The best camera for wildlife photography in 2024

From birds in the backyard to the big five on safari, the best cameras for wildlife photography will help you to get sharp and stunning animal shots every time. I'm lucky enough to have been on photo safari and to live near the world's first drive-through safari park, so I've spent a lot of time using these kinds of cameras! 

Wildlife is one of the most challenging subjects to photograph, so this is one of the most difficult camera choices you'll face. Personally, my pick is the Canon EOS R5 – a camera I bought myself because it boasts the best autofocus on this list, with phenomenal image quality, weather-sealing and a great range of lenses. 

But there are plenty of other great options, from affordable bodies and bank-breaking pro models to all-in-one bridge cameras. And if you want a camera to leave in your back yard, to snap the wildlife in your garden when you're not there to see, check out the best trail cameras. 

I've spent hundreds of hours all over the world photographing wildlife, and here on DCW we've tested all the best wildlife cameras available. Here are my top recommendations right now…

Animal paparazzi

Animal paparazzi

James Artaius

I've enjoyed animal photography for years, whether it's photographing them at zoos and sanctuaries or documenting them in the wilderness. I had to be super selective about the kit I took on photo safari to Africa, so I've done plenty of research into the optimum wildlife setup!

Top picks: best cameras for wildlife photography

The best camera for wildlife photography 

Best starter camera for wildlife photography beginners

When photograping wildlife, the one thing I always want is more reach… unless I'm using this bridge camera! It boasts an integrated lens with an unbelievable 24-2000mm zoom range, which absolutely transforms your shooting ability. 

Usually I have to take two bodies and two different lenses, one to cover close range (usually a 24-70mm) and another to cover distance (the longest I have, which is 150-600mm). But the P950 covers all that and gives me an extra 233% of reach!

The P950 is a hefty DSLR-like camera, certainly, but it's a lot lighter and less cumbersome than lugging around two cameras and lenses – and again, I get a vastly increased focal range. 

Without having to swap anything, I can zoom from an animal a few feet away from me all the way to an animal grazing on the horizon. It's an absolute revelation, and provides the most fun I ever have when taking photos of wildlife.

There is a tradeoff, of course: the sensor is very small (1/2.3-inch) and low in resolution (16MP). This means that image quality is great at small or medium resolution (and with decent light), but not so much if you want to blow up your prints big and put them on the wall. 

However, if you only want to show your images on a website, social media or your tablet, this is everything you need. And if you want even more reach, look for the Nikon P1000 with its even wilder 24-3000mm range (this is actually my top choice, but it's a discontinued camera and isn't available everywhere).  

Read our full Nikon Coolpix P950 review

Best affordable camera for wildlife photography

If you're on a budget, but still want the power and versatility of an interchangeable lens system, I don't think you can get a better camera than the Canon EOS R10. You get pro-grade burst speeds and pro-grade autofocus in a camera that, in the US and UK, is under a grand – it's truly incredible value. 

While other cameras on this list trump its burst modes, it's worth noting that its 23fps electronic / 15fps mechanical continuous shooting is faster than the flagship Canon EOS R3! Of course the buffer depth isn't the same, but still – wow.

Likewise, the autofocus system in this camera – Dual Pixel CMOS AF II – is the same one you'll find in the R3 (and the next camera on this list, the R5). With its subject detection algorithms, Canon's AF is simply unbeatable for wildlife; I've photographed animals all over the world, and I've never used a system this good.

The R10 also offers gorgeous (albeit cropped) 4K 60p, or uncropped 30p oversampled from 6K, along with FullHD in 120p for true slow-motion. So it's great for capturing video, particularly with its fully articulating touchscreen.

Of course, with the low cost comes a couple of compromises: namely the lack of any in-body image stabilization and no weather sealing. However, it has everything else going for it – and it's an excellent way to get started in Canon's fantastic ecosystem of RF lenses (which also enables you to use EF lenses, with an optional adapter).

Read my full Canon EOS R10 review

Best Canon camera for wildlife photography

For my money (literally!) this is the best camera that Canon has ever made. It's also the best overall wildlife camera, thanks in large part to its autofocus – which is so good that I described it as a cheat code for wildlife photography. 

It simply doesn't miss a beat, sticking to subjects like glue so all you need to do is keep them in the frame. I am amazed every time I use this camera at just how spookily good the AF is.

The 45MP stills are crisp and clean, and can be rattled off at up to 20fps – more than enough to keep up with even the twitchiest animals. In-body image stabilization offers up to 8 stops of compensation, which is perfect for shooting on long lenses. 

And if you need video, the R5 offers stunning 8K 30p – along with the ability to extract a 36MP still image from your footage. Of course, the camera's recording limits are well publicized… but honestly, I've never had a problem in personal use.

Throw in weather sealing, dual memory card slots (one SD and one superfast CFexpress Type B) and some of the most advanced lenses in the industry, and you've got an unbeatable camera.  

Read my full Canon EOS R5 review

Best Sony camera for wildlife photography

Sony achieved a world-first with the A9 III, as it is the first camera to feature a full-frame global shutter image sensor. What does that mean? It captures the entire frame in one pass, rather than scanning it line-by-line the way traditional sensors do.

And what's the benefit to you? Two things, the first one being speed. This camera can shoot images at 120fps – and it captures them in full 24.6MP resolution. This unprecedented performance means that you'll record every instant of a lion hunting its prey, or a bird taking flight, or even your cat goofing around on the couch.

The second benefit is that it eliminates rolling shutter – the phenomenon caused by traditional sensors, thanks to their line-by-line scanning, when you pan with your subject and get a warped "Jell-O effect". 

This is particularly noticeable when shooting video, which the A9 III can do in 4K 60p (oversampled from 6K) and slow-motion 4K 120p (uncropped) – though I would have preferred a video-friendly articulating screen to the the quirky 4-axis affair here.

There's also a bonus benefit if you shoot flash (which isn't relevant to most wildlife photographers) in that this camera can sync at any speed, again thanks to the near-instant readout of the global shutter sensor.

So what's the catch? In my experience, the autofocus very occasionally trips up (though it's on the whole incredibly robust) and the ISO sensitivity is more limited (which is a byproduct of the global shutter technology).

Those minor quibbles aside, there's only one other thing… the price! This is really an elite level camera designed for elite professional shooters, but if you need ultimate speed then there's nothing better.

Read my full Sony A9 III review

Best Nikon camera for wildlife photography

There's one thing that every interchangeable lens camera on this list has in common: a small body. However, when you're shooting wildlife photography, you're often using physically longer and heavier lenses – and those don't balance ideally on small bodies. This is when you need a camera with a professional form factor, featuring an integrated vertical grip. 

This extra heft not only makes it easier to balance big lenses, it also duplicates the shutter and exposure control dials in the vertical position – enabling seamless shooting when you spin the camera around to portrait orientation. On top of that, the grip supports a larger and higher-capacity battery so you can shoot for longer when out in the field. 

Size advantages aside, I think the Z9 is the best camera that Nikon has ever made. Its 45.7MP sensor delivers great-quality stills, and its stacked design also offers incredible speed – you can shoot all the way up to 120fps, though unlike the A9 III you can only capture 11MP JPEGs (but you can shoot RAW + JPEG at 20fps)

The 8K 60p video is unreal, with huge recording times, and while the autofocus is a step below Canon's it is still awesome for animal photography. You also have the advantage of being able to use Nikon's extensive range of F-mount lenses, via an optional adapter. 

I believe that the larger grip and bigger battery makes this a superior wildlife camera to the Nikon Z8, which is otherwise almost identical in terms of specs. However, the Z8 is newer, smaller and cheaper – so if size isn't important to you, that may be the best option.

Read my full Nikon Z9 review

Best DSLR camera for wildlife photography

If you prefer DSLRs to mirrorless cameras, I have no hesitation in recommending the Canon EOS 90D. Boasting the same 32.5MP sensor architecture at the heart of the new EOS R7, you still get great resolution – but you also benefit from the 1.6x crop factor that makes your lenses even longer. 

And that's the reason I'm picking the 90D over full-frame DSLRs like the Nikon D850. Because when you put a 300mm lens on this camera, it has an effective focal length of 480mm – and when you're photographing wildlife, having that extra reach makes all the difference when it comes to filling the frame! 

As does the 32.5MP resolution. There are plenty of APS-C sensors at around 24MP, but having more pixels gives you more room to crop – again, helping you fill the frame when you need to artificially extend your reach. 

Mirrorless cameras may be the norm these days, but there's still a lot to love about DSLRs – such as the traditional optical viewfinder, the beefier and better ergonomics, and that unmistakably meaty clunk of a mirror mechanism. Plus, I just think that DSLRs feel more robust and better able to withstand the knocks and scrapes of outdoor photography. 

My favorite thing about the 90D, though, is the battery life; at around 1,300 shots, it simply leaves mirrorless cameras in the dust. Not to mention that there are no gaps in the well-established EF lens lineup – and they're more affordable than modern lenses (especially on the second-hand market). 

Add in uncropped 4K video and Canon's ultra-reliable Dual Pixel CMOS Autofocus, and this is a formidable wildlife camera.

Read our full Canon EOS 90D review

How to choose

When you're looking for the best camera for wildlife photography, there are several things to consider. One of the main factors is fast, efficient autofocus. A surprising number of wildlife subjects are pretty stationary, but being able to focus quickly on a subject that's moving unpredictably is crucial. 

Also important is a fast burst mode. Being able to shoot a lot of images continuously 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. 

Related to this is buffer depth, which refers to how many continuous shots a camera can capturing without stopping. A bigger buffer means more shots, which means a longer burst, which means a greater chance of capturing the moment you want. The speed of your media is key here, too, so make sure to use the best memory cards.

I would say that the most important consideration of all, though, is lens selection. This isn't a consideration with bridge cameras, which have integrated lenses featuring zoom ranges that standard cameras can only dream of – making them clear winners in the most crucial category. 

For interchangeable lens camera bodies, you need to add your own – so you want a good range to choose from! Depending on what you shoot, you're probably going to need the reach of a telephoto lens in particular. Take a look at the best lenses for bird photography and wildlife. 

How we test cameras

First and foremost, I take every camera I review into the real world to shoting in real conditions! You can only evaluate animal autofocus by photographing animals, so that's what I do. Whether it's a safari in Africa, a domestic safari park, or photographing animals for my personal portfolio or client work, I test everything from focus accuracy and handling to burst rates and buffer depths to ease of use and video overheating. 

After that, I pass the kit on to our lab manager Ben Andrews for detailed lab testing. He tests camera resolution, dynamic range, and noise under scientifically controlled conditions using two key testing tools: Imatest Master and DxO Analyzer. These enable us to evaluate:

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.

FAQs

Take a look at these wildlife photography tips to get the best out of your camera and lenses. If you're serious about shooting in the field, check out the best portable hides and camouflage gear. And be aware of these common wildlife photography mistakes!