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Features

7 Powerful Digital Cameras That Focus on Stills First and Video Second

Brett Day
No Comments
09/23/2019
5 Mins read
Innovative cameras - Nikon D850

Last Updated on 09/23/2019 by Mark Beckenbach

It seems most digital cameras these days are focused on video and stills, but not all photographers need or want video features.

Mirrorless and DSLR cameras seem to offer the best of both worlds when it comes to photography and videography. While the latter of those two is great, not all photographers need cutting-edge video features in their cameras. Fortunately, there are digital cameras that have been made with purists in mind. They can record video too, but these cameras are first and foremost for stills. The digital cameras listed here were definitely built with photography in mind.

Captured with the K1 Mk II

There is no doubt that having video features in cameras is nice, but it seem camera manufacturers have lost their way a little bit. By cramming technology into their cameras to appease both photographers and videographers, the overall user experience has gone south. Most new cameras have been designed to be all-in-one media creation devices, and that’s fine, but not all of us want digital cameras with video options galore. At the end of the day, those features drive up prices, and make menu systems more chaotic and difficult to navigate. Video features are great, but if you’re on the hunt for a camera that is designed for stills, you need to check out the ones listed below.

 

Nikon D750

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

  • Deep grip
  • Intuitive and well laid out control scheme
  • Renders amazing detail and color
  • Clean files at ISO 6400
  • Usable images up to ISO 10000
  • Built-in Wi-Fi transmission
  • Tilting screen

Cons

  • Plastic front plate

Buy now ($1,496.95): Adorama

 

Nikon D500

 

concert photography

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

  • Fast, accurate autofocus
  • A dedicated thumb joystick on the back for changing AF points
  • The new touchscreen is an interesting and welcome addition
  • Integration of Wi-Fi is welcome
  • Top-notch build quality
  • Battery life that refuses to die
  • Such a good camera that we honestly think that it’s overkill for a lot of people.

Cons

  • Pretty big and tough to get into some messenger bags

Buy now ($1,496.95): Adorama

 

Pentax K1 Mk II

 

full frame cameras

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

  • Enough weather sealing to last a lifetime
  • Rock-solid build quality
  • Easy to read LCD Screen
  • In-Body Image Stabilization / Pixel Shift / Astrotracer
  • Gorgeous 100% coverage viewfinder
  • Excellent image quality
  • Dual SD Card slots
  • Great battery life
  • That little light above the lens mount

Cons

  • Only 33 focus points
  • Autofocus system won’t win any races
  • Extremely heavy
  • No touchscreen

Buy now ($1,796.95): Adorama

 

Digital cameras
Captured with the Canon EOS R

Pro Tip: Regardless of which digital cameras you use, most modern cameras produce RAW files that have some heft to them. One thing that’s easy to do while out shooting is running out of storage space due to larger files. Make sure you keep plenty of extra SD cards on your person or in your camera bag: that way you can shoot into the wee hours of the morning with no worries. SD cards like this one are not only cheap but also blazing fast so they can keep up with new digital cameras.

 

Canon EOS R

 

digital cameras canon

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

  • Build quality
  • Weather sealed like crazy
  • Autofocus is good
  • Protects the sensor when off
  • Canon’s menu system is still simple
  • Ergonomics feel nice
  • With a lightweight lens, it feels just as nice as a Sony camera
  • These are some of Canon’s best RAW files that we’ve seen in years
  • Good battery life
  • Fast Wi-Fi transfers

Cons

  • Needs Dual SD cards
  • Needs a joystick
  • The magic touch bar is odd and could use refinement.
  • Optimizing the way the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed dials work, such as the automatic metering for ISO, not cool
  • Canon needs to improve or change their Face and eye detection.

Buy now ($1,999): Adorama

 

Nikon D850

 

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

  • Fantastic image quality
  • Built like a tank
  • Buttons that light up
  • The touch screen makes the menu navigation so much better
  • Great color depth and versatility
  • Wifi and Bluetooth
  • Putting the ISO button on the right side of the camera by the grip is the better long term strategy
  • Weather sealing
  • Lots of video options
  • Dual card slots
  • The best viewfinder of any DSLR that I’ve used, but still not as great as many older medium format DSLRs and SLRs.

Cons

  • Slower autofocus than the Nikon D810 in some situations
  • We wish the white balance levels were a bit more adjustable
  • Sort of shocked the dual card slots aren’t both SD

Buy now ($2,796.95): Adorama

 

Fujifilm GFX 50R

 

digital cameras fujifilm

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

  • Great image quality
  • Excellent high ISO output
  • High-speed sync with the Profoto Air system is a delight
  • Autofocus that isn’t all that bad
  • Top-notch weather sealing
  • Lightweight
  • Not at all that large overall
  • The ergonomics are excellent

Cons

  • This system really needs lenses faster than f2
  • The autofocus could still use some revamps

Buy now ($3,999): Adorama

 

Captured with the Fujifilm GFX 50R

Pro Tip: All of the digital cameras rounded up in this list feature weather sealing, but that doesn’t mean the lenses you will use on them will be safe from the elements. One of the best things any photographer can do is carry some weatherproof camera and lens covers with them. This way, when the going gets tough, they know their gear will be protected while out shooting. You don’t have to spend a fortune on them either. For the cost of a cup of coffee, you can have peace of mind.

 

Leica Q2

 

dxomark

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

  • Good image quality, though arguably better offerings from competitors
  • Weather sealed
  • Feels nice in the hands
  • Beautiful
  • The lens is exceptional

Cons

  • This is questionable, but the Leica Q2 could have really used a joystick. Not everyone wants to manually focus the lens instead.
  • High ISO output is a bit under par
  • The LCD screen is pretty low resolution
  • Autofocus in very low light isn’t great
  • Could have used a few more function buttons

Buy now ($4,995): Adorama

 

Pentax 645Z

 

digital cameras pentax

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

  • Incredible image quality
  • Excellent performance at high ISO’s
  • Wonderful dynamic range
  • Very comfortable grip

Cons

  • Only 27 autofocus point
  • Autofocus system is pretty slow overall
  • Very large and bulky
  • It’s an expensive camera

Buy now ($4,996.95): Adorama

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