The 7 Best Cameras For Wildlife Photography - Spring 2022 Reviews

If you're looking for something mirrorless, the best camera for wildlife photography for most people is the Nikon Z 6II. This flagship mirrorless camera uses a full-frame sensor and is a good option for most wildlife shooters. Its weather-sealed body feels well-constructed and incredibly comfortable to shoot with, thanks to its large handgrip, high-res electronic viewfinder, and customization options.

The camera delivers excellent overall image quality when shooting in JPEG. Its high ISO performance is fantastic, with very little noise when shooting at higher ISO settings in low light. It has in-body image stabilization to help reduce handheld camera shake, and its autofocus system does a good job, though its AF tracking can be inconsistent when tracking faces or fast-moving subjects. For long shooting sessions, the camera has two memory card slots, including a high-speed CFexpress card slot, which gives it a virtually limitless photo buffer.

While the camera can shoot at about 13 fps in its extended high-speed continuous shooting mode, it'll display your previous shot in the viewfinder rather than reverting to a live feed when using the extended mode, which can cause you to lose track of your subject. To avoid this, you have to use the regular high-speed drive mode, which is limited to 5.5 fps. Still, if you're looking for a well-rounded mirrorless camera for wildlife photography, this is one of the best cameras for nature photography that we've tested.

If you prefer shooting with a crop sensor camera, look at the Fujifilm X-T4. It doesn't perform as well in low light as the Nikon Z 6II because of its APS-C sensor, but it's significantly smaller and more portable, and APS-C lenses are generally cheaper. This flagship model offers good all-around performance and is more than suitable for everyday nature photography. It has a great battery life for long shooting days, and it's weather-sealed to protect against moisture and dust. It can shoot at a fast 12 fps burst rate to capture quick movement and an even faster 20 fps in its silent shooting mode, which is great for capturing animals that startle easily. Image quality is very good overall, and even though its noise handling isn't quite as good, it's still excellent. Its autofocus system also does a good job tracking and keeping moving subjects in focus, though it can sometimes be a bit inconsistent. It has a smaller photo buffer and doesn't support CFexpress cards, though it does have two UHS-II SD card slots.

Get the Nikon if you want a full-frame camera with better low-light performance. If you prefer the portability and focal reach of an APS-C camera, consider the Fujifilm model.

The Nikon D780 is the best camera for birding or wildlife photography that we've tested in the DSLR category. This robust full-frame camera has a wide array of customizable buttons and settings, including custom shooting modes, that you can set to your preferences. This means you can focus more on your subjects and less on scrolling through menus. Its optical viewfinder is large and comfortable, and the camera has a weather-sealed body for more adverse weather conditions.

This camera has an incredibly long battery life that's advertised to last for approximately 2,260 photos, which is more than suitable for long shooting days, though battery performance also depends on your usage habits. Its full-frame sensor gives it excellent high ISO performance, with outstanding RAW noise handling. It also has a highly effective autofocus system, which does an amazing job of tracking moving subjects. It can fire off bursts at 8 fps in its high-speed continuous shooting mode, though it's limited to 4 fps in silent mode.

Unfortunately, this camera doesn't have in-body image stabilization, so you have to use an optically stabilized lens when shooting handheld. Still, Nikon offers a wide range of DSLR lenses, many of which have effective optical stabilization. For instance, the Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G ED VR kit lens we tested the camera with does a fantastic job of reducing camera shake. Overall, it's a well-constructed, full-featured DSLR that makes for a great wildlife photography camera for most people.

If you want to save some money, check out the Canon EOS 90D. Unlike the Nikon D780, it uses a crop sensor, so it doesn't perform as well in low light, and it doesn't feel as premium or well-built, but it's considerably cheaper, and like the Nikon, it's advertised to be weather-sealed. The camera feels very comfortable, and its menu system is incredibly easy to navigate. It delivers good overall image quality, though its RAW noise handling capability is just okay at higher ISO levels. On the upside, it has a faster 11 fps high-speed continuous shooting speed. However, its photo buffer is much smaller, and it has a 10s buffer empty time, which will cause interruptions if you manage to fill it up. The camera also lacks in-body image stabilization, but it still does an excellent job of reducing handheld camera shake with its kit lens attached. It has a very good autofocus system that tracks moving subjects decently well.

Get the Nikon if image quality and low-light performance are priorities. However, if you're looking to save some money on a solid camera and leave more room in your budget for lenses, the Canon is a good alternative.

If you want a solid all-in-one camera with a lot of zoom range and less bulk than a dedicated telephoto lens, consider getting a bridge camera. These are some of the best cameras for outdoor photography if you don't want to spend a fortune, though their smaller sensors are also limiting if you're after the highest image quality. While the premium Sony RX10 IV has a bit more to offer, we like the Panasonic LUMIX FZ1000 II for most people since it offers versatile performance without breaking the bank.

The camera has a built-in Leica lens with a long 24-400mm focal length (full-frame equivalent). That gives you a fair amount of range to zoom in on subjects that are farther away or take close-ups. It uses optical and electronic stabilization, which does a great job of reducing camera shake when shooting handheld at moderate focal lengths. The camera also shoots at a relatively quick 10 fps burst rate when the focus is locked, although it drops to 7 fps with autofocus, so it's just okay for moving subjects. It also has a '4k PHOTO' mode that lets you pull stills from 30 fps video clips, which is a nice option to have.

Unfortunately, its autofocus system isn't the most effective. It uses a contrast-detection AF system, so it's quite accurate, but it can be sluggish when tracking fast-moving subjects. It has a few different area modes when using continuous tracking, and you can also use the touchscreen to select a focus point or subject. It also has a handy 'Post Focus' feature that lets you adjust the focus point after taking a shot. Overall, this feature-rich bridge camera is a good option for casual wildlife photographers who prefer the simplicity of a point-and-shoot.

If zoom range is your biggest priority, check out the Nikon COOLPIX P1000. It's notably bigger and heavier than the Panasonic LUMIX FZ1000 II, making it a bit cumbersome to carry around. However, with a whopping 125x zoom, it has the longest zoom range of any fixed-lens camera on the market. The built-in lens can reach a max 3000mm focal length (full-frame equivalent), allowing you to zoom in incredibly close or snap photos of very far-away subjects. The camera features good optical stabilization to reduce camera shake, though you'll still need to use a tripod and a remote shutter when shooting at the ends of its focal length range. Unfortunately, its autofocus system is sluggish and unreliable. While you can take burst photos at a speed of 7 fps to capture fast movement, it only shoots bursts of seven images at a time, which can slow you down when timing is critical. Still, it delivers good overall image quality, particularly when shooting outdoors in brighter conditions.

Get the Panasonic if you want a more practical and versatile bridge camera. If you need an incredibly long zoom range, go with the Nikon.