5 Best Cameras For Food Photography in 2023! [Factors to Consider]
Many people think that smartphone cameras are enough for food photography. This is somewhat true but a dedicated camera will give you more options to be creative.
There are many restaurants that spend a great amount of money on the right food photographer who will make their food look mouth-watering.
Best cameras for food photography will make sure you ace it by giving you some culinary settings. A dedicated camera will provide enough tools at your disposal to unlock a creative potential in you.
Making your food look as delicious as it is in real life can be quite a daunting task. You have to consider many things while taking a mouth-watering picture of food.
Light must be enough, perfect angles, and one of best cameras for food photography. Good news is that I have tried and tested some cameras that have perfect culinary settings. I will give you a review of things that I have found noteworthy in them.
But before moving on to review, let’s first discuss some factors that you must know before purchasing best cameras for food photography.
Factors to Consider before Choosing Best Cameras For Food Photography [Buying Guide]
For making an informed decision, it is essential to have a basic understanding of factors and features of best cameras for food photography.
Lens
Food photography is very ideal for those who want full control of their shots because food does not move. Although, you have to be quick as food does not stay fresh for a long time.
You just have to get pictures from right angle and this can be done with a proper lens that is able to take close-up shots. Macro lenses are therefore an ideal choice for food photography.
Resolution
For food photography, cameras having a higher resolution is very essential. Good food photography must have such details that viewers can feel the deliciousness.
Also if your photos have higher resolution then you can easily crop them. You can emphasize certain parts and can crop other elements that are distracting.
Low-light performance
If you are into commercial food photography then you need to pick a camera that has excellent low-light performance. Especially if you want to take a food picture in a restaurant, where you can not bother everyone with your big lights.
Therefore better low light performance is very important if you want to nail right details in your pictures. You can choose cameras with a larger sensor as they can capture great pictures in darker settings.
If your camera has a larger sensor then it can gather more light. Also, larger sensor cameras typically have greater pixels. In short, you will have less noise and clear photos even in darker situations.
Rotating Screen
Food photography involves taking pictures from different angles. Most common angles are table-level in which food looks massive, eye-level in which a realistic view is given, and overhead in which food is shown in its natural settings.
All of these angles can be used easily if your camera has a rotating screen. With a rotating screen, to get a picture at a certain angle, you neither have to climb up the chair nor slink down.
Autofocus Points
Any one of best cameras for food photography must have a system of autofocus points that are evenly spread across frame. It is because sometimes the food is focused at far edge of frame.
Manual Focusing Options
Easier manual focus adjustments like focus peaking, and focus magnifying are all very important if you want to focus on even smallest details.
5 Best Cameras For Food Photography in 2022!
1. Canon 5D Mark iv
User Level: Professional beginners
We have always new things to learn in food photography even though I have been doing it for a few years. My perfect time to take food photos and expose color and texture is always the “golden hours”
From a list of cameras that I have owned, Canon 5D delivered best results in low lights by creating long shadows, while projecting the shape of food.
Autofocus worked relatively fast in high and low lights as well. If I talk about my experience of manual focusing then it was quite fast in high lights but lags a little in dim light.
In a low light environment, I had to increase the sensitivity to -3EV which made camera more responsive.
5D is a suitable choice for food photographers as it has 61 autofocus points that are evenly spread across the frame. They are exceptional at highlighting and focusing on food no matter where it comes in frame.
With its DIGIC 6+ image processor, 5D is able to reduce noise in high-ISO shots of my food. It has a 30.4 MP sensor which has delivered high-quality photos of food.
Since I take photos of food using a tripod mostly. Here its fast shutter speed produces quick and sharp results.
At 7fps, Mark IV is able to capture food beautifully. It also has an anti-ghosting feature which prevents any kind of visual distortion in my food photography.
Perfect Partner
Support of its built-in Wifi, amazing touch panel LCD, and GPS, makes it is one of best cameras for food photography.
Pros
- Noise reduction.
- 4 MP CMOS image sensor.
- 61 autofocus points.
- 100-32000 ISO range.
- Optical viewfinder.
- Digic 6+ image processor.
Cons
- No in-body flash.
- 4K videotape is cropped.
2. Canon EOS R6
User Level: beginners, Hobbyist
Another one of best cameras for food photography is Canon EOS R6, housed on a 20MP CMOS sensor, which helped me create perfect food shots without any props usage
Every time I use this camera I do not need a tripod because it has a 5-axis in-body image Stabilization of up to 8 stops.
RF lenses helped me create stunning food shots with the help of an impressive autofocus system and an identification engine.
By its topic tracking system, I could capture even smoke rising from food, resulting in better food shots than I could have expected.
If I compare it to other cameras of the same range then it has better 4K quality. Also, videos of food can be shot using electronic Shutter mode at 20fps.
For fast-moving culinary events, I always choose Highlight Tone Priority.
Excellent Sensitivity Range
Working on an impressive sensitivity range, this camera can further soften low-light work efficiency. This in turn helps to capture perfect culinary shots that have a consistent temperature of light and a feel that is more natural.
Pros
- DIGIC X image processor.
- Shooting speed of up to 12fos.
- 100-102,400 ISO range.
Cons
- Average battery life.
3. Nikon Z7 ii
User Level: Professional
Taking well-textured photos of food is integrated for my food photography for which I have also tested Nikon Z7 ii after hearing much about its quality production in my field.
Nikon helped me capture my viewer’s attention by representing food in the best possible way.
Z7 ii is one of best cameras for food photography. It has been my partner for a long time for food filmmaking as well.
After taking the first shot, I was sure that I chose right camera as it produced sparky and well-saturated images right from the sensor.
When I first hold it in my hand, I was in love with its handy design and strongly built body. I could capture images comfortably with its perfect grip.
I found its controls on balanced locations which help me boost my creativity in a more professional way. Also, rechargeable batteries add more convenience.
High resolution of 45.7 MP unlocked fantastic imaging potential in me.
Housed on EXPEED 6 image processor and APS-C solid CMOS picture sensor, I was able to capture beauty of food with almost no graininess.
Because I needed a camera which could work very fast in order to capture the freshness of food. Therefore, Z7 ii suited me well.
It has a very fast continuous shooting mode with 493 hybrid focusing points. Also, a hybrid AF system all of which helps in taking photos of food quickly and smartly.
Magnificence of food was easily captured because of its frame coverage of 90%,
Speedy Shutter
Best thing I loved about this camera was the combination of speedy shutter and very precise AF which was able to deliver 4K ultra HD food images at 60p.
Pros
- Impressive 45.7MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor.
- Powerful autofocus.
Cons
- Does not support many third-party lenses.
4. Sony A7r iii
User Level: Professional
Sony A7r iii is a choice for every professional food photographer due to its perfect ergonomics. It can capture even smoke drifting from food beautifully.
42.4 MP image sensor helps me provide a great selection of food photography with help of the BIONZ X image processor. Pictures it took of food have such details and sharpness that mesmerize my viewers.
Of all the best cameras for food photography, this camera has an effective and improved resolution. With its smart autofocus system, I am able to convey deliciousness of food to my viewers without much effort.
Sometimes I have to take pictures of food in a dimly lit room for which I wanted a camera that could perform in low light conditions. And after using A7r iii, I was impressed with beautiful exposure control options that helped in taking food pictures in low light settings easily.
If by any chance I shot a food photo that is dull-toned, I can simply change the ISO settings that range from 100 to 32000 to capture the perfect shot.
Great precision can be seen in my food photography because of its fast Hybrid Autofocus system.
A continuous shooting rate of 10fps with 5-axis in-body image stabilization aids in taking beautiful shots of my food.
Combining advantages of phase and contrast detection, its fast hybrid AF improves sharpness of food images.
Because of its fast processing speed, I am able to remove visual noise, and fogginess and create amazing food shots.
Larger Sensor
Sony A7r iii has a larger sensor which creates food shots much better than other cameras in its league.
Pros
- 399 phase-detection points.
- 5-axis in-body image stabilization.
- BIONZ x image processing engine.
- Fast Hybrid AF.
- Continuous shooting of up to 10fps.
- Smart digital zoom.
Cons
- Video tape cannot be started until and unless image buffer is erased.
5. Nikon D3500
User Level: Beginners
I used this camera when I was starting my journey as a food photographer so yeah this camera entry is for beginners. I started shooting food images with d3500 without using any props. Therefore the results I got were purely driven by camera. No extra help. Period!
D3500 is truly one of best cameras for food photography, as it increased creativity in me.
All food pictures were recorded easily due to a simple menu system.
Its on-screen guide really helped me through my starting days of food photography.
Being a small housing camera also made it easier for me to handle. I was also able to use a telephoto lens easily because of its lightweight.
Very accurate food photography was done due to its EXPEED 4 image processing sensor and 24.2 MP resolution.
All of my food images were sharp and clear due to their 11 focusing points which were evenly distributed across the frame.
The most challenging shots of food were being made due to its impressive autofocus.
Very Detailed Photography
Many spectacular food images and 4K clips in 1080p were possible even in low light settings because of sufficient light strategy. Overall, as a beginner, it produced very detailed photography in all its seven image management modes.
Pros
- ISO range from 100 to 25600.
- Supports Nikon F lens Mount.
- Full HD videos at 1080p.
Cons
- Touch is not supported.
- Mic is also not supported.
FAQS
What shot is best to use for food photography?
If you are into commercial food Photography then 45° is the best angle. This angle is so versatile, as it will allow shooting the front, sides, and surface of dish.
Do I need a DSLR for food photography?
Modern smartphones these days have superb cameras and they can take pictures of good quality. But still, they do not have some of things like DSLRs. So, yes! You will need a dedicated camera not specifically a DSLR for food photography.
Is food photography difficult?
Yes, it is difficult as compared to some of the other types of photography because food dies right in front of you as you capture it. You need to be real quick and creative too if you want to take food pictures. Because you need freshly made food in front of you to take mouth-watering photos.
Conclusion
You might have a latest smartphones whose camera can create stunning food shots. But if you want to actually have some greatness in your photos then you will have to purchase one of five best cameras for food photography. Of these five my top three pics are:
- Nikon Z7ii: due to its 45.7MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor and ISO range of 64-25600
- Canon 5D Mark iv: due to its 61 autofocus points, and excellent noise reduction
- Nikon d3500: due to its simple menu and on-screen guide.
And my top most pick will obviously is Nikon Z7 ii because of its high resolution.