Most of the cameras announced in 2023 were full frame. Some were simply just so much better than the others. These days, it seems more and more like full-frame cameras are becoming the norm even at more budget-friendly levels. Lucky for you, we’ve reviewed pretty much every full-frame camera available right now. So here’s our roundup of the best full frame cameras of 2023.
Table of Contents
How We Test and Choose the Best Full Frame Cameras of 2023
- The Phoblographer’s various product round-up features are done in-house. Our philosophy is simple: you wouldn’t get a Wagyu beef steak review from a lifelong vegetarian. And you wouldn’t get photography advice from someone who doesn’t touch the product. We only recommend gear we’ve fully reviewed in these roundups.
- If you’re wondering why your favorite product didn’t make the cut, there’s a chance it’s on another list. If we haven’t reviewed it, we won’t recommend it. This method keeps our lists packed with industry-leading knowledge. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. You can read more about our ethics on this on our Disclaimer page.
- When we test products we’ve got various things in mind. First off, we consider who might want to buy the product and what they might do with it. With that in mind, we try to tackle at least three genres of photography with that product in a variety of situations. For example, if a lens has weather resistance, then we’ll test it accordingly with a weather-resistant camera. We also test the autofocus of the lens in continuous mode, single mode, with exposure preview effects, without those effects, and then with all the major image quality parameters. These days, no one really makes a bad lens — but some are far better than others. And that’s what we’re trying to find in our reviews.
- In all of our roundups, we’re basing our findings on the reviews that we’ve done. We’re choosing a favorite, but we’re also giving photographers a bunch of others that they might like, depending on how they shoot.
Our Choice Amongst the Best Full Frame Cameras of 2023: Nikon z8
It’s really not possible to dislike the Nikon z8. Sure, it’s huge. But there’s a fair amount of great technology and usability in there. Plus, it doesn’t have a traditional shutter, so you’ve got nothing to worry about if you have shaky hands. On top of that, Nikon has worked to improve the autofocus and add more features to the camera. Sure, we think that it should’ve come out a while ago. But that still doesn’t mean that it isn’t a great camera. It’s a fantastic one.
Tech Specs
These specs are taken from the Adorama Listing
- 45.7MP stacked CMOS sensor and EXPEED 7 processing engine
- Nikon’s most advanced autofocus system. AF algorithm developed using deep learning technology
- Internal 8K/60p and 4K/120p video
- Internal 12-bit N-RAW and ProRes RAW recording
- Flexible still image file formats. RAW 14-bit, High Efficiency RAW, 10-bit HEIF and JPEG 8-bit
- Blazing fast continuous shooting. 20, 30, 60 and 120 fps shooting options
- Beautiful portraits made easy. Skin Softening, Portrait Impression Balance & White Balance
- Sensor Size: Full Frame Camera
- Resolution: 45.7 MP
- Lens Included: Without Lens
- Edition: Standard
- Lens Mount: Nikon Z Mount
- Video Resolution: 8K 60fps
What We Think
In our review, we state:
With all that said, the Nikon z8 is a very good jack of all trades, but a master of none. Portrait photographers might very well wish for either more megapixels, the look of Fujifilm’s film simulations, or native lenses with character. Sports photographers and event photographers have access to more lenses and better autofocus with Sony. They’ve got access to better lenses via Canon. Anyone that needs better durability might be better served with Leica. And if you want great video, it’s hard to beat Canon, Sony, or Panasonic.
For Some Photographers, these Might Be The Best Full Frame Cameras of 2023
Full frame cameras are truly all the rage. Everyone wants one if they’re getting a camera of some sort. And luckily there are still very good options that were released this year. In our opinions, Canon didn’t do such a great job with full frame cameras in 2023. The R8 was kind of an annoying camera in our minds; and we wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. But on the other hand, Sony and Leica have got something fantastic for you.
Sony a7c R
In our review, we state:
However, the Sony a7cR should be truly relegated to slower work. For photographers that have been around for a while, think of the Sony a7cR as more of the 5D Mk II instead of the D700. The higher megapixel camera body can surely perform well, but it’s best relegated to slower subjects. For newer photographers, know that we’re currently in a phase where things have returned to how they were in 2009. High megapixel camera bodies truly can’t autofocus all that well with the exception of the Sony a1. Of course, if you wait a little bit, that barrier will be smashed.
Leica M11P
In our review we state:
For photographers who shoot advertising or more commercial and editorial work, the image legitimacy might not matter as much. But for all the work around truth-telling, it surely will. The bigger problem here is that lots of photography is seen on social media networks, which forces photographers to surrender their copyrights when uploading the images.
Leica Q3
In our review, we said:
The advanced compact category — fixed lens cameras with large sensors — feels rather neglected of late. While there are other compact cameras with full-frame sensors, like the Sony RX1 R II, such cameras are becoming harder to find. The Leica Q3 sees several significant changes from the predecessor, starting with the 60-megapixel full-frame sensor, a jump up from 47.3. Despite the increase in resolution, the camera also gets a speed boost at 15 fps, though that’s only with fixed focus. The Q3 also adds tilt to the screen and increases the viewfinder resolution. The autofocus also sees a boost, including animal and bird eye AF.
Using This Guide to the Best Full Frame Cameras of 2023
If you’re considering purchasing anything from this list of the best full frame cameras, consider the following:
- All the product images and sample photos in these roundups are shot by our staff. In fact, we don’t talk about products at length in roundups like this unless we’ve done full reviews of them. But you can surely know that we’ve done all the research ourselves.
- Leica, Panasonic, Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Ricoh/Pentax all make full-frame cameras. The Phoblographer no longer reviews DSLRs, so Ricoh/Pentax is out of this roundup. Canon didn’t release much that truly impressed up this year. But the other brands did.
- Leica is truly changing things with their innovations. And we think that photographers should watch them very carefully.
- When it comes to autofocus in low light, Nikon is starting to beat out the other big two.
- We’re only including cameras in this list that we’ve done full review of.
- All of the best full frame cameras of 2023 have weather resistance. We wouldn’t choose it otherwise. While Leica doesn’t come out to say that there are weather seals in the M series, they indeed say that those cameras were designed with all that in mind. Further, we’ve seen Leica M cameras go through horrific things and still work.
- Canon’s cameras are bound to be hits when it comes to sales. But trust us, at this level, they’re not all that great. These are genuinely better.
- We’d never recommend a product to you that we haven’t tested or that we really didn’t like. You can reference our linked reviews, for more information on this.
Picking the Right One For You
If you’re still a bit confused as to the right lens for you, here are some questions to ask yourself
- What’s your budget?
- How will you use the product?
- What lighting situations are you in, and how will that affect what you’re doing? Our reviews hyperlinked in this article can help with that.
- Are you traveling a lot with it?
- Will you be using it in a situation that’s a bit rougher?
- Who else uses this product? How are they using it?
- What’s so appealing about this product that I can’t get from what I have already or something else?
- When will I really have time to use this product?
- Where will I bring this product?
- How will this product help bring me joy and joy in my photography?
These are just a few of the questions that we ask ourselves, but we think that you should ask yourself these for sure.