What Is The Best Camera For Food Photography?

Spoiler alert, friends… there isn’t really a best camera for food photography. There are a lot of amazing food photography cameras on the market. It really depends on your budget and your specific needs. So, the question really becomes “what is the best food photography camera for you?” In this post, I’m going to walk you through different types of cameras, a checklist to consider when buying a camera and the cameras that I use and why I love them. 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 have loved using 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
• Smaller, 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 XT4 and the FujiFilm XT5.

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. But, similar to a DSLR or Mirrorless camera, you have to take the time to learn how to use it so you can unlock its the full potential of your iPhone camera.

PROS

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

CONS

• Resolution issues with older iPhone models

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.

iPhone Photography Course

If you’ve been searching for tips on how to improve your iPhone food photography, look no further. I recently 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 smartphone camera. It’s targeted to food businesses and hobbyists alike. It’s basically 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 digital cameras, it’s important to think about the features you might want to get out of your camera. When thinking about buying a camera for food photography, I recommend using the following checklist:

• Sensor Size
• Megapixels
• Focus Points
• Ability to shoot RAW
• ISO capabilities
• Frames per Second
• Tether Capabilities
• Dual SD Card Slots
• Video Capabilities

1. Sensor Size

Whether you’re considering a DSLR or Mirrorless camera, you’ll want to consider the sensor size. You’ll have a choice of the following:

• Full Frame
• Cropped Frame

The sensor in your camera is what captures light to help you create the image. The larger the sensor (full frame), the more image area you’ll get. If you choose a smaller the sensor (cropped frame), the image area will be narrower field of view. DSLR cameras offer full frame and cropped sensors and mirrorless cameras offer APS-C.

I recommend getting a camera with a full frame sensor.

2. Megapixels

Megapixels measure the number of pixels in a digital image. When it comes to megapixels in a camera, the more megapixels, the better the image quality, right? While this is technically true, you don’t necessarily need “the most” megapixels. The more megapixels, the more expensive the camera will be too.

The question to ask yourself is where are you sharing your images? If you’re strictly sharing images online, you definitely don’t need a lot of megapixels. If you plan to print your images, however, more megapixels might be something to consider.

Digital, web images only require images to be 72dpi, which is a low resolution image. This allows images to load quickly online while maintaining the quality of the image.

Printable images need to be at least 300dpi for a high quality print.

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.

I recommend getting a camera with more megapixels only if you plan on printing your images at sizes larger than 8×10.

3. Focus Points

The more focus points you have, the more flexibility you have with placing your subject anywhere within the frame. For example, 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 to where you need it to be without being limited near the center of the frame.

I recommend getting a camera with as many focal points as you can get.

4. Ability To Shoot RAW

You’ll want to be sure that your DSLR or mirrorless can shoot RAW. And, the good news is, most cameras (including your iPhone) will allow you to shoot raw images now.

What’s the difference between RAW vs. JPG?

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.

I recommend getting a camera that allows you to shoot in RAW.

5. ISO Capabilities

ISO is your camera’s sensitivity to light. Having a camera that can handle higher ISO settings can come in handy if you are holding your camera in low light situations.

When shooting in low light, you don’t want your images to appear too dark. You can brighten your image by playing with the following exposure settings:

• Use a lower aperture (shoot wide open)
• Use a slower shutter speed (requires a tripod)
• Bump up your ISO to a higher setting

If your shooting in low light (a dark restaurant, for example) and you don’t want to use a lower aperture (maybe you need everything to be nice and sharp in the image) and you’re not using a tripod (you’re holding your camera), then bumping up your ISO is a popular option to choose to help make your image appear brighter.

A higher ISO setting will give you more light sensitivity and helps make your image appear brighter in low light. But, depending on the camera, you might start to see a grainy look in your images with higher ISO settings. This can sometimes make your images look low quality.

A less advanced camera will not be able to handle higher ISO settings very well. The more advanced cameras can handle higher ISO settings without adding that grainy look in your image.

ISO capabilities are important to think about depending on how you are shooting your images.

If you are shooting in a low light space and holding your camera, a higher ISO capability is definitely worth looking into to support your workflow and you may want to invest in a more advanced camera.

If you shoot with lots of natural light, use a tripod or artificial lights, then higher ISO capabilities may not be as important for your workflow and you can invest in a less expensive camera.

I recommend considering a camera with higher ISO capabilities if you plan to shoot in low light and hold your camera while taking pictures.

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, which is similar to “burst mode” with your iPhone.

The more shots you can get per second, the better your chances are to capture that perfect moment in the movement.

7. Tether Capabilities

Tethered means that your camera can be hooked up to a computer with a tether cable so you can see the images on a larger screen as you shoot. You can also view your images on the LCD screen on the back of your camera, but it’s easy to miss details when viewing your images on that smaller screen.

Most DSLR’s and Mirrorless cameras will allow you to shoot tethered. As a food photographer, I shoot tethered a lot because it helps me create more interesting compositions and helps me catch any details that I want to fix before completing the photo shoot.

I recommend getting a camera that allows you to shoot tethered.

READ MORE ABOUT: HOW TO SHOOT TETHERED FOR FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

8. Dual SD Card Slots

Having two SD card slots in your camera is great for peace of mind. The dual card slots can serve as carry over or it can serve as a backup. I typically use it as a back up. So, just in case one card goes a little cray cray, you’ll have a backup of the images you shot on the second card.

I recommend getting a camera with dual SD card slots.

9. Video Capabilities

Video is very popular, even among photographers. It’s important to look into video capabilities if this is something you may want to practice down the road. Check out the post below for more information about what to look for in a camera for video.

I recommend getting a camera that also has video capabilities.

READ MORE ABOUT: FOOD VIDEOGRAPHY EQUIPMENT FOR BEGINNERS

PRO 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

If you’re considering getting a DSLR camera, I am going to share the two Nikon cameras that I have loved using during my career as a food and beverage photographer.

• Nikon D750
• Nikon D850

NIKON D750

I used the Nikon D750 for many years as a food photographer. So, let’s go through the checklist on what this DLSR camera offers.

Sensor Size

The Nikon D750 has a full frame sensor.

Megapixels

The D750 has 24.3 megapixels which was plenty for using my images for both web and printing as long as the images were no larger than 18 x 24.

Focus Points

The Nikon D750 has 51 focal points, which worked really well for my variety of food compositions.

Ability to Shoot Raw

This camera also allowed me to shoot raw (most DSLR cameras will allow this).

ISO Capabilities

The D750 handles higher ISO settings very well in low light and doesn’t start introducing noise until using an ISO setting of 3200. This was a major factor in my decision to buy this camera.

Frames per Second

This Nikon has the ability to capture 6.5 frames per second (fps) which is wonderful for my splash and pour shots.

Tether Capabilities

You can shoot tethered with the D750 and it’s compatible with the editing software that I use including Lightroom Mobile and Capture One.

Dual Memory Card Slots

Since I wasn’t always shooting tethered with the Nikon D750, I was very happy that it offered dual memory card slots so I could use one slot as a backup during my photo shoot. Like I mentioned earlier, it’s just peace of mind in case one card goes bad, that the other one saved the day.

Video Capabilities

The Nikon D750 has video capabilities if you want to learn video.

Budget

Although cameras with full frame sensors (FX) are more expensive than cropped sensors (DX) cameras, the D750 was on the lower end of the price scale in comparison to the other FX camera I was considering. I was considering the Nikon D850 before I purchased the Nikon D750.

I rented both cameras from lensrentals.com to test them out first. The D850 offered more, but at the end of the day, I had to stay true to my budget and went with the D750 (more on this in the next section). And, by going with a less expensive camera body, it allowed me to upgrade from the kit lens that came with my camera and get both a new zoom lens and a new prime lens.

PRO TIP: A zoom lens allows you to zoom in and out on a subject by manually adjusting the lens. A prime lens has a fixed focal length, so you have to physically move closer or further away from your subject.

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
• Dual Memory Card Slots (SD Cards)
• Video: Full HD: 24-60 fps / HD: 1280 x 720 50 & 60 fps
• Built-in WiFi

NIKON D850

The Nikon D850 is another FX camera that I have loved using in my food photography career. However, I have only rented it for special client projects. The price for this camera was simply too high for me and renting is the next best option if a camera is out of your budget.

The reason I would rent this camera for special client projects (and not use my D750) was when the client had large-format printing needs like billboards, bus stops and store fronts. With a megapixel count of 45.7, this camera is excellent for 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
• Dual Memory Card Slots (1 SQD & 1 SD Card)
• Video: 4k, Full HD, HD, Slow Motion
• Built-in WiFi

FujiFilm Cameras for Food Photography

If you’re considering going the Mirrorless camera route, you’re not alone. Many photographers are moving away from the bigger DSLR’s for the more compact and lightweight mirrorless cameras.

As I mentioned earlier, I first started off as a Nikon photographer and stuck with the Nikon brand for several years. However, after several years in the DSLR world, I felt ready to simplify my workflow with a more compact and lighter weight camera that could still pack a punch like a DSLR. I decided to switch to a FujiFilm camera.

PRO TIP: 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.

I have owned a couple of mirrorless FujiFilm cameras that I want to share with you.

• FujiFilm XT4
• FujiFilm XT5

FujiFilm XT4

Let’s review the checklist for the FujiFilm XT4.

Sensor Size

The Fuji XT4 is an APS-C with a resolution of 6240 x 4160 pixels. This is a little smaller than a full frame format on a DSLR, but definitely not a deal breaker.

Megapixels

The XT4 has 26 megapixels, which is excellent as long as you’re not doing large-format printing with your images.

Focus Points

FujiFilm’s XT4 gives you a range between 117 and 425 focal points, which is excellent!

Ability to Shoot Raw

This camera also allowed me to shoot raw (most Mirrorless cameras will allow this).

ISO Capabilities

The XT4 handles higher ISO settings really well in low light.

Frames per Second

This FujiFilm camera allows you to shoot up to 15 frames per second, which totally exceeded my Nikon cameras by a long shot.

Tether Capabilities

You can shoot tethered with the XT4, but keep in mind it requires you to use Capture One. For some reason, the FujiFilm cameras are very glitchy when trying to tether with Lightroom.

Dual Memory Card Slots

Most mirrorless cameras will have dual SD card slots, including the XT4. Having your images backed up on a second memory card is oh-so-great for peace of mind.

Video Capabilities

The XT4 has excellent video capabilities, including IBIS, which helps you create much smoother video footage.

Budget

Since mirrorless cameras are smaller than DSLR’s, they tend to be less expensive. So, this is something to consider if you’re on more of a budget.

SPECS FOR FUJIFILM XT4

• Image Sensor Format: APS-C
• Resolution: 6240 x 4160 pixels
• Megapixels: 26
• ISO: 51,000
• AF Focal Points: 117-425
• FPS: 15 Frames per Second
• X-Mount Camera
• Dual Memory Card Slots
• Video 4k, Full HD, IBIS
• Ultra Slow Motion
• Dedicated Video Switch
• Flip Screen
• Available in Silver or Black

FujiFilm XT5

After a few years, I eventually upgraded from the XT4 to the XT5.

My main reason I did this is because I wanted to own a camera that could give me more megapixels for client projects that required it and more advanced video capabilities as I grow my skills as a videographer.

The one drawback with the XT5 is that it does NOT have a flip screen, which can make it tricky to be sure I’m in the correct spot of the frame for “talking head” videos that I record for my online courses. Overall, the XT4 and XT5 are comparable in every other aspect, so if you don’t need the extra megapixels, then the XT4 will be a little easier on the wallet. 😉

SPECS FOR FUJIFILM XT5

• Image Sensor Format: APS-C
• Resolution: 7728 x 5152 pixels
• Megapixels: 40.2
• ISO: 51,200
• AF Focal Points: 117-425
• FPS: 15-20 Frames per Second
• X-Mount Camera
• Dual Memory Card Slots
• Video: Up to 6k at 30fps, Full HD, IBIS
• Ultra Slow Motion
• Dedicated Video Switch
• Available in Silver or Black

I hope this post helped shed some light on the types of cameras available and different features to consider before making your choice. Use my checklist as a guide and be sure to stay true to your budget when choosing a camera for food photography. Reach out with questions anytime, and be sure to follow me on Instagram!

Happy Creating!

READ MORE ABOUT: THE BEST LENSES FOR FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

This post may contain 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 and equipment that I actually use for my photography business. Your support helps me continue to produce educational content about photography. Thank you! 

All images ©Regan Baroni 2025.