Are you a professional photographer looking for the best DSLR for product photography? Or maybe a beginner photographer looking for something to learn product photography with? or just a seller looking for a cheap camera with which you can do your product shots?
It doesn’t matter what group you fall into; you need a camera to shoot photos. So, I’ll tell you, which DSLR is best for product photography. And this guide will help you choose the best camera for your purpose.
| Image | Product | Features |
 | Nikon D850 Best Overall DSLR for Product Photography | Resolution: 45.7MP Monitor: 3.2 inch Touch screen, 1400K dots Autofocus: 153-points Video: 4K at 30 fps Max frame rate: 10 fps |
 | Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Best Amature to Professional level camera for Product Photography | Resolution: 30.4MP Monitor:3.2 inch Touchscreen, 1620K dots Autofocus: 61-points Video: 4K at 30 fps Max frame rate: 7 fps |
 | Panasonic Lumix G85 Best Budget Camera For Product Photography | Resolution: 16MP Monitor: 3-inch touchscreen. Video: 4k |
Let’s take a closer look at these cameras one by one.
Nikon D850
If you need a professional-level DSLR, the Nikon D850 is the overall best choice for you. The main reason I would recommend this camera is because of the following features:
Design and structure
The camera’s body has a curved ergonomic design. It is mounted with function buttons, control dials, and ports on the sides and top.
This will allow you to use the function buttons and dials with the thumb and index finger of one of your hands while supporting the lens with your other hand.
The camera also has gaps at its rear end to maintain a firm grip during usage.
This brings a certain level of comfort to this camera’s everyday use and stability even when not using a tripod.
Compared to other cameras, the Nikon D850 is slightly bigger. This is because it has a lot more function buttons and access ports.
However, this doesn’t affect the weight too much as the camera weighs only 539g.
Lens
This camera has a 45.7-megapixel resolution. It allows you to capture the minute details of your product for a crisp and sharp image.
The large file size resulting from the image gives you a ton of options while editing.
The full-frame lenses provided by Nikon allow you to have a wide range of options when it comes to customization and zoom options.
Moreover, the Nikon D850 is also compatible with many third-party lens manufacturers such as Tamron and Sigma. This gives you even more options when it comes to choosing lenses.
Screen
The Nikon D850 is mounted with a 3.2-inch touch-controlled LCD monitor, which can display high-resolution images with a high level of detail.
This allows you to work live while in a product photoshoot without transferring the photos you take to a computer for checking.
The screen can also flip horizontally, which gives you flexibility in your work.
Autofocus
The Nikon D850 has a breakneck autofocus speed with 153 focus points. The camera also has a 3D tracking mode that can detect the image’s subject and accurately focus on the subject.
This saves time in a rough product photoshoot as it maintains almost the same accuracy as a manual while taking far less time.
The autofocus also keeps the subject in focus while in motion. Paired with the camera’s 10fps burst mode, you will be able to take high-quality burst images.
Functionality
The Nikon D850 had an ISO range of 64 to 25,600, allowing for high-quality images even in low light conditions.
The camera can compile two exposures from a single shot. This allows you to take HDR photos without having to do any editing.
A video production of your product can also be done with this camera, as it can capture 4K videos at 30fps.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV provides a wide variety of features and modes of photography that both amateurs and professionals can use.
The following features make it the best camera for beginners:
Design and structure
The camera has a suitable placement of buttons and dials on its top, allowing you to reach and use them very quickly while handling the camera.
The camera’s right side has large handgrips and cavities to keep your thumb, which provides excellent grip and stability when using the camera without a tripod.
The camera is quite heavy as it weighs around 890gm, so it is better to use the camera with a tripod to prevent unwanted fatigue.
Screen
Like the Nikon D850, this camera also has a 3.2-inch touchscreen display but a lower resolution of 1440K dots.
It still provides a very well-detailed view of the image taken and can be used for live photoshoots.
Functionality
The camera has a resolution of 30.4- megapixels which allows the camera to take high-quality photos.
The camera’s autofocus is 61-points which helps beginners have almost perfect focus without focusing on the product being photographed manually.
The ISO is between 100 and 32,000, which allows for great photos even in low light conditions.
The camera can also take videos at 120fps with a resolution of 1080p and at 30fps with a 4K resolution.
Panasonic LUMIX G85
Not everyone can or needs to spend thousands of dollars on a camera. If you are tight on a budget and need a camera that can do an exceptional job taking product photos, then the Panasonic LUMIX G85 is the one for you.
The main reason why I suggest buying this is because of its price-to-performance ratio.
The camera costs less than a thousand dollars but performs at the same level as many professional cameras.
The resolution is 16 megapixels, which is just enough to be able to take crisp photos of your product while still capturing the details to a significant amount.
The body is light, weighing 505gm. And its small design makes it very easy to handle.
There are a bunch of different function keys and dials on the top, which can easily be accessed with your thumb or index finger.
The camera also comes with a 3-inch LCD at its back for taking live photos of products.
The RAW photos are of high-quality JPG format so that they can be easily edited later.
The camera also comes with excellent image stabilization and autofocus, allowing you to take pictures of still images without having to use a tripod.
Final Words:
While taking product photographs, using a good camera is extremely important.
Along with the camera, make sure you have proper lighting in the room. It is advised to use studio lights or take photos outdoors so that you can have ample lighting.
Based on your photography skill level, you can choose any camera from this list, and it is sure to help you with your product photoshoot.
Justin Parker is a professional photographer and has been in the industry since 2007. He attended the University of Georgia. Justin combines his passion for photography and his interest in writing to give life to this blog which talks about photography in order to help and inspire young photographers.
