Best Camera for Product Photography (Top 11 Budget & Pro!)

The Fujifilm GFX 50S II is a 51 MP medium format mirrorless camera that provides excellent image quality. It also features a pixel-shift hi-res mode that can generate 205 MP images!

As with all the mirrorless models on our list, it has in-body image stabilization (IBIS). That gives you a benefit of 6.5 EV (Exposure Value).

The advantage of a medium format camera is that the 44 x 33 mm sensor is 70% larger than a full frame 35mm. This means the pixel pitch is higher.

That leads to roughly two-thirds EV better low-light performance and higher dynamic range. It also allows room for far more pixels, which means greater detail and sharpness.

The microlens design also helps in capturing sharp images. But it sometimes leads to aliasing.

Inevitably, the camera and lenses are bigger and heavier than full frames. But the control layout is similar.

There’s only one dedicated dial that controls the exposure mode. But there are also two custom command dials, front and back.

It leaves space for a large display on the top plate. You can customize it to show the histogram, virtual dials, and other settings.

The rear LCD tilts in two directions to allow portrait and landscape shooting. But the electronic viewfinder (EVF) is a little disappointing, with only 3.69M dots and 0.77x magnification.

The max burst rate of 3 fps is glacially slow. And the autofocus (AF) system is slow and doesn’t have rapid face and eye detection like the latest Sony, Nikon, and Canon mirrorless cameras.

But these aren’t a problem for product photography, which demands single-shot rather than burst shooting. And you have time to focus on your products.

Unlike the GFX 100S, the GFX 50S II can’t shoot 4K video. The highest-quality format is 1080 at 30 fps.

But it does have mic and headphone sockets. And it has Movie Optimized Control to reduce control noise while shooting.

The battery performance is rated at 440 shots per charge, which is fair to middling. And the dual card slots accept SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards (UHS-I and UHS-II).

The Sony a1 is a 50.1 MP full frame mirrorless camera. I’m a wildlife photographer, and I have a pair of them. And they are the ultimate all-rounders. (Read our full Sony a1 review)

I need its AF speed and accuracy and decent RAW frame rate. But the high-res sensor, 5.5 stops of image stabilization, and bright, clear EVF also help product photographers.

You probably don’t need all the Sony a1’s bells and whistles for product photography. But it’s still one of the most capable cameras—whatever type of photographer you are!

It’s a joy to use, with endlessly customizable controls and an EVF that’s so good it makes you forget you’re not looking at the real world!

But the rear LCD is disappointing. It has a much lower resolution (1.44M dots). It is only three inches across and only tilts up and down.

The 30 fps burst rate is more for wildlife and sports shots than product photography. But the Sony AF system with eye detection and tracking is still probably the best on the market.

One of the other benefits of the high-res, high-speed sensor is that you can shoot video in multiple formats up to 8K at 30 fps and high-speed video up to 240 fps.

The 8K footage comes from the whole width of the sensor. And the readout speed is so fast that there’s negligible rolling shutter. But I’d have liked the option of 4K oversampled video.

According to CIPA figures, battery performance is 430 shots with the EVF or 530 with the LCD. But these figures are vastly understated if you shoot in burst mode.

I once filled up two memory cards on a single charge with the Sony a1. It was over 5,000 images! And like the a7R V, the two card slots take CFexpress Type A, UHS-I, or UHS-II SD cards.

The recently released Nikon Z8 45.7 MP full frame mirrorless camera. It is essentially a “baby Z9” and the best all-around Nikon on our list for product photography.

It offers the same sensor, exposure meter, AF system, viewfinder, LCD, and weather sealing as the Z9. But you can get it for less than 75% of the price!

The main difference is in the body. Unlike the Z9, the Z8 doesn’t have a dual-grip design. This makes it about 30% smaller and lighter.

But less real estate on the body means you don’t get one function button, three buttons on the rear, or a drive mode dial on top. You also get only 5.5 stops of image stabilization.

Here are the other differences. (Note that some software features currently missing from the Z8 and Z9 might be added in future firmware updates. One of the joys of mirrorless cameras!)

The RAW frame rate of 20 fps is the same as on the Z9. And the AF system is almost the same. But the Z8 also doesn’t have a LAN-Ethernet port. But you can use a USB-C to Ethernet adaptor.

Another missing feature is the second CFexpress Type B memory card slot. It was replaced by one for an SD UHS-II card.

This might save you money and let you use your existing cards. But it means you won’t maximize the frame rate, buffer depth, and card capacity.

The Z8’s video specs are slightly less impressive than the Z9. You can only record 4K at 60 fps footage for two hours. And there’s a 90-minute limit on 8K at 30 fps.

Battery life is predictably shorter on the Z8, given that it uses a smaller EN-EL15c battery. So you have to replace it after 85 minutes of filming.

And it also means you only get 330 shots with the EVF or 340 with the LCD monitor. This is lower than competitors.

But these CIPA figures assume quite a lot of playback time. If you shoot tethered or review your images on the computer, you can take many more shots per charge.

One small advantage the Nikon Z8 has is that it can save photos in the 10-bit HEIF format. It shows a greater tonal range with compatible HDR devices.

It also has two new features. One is called Portrait Impression Balance to control the hue and tone of the skin. The other is Skin Softening. But it doesn’t have a built-in GPS.

The Fujifilm X-H2 is a 40 MP APS-C mirrorless camera good for both stills and 8K video. If your product photography budget doesn’t stretch to a full frame camera, this one might be for you!

The X-H2 has a 5.76M-dot EVF with a 120 fps refresh rate and a three-inch fully articulated touchscreen.

There’s no built-in grip. But it can be fitted with the VG-XH battery grip. Or you can add the FT-XH file transmitter grip. This offers better Wi-Fi, an Ethernet connection, and an optional fan unit.

It can shoot at 15 fps. And that rises to 20 fps with the electronic shutter. But the latter means a 1.29x crop.

The AF system has 425 focus points. And if you need eye detection, it works with people and animals.

The X-H2 provides various tracking modes that work well. But the standard AF tracking doesn’t work for video.

You can shoot 8K video, oversampled 4K video at up to 30 fps, or high-speed video at up to 240 fps. Plus, there’s no recording limit. You also get Pro Res, H.264, and H.265 recording options.

You can take 720 shots using the EVF on a single battery charge in economy mode or 580 in normal mode (or 680 with the LCD).

There are headphone and microphone ports. And there are two memory card slots, one for CFexpress Type B and the other for UHS-II SD memory cards.

The Canon EOS R7 is a 32.5 MP APS-C mirrorless model for enthusiasts. It boasts great specs and is the budget Canon option on our list.

It features a Pixel Shift High-Res Mode that can create 160 MP images. Plus, it has focus stacking.

But is sadly waiting for a greater range of native RF-S lenses. In the meantime, you’ll have to make do with full frame RF lenses or EF or EF-S lenses with an adapter.

You can shoot with the 2.36M-dot EVF or the three-inch 1.62M-dot fully articulated touchscreen. And the EOS R7 has a large, comfortable grip.

There’s an upward-facing command dial behind the shutter release and a second vertical dial around the AF joystick on the rear.

This odd layout sometimes means you’ll accidentally change the exposure when moving the AF point!

The 30 fps frame rate is impressive. But the buffer is relatively shallow. So you can’t take long bursts in continuous shooting mode.

The powerful but simple AF system boasts 651 focus points. But you don’t get Eye Control AF as you do on the R3.

The EOS R7 can shoot 4K video at 60 fps with oversampling from a 7K sensor region. This provides excellent detail in combination with the AF and IBIS systems.

You can choose between MPEG-4, H.264, and H.265 formats. The camera also has headphone and microphone jacks. And there are twin card slots for UHS-II SD cards.

According to CIPA, you can take 380 shots using the EVF or 660 with the rear LCD. But the real-world figures should be higher. The limits rise to 500 and 770 shots in power-saving mode.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is a 20.3 MP Micro Four Thirds camera with a stylish look. And it has a user-friendly interface for beginners with a Live Guide menu.

It also offers dozens of fun Art Filters to play around with. This includes options like Pop Art, Soft Focus, and Bleach Bypass.

The build is a little plasticky. But the camera is small and light with intuitive, dial-based controls.

The viewfinder has 2.36M dots and offers 100% coverage with EVF Auto Luminance to adjust the brightness.

The three-inch, 1.04M-dot, tilting touchscreen can be flipped 180 degrees for selfies and vlogging.

The fastest frame rate is 8.7 fps, and the buffer is deep enough to last until the card is full. The AF system has 121 focus points and offers face and eye detection and focus peaking.

It’s capable of 4K video up to 30p for up to 30 minutes and high-speed video up to 120 fps. The OM-D E-M10 Mark IV has a headphone port but no mic socket.

Battery life is 360 shots with the LCD. And there are two slots for SD or SDHC (UHS-I or II) cards.