Best Cameras for Bloggers

Photos are a huge part of blogging. Whether you are a travel blogger, fashion blogger, or even a vlogger, you need a way to capture the photos you are going to share with your audience. In this guide, you will see my picks for the best cameras for bloggers.

There are so many choices for cameras nowadays and choosing the best camera is going to be different for everyone. There are a lot of factors in choosing a camera but this guide will cover them all.

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Types of Cameras for Blogging

Buying a camera for blogging can be overwhelming, but it’s one of the most important tools you will need.  

There are four main options when looking at cameras:

Smartphone

Mirrorless

DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex)

Point and Click

Smartphone

Almost everyone has their phone on them 24/7. There’s no question why this would be a great option for a blogging camera. Smartphone cameras have come a long way, but they do still have some limitations.

Pros of Smartphone Cameras:

• You most likely already have one. So no need to buy anything else.
• It’s probably the easiest camera to use. There are some settings you can tweak to take better photos.

Cons of Smartphone Cameras:

• Storage space on your phone is limited, unlike a camera and having multiple memory cards.
• While smartphone cameras do have settings that you can adjust, they are less flexible than a dedicated blogging camera.
• The battery life of your phone may not last as long as a camera. You can always carry around a portable phone charger like this.

Mirrorless

Mirrorless cameras do not have a mirror and consist of a separate body and lens. Mirrorless cameras are generally smaller than DSLR cameras.

Pros of Mirrorless Cameras:

• Compact
• Great Quality Photos
• Interchangeable Lens
• Video Quality usually is better than DSLR

Cons of Mirrorless Cameras:

• Batteries don’t last as long as DSLR cameras
• Limited lens selections

DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex Cameras)

DSLR cameras use a mirror within the camera body to capture images. With a wide range of lenses and accessories available, they are usually the preferred camera for professional photographers.

Pros of DSLR Cameras:

• Best Quality
• Interchangeable lenses
• Great Battery
• A lot of adjustable settings

Cons of DSLR Cameras:

• Biggest camera option
• You need to learn how to adjust the settings

Point and Shoot 

Point and shoot cameras are small easy to use cameras that essentially you just point and shoot. These cameras are great for people who only want to shoot in automatic mode. While you can get some good photos with a point and shoot camera, this is not the right type of blogging camera in my opinion.

 Pros of Point and Shoot Cameras:

• Compact and light
• Inexpensive
• Easy to use

Cons of Point and Shoot Cameras:

• Smaller sensor, which equals reduced quality
• Doesn’t have interchangeable lenses
• Limited control over the quality of photos
• Shorter battery life than the others.

Things to consider when looking for a Blogging Camera

How do you know what you should be looking for when picking out a camera for blogging? First, you will need to figure out what types of photos you will be taking.

If you are a travel blogger like me you might be taking more landscape photos as opposed to a fashion blogger who would be focusing more on outfit photos. You will need to consider a few things when choosing the right camera for you.

Features and Settings

Video Capabilities

Size

Price

1. Features and Settings in a Blogging Camera

When comparing different cameras you will notice different features and settings. A lot of them may have the same features but the ability to adjust them or the range of the settings may vary. Here are the main features you want to look at when deciding on a camera.

ISO

ISO is how sensitive the sensor of the camera is to light. Adjusting the ISO allows you to take better pictures in various lighting situations. For example, by adjusting the ISO you can take photos in a low light situation without a flash.

For the best quality, you will want to look for a camera that has an ISO range of 1600 or higher.

Manual Mode

Having manual mode allows you complete control over the image quality by adjusting the settings. You want to have control of ISO, shutter speed, and aperture.

Most cameras also have an auto mode that can be useful if you are just starting out. No matter which camera you choose make sure you watch some tutorials to get the best quality photos out of your camera.

Sensor Size

The sensor size on a camera determines how much light is used to create an image. Usually, the bigger the sensor the better the photo quality is. This is why DSLR cameras are usually so big.

Raw

Shooting in RAW is the best way to take photos. Not all cameras have the option to shoot in RAW, so if you will be editing your photos keep that in mind. The RAW file preserves all the information from the sensor, like contrast and sharpness without compressing the image which makes it easier to edit.

Shooting in RAW does take up much more space than JPEG so make sure you have extra memory cards handy.

Megapixels

Megapixels is the measure of the resolution of a camera. So the greater number of megapixels the greater quality of the images will be.

You don’t need to get the camera with the most megapixels though. 20MP is a great number of megapixels for a blogging camera. Other factors that we have discussed affect the image quality more than megapixels.

Wi-Fi Connectivity

Some cameras have Wi-Fi built into the camera. This makes it easier to upload photos and videos on the go.

Cameras with Wi-Fi also may have a smartphone app that you can connect to your camera to upload your photos and even set timers or see what you are snapping a photo of from your phone.

Liquid Crystal Display Screen

Having a higher definition screen helps you see if you need to adjust the settings on your camera to get a better photo. Some of these screens even flip up so if you are vlogging you can ensure you are in the video.

Optical vs Digital Zoom

 Optical zoom is definitely what you want and should be paying attention to.

Optical zoom refers to the camera using magnifying lenses to bring the scene closer than you can see with your eyes.

Digital zoom is using the camera image processing to essentially crop the image to make it bigger. This type of zoom affects the resolution and quality of the image negatively.

Frames per Second

Frames per second refer to how many photos the camera takes per second. This is usually only necessary if you are shooting things that are constantly moving like wildlife and sports.

3. Video Capabilities

If you are a vlogger or Youtuber, video capabilities will be extra important to you.

Try looking for the following features in a vlogging/blogging camera:

1080p or 4K Ultra HD resolution

In-body Stabilization (this ensure stable and smooth video while moving around)

Microphone attachment capabilities

Rate of 24 to 30 frames per second

3. Size

Camera size is important to consider. If you are a travel blogger you may want to consider a small-bodied camera that doesn’t take up too much space in your luggage when you are traveling. Want to check out all my favorite camera gear? Check out that post here.

4. Price

Cameras can be super-pricey. Deciding on a price for a camera is absolutely a personal choice and there are great cameras for every budget. You can expect to pay between $300-$2,000 for the cameras that I will be sharing below.

Now that we have gone over the types of cameras for blogging and the features you need to have, let’s take a look at some of the best cameras for bloggers.

6 of the Best Cameras for Bloggers

Sony Alpha A6000

The Sony Alpha A6000 is a mirrorless digital camera. This is one of the most popular cameras for bloggers and vloggers.

Some of the features of the Sony A6000:

Lightweight, just under 0.76 lbs.

24.3 Megapixels

11 frames per second

Records in 1080 HD video

Has a 3-inch LCD screen (the screen tilts but doesn’t flip)

ISO range of 100-25600

The Sony A6000 is a great option for any blogger. It’s compact, lightweight, and easy to use. You can even download the app onto your phone and connect your camera to make taking photos easier.

Nikon D850 DSLR

The Nikon D850 is a great camera all around.

Some features of the Nikon D850:

Full-frame sensor

45.7 Megapixels

ISO range of 64-25600

3.2 inch LCD screen

7 Frames per second

Shoots video in 4K Ultra HD

This is one of the best DSLR cameras for bloggers. The price point is higher than other cameras so just keep that in mind while checking out the rest of the cameras.

Fujifilm X-T30

This is another great mirrorless camera option.

Some features of the Fujifilm X-T30:

26 Megapixels

Panoramic Shooting

Time Lapsing

Full 4K HD video

3 inch LCD tilting screen

This is a great mirrorless camera option that is light and compact and also has an app that you can connect to your camera to get time-lapse videos.

Canon EOS Rebel T7i:

If you are looking for a DSLR camera that has a lower price point but the same great functions this is a great option.

Some features of the Canon EOS Rebel T7i:

24 megapixels

Interchangeable lenses

3 inch LCD screen

6 Frames per second

Built-in Wi-Fi

1080p Video

If you are leaning towards a DSLR that’s a little bit more compact this is a great option and it’s at a great price point.

iPhone 12 Pro

If a smartphone is more your speed then the iPhone 12 is a great option.

Some features of the iPhone 12 pro:

6.1 inch Screen

Night Mode

Wide, Ultra-wide, Telephoto Shooting

60 Frames per Second shooting

ProRAW shooting

4K video shooting

Smartphones have the advantage of being the smallest camera available and they take great photos. You can absolutely just use a smartphone as your blogging camera if you don’t have a budget for a camera right now.

GoPro Hero 9

This will not be your main blogging camera for sure. If you are looking to incorporate video, underwater photography, or adventure videos this is a great camera.

Features of the GoPro Hero 9:

20 megapixels

Shoots video is 4K and 5K

Hyper smooth

8x Slow-Mo

1080p Livestreaming

Voice Control

RAW shooting

Compatible with multiple accessories

Waterproof up to 33ft

Front display

I love our GoPro. It’s a great action camera and takes amazing underwater photos.

I hope this guide helps you pick the perfect blogging camera for you and your business.  If you have any questions or have any other suggestions drop them in the comments and we can chat!