If you are into landscape photography, you might be wondering which camera on the market today is the best. With so many great cameras out there, it is hard to pick a winner. We decided to put together a detailed guide that shows the top cameras we recommend for your landscape photography needs. It is important to note that every single tool in the list below has been tested extensively by our team members, so we only provide recommendations based on our real-world experience.
While most digital cameras can work great for landscape photography, some are going to be better than others based on such metrics as total megapixels, dynamic range, in-camera features, and lens selection.
Landscape photographers often desire cameras that have as many megapixels as possible, as wide of dynamic range as possible, great battery life, in-camera features such as focus stacking, as well as the ability to withstand tough weather conditions. Often times, high ISO performance, high frame rates, deep buffers and fast autofocus systems are of little use for landscape photographers.
At the same time, other features such as in-body image stabilization (IBIS) can be quite helpful, especially when cameras are able to take advantage of sensor movements in order to track stars or to create high-resolution images using pixel shift technology. The ability to capture more dynamic range when shooting at higher ISOs, as well as the ability to focus easily in low-light conditions can also be vital for those who shoot the night sky. So if you are into astrophotography, you might need to evaluate such criteria separately when picking a particular camera or camera system.
Lastly, it is important to point out that a good camera for landscape photography requires a solid selection of high-performance lenses. A landscape photographer should be able to pick lenses based on their particular needs and their budget.
Best Cameras for Landscape Photography in 2021
Fujifilm GFX 100
Its cheaper and lighter sibling, the GFX 50S is also an excellent camera if you are on a budget. While it might have less resolution, it is a solid tool with great ergonomics and build quality, capable of producing beautiful images.
See our detailed review of the Fujifilm GFX 100 and GFX 50S for more information about this camera.
Nikon D850
After testing out the Nikon D850, our team at PL agreed that it is the most complete DSLR on the market today. It has a phenomenal 45 MP sensor with the capability to go down as low as ISO 64 and yield class-leading dynamic range performance, proven Nikon ergonomics and easy to use menu system, rich lens selection, excellent in-camera features, great weather sealing, and amazing battery life. In short, the Nikon D850 is the best full-frame DSLR on the market today.
For landscapes, you may want to go with one of the mirrorless cameras in this list instead due to lighter weight, but it all depends on how far you’re planning to hike with your camera. The Nikon D850 is such a proven and versatile camera that it’s usually our first recommendation. However, it’s at about the same level as the Canon EOS R5, Nikon Z7 II, and Sony A7R V, all of which have their own pros and cons. Make the decision based on which one seems the best for your particular needs.
For more information, see our in-depth Nikon D850 review.
Another Nikon DSLR that we highly recommend is the older D810, which is another phenomenal camera for landscape photography needs. We did not include it in this list because of the D850 that replaced it. Personally, I decided to keep shooting with my Nikon D810 even after the D850 release, because it was such a phenomenal camera. I later sold it off in favor of the Nikon Z7, which I talk about below.
Canon EOS R5
In addition to excellent ergonomics and easy to understand menu system, the Canon EOS R5 has a tough magnesium alloy construction, superb weather sealing, and dual memory card slots (1x CFexpress and 1x SD UHS-II). Despite its high-resolution sensor, the EOS R5 is able to shoot up to 12 FPS using its mechanical shutter and up to 20 FPS when using the electronic shutter. Similar to Nikon Z, the Canon RF lens options have grown tremendously since the launch of the original RF mount (although Canon focused more on professional-grade zoom and prime lenses). And for those who like to shoot video, the EOS R5 is the only consumer-grade digital camera on the market today that is capable of shooting 8K videos.
For those on a budget, Canon’s EOS R6 is another great mirrorless option for landscape photography. Although with its 20.1 MP sensor it has much less resolution compared to the EOS R5, many of its features are very similar to those of the R5. As detailed in my Canon EOS R5 vs R6 article, it has the same ergonomics/build quality, 5-axis IBIS, autofocus system, and continuous shooting speed. All this makes the EOS R6 a great general-purpose camera. So unless you are planning to make very large prints, the EOS R6 is going to be a great alternative to the EOS R5, and it will save you quite a bit of money.
You can read more about both cameras in our Canon EOS R5 review and EOS R6 review.
Nikon Z7 / Z7 II
Although the original Z7 featured a single XQD / CFexpress memory card slot, Nikon added a UHS-II compatible SD memory card slot to the Z7 II. As explained in my Nikon Z7 vs Z7 II article, there were a few other important refinements delivered with the Z7 II, including dual EXPEED 6 processors, a much larger memory buffer and the ability to use a real battery grip with controls. Still, we do want Nikon to pay more attention to firmware updates, so we created our detailed wishlist of camera features we would like to see on Nikon Z-series cameras in the future. Even though Nikon has been able to address some of them, we hope to see more continuous improvements and innovations in these cameras.
For more information about the Nikon Z7, see our Nikon Z7 review and Nikon Z7 II review. For more information about Nikon Z lenses, please see Everything You Need to Know About Nikon Z Lenses and Nikon Z Lens Roadmap.
For those on a tighter budget, the Nikon Z6 and Z6 II are also favorable choices for landscape photography. While these cameras have 24 MP sensors with low-pass filters, as long as you are not planning to make huge prints, they are still excellent cameras for most photographers out there. You can find out more about the Z6 in our Nikon Z6 review, while a comparison between this camera and its second-generation version can be found in our Z6 vs Z6 II article.
Another option that is even cheaper than the Z6 II is the full-frame Nikon Z5 (see our Nikon Z5 review). Although it has a slightly older 24 MP CMOS sensor, its dynamic range performance, as well as all the in-camera features are still great for landscape photography needs.
Sony A7R V
If you are on a tighter budget, its predecessor, the Sony A7R IV is also an excellent choice that we can highly recommend for landscape photography needs.
Our biggest criticism of the Sony mirrorless cameras in general lies with the ergonomics and poorly organized menu system, which can make it painful for photographers to use these cameras in the field.
Panasonic S1R / S1
Another strength of the Panasonic S1R is lens selection. With Leica, Panasonic, and Sigma being part of the “L-mount alliance”, there are plenty of great lens options available for the L-mount – from ultra-premium Leica glass to budget-friendly options from Sigma. Panasonic’s own zoom and prime lenses are also excellent and highly recommended for landscape photography needs.
The biggest drawback of the S1R is its size, weight, and price. It is as big as a high-end DSLR camera, weighs over a kilo, and retails for $3700, making it one of the more expensive cameras on this list. However, the significantly less expensive Panasonic S1 is still a great camera for landscape photography and shares most of the same specs. In particular, it also has sensor-shift technology. While not quite matching the S1R’s 187 megapixel mode, the S1’s sensor shift still captures an impressive 96 megapixels. (Without sensor-shift enabled, the S1 takes 24 megapixel images.)
The size and weight of these two cameras may still turn away a number of landscape photographers, but their excellent feature sets make them well worth considering.
Pentax K-1 / K-1 II
Pentax replaced the original K-1 with the K-1 II in early 2018, which provides even more features such as hand-held pixel-shift mode, superior AF tracking algorithm, and other improvements to its pixel shift feature. All this makes it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest version.
Nikon Z8
One of the best all-around cameras on the market today is also a killer choice for landscape photography: the Nikon Z8. The Z8 matches and in some ways exceeds the capabilities of the Nikon Z7 / Z7 II that are so high on our list, featuring a 45 megapixel sensor and a base ISO of 64 for incredible dynamic range.
The only reason why the Nikon Z8 is lower on the list is because it’s frankly overkill if all you need to do is landscape photography. It costs $4000 because it’s geared toward high-speed wildlife photography needs. Even though the Z8 is amazing for landscape photography, you can save some money and keep almost all the useful landscape-related features just by getting a Nikon Z7 II instead.
Sony A1
In the same boat as the Nikon Z9 is the Sony A1. It’s a fantastic camera for landscape photography, featuring a 50 megapixel sensor, a lightweight design, and a sensor-shift mode for even higher resolution. However, it costs $6500, and what you’re paying for are sports and wildlife features more than anything else. Stick with the A7r series and put your money toward the lenses instead. However, if you already have an A1 for your sports/wildlife needs, it still makes a stellar landscape camera.
Best Budget Camera for Landscape Photography
If you are not ready to spend thousands of dollars on a medium format or a full-frame system, you might want to consider a few budget-friendly options with smaller sensors that offer a bit less resolution. Many photographers who do landscape photography as a hobby might want to consider these cameras, which we have had a good experience with:
- Fujifilm X-T3 / X-T4 – Our top picks among APS-C cameras are the X-T3 and X-T4, both of which offer great image quality with a relatively small footprint.
- Nikon D7500 – Nikon’s enthusiast-grade DSLR with an APS-C sensor offers a wide dynamic range and a solid selection of Nikkor lenses
- Nikon D5600 – Another great choice for those on a lower budget is the Nikon D5600, which is capable of amazing image quality, even when coupled with kit lenses
- Canon EOS 80D – A strong 24 MP camera from Canon that can be coupled with an extensive list of Canon EF and EF-S lenses to deliver stunning results
- Canon EOS T7i – Sporting a similar 24 MP sensor as the 80D, the T7i is another great camera from Canon
- Sony A6000-series – Sony’s A6000-series cameras are all very good mirrorless options for landscape photography needs
What camera do you shoot landscapes with and why? Please let us know in the comments section below!