Spoiler alert, friends… there isn’t really a “best camera” for food photography. There are a lot of amazing cameras on the market that would be a great camera for food photography. It really depends on your budget and your specific needs. So, the question really becomes “what is the best camera for you?” In this post, I’m going to walk you through different types of cameras, features to consider when choosing a camera and the cameras that I currently use and love. Let’s dive in!

This post contains affiliate links. Read the affiliate disclosure.

What Is The Best Camera For Food Photography

There are a lot of great cameras on the market, but it can be challenging to choose the best camera for food photography without some guidance.

The first step to choosing the best camera for food photography is to figure out your budget. And, the good news is you do NOT need to get the most expensive camera to take great food pictures. Once you have a budget it mind, it’s time to research different camera models and the features that they can offer you.

Types Of Cameras

There are different types of cameras to consider for food photography and the ones I get asked about the most are the following:

• DSLR CAMERAS
• MIRRORLESS CAMERAS
• THE iPHONE CAMERA

Let’s look at the pros and cons of each.

DSLR Cameras

DSLR cameras are awesome cameras. But, in order to get the most of a DSLR, you have to learn how to manually adjust the exposure settings in order to get the most out of them.

PROS

• Fully customizable settings
• Larger sensors
• High resolution output
• Ability to switch lenses
• Wide variety of brands and models
• Great for stills and video

CONS

• Heavier
• More bulky to carry around with you
• More expensive

I currently have the Nikon D850 and the Nikon D750.

Mirrorless Cameras

Mirrorless cameras have become very popular in the photography world. They’re basically mini DSLR’s. The don’t have a mirror, so they’re less clunky, more lightweight and they take stunning pictures and video. But, much like a DSLR, you will need to take the time to learn how to adjust the exposure settings so you can get the most out of the camera.

PROS

• Electronic viewfinder with touch screen
• Fully customizable settings
• Lightweight, easy to carry around
• Ability to switch lenses
• High-resolution output
• Easy operation and controls
• Variety of brands and models
• Great for stills and video

CONS

• Shorter battery life
• Less lenses & accessories to choose from

I have the FujiFilm XT3 and the FujiFilm XT4.

iPhone Cameras

A lot of people ask if the iPhone is a good camera to use for food photography and my answer is YES. You can definitely take beautiful food images with your iPhone. And, similar to a DSLR or Mirrorless camera, you have to take the time to learn how to use it so you can unlock its full potential.

PROS

• The iPhone cameras are really good
• You already have one
• There are lots of tools accessories to help you out

CONS

• Resolution issues

iPhone Photography Posts

Because smartphone cameras are so popular, it inspired me to start sharing iPhone tips in a lot of my food photography education. It’s a camera you already have with you and it’s much less gear to learn when it comes to improving your food photography. I have additional iPhone photography posts that you can check out below.

READ MORE ABOUT: IPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS

READ MORE ABOUT: EQUIPMENT FOR IPHONE FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

READ MORE ABOUT: IPHONE FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY LIGHTING TIPS

READ MORE ABOUT: LIGHTROOM MOBILE FOR IPHONE FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

READ MORE ABOUT: THE BEST TRIPOD FOR YOUR IPHONE

iPhone Photography Course

If you’re interested in diving in deeper to iPhone food photography, I developed a course called Mastering iPhone Food Photography. This beginner-friendly food photography course will teach you how to take beautiful food images using your iPhone camera. It’s your one-stop-shop that includes professional guidance and support through a variety of videos, slides, screen recordings and behind-the-scenes video demonstrations. I highly recommend checking it out if you use your iPhone for food photography.

What to look for in a camera for food photography

Now that you’re considering the different types of cameras, it’s important to think about the features you might need from your camera. When thinking about food photography in particular, let’s look at some features that I recommend looking into.

1. Sensor Size

Whether you’re considering a DSLR or Mirrorless camera, you’ll want to consider the sensor size. The sensor in your camera is what captures light to help you create the image. The larger the sensor, the better quality image you’ll get. There are a variety of sensor sizes to take into consideration. DSLR’s offer full frame and cropped sensors and mirrorless offer APS-C.

2. Megapixels

The more megapixels, the better the image quality, right? This is technically true, but the real question is what will you be doing with your images?

The truth is, you don’t necessarily need a camera with the highest megapixels unless you’re planning to print larger-format prints of your images. If you’re planning to share your images online, digital images don’t require you to have a lot of megapixels.

Web/digital images are required to be at least 72dpi, which is a nice low resolution allowing them to load quickly while maintaining the quality of the image.

Images that you plan to print will need to be at least 300dpi for a high quality printed image.

So, how does print size translate to megapixels?

If you are printing an image that’s 8 inches x 10 inches at 300dpi, that would mean your camera would need to have at least 8 megapixels to print the image clearly. Most cameras have at least 24 megapixels now, which is well within a clear print range.

Unless you’re planning to do large-scale printing of your images, you probably don’t need a camera with the most megapixels.

3. Focus Points

The number of focus points a camera offers is important to know, because the more options you have, the more flexibility you have with different focal points in your compositions. Food isn’t always centered in the middle of the image. Sometimes the composition requires the food to be positioned in the bottom right or left of the image and you’ll want the flexibility to move your focal point easily without being limited to the center of the frame.

4. Ability To Shoot RAW

You’ll want to be sure that your DSLR or mirrorless can shoot RAW images. Most cameras (including your iPhone) will allow you to shoot raw images now. Raw is also known as DNG on the iPhone.

RAW means you are getting all of the information from the image you captured which allows for full editing capabilities of that image. It is a much larger file size and will take up more space on your memory cards or your iPhone.

JPG is a compressed format of your image which means, you won’t get all the information for the image you captured and won’t have the full range of editing capabilities. However, it is a smaller file size and won’t take up as much space on your memory cards or your iPhone.

5. ISO

ISO is your camera’s sensitivity to light. A higher ISO setting will give you more light sensitivity and helps make your image appear brighter, but could potentially add noise in your image. A lower ISO will give you less light sensitivity and no noise in your images. In fact, a lower ISO will help keep your images smooth-looking.

“Noise” is a grainy effect in your images caused from using a higher ISO setting. Cameras will start showing noise at different settings depending on how advanced the camera is. The more advanced the camera, the higher you can go with your ISO without seeing noise in your image. The beginner-level cameras start showing noise at much lower ISO settings.

For example, the more advanced Nikon D750 doesn’t show noise in images until the ISO is around 10,000, which is pretty awesome for low light shooting. Whereas a less advanced camera like the Nikon D7100, the ISO started showing noise at around 2000.

With food photography the lower the ISO, the better, so should ISO even be something to consider?

Whether or not you’ll want a camera with higher ISO capabilities depends on how you are shooting your images.

If you are shooting in low light and holding your camera, a higher ISO capability is definitely something to consider. If you use a tripod and shoot with artificial lights or have a lot of natural light to work with on set, a higher ISO capability may not be as important.

6. Frames Per Second

In food photography, sometimes you might want to capture movement like a splash or a pour. When trying to capture movement, photographers will use Continuous Mode on their camera. This mode allows you take several shots with one click, similar to “burst mode” with your iPhone.

The frames per second is important when you shoot in Continuous mode. The more shots you can get per second, the better your chances are to capture that perfect moment in the movement.

7. Ability To Shoot Tethered

As a food photographer, I shoot tethered a lot for my client projects. Tethered means that my camera is hooked up to my computer so I can see the images on a larger screen as I shoot. Being able to see the images on my large computer screen helps me correct any issues with the image much easier and quicker. It’s very easy to miss details when reviewing images on the small LCD screen on the back of your camera.

8. Dual SD Card Slots

When I’m not shooting tethered, I have more peace of mind when I can have two SD cards in my camera. I always use the second card as a backup just in case the other card goes a little cray cray.

9. Video Capabilities

Video is becoming more and more popular, even among photographers. It’s important to look into video capabilities if this is something you may want to learn down the road.

TIP: CHECK OUT LENSRENTALS.COM

As a professional food photographer, I know all too well that purchasing a camera is a big deal. If you’re not sure what camera to buy or are stuck between some options, I highly recommend renting first! It’s a great option to ensure you’re comfortable with the investment and get exactly what you want.

Lensrentals.com is a great resource for renting photography gear, lighting and accessories. I actually use them when I’m not necessarily looking to buy, but when I need something specific for a client project. It’s super convenient to rent when you need to, so remember that renting is always an option before purchasing.

Nikon Cameras for Food Photography

I started off as a Nikon photographer, so I wanted to share my two favorite Nikon cameras.

• Nikon D750
• Nikon D850

NIKON D750

I currently own the Nikon D750 and absolutely love it. There were several factors I considered before purchasing this camera that I’m sharing below.

1) IMAGE SENSOR/FULL FRAME (FX)

I knew I wanted a full frame camera (FX) and the D750 is a full frame camera.

2) ISO CAPABILITIES

A lot of food photographers will tell you that ISO capabilities aren’t important in food photography, but like I mentioned earlier, it really depends on how you’re shooting.

When I bought the D750, I was shooting with a lot of restaurants and used natural light. I was also holding my camera instead of using a tripod. Some restaurants had awesome natural light pouring in, but some didn’t.

This meant I needed a camera that could handle a higher ISO setting without adding too much “noise” (or grain) to my images. This is why ISO was important to me back then and why I chose to buy the D750. It allowed me to keep my shutter speed at a safe setting to avoid camera shake. And, it allowed me to bump up my ISO nice and high to let in more light without adding noise in my images.

If you’re a photographer who is holding your camera and working with natural light, higher ISO capabilities are definitely something to consider.

3) DUAL MEMORY CARD SLOTS

Dual memory card slots is a feature that’s really important to me for when I’m not shooting tethered. It ensures that my images are safely backed up on not one, but two memory cards.

4) BUDGET FRIENDLY

Although FX cameras are more expensive than DX cameras, the D750 was on the lower end of expensive in comparison to other FX cameras I was considering. I was considering the Nikon D810 before I purchased the Nikon D750. I rented both cameras from lensrentals.com to test them out and didn’t see any major differences with my images. So, ultimately, budget ended up being the deciding factor for me at the time, which allowed me to invest in some extra fancy FX lenses.

SPECS FOR NIKON D750

• Image Sensor Format: FX
• Megapixels: 24.3
• Sensor Size: 35.9mm x 24mm
• ISO: 100 – 12,800 (Lo 50 & Hi1 – 25,600 & Hi2 – 51,200)
• AF Focal Points: 51
• FPS: 6.5 Frames per Second
• Video: Full HD: 24-60 fps / HD: 1280 x 720 50 & 60 fps
• Built-in WiFi

NIKON D850

The Nikon D850 is an awesome FX camera that I rent for a variety of commercial client projects. Normally, I can use my D750 for a lot of my client projects, but I rent this camera when my clients need large-format printing capabilities.

My D750 will produce beautiful images for printing, but it can’t produce images for large-scale printing with only 24.3 megapixels. It runs the risk of effecting the print quality at larger sizes.

The D850 has 45.7 megapixels, which is perfect for my client’s large-format printing needs.

SPECS FOR NIKON D850

• Image Sensor Format: FX (Full Frame)
• Sensor Size: 35.9mm x 23.9mm
• Megapixels: 45.7
• ISO: 64 – 25,600
• AF Focal Points: 153
• FPS: 7 Frames per Second
• Video: 4k, Full HD, HD, Slow Motion
• Built-in WiFi

FujiFilm Cameras for Food Photography

I also own a couple of mirrorless FujiFilm cameras that I want to share with you.

• FujiFilm XT3
• FujiFilm XT4

FujiFilm XT3

My very first camera was a Nikon DSLR and I’ve loved shooting with the Nikon brand for several years. However, there comes a time when photographers might want to switch things up. And, when that time came for me, I was incredibly curious about the FujiFilm cameras.

FujiFilm cameras are much smaller cameras, lightweight and easy for me to take on location.

The main reason I started with the XT3 was because I was still in “photography-only” mode since I wasn’t learning video yet. I was debating buying the XT4 at this time as well, but from my research, the XT4 was more expensive and the main features that were better than the XT3 involved video capabilities. I ultimately decided to go with the more affordable XT3 since I wasn’t doing video yet.

Keep in mind that switching camera models will require you to get new lenses that fit your camera model, so it can be a bit of an investment to switch brands.

SPECS FOR FUJIFILM XT3

• Image Sensor Format: APS-C
• Megapixels: 26
• ISO: 51,000
• X-Mount Camera
• Dual Memory Card Slots
• Video 4k, Full HD
• Tilt Screen Only (No flip screen)

FujiFilm XT4

Can you guess why I decided to get the XT4 later? Yep, I started getting more and more into video. The XT3 has video capabilities, but a big thing it lacked was IBIS.

IBIS stands for In Body Image Stabilization which means that your video footage from the XT4 will be much smoother in comparison to the XT3, especially if you’re holding the camera while shooting video. Plus, as a photographer, it’s easy to nerd out on camera equipment and want to buy new gear. 😉

SPECS FOR FUJIFILM XT4

• Image Sensor Format: APS-C
• Megapixels: 26
• ISO: 51,000
• X-Mount Camera
• Dual Memory Card Slots
• Video 4k, Full HD, IBIS
• Dedicated Video Switch
• Flip Screen

I hope this post helped shed some light on the types of cameras available and different features to consider before making your choice. Stay true to your budget when choosing a camera for food photography and reach out with questions anytime!

Happy Creating!

READ MORE ABOUT: THE BEST LENSES FOR FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

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This post contains affiliate links which means if you click or make a purchase through my site, I might make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only promote products that I actually use and support. 

All images ©Regan Baroni 2020.