Best cameras for wildlife photography

Are you hunting for the best cameras for wildlife? The natural world is one of the most popular subjects for photography, but it’s also very demanding. You want the camera to capture lots of detail so you can see every aspect of an animal’s fur or feathers. A high continuous shooting rate can also be very useful, because it helps you to capture split-second moments such as when a bird takes flight or dives below the water.

Likewise, the camera needs to have an autofocus system that’s capable of getting subjects sharp and sticking with them as they move. In this respect, the latest high-end mirrorless models shine, as they have subject-detection modes that are capable of recognising animals or birds and can even focus specifically on their eyes. These cameras also increasingly use stacked CMOS sensors, which allow high-speed shooting using a silent electronic shutter with minimal risk of subject distortion.

A long telephoto lens is normally crucial to wildlife photography, unless you’re dealing with unusually tame subjects. This means you’ll need either a bridge camera with a long lens, or a DSLR or mirrorless camera with a suitable lens.

Whether you’re shooting birds, leaping fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, or wild animals, we’ve got a camera that’s right for you.

Here’s our choice of the best cameras for wildlife photography

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Best cameras for wildlife photography – Panasonic

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2000

Price | £769 / $997

At a glance:

• Compact / bridge
• 20.1 MP 1.0-type CMOS sensor
• 24-480mm equiv. f/2.8-4.5 lens
• 49-point autofocus
• 12fps continuous shooting

The main draw for the FZ2000 is its built-in 20x zoom lens, which is equivalent to a 24-480mm lens on full-frame. That’s long enough for all but the most timid of subjects. Yet the same lens can also zoom out far enough to show large animals in their habitat. It’s paired with a 1-in type sensor that’s larger, and therefore gives better image quality, than those in cheaper bridge cameras.

This impressive zoom range is paired with the ability to shoot at up to 12 frames per second for just over 30 raw files or 100 JPEGs, which means you can catch split-second moments. For unpredictable action, Panasonic’s unique 4K Photo Mode enables up to 60 frames to be shot at 30fps in 4K resolution, or approximately 8MP. You also get an OLED viewfinder with 2.36m dots and a good-sized 0.74x magnification, along with a 3-in 1.04m-dot vari-angle screen that’s useful for shooting from high or low angles. This camera is a great choice for those on a budget, as a telephoto zoom lens can easily cost as much.

Read our first-look, hands on review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2000

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Best cameras for wildlife photography – Pentax

Pentax K-3 Mark III

Price | £1,899 / $1,996 (body only)

At a glance:

• DSLR
• 25.7MP APS-C CMOS sensor
• Pentax KAF2 mount
• 101-point autofocus
• 12 fps shooting

In some respects, the K-3 Mark III is the most advanced APS-C DSLR available, with a number of features which make it an intriguing option for wildlife shooters. It offers rapid 12 frames per second shooting, complete with continuous AF. The 101-point autofocus system includes 41 user-selectable points, with the reminder used to help track moving subjects. Meanwhile the 25.7MP sensor delivers plenty of detail and gives good results at high ISO settings up to ISO 51,200.

In typical Pentax fashion, you get a rugged, weather-proofed body with lots of external controls. Notably, it boasts the largest optical viewfinder you’ll find on an APS-C DSLR. The K-3 Mark III is also compatible with a huge array of K-mount lenses, including the largest range designed specifically for APS-C DSLRs. Unfortunately, though, few third-party long telephotos are available new. Even so, for existing Pentax users looking to up their wildlife game, it’s a fine choice.

Pentax K-3 Mark III review

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Best cameras for wildlife photography – Sony

Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV

Price | £1,715 / $1,698

At a glance:

• Compact / bridge
• 20.1MP 1.0-type CMOS sensor
• 24-600mm equiv. f/2.4-4 lens
• 315-point autofocus
• 24fps continuous shooting

Sony’s RX10 IV has an even longer lens than the Panasonic FZ2000, which means you can tightly frame animals when they are further away, but you still get the landscape-friendly 24mm equivalent option too.

Perhaps the next most attractive feature for wildlife photographers is the extremely capable autofocus system. This has 315 AF points covering 65% of the image sensor and it combines both phase and contrast detection for both speed and accuracy. It does a great job of getting moving subjects sharp, and what’s more, it can keep them focused while you shoot at an impressive 24 frames per second in full-resolution 20MP raw.

In addition, for composing your images there’s a 2.36m-dot OLED viewfinder that provides a respectable 0.7x magnification, plus a 3-inch 1.44m-dot tilting screen. There’s also a comprehensive range of external manual controls on offer, which makes this a great choice for enthusiast photographers. As all-in-one cameras go, it’s the best you can get.

Review: Sony Cyber-shot RX 10 IV: Best all-in-one you can buy

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Sony Alpha A9 II

Price | £4,199 / $4,498 (body only)

At a glance:

• Mirrorless
• 24MP full-frame stacked-CMOS sensor
• Sony E lens mount
• 693-point AF with subject detection
• 20fps continuous shooting

Sony started the trend for eye-detection AF, and for a long time the firm lead the way with its Real Time Eye-AF and Real Time Tracking modes. In the A9 II, this includes the ability to detect and track animal eyes when shooting silently at 20fps, with no viewfinder blackout. The autofocus system does a superb job of spotting birds in flight, even when they are very small in the frame, and tracking them as they get closer to the camera. Noise is controlled extremely well at the low to mid-range ISO settings, which means the 24MP full-frame sensor captures a good amount of detail.

The A9 II uses a similar compact body design to the firm’s popular A7 models, but adds top-plate dials for quick access to autofocus and drive modes. Files are recorded to dual UHS-II SD card slots, so unlike its higher resolution rivals, there’s no need to buy expensive CFexpress media.

Sony’s lens range has also expanded over the years and there are now plenty of long lenses available for use on its E-mount cameras. This includes some tempting third-party options from Tamron and Sigma, which aren’t available in Canon RF or Nikon Z mounts.

Sony Alpha 1 V Sony Alpha 9 II: Head to head

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Sony Alpha 1

Price | £6,499 / $6,498 (body only)

At a glance:

• Mirrorless
• 50.1MP full-frame stacked-CMOS sensor
• Sony E lens mount
• 759-point AF with subject detection
• 30fps continuous shooting

The Sony Alpha 1 builds on the A9 II, with more than double the resolution and faster 30fps continuous shooting, complete with AF tracking. Wildlife photographers will also be pleased to hear that it gains Real-time Eye AF for birds, as well as animals and humans. In addition, there’s AI-based Real-time Tracking, with a subject detection algorithm that looks at colour, pattern, and subject distance data to keep up with fast-moving situations.

A pixel count of just over 50 million means the A1 can capture a huge amount of detail, giving plenty of scope for cropping with distant subjects. Noise is still controlled very well up to around ISO 12,800, which is good news if you’re shooting early in the morning or late into the evening. Hybrid shooters are well served too, with 8K video available at 30fps, or 4K at up to 30fps.

The compact body handles well, while the huge, detailed viewfinder combines 9.4m-dot resolution with 0.9x magnification. Overall, the A1 is a phenomenal camera that can handle almost any type of photography with aplomb.

Read the full Sony Alpha 1 review

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Best cameras for wildlife photography – Nikon

Nikon D7500

Price | £1,289 / $999 (body only)

At a glance:

• DSLR
• 20.9MP APS-C CMOS sensor
• Nikon F lens mount
• 51-point autofocus
• 8fps continuous shooting

Nikon’s D7500 is aimed at enthusiast photographers and uses the same 20.9MP DX (APS-C) format sensor as the pro-level D500. This means that you get great noise control within the native sensitivity range of ISO 100-51,200, but only fractionally less detail resolution than its 24MP or 26MP peers.

For viewfinder shooting there’s a 51-point AF system, with 15-cross-type points, which is very fast and accurate. It includes a Dynamic-area AF option which can be set to use 9, 21 or 51 AF points for tracking the subject. While the larger groups can come in handy with larger subjects, the 9-point option is the most reliable. We’d caution against using live view with the tilting rear screen for shooting wildlife, though, as the camera switches to an inferior contrast-detect AF system.

The D7500 employs a carbon fibre monocoque construction that helps to keep its weight down, but it’s still fairly robust and weather-sealed to keep out dust and moisture. With the Nikon F lens mount, it’s compatible with a huge range of lenses designed for both full-frame and APS-C (DX) format.

Nikon D7500 review – A solid all-rounder for enthusiast photographers

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Nikon D500

Price | £1,599 / $1,599 (body only)

At a glance:

• DSLR
• 20.9MP APS-C CMOS sensor
• Nikon F lens mount
• 153-point autofocus
• 10fps continuous shooting

The Nikon D500 is a professional-level DX-format DSLR, and like the D7500 it has a resolution of 20.9MP. However, it’s much higher specified than its more affordable sibling in most other regards, including autofocus, shooting speed and build quality. It handles superbly, too, with all the most important controls placed at your fingertips.

While some may wish for higher resolution, the noise control and the superb autofocus performance of the D500 have seen it become a popular choice for wildlife photographers. It’s also a robustly made camera with weather seals to keep out dust and moisture, which means it can survive the harsh conditions that are often experienced in the pursuit of a wildlife image. Dual card slots are on board, with one accepting high-speed XQD or CFexpress cards enabling extended 10fps burst shooting for 200 frames in raw.

The D500 is one of the best APS-C DSLRs ever made, and a great choice for Nikon users who’d like to tackle fast, erratic subjects such as wildlife.

Read our five-star review of the Nikon D500

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Nikon Z 9

Price | £5,299 / $5,496 (body only)

At a glance:

• Mirrorless
• 45.7MP full-frame stacked-CMOS sensor
• Nikon Z lens mount
• 493-point AF with subject detection
• 20fps continuous shooting

The Z 9 sits right at the top of Nikon’s range, above even the Nikon D6 pro DSLR. Its specification reads like a dream for wildlife photographers: the 45.7MP full-frame sensor can capture bags of detail, while its 493-point AF system does a great job of getting subjects sharp. Meanwhile you can shoot at 20fps in raw or 30fps in JPEG, and when using a fast CFexpress card, the camera will keep going almost indefinitely.

Thanks to deep-learning artificial intelligence, the Z 9 can also simultaneously detect any of up to nine different types of subjects including people (eyes, faces, head and upper body), vehicles (cars, motorbikes, ‘planes and trains), and animals (whole bodies and heads and eyes for cats, dogs, birds and ‘other animals’). That’s a massive bonus for wildlife photographers, especially with many other cameras forcing you to change modes between animals and birds.

With its rugged build and pro-level handling, the Z 9 will also keep on shooting in demanding environments. It’s a great choice for professional or serious enthusiast wildlife photographers, as long as they don’t mind its hefty size and weight.

Read Andy Westlake’s review of the mirrorless Nikon Z 9

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Best cameras for wildlife photography – Canon

Canon EOS 90D

Price | £1,199 / $1,199 (body only)

At a glance:

• DSLR
• 32.5MP APS-C CMOS sensor
• Canon EF/EF-S lens mount
• 45-point autofocus
• 10fps continuous shooting

Canon has aimed the EOS 90D at enthusiast photographers, with a solid-all-round feature set and comprehensive external controls. Perhaps its biggest attraction for wildlife shooters is the high-resolution 32.5MP APS-C format sensor, with lets you capture the maximum amount of detail with distant subjects. It also supports 10fps shooting when using the viewfinder, or 11fps in Live View mode. Whichever way you choose to compose your images, using either the optical viewfinder or the 3-in vari-angle touchscreen, the EOS 90D employs fast and accurate phase detection autofocus.

As it’s built around the Canon EF lens mount, the EOS 90D can be used with a huge range of lenses, including the firm’s EF-S optics that are purpose-designed for the APS-C format. Some great long telephotos are available from both Canon and third-party manufacturers. This all makes the EOS 90D a great choice for enthusiast Canon DSLR photographers.

Read our full review of the Canon EOS 90D

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Canon EOS R7

Price | £1,349 / $1,499 (body only)

At a glance:

• Mirrorless
• 32.5MP APS-C CMOS sensor
• Canon RF lens mount
• 5,915-point AF with subject detection
• 30 fps shooting

Canon’s latest APS-C model uses a similar 32.5MP sensor to the EOS 90D but places it behind the mirrorless RF mount. This enables faster shooting and more sophisticated autofocus in a smaller and lighter body. Notably, the EOS R7 inherits the subject recognition AF from the high-end full-frame EOS R3, which works with animals as well as humans or vehicles.

The EOS R7 also offers speedy shooting, at 15fps with the mechanical shutter, or 30fps with the silent electronic shutter. Its high-resolution sensor and 1.6x crop factor helps record plenty of detail with distant subjects. Canon DSLR users should find its handling and operation generally familiar, although the combined rear dial/joystick takes some getting used to.

Our biggest reservation lies with the lack of APS-C format RF-S lenses, with just a couple of uninspiring standard zooms initially available. However, wildlife shooters are well-served by telephoto options such as the lightweight RF 100-400mm F5.6-8. The EOS R7 also works very well with EF-mount DSLR lenses via a mount adapter.

Canon EOS R7 full review

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Canon EOS R3

Price | £5,879 / $5,999 (body only)

At a glance:

• Mirrorless
• 24.1MP full-frame stacked-CMOS sensor
• Canon RF lens mount
• 1,053-point AF with subject detection
• 30fps continuous shooting

Canon’s flagship mirrorless camera sits just below the EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR in the company’s line-up. It uses a similar robust, weather-sealed design, with an integrated vertical grip that includes a duplicate set of controls for portrait-format shooting and houses a chunky high-capacity battery for extended shooting. It’s capable of shooting at a pacey 30fps when the electronic shutter is in use, or 12fps with the mechanical shutter. Both rates are with full autofocus and metering capability.

Even better news for wildlife photographers is that the subject detection system can spot animal eyes, faces and bodies, in hierarchical order so if the eyes are visible, they will be what it focuses on. What’s more, this is combined with Canon’s eye control focus technology, which means that if there are multiple possible subjects in the frame, you can select one simply by looking at in the viewfinder. It works brilliantly, leaving you free to concentrate on the composition and timing of your shots. For well-heeled Canon wildlife shooters, there’s no better choice.

Read why we gave the Canon EOS R3 top marks

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Best cameras for wildlife photography – Fujifilm

Fujifilm X-T4

Price | £1,549 / $1,699 (body only)

At a glance:

• Mirrorless
• 26.1MP APS-C CMOS sensor
• Fujifilm X lens mount
• 425-point autofocus
• 20fps continuous shooting

Robust and compact, the X-T4 has found a place in many enthusiast photographers’ kit bags. Fujifilm offers a wide range of lenses perfectly matched to the APS-C format sensor, including 70-300mm, 100-400mm and 150-600mm telephoto zooms. These make it an attractive option for wildlife photography.

The 425-point Intelligent Hybrid AF system is well up to the task for shooting fast-moving subjects, and its subject-tracking response can be customised via the menu to maximise your hit rate in a variety of situations. There’s the ability to shoot at up to 15fps with the mechanical shutter, or 20fps with the electronic shutter. Plus, if you’re happy to accept a 1.25x crop that gives 17MP files, you can shoot at 30fps for up to 60 lossless compressed raw files.

The raw files from the X-T4 are excellent, but it also produces some of the nicest JPEGs straight from the camera that you’re likely to encounter. This is great if you don’t want to fill up your cards lots of raw files from burst shooting.

Full review of the Fujifilm X-T4

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Fujifilm X-H2S

Price | £2,499 / $2,499 (body only)

At a glance:

• Mirrorless
• 26.2MP APS-C stacked-CMOS sensor
• Fujifilm X lens mount
• 425-point AF with subject detection
• 40fps continuous shooting

Fujifilm’s X-system flagship model is an enticing option for serious wildlife photographers who’d like a more affordable alternative to full frame. It combines high performance with portability, with its 26.2MP APS-C stacked CMOS sensor supporting silent shooting at fully 40 frames per second for up to 140 frames. Dial down to 15fps, and the camera can keep shooting almost indefinitely (when using a CFexpress card). The X-H2S also gains the firm’s first subject-recognition autofocus system for animals and birds, along with most types of vehicle.

Fujifilm has also eschewed its signature analogue dials in favour of a highly customisable electronic interface. This allows users to configure up to six custom shooting setups for different scenarios and recall them using the mode dial. Naturally, the body is extensively weather sealed for outdoor shooting, as are most of the firm’s XF lenses. Thanks to the 1.5x ‘crop factor’ of the APS-C sensor, it’s possible to get impressive telephoto reach in reasonably portable lenses. This makes it a great choice for shooting distant wildlife.

Fujifilm X-H2S Review

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Best cameras for wildlife photography – Olympus OM System

OM System OM-1

Price | £1,999 / $2,199 (body only)

At a glance:

• Mirrorless
• 20.47MP Four Thirds stacked-CMOS sensor
• Micro Four Thirds lens mount
• 1053-point AF with subject detection
• 50fps continuous shooting
• www.olympus.co.uk

The ‘Olympus’ OM-1 is the successor to the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III. Aimed at outdoor, adventure and wildlife photographers, it has an impressive AI Detection AF system that can spot and focus on cars, motorcycles, airplanes, helicopters, trains, birds and animals. It sometimes needs a little targeting to look in the right part of the frame, but generally the bird and animal detection works very well and will prioritise the eyes if they are detected.

The OM-1 is also capable of shooting at blisteringly fast speeds. It offers up to 50 frames per second with AF tracking using most Olympus PRO lenses, or 25fps with other lenses, or up to 120fps with fixed focus. This is complemented by a clever Pro Capture mode that buffers frames from before the shutter button is fully depressed, which allows you to capture moments which would otherwise be practically impossible.

Because the OM-1 has a Four Thirds sensor, the lenses produce images with framing equivalent to twice the focal length on a full-frame camera. Hence a 300mm lens gives the same reach as a 600mm lens on full-frame, which benefits wildlife photographers because the kit can be smaller, lighter and more affordable.

OM System ‘Olympus’ OM-1 Full Review

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Written by Andy Westlake with contributions from Angela Nicholson

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Now you’re found the best cameras for wildlife photography, have a look at these articles to learn more:

Best lenses for wildlife
How to check a second-hand lens for faults
How to capture fast moving birds and animals
Beginners guide to wildlife photography

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