This article is a one-stop shop to help you find your perfect camera. There is everything from beginner-friendly entry-level cameras to high-powered professional full frame cameras. So there are plenty of options for everyone regardless of your budget or skill level. With such a huge range of options and possibilities, it’s difficult to make one overall pick. But, if we could only buy one camera from all of these, it would be this one. It combines a full frame sensor, tough construction, and incredible picture quality. [Note: ExpertPhotography is supported by readers. Product links on ExpertPhotography are referral links. If you use one of these and buy something, we make a little bit of money. Need more info? See how it all works here.]
What is The Best Sony Camera in 2022?
There’s such a great selection of Sony cameras right now. Here’s a summary of our top choices. So now let’s look at each one in detail, and you’ll see why we love them. Let’s start with our number one pick. The Sony Alpha a7C was released in 2020. It is Sony’s lightest and most compact full frame mirrorless camera. You get the portability of a Sony APS-C camera but the superior performance of a full frame camera. This combination helps make it the best Sony camera for travel photography on our list. Besides its size, my favorite thing about this camera is its superb handling and ergonomics. Sony managed to fit three exposure dials and multiple customizable buttons on its tiny body. Moreover, you can adjust all the controls with only one hand. Overall, the camera is easy to use, and its design drastically increases productivity. It also features a fully articulating rear LCD. The screen is excellent for travel vloggers and makes composing images easier when shooting at difficult angles. Finally, when on the road, you never know where you may end up or what the weather will be. Luckily, the a7C is fully weather sealed to help protect it against moisture, dust, and whatever else may come your way. Sony was the first traditional camera company to launch an in-house action camera. It competes with popular models like the GoPro Hero 10 Black and DJI Pocket 2. And their newest model, the Sony Cyber-shot RX0 II, is a high-end, ultra-compact action camera designed for professionals. It was released in 2019 and is the smallest camera ever to house a 1-inch CMOS sensor. The large image sensor makes it, far and away, the best action camera for working in low-light conditions. Moreover, its premium 24mm f/4 Sony Zeiss prime lens delivers stunning image quality in both photos and videos. While the photos are solid, video is where this Sony digital camera shines brightest. It has 4K / 30p video capabilities and can record 1080p / 120p Full HD slow-motion movies. In addition, it can record super-slow-motion clips at frame rates of up to 1000 fps. One more cool feature worth mentioning is the tilting screen. It can turn 180 degrees and is great for vlogging and selfies. The Sony Alpha a9 II is a professional-level mirrorless camera that first hit stores in 2017. It is known for its breathtaking speed. It can capture bursts at breakneck rates of up to 20 fps thanks to its Bionz X image processor and 24.2 MP sensor. This makes it a fantastic option for sports photography and wildlife photography. While the continuous shooting speeds of most of the best Sony cameras drop when using continuous AF, this is not the case with this advanced camera. Because of its electronic shutter, the a9 II maintains its max speed of 20 fps. That is even when using full autofocus or shooting in silent mode. You also can use the mechanical shutter, but the burst rate drops to 10 fps. Two more helpful features are built-in image stabilization and dual memory card slots. The stabilization technology boosts low-light performance. And the two SD card slots mean you never have to worry about running out of space when firing away tons of shots. For people who want to shoot at various focal lengths but don’t want the hassle of investing in a bunch of different lenses, the best camera is the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 IV. It’s a versatile bridge camera that came out in 2015. It can shoot everything from epic landscapes to detailed macro shots. The standout feature of this camera is its Sony Zeiss superzoom lens. It has an equivalent focal range of 24-600mm, which equals a 25x optical zoom. Better yet, it maintains good sharpness at all zoom levels. Furthermore, the lens’s maximum aperture of f/2.4-4 creates beautiful bokeh effects. This makes it one of the best Sony cameras for portrait photography. The RX10 IV also works great as a video camera. It has 4K video capabilities and can capture 4K footage at frame rates of 24 and 30 fps. However, please be aware that the camera applies a modest 1.09x crop factor during 4K video recording. The camera uses the entire sensor when shooting at a resolution of 1080p. And digital stabilization helps reduce camera shake. The Sony Alpha a6000 is an entry-level camera launched way back in 2014. Despite its old age, it remains a capable camera that’s perfect for kids and people on a budget. It’s the longest-running Sony mirrorless camera and the most-sold mirrorless camera of all time. The number one selling point of this camera is its low price. And while it can’t match the advanced technology of newer Sony mirrorless cameras, it still has a robust lineup of features. The hybrid autofocus system and 11 frames per second (fps) maximum continuous shooting speed are two of the most valuable features. Sony has an excellent autofocus system. It makes capturing in-focus photos and videos more straightforward than ever. Autofocus (AF), real-time tracking, and fast burst shooting help you take pictures of moving subjects, like people and animals. Lastly, the small camera body can easily be tossed into a bag or backpack. This makes it a suitable everyday camera for beginners and families. The Sony Alpha a6100 debuted in 2019. It replaced the a6000 as the company’s signature entry-level mirrorless camera. Courtesy of its attractive price, compact size, and easy-to-use interface, it’s one of the best APS-C Sony cameras for beginners currently on sale. While it looks a lot like its predecessor from the outside, internally, it’s a whole new beast. For starters, it now boasts 4K video. The footage has a beautiful cinematic look when shooting video at a frame rate of 24p. And it’s captured using the entire sensor width. Alternatively, a small crop factor is applied if you want to shoot 4K/30p movies. As a still camera, both RAW files and JPEGs have terrific sharpness. But I recommend shooting JPEG images because their colors are bolder and brighter straight out of the camera. For you, this means your photos will be more vibrant. And you will spend less time editing in post-production. Hands down, the best Sony camera for professional photography and videography is the Sony Alpha 1. It launched in 2021 and is Sony’s flagship hybrid interchangeable lens camera. It is powered by a high-resolution 50.1 MP full frame sensor and an advanced Dual Bionz XR image processing engine. The pair works together seamlessly to deliver stunning videos and photos that can only be matched by a handful of other mirrorless cameras, like the Canon EOS R5. It can shoot continuously at a blistering rate of 30 fps when shooting stills. Moreover, the industry-leading autofocus system uses real-time tracking to ensure that images are focused even if subjects are moving fast. The first thing that jumps off the page when talking about video is its 8K capabilities. The 8K footage is insanely detailed and can easily be cropped, reframed, or oversampled using professional software like Adobe Premiere Pro. Additionally, the IBIS works great and can add up to 9.5 stops of exposure when paired with a stabilized lens, like the Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM. This improves low-light performance and handheld image quality. Its high price is the only thing holding it back from the top spot on this list. But the a1 is the best overall camera if you can afford it. The Sony ZV-1 is an ultra-compact point-and-shoot camera released in 2020. It was built with YouTubers and digital content creators in mind. And it is the best Sony camera for vlogging. Two features explicitly aimed at vloggers are the fully articulating rear touchscreen display and the directional microphone. The rear screen ensures you are always centered in the frame, even when walking around. On the other hand, the microphone improves audio quality and eliminates the need to purchase a separate external microphone. The camera’s built-in Sony Zeiss zoom lens is constructed from high-quality glass and has an equivalent focal length of 24-70mm. At 24mm, you can easily fit your entire face and background into the image, even when shooting handheld video at only an arm’s length away. On top of that, it has 4K video capabilities and in-camera super-slow-motion modes. Lastly, its affordable price makes it a great all-around camera for day-to-day use, especially for families. If you want the best Sony compact camera, the Cyber-shot RX100 VII is the company’s flagship point-and-shoot-camera. It certainly comes with a hefty price tag. But no other compact camera currently on the market can rival its extensive feature set, regardless of brand. First, it pairs a large 1-inch image sensor with a powerful Bionz X image processor. The two work together to make it unbelievably fast for burst shooting and autofocus. During continuous shooting, it can go up to 20 fps. Or, you can use the new Single Burst shooting mode to fire away shots at an insane 90 fps. Another outstanding feature is the inclusion of a Vertical Video mode. It captures videos in portrait orientation. It is perfect for uploading to Instagram or TikTok. That’s why it’s our favorite camera for social media and digital content creators. If you like this camera but think it’s out of your budget, consider the previous version, the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VI. The Sony Alpha a7R IV is a high-resolution mirrorless camera that first hit shelves in 2019. It was designed with landscape and professional photographers in mind. Its 61.2 MP full frame sensor makes it the highest resolution full frame camera ever built. Because of that, we consider it the best Sony camera for photography. With such a high pixel count, images taken on this camera suffer little to no drop-off in image quality when blown up. This is critical to consider if you are a photographer or journalist who enlarges your images for printing in magazines, posters, or billboards. While it’s primarily a still camera, it’s no slouch in the video department. It shoots uncropped 4K movies and has a Super35 mode that oversamples 4K footage and boosts video quality. It also offers S-Log 2 and S-Log 3 video profiles that increase dynamic range. They give you more control when color correcting your footage during post-production. Another cool feature is the Pixel Shift mode. It captures 4 or 16 images and compiles them to create one 60.2 MP or 240 MP super-high-resolution photograph. The camera automatically builds the 4-image picture in-camera. But the 16-image one must be manually constructed on the computer. If you are a professional videographer or filmmaker, the best Sony full frame camera for video is the Sony Alpha a7S III. It launched in 2020 and replaced the a7S II as the premier camera in the company’s Alpha S lineup. The “S” stands for sensitivity. And the camera’s BSI image sensor is designed specifically for low-light and video shooters. The sensor’s relatively low pixel count (12.1 MP) means that the size of every individual pixel is more extensive. So they allow more light to hit the sensor and brighten up your footage. Moreover, the wide ISO range of 80-102,400 (expandable to 40-409,600) is industry-leading and significantly improves video capability at night. The a7S III can capture native DCI and Ultra HD 4K videos at frame rates of up to 120p. The camera uses the entire sensor width at 24p, 30p, and 60p. Alternatively, at 120p, the camera applies an ever so slight 1.1x crop factor. Also, the camera has no recording time limit, no matter what resolution and frame rate you are filming. One final feature you shouldn’t overlook is that it can record in various professional video profiles. This includes 10-bit S-Log3 and 16-bit RAW videos. These video profiles are ideal for footage that you intend to edit later. It is the best Sony camera for videography. Last but not least, we have the Sony Alpha a7 IV. It was unveiled at the end of 2021 and went on sale at the beginning of 2022. It’s the fourth iteration of Sony’s top-rated Alpha a7 full frame mirrorless cameras. And it has received a handful of crucial upgrades compared to its predecessor, the a7 III. For still photographers, the max resolution has jumped from 24 MP to 33 MP. That’s a significant improvement. And the extra detail retention is easily visible, especially in RAW files. Moreover, Sony updated the color algorithm in this camera. Its straight-out-of-camera colors are noticeably more vivid. The Sony a7 IV also boasts an excellent set of video features. It can now capture 4K video at 60p. And its 4K footage is super sharp since the sensor initially records 7K video and then oversamples it. And with the help of a USB cable, you can live stream 4K video directly to platforms like YouTube and Vimeo. On top of that, it gives you more control over audio settings than ever before, thanks to new advanced audio controls, including microphone and headphone ports. And finally, the camera’s new sensor cover protects it from dust and sand when it is turned off. It will lengthen your camera’s lifespan! It’s the perfect hybrid camera to shoot video and photos for the average person.
Sony Camera Buying Guide
How do you choose the perfect camera? What should you consider when buying a Sony camera? Before you buy a new camera, here are some of the most important questions you should ask yourself.
What type of camera do you want? A DSLR, mirrorless, action, or compact camera? What is the size of the camera sensor? Full frame, APS-C, Micro Four Thirds, etc. What type of content do you want to create? Video? Photos? Both? If you want to shoot video content, what resolutions do you need? 8K, 4K, 1080p, etc. What must-have features are you looking for in a camera? Stabilization, weather sealing, good battery life, etc. What is your skill level? Beginner, intermediate, semi-pro, professional? How big of a camera do you want? Is portability important to you? What is your budget?
Do professional photographers use Sony? Without a doubt! And more and more professionals are switching to Sony systems every year. The most popular Sony cameras for professionals are the Sony a1, Sony a7S III, and Sony a7R IV. Is Sony or Canon better? Ultimately, it’s a personal preference. But generally speaking, I recommend Sony if you want a mirrorless camera and Canon if you want a DSLR camera. Which is the best camera in Sony? The Sony Alpha 1 Which is Sony’s latest camera? The Sony Alpha a7 IV What is the best-selling Sony camera? The Sony Alpha a7 IV Which is the cheapest camera of Sony? The Sony Alpha a6000 Which is the best Sony video camera? For professionals, the Sony Alpha a7S III and the Sony a1. The best video camera for YouTubers and Vloggers is the Sony ZV-1. What are the best Sony lenses? It depends on the type of photography you shoot. But some of the most popular lenses are the Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM, Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS, and Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS.
Conclusion
Sony used to be an afterthought in the camera industry. But now, they are the second-largest manufacturer worldwide. On top of that, they have arguably the most diverse camera lineup of any brand. And they have countless options for beginners and professionals alike. Every best Sony camera on this list delivers first-rate photos and videos. Regardless of which one you ultimately choose, I promise you will be thrilled with the results. With that said, some work better than others, depending on the exact content you hope to create. Let’s do a quick summary of what we learned above. The best Sony mirrorless camera for the average person is the Sony a7 IV. If you are a professional who shoots photos and videos, you will see the best results using the Sony Alpha 1. Alternatively, if you strictly shoot video, you should opt for the Sony Alpha a7S III. Lastly, if you are a beginner or on a tight budget, you will love the Sony Alpha a6100 or Sony Alpha a6000. Our overall top pick, if we could only buy one, is this:
