The best Canon camera in 2020: Canon's DSLR, mirrorless and compact cameras

(Image credit: Canon)

JUMP TO:

Canon DSLRs
Canon mirrorless
Canon compacts

How do you choose the best Canon camera? No matter whether you're a family holiday snapper, a weekend landscape enthusiast, an up-and-coming multimedia content creator, or a professional sports photographer who needs the best of the best, Canon has a camera for you. The trick is determining which one it is.

After all, Canon makes both DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, and the debate over DSLR vs mirrorless cameras shows no signs of slowing down, with both types boasting distinct advantages for different types of photographer. While it may seem as though the industry as a whole is transitioning to mirrorless, rumours of the death of the DSLR are greatly exaggerated, with new models such as the Canon EOS 850D arriving with all the top-of-the-range features you'd expect (indeed, we're sure it'll merit a place on this list once it has undergone our full tests).

Canon also makes some of the best compact cameras on the market, not to mention simple point and shoot cameras for casual snappers. It also makes some of the best DSLRs too, and with mirrorless cameras being the big thing right now, Canon has both APS-C format EOS-M mirrorless models that are ideal cameras for beginners, and the newer EOS R and EOS RP full-frame mirrorless cameras are amongst the best mirrorless cameras you can get right now.

So we've split our guide into DSLRs, mirrorless models and compacts for ease of use. Also note that if you're looking for bargains in general and you're not just wedded to Canon, you might also want to check out our guide to the best camera deals right now, too.

The best Canon camera in 2020

Canon DSLRs

Lots of people will tell you DSLRs are old-fashioned and that mirrorless cameras are the future, but DSLRs still have a lot to offer, including chunky, grippable bodies, clear optical viewfinders, great battery life and good value for money. Canon's DSLRs are split into APS-C cameras aimed at beginners and enthusiasts, and full frame cameras aimed at experts and pros – and we've picked out two of each.

Image 1 of 5

Image 2 of 5

Image 3 of 5

Image 4 of 5

Image 5 of 5

1. Canon EOS Rebel SL3 / EOS 250D

Brilliant for beginners, this Canon has plenty for enthusiasts too

A lightweight, intuitive DSLR

Superb Live View shooting

Larger than mirrorless rivals

Relatively few AF points

The pint-sized Canon Rebel SL2 (or EOS 200D) was a really big seller (you can still get it, in fact), but its successor the Rebel SL3 (aka EOS 250D) improves on it in every way. In fact we believe it's the best Canon camera for beginners you can buy right now. Canon’s top-of-the range APS-C sensor with 24.1MP of resolution delivers excellent image quality, and Live View shooting with the LCD screen so easy and intuitive, with such good autofocus, that we’d actually say this is one of the only DSLRs where composing shots with the screen is as easy as with a mirrorless camera. Canon also packs in 4K video, which was missing from the previous SL2, wrapped up in an ergonomically designed DSLR body that's just about the smallest on the market.

Read more: Canon EOS SL3 / Canon EOS 250D review

Image 1 of 5

Image 2 of 5

Image 3 of 5

Image 4 of 5

Image 5 of 5

2. Canon EOS 90D

The EOS 90D has the highest resolution yet in an APS-C camera!

Tremendous value

Fully articulated touchscreen

Pixel count causes noise issues

Unimpressive buffer capacity

The Canon EOS 90D is an astounding APS-C workhorse of a camera, available for a fantastic price. It combines the highest resolution yet seen in an APS-C sensor of 32.5MP, with high-speed frame rate of 10fps, and it also manages glorious uncropped 4K video – none of that irritating crop that has plagued Canon cameras in the past. Its handling and ergonomics are a joy, reminding us of why shooting on a DSLR is such an enjoyably tactile experience, and it's available for a welcome enthusiast price point – not to mention the fact that you get an optical viewfinder, which many people still prefer to the electronic viewfinders on mirrorless cameras. Rumours of the DSLR's death will have been greatly exaggerated if Canon keeps on producing models as good as this.

Read more: Canon EOS 90D review

Image 1 of 5

Image 2 of 5

Image 3 of 5

Image 4 of 5

Image 5 of 5

3. Canon EOS-1D X Mark III

The archetypal pro DSLR comes back with a bang for 2020

Super-fast, reliable shooting

Uncropped 4K

Fixed LCD screen

Expensive, of course

The amazing Canon EOS-1D X Mark III turned out to be much, much more than we were expecting. Not only is it an update to the 1D X workhorse series beloved by professionals worldwide, it's also an important step forward for DSLRs generally, boasting deep-learning AF, uncropped 4K (something that had been missing from Canon cameras for quite some time), a revamped control system and much more besides. If you need a camera that just shoots and shoots, with whip-smart AF and an indomitable burst rate... well, you probably don't need us to tell you twice. But we'll do it anyway: the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III is an astonishing camera.

Read more: Canon EOS-1D X Mark III review

Image 1 of 5

Image 2 of 5

Image 3 of 5

Image 4 of 5

Image 5 of 5

4. Canon EOS 6D Mark II

An affordable entry into full frame photography, and feature packed too

Fully articulated touchscreen

Novice-friendly but powerful too

Full HD video not 4K

Bulkier than the EOS RP

The EOS 6D II is Canon's cheapest full frame DSLR and the next step up from the EOS 90D. It might be affordable, but it's far from basic. The advantage of a full frame sensor is that it gives superior image quality, partly because you tend to get more megapixels, and partly because the pixels (photosites) are bigger and can capture more light. The 26-megapixel sensor in the 6D II offers a useful advantage over 24-megapixel cameras, it has a powerful 45-point AF system for viewfinder shooting and Canon's Dual Pixel CMOS AF for live view photography, and it has a decent 6.5fps continuous shooting speed. What we really love is the streamlined handling and control layout and the fully articulating rear screen. If you can afford the extra over the APS-C format EOS 80D (above), the EOS 6D II would be our top recommendation as the best Canon camera for enthusiasts.

Read more: Canon EOS 6D Mark II review

Image 1 of 5

Image 2 of 5

Image 3 of 5

Image 4 of 5

Image 5 of 5

5. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

It's the camera countless pros use as their day to day workhorse

Great 61-point AF system

30.4MP sensor

Burst speed an average 7fps

Big crop factor for 4K video

Lots of people are joining in the DSLR vs mirrorless debate saying that mirrorless cameras like the EOS R below are the only way forward. Yet the DSLR design still has lots of advantages, including a bright, clear, optical viewing system with no lag, better handling with bigger lenses, and much better battery life. Professionals in particular are very cautious about change, and it's likely the EOS 5D IV DSLR will be one of the best cameras for professionals for some time to come. It's not a specialist camera designed to do a single type of work, but a robust and powerful all-rounder that can turn its hand to almost any professional assignment. The 61-point autofocus system is fast and powerful, and Canon's Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology makes live view autofocus pretty fast and snappy too. The 30.4-megapixel resolution isn't the highest, but it gives a great balance of resolution and low-light, low-noise performance.

Canon mirrorless

As with its EOS DSLRs, Canon now makes mirrorless cameras in two sizes. This time, though, they use different lens mounts and are aimed at very different users. The smaller APS-C EOS M cameras are for non-professional hobbyists and beginners (though they also appeal to bloggers and vloggers). The newer, full frame EOS R models use a new RF lens mount and are designed for professionals (EOS R) and advanced amateurs (EOS RP).

Image 1 of 5

Image 2 of 5

Image 3 of 5

Image 4 of 5

Image 5 of 5

6. Canon EOS M6 Mark II

The M-series gets M-serious with a contender for your primary camera

Amazing 14fps /30 fps burst

Impressive 32.5MP APS-C sensor

No built-in viewfinder

EF-M lenses still limited

The EOS M series has in the past often felt a little like the unloved child of the Canon family. Happily, with the advent of the EOS M6 II, the firm can finally be said to be taking its APS-C mirrorless line seriously. The M6 Mark II sports a powerhouse of a sensor in the form of a 32.5MP APS-C chip, and can burst-shoot at 14fps or up to 30fps in RAW Burst mode. Then there's also uncropped 4K video, an expandable ISO maximum of 51,200 and a high-resolution tilting touchscreen. M-series cameras in the past have been appearing to attempt to carve out a niche as decent second cameras, but the M6 II makes a convincing case to be your primary camera, and it's really only the slightly meagre M-series lens selection that holds it back.

Read more: Canon EOS M6 II review

Image 1 of 5

Image 2 of 5

Image 3 of 5

Image 4 of 5

Image 5 of 5

7. Canon EOS RP

Full frame mirrorless cameras don't come much cheaper than this

Size, weight and low cost

Fully articulating screen

1.6x crop and no Dual Pixel AF in 4K

Weak battery life

The EOS RP is Canon's second full frame mirrorless camera, and it's smaller, lighter and a lot cheaper than the first, the EOS R. It's designed to be a compact, affordable and easy to use entry point into Canon's full frame mirrorless system, and it succeeds brilliantly. Its small dimensions mean it can sometimes feel overbalanced by larger lenses, though, and the 4K video mode comes with some caveats – the image frame is cropped by a factor of 1.6 and you can't use Canon's speedy Dual Pixel CMOS AF system unless you drop the resolution to full HD. On the upside, the pictures are clear and sharp, the vari-angle touchscreen display is a real advantage for both stills and video, and the inclusion of an EF lens adaptor means you can use existing Canon DSLR lenses alongside the new but growing RF lens system. What a great camera! Is this the best Canon camera for enthusiasts? It's right up there with the EOS 6D Mark II DSLR.

Read more: Canon EOS RP review

Image 1 of 6

Image 2 of 6

Image 3 of 6

Image 4 of 6

Image 5 of 6

Image 6 of 6

8. Canon EOS R

Canon's first full-frame mirrorless camera is steadily falling in price

Great in low light

Dual Pixel AF

No in-body image stabilisation

Single card slot

The EOS R has met with a mixed reception, perhaps because it's going to take time for users to figure out where it fits in, but we reckon with its combination of resolution, features, pro build quality and keen pricing, it's going to make its own gap in the market! On paper, it looks a bit like a mirrorless version of the Canon EOS 5D IV digital SLR (above), but there are some important differences. One is that it has a much more advanced autofocus system with an amazing 5,655 focus points, another is that it has a brand new lens mount bringing the promise of new and exotic lens designs. What we really like, though, is that Canon has also made lens adaptors that let you fit your existing Canon EF and EF-S lenses, so it's easy to add the EOS R to an existing Canon system.

Read more: Canon EOS R review

Canon compacts

DSLR and mirrorless cameras are great, but sometimes you need something smaller, cheaper or just a bit simpler to use. These are our top three Canon compact cameras right now, aimed at three different kinds of photographer.

Image 1 of 5

Image 2 of 5

Image 3 of 5

Image 4 of 5

Image 5 of 5

9. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III

A pocket-sized camera with a flip-over screen for selfies and vlogging

Uncropped 4K with livestreaming

Large-aperture zoom lens

A little pricey

No viewfinder

When the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II proved unexpectedly popular with the vlogging community, Canon went all in and produced the G7 X Mark III, adding full uncropped 4K video and a 3.5mm microphone port. These features beautifully complimented lots of the strengths of the Mark II, which included a flip-out screen and a beautiful 24-100mm equivalent f/1.8-2.8 lens, making for an extremely solid all-around compact that'll do everything most vloggers need it to, and indeed many photographers, though the lack of an eye-level viewfinder is a bit of a shame. The Mark III is arguably still a little expensive, but if you can afford the outlay, you'll find it an extremely capable compact for video and stills alike.

Image 1 of 3

Image 2 of 3

Image 3 of 3

10. Canon Ixus 185 HS

The perfect point and shoot family camera that's smart and affordable too

Very easy to use

Slender body

Small, low-resolution rear screen

Average image quality

Not everyone needs professional features, full frame image quality, 4K video and interchangeable lenses. Sometimes you're just looking for a decent, simple and effective (and cheap!) little camera you can slip in a pocket and which the whole family can use. The little Ixus 185 certainly passes that last test, and yet delivers some rather impressive specifications at the same time. One of the key advantages of a compact point and shoot camera over a smartphone is that you get a zoom lens, and the one on this camera has a massive 8x range, from 28-224mm. It uses a small 20-megapixel 1/2.3-inch sensor, so the picture quality is going to be adequate rather than great, but it's fine for family snaps and it can go up to ISO 1600 for shooting indoors or in low light. It even looks pretty smart, so the Ixus 185 is a really appealing (and did we mention cheap?) little snapshot camera.

Read more: Best point and shoot camera