The 8 Best Cameras - Black Friday 2021 Reviews

The best mirrorless camera we've tested for most people is the Canon EOS R6. This mid-range model from Canon's mirrorless RF-mount lineup feels well-built and incredibly comfortable to use thanks to its large textured handgrip, fully articulated touchscreen, and intuitive menu system. It's also advertised to be weather-sealed against elements like rain and humidity, and it has in-body image stabilization to reduce camera shake when shooting handheld.

The camera uses a 20.1-megapixel full-frame sensor, so it's well-suited to low-light photography in part due to its outstanding RAW noise handling capability, allowing you to shoot at high ISO levels with minimal visual noise. It also delivers fantastic JPEG image quality and has a great dynamic range at its base ISO to bring out a wider range of details. It has an advanced autofocus system with a remarkable 6072 advertised detection points, and it does a good job tracking moving subjects for photos. It also does an excellent job tracking moving subjects in video.

However, the camera is on the bigger and heavier side, so it may not be the most convenient camera to take with you on the go. Its battery performance is also a bit underwhelming, and you can't use it while it's charging. That said, battery life can vary depending on your choice of settings and usage habits. All in all, this camera's well-rounded feature set for both photography and video, as well as its incredible image quality, make it one of the best cameras we've tested.

The Nikon D780 is the best DSLR camera that we've tested. This premium enthusiast-level DSLR has a full-frame sensor and feels very well-built. It's comfortable to shoot with thanks to its large textured handgrip, extensive physical controls, and intuitive menu system, which includes several customization options that you can adjust to your preference. Nikon also has a wide selection of DSLR lenses to suit almost any style of photography.

As for performance, this camera delivers amazing image quality with fantastic noise handling capability, so you can shoot at higher ISO settings in low light without introducing too much visual noise. Its autofocus is quick and effective, doing an excellent job of tracking and keeping moving subjects in focus. While it lacks in-body image stabilization, it does a fantastic job reducing camera shake with its optically stabilized Nikkor 24-120mm f/4G kit lens, which has a long focal length range so you can zoom in a fair amount if needed.

That said, this is also a very heavy and bulky camera, so it's not the best option if you need to travel light. Still, it feels secure and well-balanced with its kit lens. It also has a remarkable battery life that's advertised to last for over 2,200 photos, though battery performance can also vary with settings and usage habits. It also has two SD card slots, so you can have a backup ready to go. Overall, this is one of the best cameras we've tested for those looking for a full-frame DSLR.

If you're looking for a bridge camera that combines the convenience of a built-in lens with the comfort and feel of a DSLR, then the best camera to buy is the Panasonic LUMIX FZ1000 II. While there are higher-end bridge cameras like the Sony RX10 IV, which has a longer focal length and better autofocus, the FZ1000 II has a great battery life, a fully articulated screen, and offers a ton of value for its price.

The camera's built-in lens has a 25-400mm full-frame equivalent focal length, meaning you can take everything from wide-angle landscape shots to close-ups of far-away subjects. It delivers great overall image quality, with a ton of dynamic range to bring out more details in high-contrast scenes. It also has decent noise handling capability at higher ISO settings, though images look softer due to the camera's smaller sensor. It can also shoot photos in 11 fps bursts in its high-speed continuous shooting mode, meaning you can capture bursts of fast movement.

That said, while it has a decent overall autofocus system, it's not the most reliable. It tracks moving objects well for photography, but it can struggle with tracking and keeping moving faces in focus. Its 4k video features are also somewhat limited, as it can only record 4k video at up to 30 fps with a severe crop, and its autofocus performs poorly in 4k. Despite its flaws, though, this is one of the best bridge cameras that we've tested, and it should suit most people's needs.

If you're looking for something compact, the best camera we've tested with a compact body and built-in lens is the Fujifilm X100V. This premium rangefinder-style compact houses a large APS-C sensor, the same 26.2-megapixel X-Trans 4 sensor found in some of Fujifilm's high-end interchangeable lens cameras, meaning it delivers excellent overall image quality and performs relatively well even in low light. It comes with a built-in lens with a fixed full-frame equivalent focal length of 35mm, suitable for a range of photography needs.

The camera has a unique hybrid optical/electronic rangefinder that's offset from the center of the body, so you can maintain an uninterrupted view of your subjects, and you can toggle between the OVF and EVF by simply flicking a switch if, for instance, you want to see preview the final photo through the viewfinder or check how the image would look with a particular 'Film Simulation' profile. The camera also has a good autofocus system with 425 advertised detection points, and it's particularly effective at tracking objects.

Unfortunately, its battery life is somewhat limited, particularly when it comes to video since its tested battery life in video is poor. It may also overheat and shut down when recording 4k video for longer sessions. Its advertised battery life in photos is decent, though, lasting for approximately 350 photos. Battery performance can also vary drastically with different settings and depending on your usage habits. Overall, this is still one of the best compact cameras that we've tested.

The best action camera that we've tested is the GoPro HERO10 Black. Like its predecessor, this premium action camera is remarkably portable and well-built. It comes with a second front-facing screen that lets you monitor yourself through Live View while vlogging or taking selfies. It's advertised to be waterproof to a depth of 33 ft, and you can easily mount it on any number of compatible action cam rigs and mounts, though it doesn't come with too many accessories in the box.

It does an exceptional job of smoothing out camera shake, thanks to its 'HyperSmooth' digital stabilization feature, though enabling it does incur a noticeable crop. It delivers okay video quality overall, relative to other cameras, but its upgraded processor gives it better low-light performance than previous iterations of the GoPro. It also offers a wide selection of frame rate and resolution options, including 1080p and 2.7k video at up to 240 fps, 4k video at up to 120 fps, and 5.3k video at up to 60 fps.

That said, it doesn't have any inputs or outputs aside from its USB-C port, which you can use to charge it or connect it to a PC. If you want to connect it to an external display over HDMI or attach an external microphone for better audio, you have to buy a GoPro Media Mod at an additional cost. Still, this camera's relatively impressive video quality, fantastic stabilization, and extensive frame rate options make it one of the best cameras for sports video that we've tested.