Last Updated on 05/25/2017 by Chris Gampat
It is no secret that the wedding photography niche is one of the most lucrative and ‘safe’ (as in, we don’t expect people to stop getting married and wanting pictures of it any time soon) photography markets in today’s industry. This means there is a never ending flow of new photographers picking up their cameras hoping to make it big in the wedding industry. While there is a lot to learn about the business of weddings, another avenue that should be considered as well is if the gear on hand is sufficient for a wedding environment.
Weddings are major life events for these couples and their families, they can’t just be redone like a portrait session can. This means it is mission critical you have reliable gear, capable of capturing the moments as they come, without slowing you down or making your life difficult. So to that end, today we have compiled a list of our top camera recommendations for wedding photographers.
Ready? Great, lets jump into it.
Canon 5D Mark IV
The Canon 5D series has long been a favorite for wedding professionals thanks to its stellar performance, rugged build quality and stable of professional features. That is no different with the latest model in the 5D family, the 5D Mark IV. It may not quite match other cameras that are better in one feature or another feature (dynamic range for example) but the combination of solid and reliable performance all around makes this a great choice for any wedding photographer.
[amazon_textlink asin=’B01KURGS9E’ text=’Canon 5D Mark IV’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’bb80eb57-3f19-11e7-b44e-d58fd08856db’] on Amazon: [amazon_textlink asin=’B01KURGS9E’ text=’Canon 5D Mark IV’ template=’PriceLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’b3b6e710-3f19-11e7-82c3-9d8050d38aa5′] (Our 5D Mark IV Review)
Nikon D750
Similarly to Canon’s 5D series, Nikon’s D700 series has also been a long time favorite for wedding photographers and that remains true with the D750. It features smaller form factor than its bigger brother, the D810, but is also a top performer for those who don’t crave the high resolution provided in the D800 series. This too is a really solid option for wedding professionals.
So why are we choosing this over the D810? Part of it has to do with the WiFi, sending images wirelessly off to printers and taking a more active role in the curation of the hashtag at the wedding.
[amazon_textlink asin=’B0060MVJ1Q’ text=’Nikon D750′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’3623e11e-3f1a-11e7-8ec6-113ba76089be’] on Amazon: [amazon_textlink asin=’B0060MVJ1Q’ text=’Nikon D750′ template=’PriceLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’2eb06153-3f1a-11e7-85f7-d988ab4a9a29′] (Our D750 Review)
Sony A9
If you want to go mirrorless but retain your full frame sensor there is no better option for wedding professionals right now than the newly minted Sony A9. It is a camera that gives your flagship DSLR performance for a lower price, and unlike it’s A7R II sibling (which many probably expected to be on this list) it features important features for wedding professionals like dual card slots, larger battery, and fast/accurate AF performance. (The obvious downside here is that it’s the most expensive camera on this list.)
[amazon_textlink asin=’B06ZY7GNKN’ text=’Sony A9′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’26ae3f55-3f1b-11e7-8151-bd96f2544ea2′] on Amazon: [amazon_textlink asin=’B06ZY7GNKN’ text=’Sony A9′ template=’PriceLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’1f4b39fd-3f1b-11e7-b05b-ad3d44495098′] (Our Initial Sony A9 Impressions)
Fujifilm X-T2
Now, getting out of full frame territory, which has traditionally been a ‘must have’ for wedding pros (but is becoming less and less of a true statement), we come to the Fujifilm X-T2. Our second mirrorless camera on this list and the only one so far without a full frame sensor. The X-T2 offer stellar performance in both image quality and AF speed/accuracy, as well as weather sealing, dual card slots, and a great lineup of fast – yet compact lenses (when compared to their full frame and DSLR counterparts).
[amazon_textlink asin=’B01I3LNMAM’ text=’Fujifilm X-T2′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’3a349cb1-3f1c-11e7-9382-371fc0cf988a’] on Amazon: [amazon_textlink asin=’B01I3LNMAM’ text=’Fujifilm X-T2′ template=’PriceLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’32154b66-3f1c-11e7-aea3-8d35bdec540f’] (Our Fujifilm X-T2 Review)
Nikon D500
If we are going to mention an APS-C mirrorless camera, we might as well throw an APS-C DSLR into the mix as well, and at this point in time there is no better option for wedding pros out there in this category than the Nikon D500. This camera has it all, weather sealing, rugged build, dual card slots, and insanely fast/accurate AF performance. At the very least this could make an excellent second body for someone with a D750.
[amazon_textlink asin=’B01A7Q0J3Y’ text=’Nikon D500′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’b40378de-3f1c-11e7-86c4-331dcc5fc887′][amazon_textlink asin=’B01A7Q0J3Y’ text=’Nikon D500′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’b429025a-3f1c-11e7-8cb6-23d67498b79b’] on Amazon: [amazon_textlink asin=’B01A7Q0J3Y’ text=’Nikon D500′ template=’PriceLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’aa31211e-3f1c-11e7-89d3-bb94155392fa’] (Our Nikon D500 Review)