Most hobbyists or amateur photographers can shoot car photos using their phones, which can yield great results, but this article is outlining the best DSLR and mirrorless cameras for car photography.
These cameras comes with a lot of advantages: extra features, RAW support, the ability to use different lenses, etc.
I have shortlisted only the best cameras for car photography you for your next car photoshoot.
What’s in a Good Camera for Car Photography?
The best camera for car photography is a synergy of high resolution, dynamic range, RAW capabilities, built-in image stabilization, and compatible lens choices.
We have picked a mix of full-frame and APS-C cameras within 2000 dollars (except for the Nikon D850 & Sony A7IV) as they tend to offer a good budget friendly mix of capabiltites.
The fact that some of them are full-frame means you can get a beautiful shallow depth of field while working from close distances, something that crop cameras will never allow you to do.
Not to discount crop cameras, as they offer the best bang for your buck.
Take your next awesome car picture with one of these cameras!
Best Cameras for Car Pictures in 2022
- Sony A7 IV
- Sony A7 III
- Nikon D850
- Nikon D3500
- Canon EOS 90D
- Sony Alpha a6600
- Canon EOS 6D Mark II
2. Sony A7 III
The 2021 Sony A7 III is a full-frame mirrorless camera. It wins my vote as the best camera for car photography in 2022. It uses the Sony E mount system. This is a very versatile camera and is perfectly suitable for capturing high-quality car photos.
Specs
- 24-megapixel full-frame Exmor R BSI CMOS sensor.
- UHD 4K videos at 30p and with HLG and S-Log3 Gamma.
- Built-in Image Stabilization system.
- Weather sealed construction.
Review
For the higher price tag, the Sony A7 III will give you a lot of additional features and superb image quality to boot.
24-megapixels is a lot of resolution to work with. It is more than enough if you are going to share your images only on social media.
Even if you want to make large prints of your car photos, the amount of resolution is capable of handling it without losing quality.
We have always loved the idea of in-built image stabilization (IBIS). Although many DSLRs don’t have that, mirrorless cameras do. The Sony A7 III comes with IBIS and this feature comes in handy when shooting in live view mode.
Speaking of live-view shooting, fixed LCD screens are difficult to work with when you are trying to change the camera angle for some interesting shots.
For example, if you are trying to shoot from the waist, a fixed LCD screen is not suitable at all. You can hardly see what’s going on.
A vari-angle screen, on the other hand, is perfect in these circ*mstances.
There are a number of other features in this camera including weather sealing, 10 fps continuous shooting speed, HLG, and S-Log3 Gamma; all of that makes this is a value for money proposition.
Prices
- USA – $1,698.00
- UK – £1,221.37
- EUR – €1,414.37
- INDIA – ₹125,546.59
- CAD – $2,083.26
3. Nikon D850
The Nikon D850 is a versatile camera with a huge fan following and is consistently a top bestseller.
Specs
- 45.7-megapixel CMOS sensor.
- 3.2-inch tilting touchscreen LCD.
- Features a 153-point autofocusing system, 99 cross-type AF points.
- 3-D Tracking.
- 4K/UHD videos.
- Stereo mic with the option to plug in an external mic.
Review
The first thing you will notice about this camera is that it is a bit bulky and significantly larger than some of the other cameras we have listed here. This is because it is a full-frame camera.
On the bright side, the camera can capture a lot of light when compared to an APS-C (or crop) camera.
The resolution of this full-frame sensor is 45.7-megapixel. That means you have in your hand a powerful tool to create stunning car photos with a lot of detail.
I love the 3D tracking option under the Autofocusing functionality group. This feature utilizes the color information of a subject and uses it to employs all the 153 AF points in the camera to track the subject. If you want to shoot a video of a car moving you will find this feature very helpful to capture sharp photos.
For video enthusiasts and those interested in recording videos of their cars, the D850 has a 4K/UHD video capability.
Some of you might object to the fact that 4K video capability for recording cars might be overkill… and you would be right. However, these days all the high-end cameras come with 4K/UHD capabilities. Whether you use it or not, it is there. We feel it is a good feature to have because even if the file sizes are too large for social media upload you can still use them in your showroom on 4K TVs.
Prices
- USA – $2,496.95
- UK – £1,793.84
- EUR – €2,078.65
- INDIA – ₹184,524.33
- CAD – $3,065.25
4. Nikon D3500
The Nikon D3500 is an entry-level DSLR from the Nikon stable.
Specs
- 24.2-megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor.
- APS-C sensor.
- No optical pass filter.
- 11 point autofocusing system.
- Full HD video at 60fps.
- Built-in microphone (mono).
- Very lightweight camera.
Review
This is the Nikon equivalent of the Canon EOS Rebel T7 that we discussed above.
Both Nikon and Canon make fantastic cameras. There is no point arguing who makes the better camera because they are equally good.
The most interesting specification is the absence of an anti-aliasing filter. The AA filter sits just in front of the camera sensor.
The role of the AA filter (also known as the Optical Low Pass Filter of OLPF) is to ensure that the camera sensor is least affected by the interference patterns. This greatly reduces things like false colors and moiré.
On the downside, you lose out on a bit of detail. When a camera does not have that AA filter, it is susceptible to these issues. But on the flip side, the sensor can record a large amount of detail.
For someone interested in car photography, detail is important.
There are a lot of tiny characteristic lines and detailing on most cars that can be highlighted in greater detail for a potential buyer. Good cameras for car photography such as the D3500 allow you to capture those detailed images.
We love the fact that the D3500 comes with full-HD video capabilities. But what I like more is that you can record at 60 fps progressive. This allows you to record a car walkaround video at a high frame rate and then play it back at normal speed so that you can get a beautiful slow-motion effect.
We guarantee you that your videos will look so much better with a slow-motion effect.
Prices
- USA – $596.95
- UK – £429.35
- EUR – €497.65
- INDIA – ₹44,067.01
- CAD – $732.73
5. Canon EOS 90D
The Canon EOS 90D is a mid-range APS-C DSLR from the Canon stable.
Specs
- 32.5-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor.
- 4K/UHD video recording.
- Full HD videos at 120p.
- 45-point all cross-type autofocusing points.
- Dual-pixel CMOS autofocusing.
- 3-inch var-angle touchscreen.
Review
I have added one entry-level DSLR from the Canon stable in the form of the EOS Rebel T7 already.
For users on a tight budget, I recommend that you go for the EOS Rebel T7 as it is a great camera.
You could also go for the Nikon D3500 that I listed above, which is also a good camera for taking pictures of cars and pretty similar in performance to the Canon.
For those needing a slightly upmarket product, we recommend the EOS 90D.
The EOS 90D has a bunch of features that you will like. Despite being a mid-range DSLR, it comes loaded with several features that will help you capture stunning stills and videos of cars.
The resolution of the sensor is 32.5 megapixels. That means you will be able to capture a lot more detail with this camera than with something like a 24-megapixel sensor.
The Canon EOS 90D comes with two additional features which I am sure you will love:
- First is the vari-angle touchscreen at the back of the camera. The touchscreen flips out all the way and ensures that you can shoot from any number of angles and yet capture great quality stills and videos.
- The second feature I am referring to is Canon’s dual-pixel CMOS autofocusing. This technology is designed to assist autofocusing during live-view shooting. That means it works for both videos and stills for better focusing accuracy when you are using the live-view mode.
One more thing, the EOS 90D captures 4K videos at 30p and full-HD videos at 120p. You can shoot some cool super slow-motion videos of your cars with the full-HD shooting option.
Prices
- USA – $ 1,199.00
- UK – £862.92
- EUR – €999.25
- INDIA – ₹88,550.64
- CAD – $1,472.65
6. Sony Alpha a6600
The Sony a6600 is a lightweight mirrorless camera with an APS-C sensor powering the system.
Specs
- 24.2-megapixel APS-C CMOS Exmore sensor.
- UHD/4K video capabilities with HLG & S-Log3 Gamma.
- 5-axis built-in image stabilization.
- 4D Focus with 425-phase detection AF points and 425 contrast-detection points.
- Built-in stereo mic and external mic ports.
- Dust and moisture-resistant construction.
Review
The main features of the camera include the 4D Focus technology. The 4D Focus technology used by the a6600 uses the 425-point phase-detection autofocusing points along with the 425-contrast detection autofocusing points to cover 84% of the frame.
What it means is that off-center compositions are easier to do.
You always have some AF points to use regardless of where the subject is in the frame.
It also suggests that when the subject is moving it will be easier to track it. This will come in handy when shooting car videos or stills with the car moving. You can track and capture sharp photos of your cars in motion.
This effect gives the illusion of motion in your images – which is a lot more appealing to an average user than when the car is sitting idle.
Other main features include an in-built image stabilization system of the camera. IBIS helps in shooting both stills and videos and the benefit is apparent when you are shooting hand-held. As a majority of car photographers would attempt to shoot hand-held initially, IBIS will help capture sharp images even at slower shutter speeds.
Prices
- USA – $1,198.00
- UK – £861.78
- EUR – €995.11
- INDIA – ₹88,478.60
- CAD – $1,468.02
7. Canon EOS 6D Mark II
We complete this round-up of the best camera for car photography with a brief mention of the Canon EOS 6D Mark II. It is also the best canon camera for car photography.
Specs
- 26.2 megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor.
- 45 all cross-type autofocusing points.
- 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen LCD screen.
- Full HD videos at 60 fps.
- Dual Pixel CMOS autofocusing technology.
- Digital IS
- Weather-resistant construction.
Review
The 6D Mark II is a full-frame DSLR. Large sensors have an obvious advantage when it comes to handling low light conditions.
They can produce clean images in less than optimum conditions much better than APS-C cameras.
The 6D Mark II, even though it is a full-frame camera, is light and that means it is easier to carry it and shoot for long-duration while hand holding it.
The 26.2-megapixel sensor of the camera offers enough resolution for sharp detailed photos of your cars.
Build quality is not as important for shooting cars as it is with shooting wildlife and sports photography. So, I wouldn’t necessarily consider the absence of weather sealing as a huge setback and a reason why I haven’t delved much about build quality in this discussion.
That said, if the camera does come with weather sealing then it is a bonus.
The 6D Mark II comes with dust and water resistance. This is not the same as weather-sealing but it does a decent job of protecting the camera in a drizzle or when exposed to a dusty environment.
Prices
- USA – $1,399.00
- UK – £1,005.77
- EUR – €1,163.15
- INDIA – ₹103,336.47
- CAD – $1,714.49
Any of these cameras are great choices, and we know you’ll be really happy using either of them.
If you have any recommendations or questions, we always read our comments and make the biggest effort to provide you with the best and quickest advice.
Before you go, we want to share with you a few strategies that have worked for us in the past.
How to Take Good Car Pictures
As someone as passionate about cars as about photographing them, you can follow these few pointers to make stunning images that you can be proud of:
- Shoot at the golden hour – This is the period of daytime shortly after sunrise or before sunset.
- Use a large aperture to isolate the car so that it is the focus of the images.
- Always shoot from a low angle, but also experiment with other angles when you can.
- Keep the car at an angle with wheel covers facing you for that muscular effect.
- You can also shoot straight on from a low angle to capture the character of the car from a front-on perspective.
- Shoot from the inside to get the inside perspective.
- Focus on the characteristics of the car and highlight them.
How Do You Take Pictures of Your Car at Night?
Shooting cars at night can be challenging, but with a little bit of planning and ingenuity, you can create images that will blow your audience away:
A cool strategy is to drive around to find a spot where there are a large number of neon advertising signs. Switch on the Day Light Running Lights. The cool advertising lights and the DRL comes together to form an interesting image of the car.
You can also try and incorporate light trails in your images. For example, you can set up a camera to shoot 2-second exposures as you drive the car around on the streets.
The camera should be aimed at something interesting about the car – perhaps the logo at the front or maybe the rear part of the body. The long exposures will capture light trails while the car remains in focus. This will be an interesting capture to highlight the features of the car.
Hope the above selection of cameras gives you something to choose from. Again, if you are interested in car photography it is important that you choose your camera carefully. Always keep in mind that this is an investment that will get you returns and pay for itself over the years. So, choose accordingly. Happy clicking!
