The best cameras for wildlife photography won't turn you into an award-winning animal photographer overnight, but they are perhaps the most essential part of this genre of photography and can get you well on your way to becoming one.
Of course, you can use any camera — even a camera phone — to photograph a fixed subject. Wildlife, on the other hand, tends to move around and can be easily disturbed or scared away, especially when photographers enter their territory. Moose Peterson, wildlife photographer and author told Live Science "No photograph is worth sacrificing the welfare of a subject. We are guests in their home and if you present yourself this way and act in this manner, you will come back with the photograph."
Therefore, having the best wildlife photography cameras made specifically for the job is essential, especially once you've learned all the basics of wildlife photography. Then, once you've taken your images, the best laptops for photo editing can seriously up your photo editing game to get the best out of your images. To go a step further, having a pair of the best binoculars would also be incredibly beneficial for wildlife photography.
When photographing wildlife we often find ourselves in wild, remote places, which means an opportunity to see truly dark skies with little light pollution. Though many wildlife cameras can take good astro images, one of the best astrophotography cameras will perform better in low light and at night.
The quick list
Best overall
The Nikon Z8 balances speed, image resolution, processing power and incredible autofocus to bring you an all-in-one solution for stunning wildlife photography.
Best autofocus
What it lacks in speed, it more than makes up for with accurate and reliable AI-powered autofocus that sticks to subjects like glue to produce stunningly sharp 61MP images.
Best for pros
The Canon EOS R3 is a serious imaging machine reserved for professionals with a generous budget, but the investment more than pays off with what this camera is capable of.
Best for beginners
With an impressive burst rate and wildlife-friendly features, the Canon EOS R8 is a fantastic option for beginners or anyone making the jump to a full-frame system.
Best hybrid
A fantastic camera at the top of its game that excels at both stills and video, it's a perfect choice for those who want to shoot multiple disciplines.
Best DSLR
Well-known for being the best DSLR ever made, the Nikon D850 can handle anything you throw at it, but it is starting to show its age.
The best cameras for wildlife photography we recommend in 2024: Fully tested by our experts with hands-on, real-world experience
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Best camera for wildlife photography overall
✅ You shoot stills and video: With 8K video and no recording limits or overheating issues, it excels at video as well as stills.
✅ You need a very high burst rate: The Z8 is capable of 120 FPS (albeit at 11MP) for anyone needing blisteringly fast shooting speeds.
❌ You want something lightweight and portable: It definitely looks and feels like a professional camera with quite a bit of heft to it.
❌ You're a beginner: The Z8 is pretty much completely reserved for the pros and enthusiasts with deep pockets — not to mention it would be overkill for anyone new to the hobby. The Canon EOS R8 is much better suited to beginners.
🔎 Nikon Z8: The Z8 is a technological marvel. With all the gusto and performance of Nikon's flagship Z9, but in a more compact and affordable body, the Nikon Z8 is a market-leading mirrorless camera. ★★★★½
When it comes to finding the perfect combination of detailed images, fast burst rate, good handling and accurate autofocus that meets the needs of the best wildlife photographers, we think the prize for the best camera for wildlife photography overall would have to go to the Nikon Z8.
Design: The Nikon Z8 is the first flagship camera from Nikon that doesn't have an in-built vertical grip, meaning it has much less of the weight and bulk of many of their other pro-level cameras, like the Z9. This opens it up to a much broader market, including wildlife photography, as the Z8 is much more pleasant to use handheld for longer periods. We thought the ergonomics were fantastic, with all the buttons being in easy reach where our fingers would naturally want to rest.
Performance: The 45.7MP sensor produces stunningly detailed images, even in low light. Thanks to its stacked sensor, it has better light-gathering ability and a faster readout speed to allow for faster shooting with less noise and more detail.
We used it to shoot wildlife during our Nikon Z8 review, and we were mightily impressed with the autofocus. While it wasn't perfect and there were times when it faltered, (although, not many), overall it's incredibly reliable and it finds, follows and focuses on moving subjects with insane accuracy. They've also now added a bird mode in their latest 2.0 firmware update — great news for bird photographers.
Functionality: You want a fast burst rate, too? You got it. While it can shoot at 120 FPS, the major caveat here is that those images are only 11MP, and in practicality, who is going to want to wade through hundreds of frames of basically the same image to find 'the one'? On a more realistic level, you can get 60 FPS with blackout between exposures, 30 FPS without blackout (although these are small JPEGs). For blackout-free RAW images, you'll have up to 20 FPS, which, for our money, is absolutely fine for the majority of wildlife shooters.
It's also fantastic for video, too. It can shoot up to 90 minutes of 8K 30p or 120 minutes of 4K 60p, which is leaps and bounds better than the overheating limitations of the Canon EOS R5. The tilt-only screen does limit its usability somewhat if you can't see the screen when shooting at certain angles, but it's not a dealbreaker.
- Read our full Nikon Z8 review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Sublime ergonomics, but we'd like a fully articulating screen. |
| Performance | Superbly detailed images and high resolution video. |
| Functionality | Capable of 120 FPS... if you'd ever need it. |
Best autofocus for wildlife photography
✅ You want high resolution: The 61MP produces stunningly detailed images.
✅ You need reliable autofocus: The AI autofocus detects and sticks to subjects like glue.
❌ You want sheer speed: The A7R V has the slowest burst rate on this list, so if you need speed, go for another model.
❌ You want to crank the ISO up: It can handle decent ISOs, but the 61MP sensor does introduce more noise than less detailed sensors. If you need to shoot in low light, we'd recommend the Nikon Z8.
🔎 Sony A7R V: For sheer autofocus accuracy and image resolution, it's a no-brainer. It's not the fastest option for wildlife, but if you don't need blisteringly high burst rates, you can't go wrong. ★★★★½
Design: One fantastic design feature of the A7R V is the articulating screen that would make a gymnast jealous. Most cameras either employ a tilt-only or flip-out screen, but the A7R V somehow has both, which is great for when you need to shoot at awkward angles.
Performance: One of its main selling points, and the area where the Sony A7R V wins out against most is its resolution. The whopping 61MP sensor captures breathtakingly detailed images, but it's worth keeping in mind that this also means very large files. We haven't posted a full review but we have thoroughly tested this camera, and the images we took are bright, sharp and true to life — we were blown away. The only camera that would rival it is the Sony A1 — it has a slightly lower 50MP resolution, however, the A1 has a superior stacked sensor.
If it's accurate autofocus you want, then look no further. With AI technology capable of predicting a subject's movements and even tracking their eyes when your subject isn't even looking at the camera, it's the best autofocus on the market right now bar none. It can detect any animal you point it at, and it even has a dedicated insect mode if you want to use it for macro wildlife photography.
Functionality: But we must address the elephant in the room — the burst rate is slow. It's capped at 7 FPS for RAW files and 10 FPS for JPEG images, which is the slowest on this list by a considerable margin, especially for such a new and capable camera. There is an argument to be made that you don't necessarily need a blisteringly fast burst rate due to the autofocus being so good that you will nail more of your shots by default, but this may not be the case if you want to shoot fast-moving animals.
- Read the full Sony A7R V review over at our sister site
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Articulating screen is incredible. |
| Performance | AI autofocus sticks to subjects like glue. |
| Functionality | 7 FPS is slow compared to other wildlife cameras. |
Best professional camera for wildlife photography
✅ You want incredible autofocus: The Canon R3 has Eye Control autofocus, meaning you only have to look at your subject to focus on it.
✅ You need a fast burst rate: It has 30 FPS speeds with no buffering issues, something which lends itself to sports photography, too.
❌ You're not a professional: Its capabilities and price will likely be too much for anyone not making money in the industry.
❌ You want lots of detail: One of the main drawbacks when compared to its competitor (Sony A1) is its 24MP resolution. If it's detail you want, go for the Sony A7R V.
🔎 Canon EOS R3: Canon's most advanced camera yet —highly capable, fast, extremely customizable and even has Eye Control autofocus. It's the obvious choice for professional wildlife shooters. ★★★★½
Design: Every inch of the Canon EOS R3 looks and feels premium. Like their other flagship models, it has a vertical grip to aid portrait orientation shooting, although, this is going to add a significant amount of bulk and weight to the camera.
Performance: The newest and most advanced camera on this list, the Canon EOS R3 is its top-tier professional mirrorless camera — and it's loaded with features that will be music to the ears of wildlife shooters. While it matches the Sony A1's 30 FPS burst shooting (and surpasses its buffer depth), its 24.1MP images are lower resolution than the 50.1MP shots from the Sony. That said, the A1's 30 FPS frame rate tends to fluctuate, while our experience with the R3 gave us true 30 FPS performance no matter what we were shooting.
Functionality: One thing the R3 has that no other camera can match is its Eye Control AF, which uses 8 low-power infrared LEDs in the viewfinder to map and track your eyeball. Once calibrated, all you have to do is look at your subject and the R3 puts the focus point on it — then you just half-press the shutter, the AF kicks in, and you shoot. This isn't intended for fast-moving subjects like birds, but if you're shooting a group of animals and you want to quickly focus on a specific one, this is the fastest way to move your focus points.
If that sounds a bit too Star Trek for you, the R3 has the same ghostly good animal AF system as the Canon EOS R5, so you get the same level of near-magic performance. Throw in 6K 60p RAW video and an optical smart controller that's faster than a joystick, this is a camera that's designed for premium performance.
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Lightweight and solid body with excellent weather-sealing. |
| Performance | 30 FPS burst rate with no buffering issues. |
| Functionality | Eye Control autofocus is incredibly impressive. |
Best wildlife camera for beginners
✅ You're jumping straight into the full-frame market: It's ideal for anyone new to the hobby who wants to go straight to full-frame without being overwhelmed.
✅ You need a fast burst rate: The 6 FPS mechanical leaves a little to be desired, but the 40 FPS electronic burst rate is impressive.
✅ You want to travel with it: It's Canon's lightest mirrorless full-frame body.
❌ You want image stabilization: There's no IBIS for stills, only for video.
❌ You want to use it in all weathers: They state that it's weather resistant, not weather sealed, so be careful about using it in wet or dusty conditions.
🔎 Canon EOS R8: The second most affordable and most lightweight full-frame mirrorless camera from Canon is missing a few features, but it's got impressive specs for the price and provides excellent value for those wanting a step up from their crop-sensor model. ★★★★½
Design: The Canon EOS R8 holds the title of being Canon's lightest full-frame camera body so far. It weighs just 0.91 lbs / 414g so it's ideal for traveling, and in our Canon EOS R8 review we noted that even though it's light as a feather, the grip is deep enough to be comfortable to shoot with for long periods. Long wildlife lenses tend to be fairly heavy and bulky in nature due to their size and focal length, so having a lighter body can be advantageous for shaving a bit of weight off your overall setup.
Performance: During our testing, we thought the autofocus was great. It wasn't the best we've ever used, but we weren't expecting it to be for the price. It has animal eye detection which is ideal for wildlife shooters, although we found it didn't cope particularly well with forward-moving speedy animals, like dogs chasing a ball towards the camera or a bird flying directly toward us. For slower-moving animals though, it'll be great.
We also found it performed surprisingly well in low light, which will be advantageous for astro-shooting, general night-time cityscapes and wildlife shooting at dawn or dusk. It doesn't have image stabilization for stills (only in video), which may be a dealbreaker to some, however, many Canon RF lenses have image stabilization which you can rely on instead. It's also not fully weather sealed, only weather resistant — so you might want to think twice if you want to use it in wet or dusty conditions.
Functionality: The R8 actually has one of the faster burst rates on this list — capable of 40 FPS using the electronic shutter. If you'd rather use the mechanical shutter, it drops quite dramatically down to only 6 FPS, which does leave a little to be desired. It also has RAW burst mode which shoots 30 FPS bursts of RAW images, and there's a pre-shooting option that records images half a second before you fully press the shutter, giving you more leeway if you miss your shot by a hair. The RAW burst mode saves all the shots in the sequence to a single RAW roll, whereas conventional continuous shooting results in each shot being a separate file.
- Read our full Canon EOS R8 review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Canon's most lightweight full-frame camera. |
| Performance | Animal autofocus fine for most, struggled with forward-moving fast paced animals. |
| Functionality | 40 FPS electronic shooting fantastic for wildlife. |
Best hybrid camera for wildlife photography
✅ You want highly detailed images: The R5 has a 45MP sensor for stunningly detailed images, even when cropped.
✅ You need a good burst rate: It can shoot 20 FPS even for RAW images, which is insane when you consider that each image is 45MP.
❌ You want to record unlimited video: The Canon R5 has well-documented overheating issues, so you'll want to consider another option if you want to shoot long videos— perhaps the R5C.
❌ You're a beginner: If you're just starting out or have a smaller budget, the R5 will be overkill. We'd recommend the Canon EOS R8 for beginners.
🔎 Canon EOS R5: Undoubtedly Canon's hottest product ever, the Canon EOS R5 has been an absolute powerhouse ever since its 2020 release. The first consumer 8K camera to hit the market, Canon pulled no punches with this camera. We look forward to trying the Mark II. ★★★★½
Design: The Canon EOS R5 is perhaps one of the most ergonomic cameras we've ever used — every dial and button is exactly where your fingers would want them to be, and it fits in the hand like a glove. Even though the R5 is aimed at more seasoned shooters, it's actually an incredibly intuitive camera and the body is very easily accessible and easy to shoot with.
Performance: If we had to choose one Canon camera with which to photograph wildlife, it would hands-down be the Canon EOS R5. This is mainly because of its incredible autofocus system, which is easily one of the best on the market right now — especially when it comes to photographing animals, where it is capable of body, face and eye detection.
On paper, Canon only claims that the R5 can track dogs, cats and birds. In our Canon EOS R5 review, though, there wasn't a single animal it couldn't recognize, track and lock onto. Lions, monkeys, turtles, iguanas, fish, skunks, meerkats, raccoons, sand squirrels, gophers, seals, Fennec foxes…if it's got a face and eyes, the R5 will put an AF point on it.
Functionality: Best of all, it can shoot images at up to 20 FPS with full face and eye detection — and it can do so silently, so as not to frighten your subjects. And when you consider that each RAW image is 45MP, that's insanely impressive.
Then there's the phenomenal 8K 30p; even if you don't shoot video, this is brilliant for stills as well, as you can extract a 35MP still frame from your footage, effectively giving you up to 30 FPS shooting. Just beware of the 4KHQ and 8K video recording limits, as the R5 is rather infamous for its overheating issues — for a more video-centric camera, check out the Canon EOS R5C.
- Check out our full Canon EOS R5 review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Compact and lightweight. |
| Performance | Incredibly accurate animal eye autofocus. |
| Functionality | Up to 20 FPS electronic burst rate. |
Best DSLR camera for wildlife photography
✅ You're already invested in Nikon DSLR lenses: If you already have a good arsenal of Nikon lenses, the D850 is the best camera body you can buy to go with it.
✅ You're an advanced user: If you need a serious bit of kit that can do anything and everything, the D850 is what you're looking for.
❌ You're a beginner: It's overkill and expensive for beginners— try the Canon EOS R8 instead.
❌ You want a future-proof investment: While this camera has everything going for it, DSLR cameras and lenses aren't being produced at the rate they used to be. The Nikon Z8 is the best mirrorless camera on the market.
🔎 Nikon D850: Speed or resolution? Why not have both? The Nikon D850 has a massive pixel count, near pro-level burst mode, alongside uncropped 4K video — impressive for a DSLR. Its 45.7MP stills are sharp and detailed, giving you breathtaking image quality. ★★★★½
Not only is the D850 Nikon's best DSLR, but it's also the best all-round DSLR period. With its ultimate full-frame image quality combined with fast (though not lightning-fast) speed, this full-frame camera is the tool of choice for many advanced amateurs and professionals alike, as we mentioned in our full Nikon D850 review.
Design: We thought the Nikon D850 was sturdy and well-built and could certainly handle a lot of punishment with its full weather-sealing and metal construction.
We thought the touch ability on the screen was limited. You can activate the shutter and set focus, but you can't navigate through the menus by pressing the screen, which we thought was a little odd. It does, however, have illuminated buttons, which is great if you're photographing wildlife at dawn or dusk and can't quite see the camera properly.
Performance: Its 45.7MP resolution enables you to capture shots in jaw-dropping detail or to crop into your images and fill the frame if your lenses haven't quite got enough reach. The pixel-dense sensor also gives you full-frame 4K video, though sadly shooting in live view (whether for stills or video) means that you lose the fantastic phase detect autofocus and are instead stuck with subpar contrast-detect.
Functionality: The 7 FPS burst rate is the joint slowest of all cameras on this list (being the same as that of the Nikon P1000), but it can be boosted to 9 FPS if you attach the battery pack. That adds to the already significant cost of this camera, but if you're looking for the most complete DSLR then the D850 is your best bet. Still, when you consider that each image is 45.7MP, that's a pretty decent burst rate for the majority of wildlife photography situations. Besides, the buffer capacity is pretty generous at 200 shots, so you shouldn't run into any issues with shooting speed.
Another useful trick the D850 has up its sleeve is fully electronic silent shooting — this is endlessly useful for wildlife photography, particularly if you're out shooting at dawn or dusk and you don't want the sound of the camera shutter to scare the wildlife away.
- Read our full Nikon D850 review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Fantastic build quality, and illuminated buttons help to see in the dark. |
| Performance | Accurate autofocus and great battery life. |
| Functionality | Between 7-9 FPS and silent electronic shooting. |
Best Micro Four-Thirds camera for wildlife photography
✅ You struggle with timing: Pro Capture mode records images before and after you press the shutter button, so no more missing the shot.
✅ You need exceptional weather-sealing: It provides industry-leading dust, splash and freeze-proofing to shoot in any and all weathers.
❌ You want full-frame: For professionals wanting a full-frame sensor with higher resolution, you'll want to consider other brands. The Canon EOS R3 is the best on this list for pros.
❌ You want to shoot in low light: The reduced sensor footprint means it's not the most capable for low light shooting (astro & nighttime), but it'll still be fine for dawn or dusk wildlife shooting.
🔎 Olympus OM-D E-M1X: With impressive image stabilization, a focal length-doubling crop factor, and Pro Capture that means you never miss a shot, the Olympus OM-D E-M1X is a wonder for wildlife photography. ★★★★½
Design: Micro Four Thirds cameras may not be your first thought when considering a wildlife camera, but there are many good reasons to look at the E-M1X. For starters, while it has a pro DSLR form factor, its smaller sensor means that lenses are much smaller, lighter and less expensive — meaning you have a smaller and lighter load to carry.
This is aided by the 2x crop factor or the sensor size, which means that you effectively double the focal length of your lenses — so if you're shooting on a 300mm lens, you immediately get a 600mm equivalent field of view. So if you get the M.Zuiko 300mm f/4 with a 2x teleconverter like we did during our Olympus OM-D E-M1X review, you have a 1200mm lens — and with the E-M1X's Sync IS technology, the camera and lens stabilization systems work in tandem, meaning that you can shoot tock-solid stills and video handheld, without a tripod.
Performance: The 20.4MP sensor may sound unimpressive at first, especially when compared to the other models in this list, but we actually found that it's more than enough for most purposes. However, it has a neat trick up its sleeve called High Res Shot mode, where it can boost the resolution to 50MP handheld or 80MP when mounted on a tripod. However, both these resolutions take a few seconds to expose, so they'd only be suitable for still subjects. Still, all the images in our review were shot at the native 20.4MP resolution, and we think they were plenty good enough.
Functionality: The camera shoots an astonishing 60 FPS with focus locked off, or a still-impressive 18 FPS with full AF/AE tracking. Its best trick for wildlife shooters, however, is Pro Capture; this starts buffering shots when you half-press the shutter, meaning that even if you're a fraction too late with your trigger finger, you've got the 15 frames before you fully depressed the shutter — meaning you never miss a shot, even when you miss it. We've taken E-M1X on safari, and it enabled us to get shots that we simply would have missed otherwise.
- Read our full Olympus OM-D E-M1X review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Industry leading weather-sealing. |
| Performance | Pro Capture mode captures images before and after you press the shutter. |
| Functionality | Insane 60 FPS burst rate. |
Best bridge camera for wildlife photography
✅ You want an all-purpose camera: It would struggle for wide-angle or astro shooting, but it can handle pretty much everything else you throw at it. It's like having every lens you could possibly need.
✅ You're a beginner: It has automatic and semi-automatic modes to aid beginners who want to point and shoot at any subject.
❌ You want high-quality images: The sensor is around the same as the one in your smartphone, so you aren't going to get DSLR or mirrorless level performance. The Sony A7R V has the highest Megapixel count in this guide.
❌ You want to shoot in all weathers: It isn't weather-sealed, so you'd need to be careful in adverse weather.
🔎 Nikon Coolpix P1000: The Nikon Coolpix P1000’s 125x zoom can shoot just about anything you want — animals, buildings or even the moon from miles away. Want the ultimate zoom bridge camera? Here it is. ★★★★½
If you're a newcomer to photography, and especially wildlife, one of the best ways to get started is with a bridge camera. These combine the handling of a DSLR, the convenience and ease of a compact camera, and the range of a superzoom lens.
Design: This camera is an all-in-one package that gives you a greater zoom range than you could achieve with a DSLR or mirrorless camera setup that costs thousands — but the tradeoff is image quality, as bridge cameras use much smaller image sensors, and the AF systems aren't as advanced as more expensive cameras.
Even though we described it as being 'built like a tank', it's actually surprisingly compact for what it can offer. And it isn't too heavy, either, weighing a lot less than a DSLR and we found it very comfortable to hold.
Performance: The Nikon Coolpix P1000 is about one thing, and one thing only: range. It offers a frankly absurd 24-3000mm zoom range — to put that into perspective, that's enough to shoot frame-filling shots of the moon, as we mentioned in our Nikon Coolpix P1000 review. This means that whether you're on safari or photographing birds at the local lake, nothing is going to be too far away.
Functionality: For some people, that reach alone makes this camera worthwhile. The compromises, however, are important to consider. Firstly, the P1000 possesses the smallest and lowest resolution image sensor on this list — so image quality and low light performance take a hit. The AF system and continuous shooting speeds aren't designed for fast action, either, so this is a camera best used for photographing still subjects rather than, say, birds in flight.
Still, that reach. It's impossible to achieve that on a DSLR or mirrorless camera, so if all you want is basically a telescope that takes pictures, it's right here.
- Read our full Nikon Coolpix P1000 review
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Surprisingly compact for its size. |
| Performance | Impressive images for the sensor size. |
| Functionality | Insane zoom range and 7 FPS burst speed. |
Best wildlife cameras: comparison
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Sensor size | Resolution | Number of autofocus points | Animal AF | Burst rate (Frames Per Second) | Buffer capacity | Image stabilization | Weather sealed | Max video resolution |
| Nikon Z8 | Full frame | 45.7 Megapixels | 493 | Yes | 20 FPS RAW, 30 FPS JPEG, 120 FPS 11MP crop | 1000+ shots | Yes | Yes | 8K 60p / 4K 120p |
| Sony A7R V | Full frame | 61 Megapixels | 693 phase-detect | Yes | 7 FPS RAW / 10 FPS JPEG | 583 compressed RAW shots | Yes (8 stops) | Yes | 8K 25p / 4K 60p |
| Canon EOS R3 | Full frame | 24.1 Megapixels | 4,779 phase-detect | Yes | 30 FPS electronic / 12 FPS mechanical | 540 JPGs, 150 RAWs (electronic) | Yes (up to 8 stops) | Yes | 6K 60p |
| Canon EOS R8 | Full frame | 24.2 Megapixels | 1,053 | Yes | 40 FPS electronic / 6 FPS mechanical | 85 RAW / 1000 JPEG shots | Only in video | Weather resistant, not weather sealed | 4K UHD 60p |
| Canon EOS R5 | Full frame | 45 Megapixels | 5,940 phase-detect | Yes | 20 FPS electronic, 12 FPS mechanical | 350 JPEG, 180 RAW shots | Yes (up to 8 stops) | Yes | 8K 30p |
| Nikon D850 | Full frame | 45.7 Megapixels | 153 phase-detect | No | 7 FPS (9 FPS with battery pack) | 200 JPEG, 200 RAW shots | No | Yes | 4K 30p |
| Olympus OM-D E-M1X | Micro Four-Thirds | 20.4 Megapixels | 121 phase-detect | Yes (birds) | 60 FPS fixed / 18 FPS with AF/AE | 49 JPEGs, 49 RAWs (60 FPS) • 89 JPGs, 74 RAWs (18 FPS) | Yes (up to 7.5 stops) | Yes | 4K 30p |
| Nikon Coolpix P1000 | 1/2.3-inch | 16 Megapixels | 49 contrast-detect | No | 7 FPS | 7 shots (RAW) | Yes | No | 4K 30p |
Contributing experts
Moose has dedicated his life to the education and protection of our wild heritage through his photography for over 40 years. He is a Nikon USA ambassador, recipient of the John Muir Conservation Award and research associate with the Endangered Species Recovery Project, to name a few. He has written 29 books and been published in over 143 magazines worldwide.
Wildlife Photography Cameras: FAQ
What is a wildlife camera?
So what makes the best wildlife cameras different from regular cameras? As noted, they typically offer formidable autofocus that is designed to keep up with the fast-twitch, erratic nature of wild animals.
We asked one of our contributing experts, wildlife photographer and author Moose Peterson, and he said "It is easy to get caught up comparing cameras when thinking wildlife photography. Since critters have been photographed since the dawn of photography, it proves that just about all cameras will do a good job. Personally, the couple of specs I look for is FPS, preferring the fastest I can, battery life and physical weight."
A standard camera should be able to handle portraits and landscapes with no problem, as this isn't very taxing on the focusing system. Point it at a bird in flight, however, and it will likely struggle to keep the subject in focus. In fact, even very expensive cameras can struggle to focus on animals — or at least, to focus on the part of the animal that you want.
This is where phase-detect autofocus, which is superior to contrast-detect, comes into play. Taking things to the next level, however, are subject detection algorithms and Animal AF; using deep learning and artificial intelligence, a new breed of mirrorless cameras can actually recognize birds and wild animals, automatically track them, and even place the focus point on their faces and eyes.
The other key feature possessed by the best wildlife cameras are their ferocious shooting speeds (measured in frames per second, or FPS). Think of a cheetah running at top speed; you need to capture as many photographs as possible to ensure that you get the precise moment you want — and also to make sure that at least some of your shots are in focus. Associated with this is the camera's buffer depth, meaning how many shots it can take in a single burst without having to stop and think.
Many cameras intended for wildlife shooting are also weather-sealed, meaning that they are resistant to rain, dust and other elements you may encounter in the field.
What's the best wildlife photography camera for beginners?
We've named the Canon EOS R8 as the best wildlife camera for beginners, thanks to its accurate autofocus, fast burst rate, user-friendly operation, impressive image quality and beginner-friendly price.
What other equipment do you need for wildlife photography?
While getting the right camera is crucial, this isn't to say that the lens doesn't matter — far from it. You will, of course, need a suitable optic — including at least one long telephoto lens, in order to capture distant subjects. We've included a lens recommendation with each camera in this list, but there are a number of fantastic lenses you can pair with each camera.
A versatile all-round wildlife lens would be a 100-400mm zoom, though there are many focal ranges from different manufacturers (such as 200-500mm or 150-600mm). You might think that longer is better, and in many cases it is, but a 600mm lens can cost thousands and thousands — and if a subject gets comfortable and comes closer, you won't be able to shoot it.
Depending on how serious you are about photographing wildlife, the subjects you're shooting and the environments you're shooting in, you might want to invest in anything from a tripod to the best binoculars, a hide to a camouflage or ghillie suit. "A piece of gear overlooked by many wildlife photographers is binoculars, better known simply as, Bins. My Nikon bins are with me all the time permitting me to walk with my eyes at times and other times, see if the subject I have in my sight can be carefully, successfully photographed" Peterson told Live Science.
Finally, for wildlife photography, you need the one thing money can't buy — patience.
What shutter speed should I use for wildlife photography?
If you want the best chance of getting sharp images of wildlife, one of the best things you can do is choose an appropriate shutter speed.
If you're looking for a basic rule of thumb for starting out, here's what we'd recommend. For stationary animals, 1/60 - 1/400 will be fine. If the animal is walking, go for 1/500 - 1/1000, or if they're running or hunting you'll want to stop down to around 1/1000 - 1/1500. For large flying birds, somewhere between 1/1600 - 1/2500 should do the trick, depending on if you want to slightly blur the motion of their wings or freeze the action entirely. For smaller, fast birds who tend to move a bit more erratically, go for around 1/2500 - 1/4000.
We asked our contributing expert, Moose Peterson, and he said "Communicating motion in our still images can at times be very important. This is when we think about shutter speed and in wildlife photography, really the only time. The "best" is a sought after answer when there actually isn't a best. For example, my preference is to always shoot with the lens wide open. By doing that, the shutter speed becomes secondary as it must compliment the wide-open aperture / minimum DoF to provide the right exposure. There is one magical shutter speed I do think about and that's when birds are eating, in this instance, I won't shoot below 1/125. There is a muscle between the bill and eye that at a slower shutter speed, the eye won't be sharp. And no matter the shutter speed you use, the eye always has to be sharp."
What focal length is best for wildlife photography?
It depends on how close you can get to your subject. Somewhere between the 100-400mm region is good for most wildlife photography, although you do get lenses that can reach further than 400mm — and each manufacturer produces different focal length options. Zoom lenses tend to be favored for a lot of subjects because you can adjust the focal length as the animal moves, whereas you can't with a prime lens.
"One of the beauties of wildlife photography is that just about any focal length can be successful. This is especially true when you're just starting out and finding what lens works best for your visual storytelling. I love and use the Nikon Z600f4TC a lot in my wildlife photography, I also use the Z 100-400 f/4.5 and Z 24-70 f/2.8. We all have different goals with our wildlife photography, mine is to share their world as well as them in each frame. This is controlled with subject to lens distance as much as focal length." Peterson said.
What camera mode is best for wildlife photography?
Professionals and advanced users who can comfortably and quickly change their settings from memory would tend to opt for fully manual shooting to have full control over their aperture, shutter speed and ISO.
However, many photographers (pros included) do often rely on either shutter priority or aperture priority to photograph wildlife. Shutter priority would be used for fast moving subjects where you might need to adjust the shutter speed depending on how fast the subject is moving, and Aperture priority would be used on stationary or slow moving subjects to determine the blur of the background to isolate the subject. If you do decide to use aperture priority, make sure you set a minimum shutter value in the menu so your camera doesn't automatically set the shutter speed too slow.
What lens is best for wildlife photography?
As a rule of thumb, telephoto lenses are better for wildlife photography because you can photograph your subjects from far away to avoid disturbing them or scaring them away. Focal lengths between 200-600mm are typically favored, and you want a fast lens with a wide aperture to enable faster shutter speeds. Zoom lenses are also better suited to wildlife photography to enable you to adjust the focal length as the subject moves.
The best wildlife photography lenses used by pros are often thousands of dollars and are quite literally the length of your own arm, but you can still get some decent, more affordable ones for amateurs.
How to get sharp wildlife photos
To get pin-sharp wildlife photos, make sure your shutter speed is fast enough. We mentioned above some good shutter speeds for various types of moving subjects, so make sure you adhere to this rule to avoid blurry photos. Another way to get sharp photos is to make sure your camera has accurate autofocus that can locate and track your subjects effectively, and focus on getting the eye sharp.
Moose Peterson told Live Science "Getting the eye sharp is a must. One of the best and most consistent ways is to use proper handholding and long lens techniques. Once you learn these, you need to practice them. Personally, I practice my handholding every day. Muscle memory is a good thing in photography."
What focus mode should I use for wildlife photography?
For wildlife photography, you'll want to use Continuous Autofocus. This means that as long as you're holding the shutter button halfway, the camera will continuously keep the focus on your moving subject until you fully press the shutter.
Canon call it AI Servo AF, Nikon refer to it as Continuous-servo AF (AF-C) and Sony use Continuous AF (AF-C).
What drive mode is recommended for wildlife photography?
In the drive mode menu, you want to be shooting in burst mode, where the camera will continuously take photos for as long as the shutter is held down. This is ideal for moving subjects such as wildlife. Some cameras also have a silent shooting mode for burst shooting, to prevent the wildlife being scared away from the noise of the shutter.
The standard setting is single shot drive mode, so you'll need to go into the menu to change it when you want to photography wildlife.
How we test the best cameras for wildlife photography
To give readers the best buying advice, we put these cameras through complete and thorough testing in real-world situations to provide accurate, hands-on and unbiased reviews on how each product works and performs. Each camera is tested by either our experienced staff or freelance testers who have extensive experience in their field. While we do get each camera sent to us for a brief loan period by the manufacturer, we are in no way paid or compensated by them for a review, and all opinions expressed are 100% those of the reviewer and in no way influenced by another party.
To test a camera for wildlife photography, two of its most important features are burst rate and autofocus capabilities. During testing, our reviewers take the cameras to wildlife reserves, zoos and even use them on their own pets to see how well the camera locates and maintains the focus on the animal. As many newer cameras have specific autofocus subject modes like cats/dogs, birds and even insects, we always aim to photograph as many different subjects as possible.
Burst rate is another very important test we conduct on each wildlife camera, as wildlife photographers want to be able to capture fast-moving animals or birds in flight without missing the shot, so we test the burst rate to see if it takes enough shots, and how long the camera can shoot before filling up the buffer.
We also consider the camera’s weight when held for long sessions, whether it has a silent shooting mode to avoid scaring animals away, battery life for long, boring sessions of waiting for animals to appear, sensor resolution, image stabilization and weather sealing, and low light capabilities for photographing wildlife at dawn or dusk.
