chunk of investment. At around 400 bucks, this camera body brings a 24.3 megapixel APS-C crop format sensor. Keep in mind however, that given to the release date around 6 years ago, this body won´t bring much video features. So if this is a topic that conscerns you, better look for the second model recommendation. Both will enable you to use the great lens lineup that Sony has created in recent years. And you can also use good lenses made by third party manufacturers for the Sony mirrorless realm. Sigma and Tamron have very good lenses at a lower price than the big manufacturers...
If you don´t want to buy a camera body from around 6 years ago and opt for a more modern variant instead, the A6400 will be a solid buy for you. You can get this option at around 1000 bucks in a kit with a 16-50mm zoom lens. This combo will allow you to explore different fields of landscape photography. From moderate wideangle shots to more intimate detail imagery. This camera features a 24.2 megapixel image sensor, a touch screen display and other modern features. Overall it is more up to date compared to the much cheaper A6000. Same as the before mentioned model this camera enhances you to use the great lens lineup for Sony mirrorless cameras.
Los Cuernos at sunrise (Torres del Paine, Chile)
Nikon D850 with Nikkor 14-24 2.8
ISO64, f11, 0.6”
Camera bodies for intermediate/enthusiast photographers
The cameras featured here are all higher priced than the previous ones. If you feel that you want to dig deep into landscape photography right away from the start, save your coins for a while and start with one of the next cameras . You may have heard people mentioning the saying “if you buy cheap, you buy twice”. And this is especially true for landscape photography camera gear.
The Nikon D750 is already a very solid DSLR body with a full frame FX sensor boasting 24.3 megapixels. The megapixel count is not incredibly high and actually quite similar to the models mentioned in the beginner segment. But this camera has a full frame 35mm sensor. This enhances you to use your camera for all kinds of low light photography while still retaining great image quality. 24 megapixel is more than enough even to produce prints in the most common sizes and you will keep your file size low. You won´t need to upgrade to a professional editing computer to handle the files in postproduction. It will costs you around 1400 bucks for the body alone. This is not the camera to get if you want to dig into videography as the video features are better in the next camera.
The Nikon Z5 is the mirrorless pendant to the D750. With similar features, the main difference is that with this camera you can make use of the great mirrorless Nikkor Z lens lineup. Nikon has been putting much effort in these new lenses lately. The Z5 allows you to record 4K video files. You can power this camera via USB while using it. This can be a nice feature if you want to start recording timelapse for example. It will cost you around 1300 bucks.
The EOS 90 D is already another level compared to the previously mentioned Canon models. With the 32.5 megapixel APS-C sensor it adds quite a lot of size to the resulting image files. This gives you more options for cropping while still retaining a decent print size. You can record in 4K which makes it interesting for those that are interested in videography too. Costing around 1200 bucks for the body alone it is a well priced camera. In case you don´t want to instantly jump into the more professional camera segment. Combined with some of the great Canon L lenses you will have a serious kit. This allows you to let your creativity free in all kinds of landscape photography.
The Canon EOS RP is Canons smallest full frame camera featuring a 26.2 megapixel image sensor. Priced at under 1000 bucks for the body alone, this is definitly a model to consider if Canon is your brand of choice. It features a fully articulating screen that can be handy for vlogging. It opens the world of Canons new high quality mirrorless lenses for you.
The Alpha 6600 is a solid mirrorless camera body with a 24.2 megapixel APS-C crop sensor. It´s known for the good autofocus and ISO performance and still keeps a rather small and leightweight profile. Costing around 1400 bucks for the body it´s still in the price category that is suitable for many people that want to take photography more seriously. It will also do a good service as a backup camera later on in case you invest in even more advanced cameras.
This camera is actually so good that it could also be named in the advanced camera segment that comes up next. In fact i know many colleagues use this one even on a professional level. With it´s price of around 1700 bucks for the body alone it still falls into the category under 2000 bucks. I consider 2000 dollars to be the barrier between cameras for people without professional ambitions and those with. It features a 24.2 megapixel full frame sensor and offers great ISO performance. Besides this it also has advanced features for videography.
Cosy in my cabin, Hamnoy (Lofoten), Norway
Nikon D800, Nikkor 14-24 2.8
ISO400, f11, 25”
Camera bodies for advanced photographers
Now we come to the final category of cameras that i personally find very suitable for landscape photography. The models mentioned here are selected for their photography potential. While many of these are also great for videography, in this article i focus more on the photo side of things.
All these cameras will mean a significant investment of over 2000 bucks. Before you buy one you should be sure already that photography is your absolute passion. And that you really want to have the best possible gear. All of these models need no big introduction as you might have read quite a lot about them already. With each of these cameras you can produce landscape imagery on a professional level with high image and print quality. Keep in mind that when you choose one of these cameras you will most likely also have to upgrade your computer hardware. Just to be abled to apply your postproduction of choice without major problems. You might want to start looking for big and fast harddrives too, as the files these cameras capture tend to be huge.
This factor is very important in my opinion. If you forget about it you might run into trouble as soon as you want to include these cameras into your workflow.
I have edited files of all these cameras. As soon as you duplicate some layers and create luminosity mascs or such, a slow computer will sweat...
This camera is widely acclaimed as one of the best DSLRs for landscape photography. It´s full frame FX sensor with 45.7 megapixels offers very high dynamic range while still keeping a decent performance at high ISO values. The body is insulated and suitable for even the hardest natural environments. It is my personal camera model of choice and for me this is the perfect camera for landscape photography. I never have to worry about anything else than for finding my composition and the right settings. The price of the body alone has dropped significantly as there might be a new model of this line coming soon. It will set you back with around 2500 bucks. At the moment this camera is the cheapest one of all top of the lines cameras i recommend in this article. If you buy a new body now, it will serve you for the next 5 years without any problem…
This is Nikons mirrorless flagship model and features all the newst technology that Nikon has been developing in the last years. One can call it the mirrorless pendant to the D850. If you don´t own any Nikkor lenses for DSLRs i would probably start using the Z system right away. This is the second and reworked version of the Nikon Z7- it still is only available for preorder. Once it hits the market it will cost roughly a little bit over 3000 bucks. If you don´t care for two card slots and some minor improvements you can also have a look at the first Z7. And save quite a lot of money as these are available worldwide for around 2600 bucks. It features a very similar image sensor to the D850 with 45.7 megapixel.
Canon 5DS R
The Canon 5DS R is the megapixel winner in Canons DSLR lineup. Boasting a 50.6 megapixel full frame sensor, this camera allows you to crop significantly and still produce great prints. Or use the full image size and produce huge prints without bigger adjustments. The body is fully insulated and will be very dureable in the field. For years Canon cameras have had the fame of having a lower dynamic range than Nikon and Sony models. This is still true for this camera body, but Canon improved the DR for this model quite a lot, which makes it a great camera for landscape photography.
It will set you back with around 2800 bucks for the body alone.
The Canon R 6 mirrorless camera might not really need an introduction. There has been so much talk about this camera model and the choices that Canon made to market it. You can find incredible amounts of reviews for this camera, as there had been some conflicts around it´s video capabilities. But here we talk about landscape photography- and for this it is quite a great camera! The sensor brings 45 megapixel to the table. The resulting image files are of very high quality and have a big dynamic range. It also features all the advanced mirrorless technology that Canon has been working on in the last years. Priced at around 3900 bucks for the body alone, it is quite an investment.
The A 7 R in their fourth edition is the most advanced camera body Sony offers for landscape photography. At least at the moment, you know how often Sony releases new bodies... This one might be the most advanced mirrorless camera recommendeable for landscape photography. Because Sony has the longest experience in producing mirrorless technology. It features a 61 megapixel full frame sensor and great dynamic range.This enhances you to work at low light conditions and produce huge prints. Or do strong crops and still retain a good print size. It will set you back with around 3000 bucks. Sony also improved the weather sealing and battery life of the top of the line models.
Olstindbua, Sakrisoy (Lofoten), Norway
Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70 2.8
ISO200, f8, 10”
Now that we have the camera recommendations out of the way, let me get a little bit more philosophical about this
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Let me first start with some information about myself. In case you are following me and my work since a while, you might have seen that i like to use high end equipment. I like technology and i enjoy to see and feel how camera technology evolves over time. I don´t always preorder every new camera that is launched by the brand of cameras which i use. But if i see that a new camera model brings features to the table that can save me time or even allow me to achieve results that were rather impossible with older cameras. Well… i won´t be abled to hold myself off from getting it at some point.
NEW CAMERAS CAN BE SEXY
While landscape photography is not my main job as of now, it still is a job for me. And when i work i always want to deliver the best quality that i possibly can.
New developments in camera sensor, processor and stabilization technology can definitly have a big effect on “the ease” with which i can achieve the results that i strive for. But in 99% of the cases the same images will be possible to be captured with older, cheaper or inferior gear. It might just take way longer work in the field and in post processing…
The last things i will tell you about myself is one that is important for when you judge my camera recommendations that i made earlier in this article:
I am not an expert for camera technology. And i don´t work in a camera store. I am also no total tech nerd- i just like camera technology for what it is. I will learn how to use new features and see if i can include them in my workflow, but i am no engineer and i won´t be reading big books about a new camera. My way of testing things is grabbing the camera, going somewhere nice and enjoying landscape photography.
We write the year 2020 and well… what a year this has been right?! Besides turning the whole world as we were used to it upside down, this year is actually quite a good year for photography gear. We start the new decade with a fact:
IT HAS NEVER MATTERED LESS WHICH CAMERA YOU USE REGARDING THE POTENTIAL QUALITY OF THE IMAGES
We have seen smartphones outperforming point and shoot cameras at the same time that mirrorless camera technology has started outrunning DSLRs. Which doesn´t mean that i think that the era of digital single-lens reflex cameras is over (another frequent question on IG). In fact you still find 2 DSLR camera bodies in my photography backpack most of the time. Sometimes i also use the Nikon Z6 for videography. But i am waiting for the mirrorless successor of the Nikon D850 before i take the big step of changing all my DSLR gear for a professional mirrorless kit.
WHEN THINKING ABOUT REASONS TO BUY A NEW CAMERA
ASK YOURSELF WHY YOU NEED A NEW CAMERA FIRST!
Because in 90% of the cases, it is not the camera gear that is holding you back from starting to take better photographs. The other 10% either still have no decent camera or want to focus on specialized fields of photography. There are disciplines in nature photography where technology can in deed be a factor that helps a lot. For example night photography in general or if you want to be abled to record 4K video files with the same camera body. This form of use is getting more and more important as more and more photographers want to be abled to deliver both photography and videography.
You will profit so much more from focussing on the things that really make a good photograph:
Composition
Handling of light
Shutter speed
Harmony of colors
Postproduction
And guess what? These things never change and you can apply them even if your camera is a smartphone from 2 years ago!
One example from the field:
You take a bag full of professional camera equipment to an inspiring place- during mid day. Then you take just a beginner camera combination to the same place just a few hours later during the golden hours in the morning or evening. The light is simply the most pleasing light of the day thanks to the lower position of the sun. The images taken with the beginner camera will be much better than the ones taken during harsh light with the professional camera. By now you surely got me- the importance of the camera itself is simply outperformed by the importance of selecting the right time to shoot…
And you can learn everything about the best time to shoot, the best compositional approaches to different scenes, which shutter speed to choose and so on in a multitude of ways nowadays.
What will have a bigger impact on the outcome of your image? Choosing a long exposure to create a dreamy look through a very long shutter speed (after choosing to use a neutral density filter)? Removing the glare from a surface of water to make it look much more pleasing?
Or using a camera that has 20 more megapixels on the sensor?
That´s why i always feel weird if i start with recommending a camera model right away when someone asks me which camera to buy. Because i have seen it happening so often. People focus way too much on the camera equipment instead of learning how to improve their skills in photography. Nowadays there are countless sources of information about all the different topics that really make and break an effective landscape image. You don´t even have to spend any money, as there are huge amounts of useful videos on Youtube. Many photographers including myself have free articles full of information for you to ingest.
Besides these, there is a multitude of well made online courses and masterclasses. One i recently purchased and really enjoyed is the new online course by the Albert Dros. I learned new things even when i consider myself quite an advanced Photoshop user. And i enjoyed the relaxed and layed back way that Albert has while explaining things. Thus i can really recommend you this one- use this link if you want to get it:
Full Editing Course on Landscape photography by Albert Dros
On a more personal note i have also been in your position many times. I was shifting towards a phase of lack in inspiration. And then i bought a new camera and suddenly i felt inspired again. New gear can in deed be a driver for motivation- just remember that this is not needed to improve for most of us. And if you are not in the financial position to buy expensive gear don´t go crazy. Learn about photography while you save the needed money. Once you can afford the camera of your dreams, you will instantly produce amazing images.
You made through all my thoughts about this topic and you are still here- that´s great! I hope i gave you some useful input that makes you think about wether you really need a new camera or if you better invest in some tuition/knowledge or even a photography trip to a nice place once this is easier again.
Disclaimer: I am a member of the Nikon Family and a photographer sponsored by Nikon. I use cameras and lenses of this brand, because for me personally they just check off all needed boxes. In this camera list i did not only mention Nikon equipment of course. But it would feel wrong to not tell you about this fact!
Conclusion
My conclusion is that the saying “if you buy cheap, you buy twice” is very true when it comes to gear for landscape photography. Thus if you can afford to do it, you better select a camera model from the intermediate or pro section. Simply because if you choose one of the first segment and really notice that you have a big passion for landscape photography, you might want to upgrade your camera body earlier than you think at the moment of buying your first kit.
I asked my followers on Instagram about how much they spent for their first camera body and the average answer was around 1000 bucks.
That was more than i had expected, but then i remembered that this amount was approximately what i spent for my first camera body too.
This can be quite overwhelming for many of you that are reading this, because a thousand dollars is a lot of money. Especially if you spend it for a hobby of which you don´t even know if you will be still enjoying it in some months or not. This is why i recommend you to start out with buying used gear.
BUY A USED CAMERA BODY IF YOU ARE JUST STARTING OUT
I did start with used equipment myself too and back then i was quite happy that i was abled to purchase a really great camera. My budget was too low to go for a new advanced cam, so i bought a used one. Instead of buying an entry level camera i was abled to afford my first Nikon D300 which was a very advanced APS-C sensor camera back in the days. This way i got really good image quality and the motivation kick of having a nice camera for the least amount of money possible. I then spent the money i saved for my first ever flight to the Lofoten islands in northern Norway. It was there where i suddenly felt that i adore landscape photography so much that all my other hobbies were suddenly not interesting to me anymore… In my humble opinion this was the best that could have ever happened to me!
In this article i only told you my own subjective thoughts about camera bodies. But the truth is that the camera body is not even half as important as the lenses that you buy. When you buy lenses, you can use them for many years even when you start upgrading your camera body. And the lens of choice has much more impact on your creative approaches than a camera body will ever have..
If you want me to write an article about suitable lenses for landscape photography in different prize ranges, let me know in the comment section!
Why don´t you check out my recent article on
How to photograph the Aurora borealis or on How to grow your Instagram as a landscape photographer
Just click the topic of choice
