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Fact: a modern master photographer doesn’t need the best technologies to shoot a great portrait: they need creative freedom and light. But most of us aren’t the best of the best. And until we get there, modern tech can help us. For your convenience, we’ve put together a list of the best cameras for portrait photography. Most folks refer to lenses, but we also believe there are great cameras for it too.

How We Created This Roundup

We’ve reviewed tons of cameras and lenses. No one is making an awful product these days, so this roundup of the best cameras for portrait photography is based on a few things. First off, the biggest one is autofocus. Face detection and eye detection have become paramount in portraiture. Gone are the days when you manually select a focus point, shoot, the model shifts, and the process is repeated. These cameras all have satisfactory face and eye autofocus tracking. Then there’s image quality. What’s most important to us is color depth. This means that you’ll be able to tweak colors in a portrait to get the most out of your raw files. That’s important given today’s portrait trends. And lastly, we’re putting an emphasis on flash systems. Go into any photo studio, and they’ve probably got Profoto gear. With that said, Profoto AirTTL integration is mandatory. And each of these systems has worked with Profoto to get that done through radio triggers.

Beyond all this, the photographer behind the camera is crucial. Having creative ideas, mood boards, and solid communication are beneficial. So let’s dive into our thoughts on the best cameras for portrait photography!

Canon EOS R5

In our review, we state:

“Face and eye detection is top notch. I’d even dare to say that Canon is better at low light than Sony is. I’ve been saying this for over a year and I know that others agree with me on this. Not only is it faster, but it’s usually more accurate.”

Sample Images

Buy Now: Around $3,899

Pro Tip: Fujifilm’s cameras are incredibly unique. They have film simulations built right into them, so their image quality is unlike anything else. But Canon and Sony embrace a more traditional approach. For those cameras, a good starting point is using Presets. Once you’ve got an idea of where you want to go with your photos, you can modify based on that inkling.

Sony a7r IV

In our review, we state:

“Throughout our time with the Sony A7R IV, tracking focus acquisition was consistently accurate and quick in good lighting. Sony’s Face & Eye AF tech continues to be the most responsive on the market and feels almost intuitive on the A7R IV. Unless you’re shooting with manual glass, the focus and recompose days are a thing of the past when shooting with the A7R IV. The real-time tracking functionality will also make short work of fast-moving subjects, allowing you to nail focus with much less effort.”

Sample Images

Buy Now: Around $3,499

Fujifilm GFX 50R

In our review, we state:

“For stagnant subjects, the Fujifilm GFX 50R has great autofocus even in low light. Where the problems occur is how they interact with faces and moving subjects. In addition to this, focusing on subjects with strong backlighting is also pretty difficult. The latter is a statement that applies to the entire industry with a few options, mainly Sony, being better. The Fujifilm GFX 50R, like many other options, has eye detection and can prioritize one eye over another. But tracking those subjects through the frame won’t work so well if they’re moving. But if you ask your subject to stay mostly still, you can mitigate the problem.”

Sample Images

Buy Now: Around $4,499