Best Camera for Macro Photography (Top 9 Picks!)

The Sony a7R V is a top-notch choice for macro photography. Its full-frame 61 MP sensor delivers stunningly sharp, detailed images. And its high resolution lets you crop in on your shots without compromising image quality.

AI autofocus (AF) ensures your subjects stay sharp, even if they’re in motion, and this Sony camera even has insect eye detection! Plus, focus peaking aids in nailing focus.

You can also use the focus bracketing feature to take multiple shots with different focus points. Afterward, you can combine them in post-processing to create a super-sharp final image. Plus, the eight stops of IBIS minimize the impact of camera shake.

The a7R V‘s articulating screen makes it easy to shoot from various angles, even low to the ground or overhead. And the WYSIWYG viewfinder helps you see exactly how your shot will turn out. The camera is also portable enough to carry when you’re hiking a trail.

Sony’s mirrorless lens selection is also vast, offering many options for macro enthusiasts. The only three real drawbacks. It has a relatively low 7 fps (frames per second), lossless compressed RAW burst rate, and a lack of in-camera focus stacking.

The Canon EOS R5 is a fantastic choice for macro photography. This Canon camera has a 45 MP sensor that captures sharp images. Its Dual Pixel II AF system keeps subjects focused, even if they move.

You can even use focus bracketing on the camera to take multiple shots with different focus points. Then, you can combine these shots in Canon Digital Photo Professional or another editing program to create a crisp final image.

The WYSIWYG viewfinder helps you see your shot exactly as it will turn out. And focus peaking is a useful tool if you want to do it manually.

There’s no pre-capture mode like on the R6 Mark II. And Canon hasn’t designed a sensor with a high enough readout speed to provide resolution and frame rates to match those of the Sony a1. But 20 fps is useful enough for capturing fast-moving subjects.

The EOS R5‘s articulating screen is handy for working at awkward angles. Plus, the IBIS system reduces motion blur with an incredible eight stops of compensation.

Canon has a limited range of RF glass, but four macro lenses are available with focal lengths varying from 25-100mm.

The Nikon Z8 has a 46 MP full-frame sensor. And it offers just about all the bells and whistles of the Z9, all in a much smaller, lighter body.

Also, battery life shouldn’t be a problem. So you won’t need the built-in battery grip. That means this Nikon mirrorless is probably a better bet for macro work.

The five-axis stabilization system stabilizes Z-series lenses with Vibration Reduction (VR). It offers six stops of stabilization. This isn’t quite as good as the R5, but it’s still helpful if working in low light or with a narrow aperture.

The 20 fps RAW frame rate matches that of the R5, and there’s even a pre-burst mode that lets you capture images when the shutter is half-pressed. But it’s only available if you shoot JPEGs rather than RAW files.

Like all mirrorless cameras, the Z8 has a WYSIWYG viewfinder. The focus peaking works especially well if you turn the monitor to black and white so the colored lines are easier to see.

The Canon EOS R6 Mark II has a 24.2 MP full-frame sensor. It benefits from Canon’s standout IBIS system, rated at eight stops, and a blazing fast 40 fps RAW burst rate.

It provides half a second of pre-capture at 30 fps (with autofocus), starting whenever you half-press the shutter. Plus, you can stack images in-camera by using focus bracketing and the depth-composite setting.

Like the other Canon mirrorless models, the R6 II has a fully articulated rear screen. It has the usual WYSIWYG readout, whether in the electronic viewfinder (EVF) or on the LCD, and it has a focus peaking option.

The camera is also very portable, weighing even less than the Sony a1. You can even access the same macro RF lenses used with the Canon R5.

The Sony a6700 is the latest APS-C mirrorless camera body in the a6XX range. It’s designed for enthusiasts rather than professionals. But you still get a 26 MP sensor and front and rear control dials.

This Sony camera has rapid AF tracking with several subject recognition modes, including insects! But there’s no AF joystick.

The burst rate of 11 fps is adequate for macro work, especially given the deep buffer. You also get a few useful features, like IBIS with five stops of shake correction. There’s also a fully articulated LCD, focus peaking, and focus bracketing.

But there’s no in-body focus stacking, no battery grip option for portrait orientation shots, and only one SD memory card slot. The 2.36M-dot EVF is also a little disappointing—especially given that the Sony a1 has 9.44M dots!

Finally, the a6700 has a nice, handy size and weight. And you can access a wide range of Sony APS-C lenses (in the E range).

The Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 II is the upgrade to their mid-range, full-frame hybrid camera. (The DC-S5 IIX is similar but more focused on video features.) The S5 II has a rather low-resolution 24MP sensor, which means the pixel pitch is higher, reducing the potential noise.

It also offers a 96 MP multi-shot high-resolution mode, which combines eight separate frames to provide much more detail. But they must be shot using a tripod rather than handheld.

The biggest upgrade is the inclusion of on-sensor phase detection. This helps the camera work better in low light and track multiple subjects. Human, Animal+Human, and Face/Eye detection are its three subject recognition modes.

Focus bracketing is possible, but you can’t do in-camera focus stacking. You’ll need to use editing software on your computer for that.

The other features are impressive. It offers a 30 fps RAW burst rate, and the Dual Image Stabilizer offers 6.5 stops of shake correction. Active IS is the standard setting, but Boost IS aims to provide increased stability—as if shot using a tripod.

The S5 II uses the L mount, which it shares with Leica and Sigma. There are only three Panasonic macro lenses. But there are various third-party options by Sigma, Laowa, and Meyer-Optik.

The Canon EOS R8 is aimed at enthusiasts rather than professionals, but it has similar features to the R6 II. These include the 24.2 MP full-frame sensor, 40 fps RAW burst mode with pre-capture, and focus bracketing. You can even stack your images in-camera with the R8.

Both cameras have the excellent Dual Pixel CMOS AF II system with Touch AF. This works in light levels as low as -6.5 EV—darker than moonlight!

The smart AF system can identify people, vehicles, and animals like cats, dogs, and birds. There’s even an Auto mode, so you don’t have to tell the camera which subject to look for.

The big difference is in portability. The EOS R8 is much more compact, nearly half a pound (209 g) lighter than the R6 II. That makes it the lightest full-frame camera Canon has ever made!

But there’s no IBIS system, the battery life is shorter, and you only get one card slot, which only takes SD cards.

The Fujifilm X-S20 is an updated version of the X-S10. It has the same 26 MP APS-C sensor but better IBIS, offering up to seven stops of stabilization. It also has various ergonomic improvements and several video upgrades.

The new X Processor 5 and improved autofocus help the AF system handle smaller or moving subjects. You can choose from six detection modes, including Animal and Bird. Plus, Auto tells the camera to identify the type of subject for you.

This Fujifilm camera does have a fully articulated screen and a WYSIWYG viewfinder with focus peaking. It also provides focus bracketing, but you must stack your images in post-processing.

You also get very high frame rates, depending on the shutter type, file format, and resolution. Shooting uncompressed RAW with the electronic shutter, the burst rate is 28 fps.

But that rises to 44 fps with lossless compressed RAW and 79 with compressed RAW. Sports mode boosts those figures to 28, 62, and 88 fps, respectively. But you must put up with a 1.25x crop and 20.9 MP images.

It is portable and lightweight enough for macro photography on the go. But bear in mind it has no weather sealing.

The X-S20‘s X mount has been around since 2011, but only three Fujifilm macro lenses remain. That includes the Fujifilm XF 30mm f/2.8 R LM WR Macro, released in November 2022.

The OM System OM-1 is a high-end Micro Four Thirds camera from OM Digital Solutions (formerly Olympus). It only has a 20 MP sensor, which makes up for that with excellent specs.

The outstanding feature is Pro Capture Mode. This starts buffering images when you half-press the shutter and will save up to 70 frames before and after you fully press the shutter.

This OM System camera has a WYSIWYG EVF with focus peaking and a fully articulated LCD. It also features IBIS worth up to eight stops, focus bracketing, and in-camera focus stacking.

The AF system relies on deep learning to identify and track several subjects, including animals and birds. Shooting in RAW with the electronic shutter at 50 or 120 fps with AF and AE (Auto Exposure) locked is also possible.

The OM-1 is an ideal camera for taking on a hike as it only weighs 1.3 lb (599 g). And while there are only three OM System macro lenses, this includes the excellent ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO.