Despite the popularity of smartphone cameras, Canon remains to be a strong player in the photography market, with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II being one of the top 20 cameras used on Flickr in 2015.
But with the many Canon DSLR models out there, it can be overwhelming to find the best one for your needs. Aside from the 5D Mark II, other Canon models are packed with the right features to make shooting easier in various situations. Here are Adorama’s three recommendations for the best Canon DSLRs, ranked in no particular order.
What are the best Canon DSLR cameras for photography?
Canon EOS 7D Mark II
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The Canon EOS 7D Mark II retains the best features of its predecessor (the 7D), such as maximum shutter speeds of up to 1/8000th sec, flash sync speed of 1/250th sec, and 100% viewfinder coverage.
Canon upgraded the 7D Mark II by bringing up its predecessor’s 18.0 MP sensor to 20.2 MP (the improved sensor has higher sensitivity for reduced noise in images), increasing the older model’s 8fps continuous shooting capability to 10 fps, and a lot more. Features such as the AF tracker and compatibility with newer memory cards are added to the 7D Mark II as well. Indeed, the Canon EOS 7D Mark II is a great improvement in many ways from the 7D.
Having been transformed into a camera that’s apt for the modern day shooting needs, the 7D Mark II is a top choice among professional photographers or those who want to take their hobby to the next level.
Ideal for action and sports photography, the 7D Mark II boasts of a Dual DIGIC 6 image processor that captures up to 1,090 JPEG, 31 RAW, and 19 RAW + JPEG shots in a single burst. It performs well in low-light conditions and can produce images at up to ISO 16000 (expandable to H1:256000, H2:51200). Add to that its 10 frames-per-second continuous shooting capability (due to its rugged shutter made for 200,000 cycles), and you have a perfect recipe for beautiful, sharp photos of moving subjects.
Canon EOS 7D Mark II Specs
- Compatible Lenses: Canon EF lenses including EF-S lenses (35mm-equivalent focal length is approximately 1.6x the lens focal length)
- Total Pixels: 20.9 megapixels
- Effective Pixels: 20.2 megapixels
- Display Type: LCD
- Display Size: 3 in.
- Flash: Built-in
- Memory Options:
- SD/SDHC/SDXC
- Compact flash
- Dual-memory card slots
- Size and Weight:
- 112.4 mm (height)
- 148.6 mm (width)
- 78.2 mm (depth)
- 910g (with battery)
Canon EOS 5DS
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Commercial and fine art photographers will delight in the high resolution that the 5DS offers through its huge 50.6-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor. Taking sharp and vibrant photos is also easier with its Time Release Lag setting and refined mirror control mechanism that work together to reduce vibration when you take photos using mirror lock-up.
Aside from its high-resolution sensor, the 5Ds also has a new Fine Detail Mode option (under the Picture Style function) that can make the patterns and textures in your photos pop up by modifying fineness and contrast to the best settings possible.
This Canon DSLR also offers the flexibility of crop function 1.3x and 1.6x, plus a Custom Quick Control screen so that you can better control the settings of your images.
Canon EOS 5DS Specs
- Compatible Lenses: Interchangeable lens
- Total Pixels: 53 megapixels
- Effective Pixels: 50.60 megapixels
- Built-in Viewfinder: Yes
- Display Type: LCD
- Display Size: 3.2 in.
- Flash: Built-in
- Memory Options: SD/SDHC/SDXC
- Size:
- 4.58 mm (height)
- 5.98 mm (width)
- 3.01 mm (depth)
- 845g
Canon EOS-1DX Mark II
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Known as the best Canon camera for action photography, the 1DX Mark II can take a maximum of 170 RAW images per blast using a CFast card and a maximum of 14fps standard/16fps Live View burst rate.
This high-end Canon DSLR also boasts of unlimited buffers when you’re shooting JPEG, so you can take as many shots as you want for more options to choose from later. If you’re going to shoot in RAW, you’ll get as many as 170 shots of buffer, which is already a lot considering how huge files of this format can be.
This full-frame DSLR camera’s AutoFocus user interface makes all its focus points red for better visibility when you’re trying to establish your subject.
Canon EOS-1DX Mark II Specs
- Lens Type: Interchangeable lens
- Total Pixels: 21.5 megapixels
- Effective Pixels: 20.2 megapixels
- Image Stabilization: None
- Built-in Viewfinder: Yes
- Display Type: LCD
- Display Size: 3.2 in.
- Memory Options:
- Compact flash
- CFast card
- Size and Weight:
- 167.6 mm (height)
- 158.0 mm (width)
- 82.6 mm (depth)
- 1,530g
*cover image courtesy of Canon. Shot with the Canon EOS-1D X.
