If your primary subject for photography is landscapes, then it’s likely you’ll want to choose a camera that’s great at capturing landscape images. Here we look at some of the best cameras for landscape photography, and what makes them a good choice. We also run through some of the things you should be thinking about when choosing a camera for landscape photography, as well as letting you know what lens options there are.
Lead image: Virojt Changyencham / Getty Images
There are several things you want to consider when looking for a camera for landscape photography, here they are:
- Resolution
- Dynamic range
- ISO range
- Image stabilisation
- Weather-sealing
- Lens choices
Resolution
Ultimate resolution may be your aim, and for that there are a wide range of high-resolution options. But if travel, and hiking is one of your aims, then you may not want something so large and heavy, and we’ve highlighted some other options as well. High-resolution sensors help you capture more detail, and can let you crop into your image, but it’s also worth pointing out that a high-quality 20MP image can be printed upto 18x12inches at 300dpi, roughly A3. If you don’t want to print your photos, then resolution may not be as important.
Dynamic range and raw
Dynamic range is generally pushed to its limits when shooting landscape images, as you often have darker areas or shadows, along with a bright light in the scene, and you want to capture as much as this as possible. The human eye can normally cope with a much wider range than most cameras, so you’ll want to shoot in raw or use other all available options to capture as much dynamic range as possible. All of the cameras shown here shoot raw so you can process the images later when needed to get the best results. See our guide on how to maximise dynamic range.
ISO range
ISO range – In landscape photography, you’re most likely going to want to use the lowest ISO speed possible, in order to ensure your image is capturing as much fine detail as possible. One thing that can help is a lower ISO speed. There’s not a massive difference between using ISO100 and ISO200 on most cameras, however, if your camera has an even lower ISO speed, such as ISO50, then it’ll be easier for you to use a slower shutter speed when needed, helping you when you’re trying to capture blurred water, or blurred clouds etc. Be aware that some extended ISO speeds, marked as “Low” or “L” will show a reduced dynamic range, and are therefore best avoided.
Image stabilisation
Image stabilisation (IS) can help, and we’re at a point in time where it’s more common for new cameras to have in-body image stabilisation than not, and not only lets you expand your ability to shoot at slower shutter speeds, but also allows manufacturers to add multi-shot high-resolution modes to some cameras. If you can afford a model with image stabilisation built-in, then this is worthwhile, as it works with all lenses, letting you save money when buying a lens without IS built-in.
Weather-sealing
Weather-sealing is likely to be a must, especially if you’re happy shooting in all-weather conditions. If this is important to you, then look out for cameras that feature weather-sealing. You’ll also need to make sure the lens you use with the camera is weather-sealed, otherwise you won’t be able to get the benefits of this.
Lens choices
Lens range is another key factor to consider, are the lenses you want available, for the camera you want to use? We run through some of the options available as we go through each camera.
Now that you’ve had a look at the aspects that make for a great camera for landscape photography, lets have a look at some of the options available. In no particular order, we’ve selected options that are suitable for a range of different budgets, and different needs.
Best landscape camera for beginners
Nikon D5600 – £749 with 18-140mm lens
The Nikon D5600 offers easy transfer of images via Nikon’s SnapBridge technology
At a glance:
- 24.2MP APS-C sensor
- ISO100-25,600
- 3.2inch 1.4m-dot full articulated touchscreen
- 820 shot battery life
The Nikon D5600 offers a 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor, and Nikon’s excellent colour management giving images with warm, saturated colour and plenty of detail. There may only be FullHD video, but if you don’t need 4K then the camera gives everything else you need, including access to some great APS-C (DX) lenses.
Ultra-wide-angle lenses include the AF-P DX-Nikkor 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR lens (£309), which gives a 15-30mm equivalent ultra-wide-angle zoom, as well as the Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5 G AF-S DX lens (£949). If the Nikon lenses available don’t take your fancy, then there’s also lots of lens choices from Sigma, Samyang, Tamron and others.
Best for: DSLR fans who want a fully articulated touchscreen
Best landscape camera on a budget under £500
Nikon D3500 – £449 with 18-55mm VR lens
Nikon D3500 DSLR
At a glance:
- 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor
- ISO100-25,600
- FullHD video (60fps)
- 1550 shot battery life
The Nikon D3500 features a 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor, with no optical low-pass filter, which means it’s designed to give as much detail as possible. Active D-Lighting helps with dynamic range in JPEG images, and the camera has traditional DSLR handling, making it a comfortable camera to use. You’ll also find incredible battery life, with up to 1550 shots possible.
The 18-55mm lens can give sharp results, and is a great starting point, but it’s likely you’ll want to have a look at the AF-P DX-Nikkor 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6G VR lens (£309) if you want a wider view.
Best for: those on a budget
Best camera for landscape photography under £1000
Fujifilm X-S10- £949 body only
At a glance:
- 26MP APS-C CMOS sensor
- In-body image stabilisation
- PASM mode dial
- 4K video
The Fujifilm X-S10 is a great handling mirrorless camera, with a large hand-grip and DSLR like controls, with a PASM mode dial, making it easy to use. It also benefits from the same excellent 26MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS sensor as Fujifilm’s flagship X-T4 model, giving you images with plenty of detail, and Fujifilm colour. In-body image stabilisation is built-in, and it offers 4K video.
The downside to this model, compared to the X-T4, is the lack of weather-sealing on the X-S10. The X-S10 uses X-mount lenses and there are a number of options available, although perhaps not as much budget lenses as you’d find with other cameras.
Best for: Someone wanting a compact camera, and fans of Fujiifilm colour
Best Canon DSLR for landscape photography (APS-C)
Canon EOS 90D – £1629 body only
The Canon EOS 90D DSLR is a highly versatile and reliable camera
At a glance:
- 32MP APS-C CMOS sensor
- Canon EF-S lens support
- 1300 shot battery life
- 3inch vari-angle touchscreen
The Canon EOS 90D offers the highest resolution APS-C sensor currently available, and gives you Canon’s great colour reproduction, and high-levels of detail. It also offers an impressive battery life of 1300 shots.
There is a good range of ultra-wide-angle Canon EF-S lenses, with the Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM being a great value budget choice at £245 (16-29mm equivalent). For those with more cash, there’s a 10-22mm available (£529, 16-35mm equivalent), or for those than want wide-angle and zoom, there is a 15-85mm IS USM lens available (£779, 24-136mm equivalent).
Best for: Canon DSLR fans
Best Nikon DSLR for landscape photography (full-frame)
Nikon D850 – £2799 body only
The Nikon D850 boasts a 153-point autofocus system
At a glance:
- 45.7MP Full-frame BSI CMOS sensor
- Low base ISO speed of ISO64
- 4K video, 8K timelapse support
- 1840 shot battery life
- Weather-sealed
The Nikon D850 is a high-resolution full-frame DSLR, with a 45.7MP sensor that is capable of producing images with high levels of detail, thanks in part to no low-pass filter. The camera also benefits from an ISO range that starts at ISO64, which is usefully lower than many cameras.
For some, the handling of a DSLR will be of great importance, and for these people, the Nikon D850 certainly delivers, with great ergonomics, particularly if you’re a fan of larger cameras. You’ll also benefit from impressive battery life, with up to 1840 shots possible from one battery.
There’s a range of lenses including the Nikon 16-35mm F4 G AF-S VR lens at £1149, or you could look at these wide-angle prime lenses: Nikon 20mm F1.8G AF-S (£799) or the Nikon 24mm F1.8G AF-S (£749).
Best for: Nikon DSLR fans
Best Nikon mirrorless camera for landscape photography
Nikon Z7 II – £2999 body only
The Nikon Z 7II with a 24-70mm zoom lens
At a glance:
- 45.7MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor
- ISO64-ISO25,600 (standard)
- In-body image stabilisation
- Weather-sealed
The Nikon Z7 II is one of the second generation full-frame mirrorless cameras from Nikon, and offers an impressive 45.7MP full-frame BSI CMOS sensor, along with Nikon’s Z-Mount series of lenses which have all been developed specifically for the new mirrorless camera range. This means they give exceptional image quality, in combination with Nikon’s excellent focus system.
There’s a growing range of lenses, but you’ll notice that many are at the more expensive end of the market, with ultra-wide-angle options being the 14-24mm f/2.8 S (£2499), and another being the 14-30mm f/4 S (£1349).
Best for: those looking for a compact full-frame camera
Best Panasonic camera for landscape photography
Panasonic Lumix S1R – £3299 body only
At a glance:
- 47MP full-frame sensor
- ISO100 to ISO25,600 (standard)
- In-body image stabilisation
- High-res multi-shot mode (187MP)
- Weather-sealed
The Panasonic Lumix S1R offers a high-resolution 47MP full-frame CMOS sensor, along with a high-resolution electronic viewfinder, 4K video recording, and in-body image stabilisation. There’s a multi-shot high-resolution mode that can produce 187MP images, and the camera has a mode to reduce motion blur, so that it can be used for landscape photography. Despite being a mirrorless camera, the S1R is quite weighty and large.
As part of the L-Mount alliance, there are wide range of lenses, available from Panasonic, Sigma, and Leica. Options include the Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 (£1299), Panasonic Lumix S Pro 16-35mm F4 (£1499), Leica 16-35mm F3.5-4.5 (£4850), and Panasonic Lumix S 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 (£619), to name a few ultra-wide zoom lens options. There are also a range of ultra-wide-angle prime lenses available.
Read our Panasonic Lumix S1R review
Best for: Those looking for a wide range of lens options
Best Canon camera for landscape photography
Canon EOS R5 – £4299 body only
At a glance:
- 45MP full-frame sensor
- Sensor-shift IS
- ISO100 to ISO51,200 (standard)
- 8K/4K video recording
- Weather-sealed
The Canon EOS R5 is Canon’s premium full-frame mirrorless camera, offering a 45MP full-frame CMOS sensor, as well as in-body image stabilisation that works with any lens. There’s a high-resolution 5.76m-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF), and a 3.2inch fully articulated touchscreen with 2.1m dots. This makes framing and composing shots a real pleasure when using the camera. A top LCD display also lets you see camera settings at a glance.
The camera offers advanced video modes, including 8K (30fps) and 4K (120fps) video recording, however, you need some quite impressive hardware to edit this, and you’ll also need to be aware that the camera does have some limitations due to over-heating while recording. There’s also relatively short battery life to be aware of, with 490 shots on offer when using the LCD, or a much shorter 320 shots when using the EVF.
If stills is your primary aim, then you don’t need to worry so much about video recording and overheating, and there are a growing range of Canon RF lenses available, with ultra-wide-angle lens options including the RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM (£1779), and RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM, plus the “standard” 24-70mm f2.8L IS USM (£2189). If you’re on a budget, there’s a compact RF 16mm f2.8 lens (£319).
Best for: Canon fans (full-frame), and those with an interest in high-resolution video
Nb. A second-hand option could be the Canon EOS 5DS R (50MP), which has been discontinued.
Best Sony camera for landscape photography:
Sony Alpha A7R IV – £3199 body only
At a glance:
- 61MP full-frame sensor
- ISO100-32,000 (expands to ISO50)
- 5-axis in-body image stabilisation
- 5.76m dot electronic viewfinder (EVF)
- Weather-sealed
The Sony Alpha A7R IV features a 61-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, the highest resolution available on a full-frame camera (along with the Sigma fp L), and to get any higher resolution than this you’d have to move over to medium format. This makes it a great choice was absolute resolution is of the highest importance. You can even use the pixel shift multi-shot mode for whopping 240MP images, however, these needs combining on a computer, and any movement in the scene can cause image quality problems.
Sony has been making full-frame E-Mount cameras since 2013, so as you’d expect there’s a vast array of lenses available, with high-quality options available from Sony, as well as a number of other options from Sigma, Zeiss, Tamron, Tokina and others. You can choose from a number of ultra-wide-angle zoom lenses, such as the Sony FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS (£1049), or the newer more compact FE PZ 16-35mm F4 (£1300) as well as many prime lens options.
Best for: Sony fans, wide lens choice, high-resolution
Nb. A second-hand or value choice could be the Sony Alpha A7R III, with 42MP sensor, it still offers high-resolution, but is much more affordable.
Best landscape camera for maximum resolution:
Fujifilm GFX100S – £5499 body only
At a glance:
- 102MP medium-format sensor
- In-body image stabilisation
- ISO50 to ISO102,400 (extended)
- Top display screen
- Weather-sealed
Fujifilm’s GFX100S features an impressive 102MP medium-format sensor, at a previously unheard of price, seriously challenging how much a medium format camera normally costs. You’ll also find that it’s packed into a camera body that’s similar in size to a Digital SLR, making this a seriously impressive bit of kit, considering the size, and what it is capable of.
Image quality is impressive, and the camera makes it easier to achieve great results, thanks to the camera’s built-in in-body image stabilisation. The camera also delivers excellent dynamic range, as well as extremely pleasing colour reproduction, thanks to Fujifilm’s film simulation modes.
For those that want even more resolution, then there’s a multi-shot mode available for 400MP images, but like the Sony A7R IV, these need to be merged together on a computer, and any movement in the scene is going to ruin the shot, so think of this as useful for mostly still life work.
There’s a range of GF mount lenses, and there’s a 0.79x crop factor, so the GF 23mm f4 (£2399) lens is equivalent to 18mm (in 35mm terms), and the GF 30mm F3.5 (£1649) is equivalent to 24mm. There’s also a GF 32-64mm F4 (£2149), equivalent to 25-51mm, and it’s the widest zoom lens currently available from Fujifilm in GF mount.
Best for: Ultimate resolution thanks to 102MP sensor
Best budget medium format camera for landscapes:
Fujifilm GFX50S II – £3500 body only, or £3900 with 35-70mm lens
At a glance:
- 50MP medium-format sensor
- In-body image stabilisation
- ISO50-102,400 (extended)
- Top display screen
- Weather-sealed
Medium format cameras used to cost an arm and a leg, so it’s incredible to think that you can purchase a brand-new medium format camera for £3500 body only in the form of the GFX50S II. In order to make the GFX system more affordable, the GFX50S II was introduced with a new budget lens, the GF 35-70mm F4.5-5.6 WR zoom lens (£849 lens only, or £3900 as GFX50S II kit with lens), which gives a 28-55mm equivalent.
Despite the lower price, it’s difficult to see where the camera is lacking, as the camera features a 51.4MP medium format sensor, in-body image stabilisation, a high-resolution electronic viewfinder (3.69m dots, 0.77x magnification), and a 3.2inch 2.35m dot tilting touchscreen. The price makes it competitive with high-resolution full-frame mirrorless cameras, and really does make medium format an option.
However, one thing to be aware of is the price of wide-angle lenses, as most GF-mount lenses are more expensive than the 35-70mm lens designed for this camera model, particularly if you’re looking for a wide-angle lens, with the GF 30mm F3.5 being £1649, and equivalent to 24mm.
Best for: Medium-format on a budget
Best landscape camera for hiking and all-weather
OM System Olympus OM-1 – £1999 body only
The OM System ‘Olympus’ OM-1
At a glance:
- 20MP Micro Four Thirds sensor
- Weather-sealed (IP53 rating*)
- In-body image stabilisation
- 5.76m dot electronic viewfinder (EVF)
- Compact body and lenses
The OM System Olympus OM-1 offers an impressive IP53 weather-sealed rating, when used with compatible lenses, giving this camera system some of the best weather-sealing of any current model. This feature, plus clever computational features make this camera more suited to landscape photography than it may appear on first glance.
You’ll find Live-ND built-in (upto ND64), which lets you use a slower shutter speed, without the need to attach an ND filter on the lens. There’s also in-camera focus stacking, in-camera high-res multi-shot (50MP handheld, upto 80MP with a tripod), HDR, timelapse, plus live composite / bulb modes for low-light shooting, as well as Starry Sky AF. As with other high-res multi-shot modes it’s best for static scenes, but there is a handheld mode, and we had success shooting outdoors with the camera.
As the camera is part of the Micro Four Thirds system, introduced in 2008, alongside Panasonic, there is perhaps the widest range of lenses available for any mirrorless system, with ultra-wide-angle lenses available from both Olympus and Panasonic, with multiple zoom lens options, as well as primes. There are also third party lenses available from Sigma, Laowa, Tamron, Samyang, and many others. Have a look at some of the best micro four thirds lenses.
Best for: Those who want full control, but also want a small weather-sealed camera system
Best Pentax camera for landscape photography
Pentax K-1 II – £1999 body only
At a glance:
- 36MP full-frame CMOS sensor
- Weather-sealed
- Innovative tilting screen
- Wide range of K-mount lenses
- In-body image stabilisation
The Pentax K-1 II, and the original Pentax K-1, both offer a 36MP full-frame CMOS sensor, along with Pentax’s excellent build quality and ergonomics. The camera is weather-sealed, features an optical viewfinder, and an innovative tilting screen on the back. Using the Pentax K-mount you can use a vast range of lenses, dating back to 1975.
Speaking of lenses, there are a number of new full-frame lenses from Pentax, including the Pentax-D FA HD 24-70mm f2.8 ED SDM WR (£1179). Care needs to be taken when choosing a lens, as many of Pentax’s lenses are designed for Pentax APS-C DSLRs. There’s also support from third parties, including Samyang, and Irix, who offer a number of different ultra-wide-angle lenses, although it’s worth noting that the majority of these are manual focus only.
Best for: Pentax fans, K-mount lenses
Best compact camera for landscape photography
Canon Powershot G1 X Mark III – £1139
At a glance:
- 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor
- 24-70mm equivalent lens
- ISO100 to ISO25,600
- Weather-sealed
- Compact camera
If you’re looking for something pocketable, and don’t want to worry about changing lenses, then the Canon Powershot G1 X Mark III is a compact option, with a 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor, and a 24-70mm equivalent zoom lens, with an f/2.8-5.6 aperture, as well as optical image stabilisation. There’s full manual controls, as well as raw shooting, although it’s worth noting that battery life is quite short, so a spare battery is highly recommended. Despite being a compact camera, you’ll find a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF), plus a full-articulated 3inch touchscreen.
Best for: Those that want a pocketable all-in-one camera
More links…
Starting out in landscape photography? Have a look at our beginners guide to landscape photography, or why not have a look at some of the best landscape photographs, or for more inspiration have a look at landscape photography books.
