The best camera for wildlife photography in 2023

Choosing the best camera for wildlife photography isn't always easy. It's more specialist than some genres, but in general, you need a camera that can keep up with the action of capturing fast-moving animals. Look for speedy autofocus features, a fast burst mode and a hardy build for outdoor use.

While there are good wildlife photography cameras to suit all budgets, you do need to be a little more selective than normal. In this guide, we've tested every single best camera for wildlife to help you decide which is right for you. If you're wondering what to look for in the best camera for wildlife, scroll to the bottom of this guide to find out.

Whether you want to capture birds in your backyard or head out on a once-in-a-lifetime safari, the best camera for wildlife photography will help you to get sharp and stunning wildlife shots every time. Let's look at the recommendations…

Top picks: best cameras for wildlife photography

Best wildlife cameras for beginners

The best wildlife camera for beginners

Still widely available, the Panasonic Lumix FZ2500 (known as the FZ2000 in Europe) offers an amazing level of functionality for its price, with an impressive built-in 20x optical zoom lens that delivers the goods, even if the maximum aperture does fall pretty sharply once you push the zoom towards the telephoto end of the range. 

With multiple different burst modes to play with and satisfying, DSLR-style handling, the FZ2500 offers plenty of functionality for any nature photographer, and its video features are no slouch either, with 4K 30p video that looks great and can also be used to extract high-quality stills.

Best luxury bridge camera for wildlife

If you’re looking to travel relatively light but still want to fill the frame with your subject, then the Cyber-shot RX10 IV from Sony is the best bridge camera you can buy. The RX10 IV packs in a hugely flexible 24-600mm f/2.4-4 zoom lens, an excellent 1-inch sensor, an advanced AF system and 24fps shooting. 

While Sony’s chucked everything at the RX10 IV and it’s an incredibly capable piece of kit, all this tech does come up a price. That said, if you wanted to get this kind of focal range and features in a DSLR or mirrorless combination, you’d be paying significantly more.  

Read our full Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV review for more details

Best wildlife trail cameras

Best camera trap

Sometimes it’s not possible to wait for your subject to come to you, which is where a trail camera comes in. These tough cameras are activated by a subject’s movement (and even body heat), allowing you to be tucked up in bed and leave the camera to do the hard work for you. Our top pick is the Bushnell Core DS No Glow. 

This packs two image sensors, with one optimized for daylight capture and the other tailored for nighttime photography. With an incredibly tough waterproof construction, you can happily leave it outside to battle the elements, while you can also capture 1080p video up to an impressive 60p. 

Read our full Bushnell Core DS-4K No Glow review for more details

Best solar-powered trail camera

Unlike the Bushnell Core DS No Glow, the Solar Dark from Spypoint doesn’t solely rely on battery power. As the name suggests, it can be solar-powered to extend its life out in the field. Alternatively, it can also draw power from either a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery or 6 AA batteries.

 The 12MP resolution is modest, but images are pretty good as long as you keep your expectations in check, while there are plenty of other features here that add to the appeal of the Solar Dark. This includes the ability to detect subjects up to 110ft away, time-lapse movies, and 720P video.

Read our full Spypoint Solar Dark review for more details

Best wildlife cameras for enthusiasts 

Best enthusiast mirrorless camera

The OM-D E-M1 X ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to wildlife photography. First up is the tough build that sees exceptional weather sealing – perfect for those times when you’ll be shooting in harsh conditions. 

Then there’s the ability to shoot at up to a staggering 60fps (though this will be a little slower if you want to take advantage of some of the E-M1 X’s advanced AF settings), while the buffer is excellent at 286 shots (and that’s with RAW files). 

The MFT sensor is physically smaller than APS-C and full-frame rivals which does compromise things a little when it comes to image quality. The payoff is though that lenses are much more compact, with fast telephoto lenses considerably smaller than rivals. What's more, there are some great deals now on this older, once flagship mirrorless camera.

Read our full Olympus OM-D E-M1 X review for more details

Best enthusiast DSLR

Some were surprised to see the Canon EOS 90D arrive in 2019, but it is quite a step forward over the EOS 80D it replaced, with an all-new 32.5MP APS-C sensor that delivers excellent results, while the ability to record un-cropped 4K footage is another bonus. 

While the traditional 45-point phase-detect AF system is good, it’s when you use the rear screen that it really shines thanks to the inclusion of Canon’s excellent Dual Pixel AF technology. Married to this is a polished touchscreen interface that’s really intuitive and has a battery life that’s good for 1,300 shots.

Read our full Canon EOS 90D review for more details

Best wildlife cameras for pros

Best pro mirrorless camera for wildlife

The EOS R5 is a technological bombshell. It's Canon's new flagship mirrorless hybrid camera, and at first, glance seems to be trying to corner every segment of the market at once. 

It's got a brand-new 45MP sensor that produces images of incredible detail thanks to a new low-pass filter, as well as the class-leading autofocus system of the EOS-1D X Mark III, with a whopping 5,940 AF points for photography and 4,500 for video. Indeed, the EOS R5's video specs are nothing short of next-generation – allowing you to shoot uncropped 8K Raw video internally. 

Read our full Canon EOS R5 review for more details

Best big-grip pro mirrorless camera for wildlife

Nikon might've been late to the game in launching its professional, top-spec mirrorless but the Nikon Z9 was definitely worth the wait.  It's an absolute beast of a camera when it comes to video, knocking the Canon EOS R3 out of the park.

It's capable of 8K 60p video recording or 8K 30p with an enormous 2-hour record limit. Nikon decided to remove the mechanical shutter completely which means the Z9 is capable of 120fps continuous shooting and has a max shutter speed of 1/32,000 which makes it perfect for sport and bird photography. 

The Z9 is powered by Deep Learning AF which makes the camera capable of nine kinds of recognition: human eyes, faces, heads, and upper bodied; animal eyes, heads, and bodies; and cars, planes, trains, and motorbikes.

It has the same 493 AF points as the Nikon Z7 II which seems impressive until you find out that the Canon EOS R3 has a whopping 4,779 AF points. The Z9 comes in quite a bit cheaper than both the Sony A1 and the Canon EOS R3 and it has a lot of advanced features. The newer Nikon Z8 is very similar - but does not have the big built-in battery grip.

Read our full Nikon Z9 review for more details

What to look for in the best camera for wildlife

When you're looking for a good wildlife photography camera, there are several things to consider. Here's a quick run-through of the most important features to look for when making your choice.

• A fast burst mode. Being able to shoot a fast burst of continuous images is desirable no matter what kind of wildlife you're photographing. Animals rarely stay still and may exhibit the behaviors you want to capture for just fractions of a second. A camera that can capture a lot of frames in quick succession is your best bet. 

• Fast, efficient autofocus. You need to be able to focus quickly on a subject that's moving unpredictably. A sophisticated autofocus system with good coverage of points across the frame is the key to achieving this.

• Decent buffer depth. Buffer depth refers to how many continuous shots a camera is capable of capturing without stopping. A bigger buffer means more shots, means a longer burst, means a greater chance of capturing the moment you want. Be aware that cameras will generally be able to capture a larger buffer of JPEGs than RAW files The write speed of the memory cards is also a factor, so get the fastest card that you can afford.

• Lens or lens range. Ideally, you want to fill the frame with your wildlife subject, but most wild animals are pretty tough to get close to. That means you'll need some telephoto range. If you pick a compact camera, get one with a long zoom lens already attached – probably a bridge camera. If it's an interchangeable-lens camera, whether a DSLR or mirrorless, then it's worth checking out the range of lenses available for the relevant mount, and seeing the options for telephoto lenses within your budget. See the best lenses for bird photography.

We’ve split our selection of the best cameras for wildlife into four categories for different types of users, with sections for beginners, enthusiasts, and professionals. We've also included a dedicated section for camera traps, also called trail cameras, which are a special kind of camera designed to be left in the wild for extended periods. See our guide to the best trail cameras for more of these.

How we test cameras

We test camera resolution, dynamic range, and noise under scientifically controlled conditions using two key testing tools: Imatest Master and DxO Analyzer. All DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are subjected to these tests and, in some instances, high-end compact cameras.

We use these real-world testing and lab results to inform our comments in buying guides.

1. Resolution (ISO-12233): We use a resolution chart based on ISO-12233 from Applied Image inc to indicate the limit of the camera’s vertical resolution at the centre of the frame. The higher the value, the better the detail resolution.

2. Dynamic range (DxO Analyzer): This is a measure of a camera’s ability to capture detail in the highlights and shadows. We use DxO’s transmissive chart, which enables us to test a dynamic range of 13.3 stops.

3. Noise (DxO Analyzer): We use the dynamic range transmissive chart to analyze the signal-to-noise ratio for RAW and JPG files at every sensitivity setting using DxO Analyzer. A higher value means the signal is cleaner.

For trail cameras and compact cameras with built-in lenses, we rely on real-world tests, using the cameras in the field and comparing their results and handling characteristics to rival products that our team of testers has used.

You might also like to find out more about the best trail cameras you can buy to spot elusive wildlife. And to get closer to your subjects, check out the best 150-600mm lenses and the best macro lenses.