The Best Cameras for Event Photography to Make Your Events Stand Out
There is no way to overlook the fact that event photography is an excellent hobby that can easily go ahead and make some money for you. There are a lot of people who are actually earning a good amount of money through photography. Now, just taking pictures is not the way in but it does get your foot in the door, and that is what matters.
With that out of the way, in this roundup, we are going to start taking a look at some of the best cameras for event photography because event photography in general is an excellent way of making money and once you do get better at it, you will be great in it, and the money is always good, to say the least.
Reviewing the Best Cameras for Event Photography
Considering how buying the right camera can be just as confusing as getting your hands on the right lens, we have decided to simplify things for you and we are going to ensure that you are looking at the absolute best cameras in the market that will help you a lot more than you think. The cameras we have picked are excellent in every case and the photography experience is not going to be faltered. On top, you are even getting an excellent choice to just use these cameras for all photography types without any hindrances.
Sony A7IV – Best Overall Camera
The Sony A7IV took us all by surprise after 5 years and delivered what I would call one of the best performances in any camera for some time. It easily is one of the best offerings in the market, and although on the pricier side, it works really, really well.
The fact that the Sony A7III was the perfect camera only made it harder for Sony to deliver something that is not only better, but more worthy of all the awards that the Sony received for A7III and after almost 5 years of wait, the Sony A7IV delivers, and delivers on all fronts.
Now, I do understand that a 33-megapixel sensor might seem like a small upgrade from the 24-megapixel sensor that we saw on the Sony A7III but don’t let that fool you as this camera is a testament to the fact that the megapixel count is barely an issue for anyone. The good news here is that you are getting a stabilized, full-frame sensor that is excellent for images as well as video.
Not just that, the 33-megapixel sensor is excellent as the images come out larger than what you might need and that means if you want to go ahead and leave some room for cropping, that is entirely possible.
Another excellent thing is that you are getting 4K video at 60 frames per second with 10-bit color sampling, which is just great, to be honest because you are able to shoot some stunning footage with ease.
With the Sony A7IV, you also get subject tracking up to 10 frames per second, which is impressive, to say the least and the fact that you are getting configurable controls only sweetens the pot as it makes the overall user experience infinitely better.
Not to forget, with the camera, you are getting subject recognition for people, animals, and birds, and Sony’s E mount ensures that you are getting a massive selection of lenses to choose from, which, again, makes everything better.
Honestly, I have been using the camera for as long as I can remember and it easily has become my favourite offering in the market. My only issue here is that the back display, although great, should have been sharper, and the eye detection is not as accurate as it should be, however, this is more of a software issue than a hardware one.
Overall, the Sony A7IV is easily the best camera in the market not just for event photography but for all sorts of photography as it delivers top of the line performance, great looks, great ergonomics, and a boatload of features that you would have no issues exploring.
Sony A7III –Runner Up for the Best Overall Camera
The Sony A7III despite being almost 5 years old, still remains to be one of the best cameras that Sony is making and delivers excellent overall experience, specs, and value for money. If you want a good camera that is just delivering great performance, then this is the one that you should be going for.
Having a ‘favourite’ camera is not an easy thing to do because the market has so many offerings that you can easily get confused whenever it comes to choosing something. However, over the past coupel of years, Sony has made sure that the favourite camera for a lot of people remains the same and if that is not a testament to company’s dedication, I don’t know what is.
The Sony A7III, despite being an old boy, is still one of the most capable cameras with ease and a fan favourite, as well. Now, there is a lot of love about the Sony A7III, so we are going to start right away.
The reason why this camera still manages to hold up after ages is the fact that you are getting an incredible low-light performance even with higher ISO. The dynamic range is also great, and the autofocusing system is among the most reliable, so if you are looking for something solid, this cannot get better than that, because the experience alone is worth it.
You are getting excellent ergonomics and the overall build quality. Not to forget, the RAW and JPEG image quality are excellent, at the same time. If you are looking forward to recording some high quality 4K footage, the camera is more than capable of delivering that and that is what makes it such a good option.
Another great thing is that you are getting an expansive option to customize, so it makes a lot of sense to invest in this camera. Last but not the least, you can go ahead and charge your camera via a USB Type-C port and while that might seem like a very small inclusion, you would be surprised just how convenient having this feature is as it makes the entire camera using experience ten times better.
As far as the downsides are concerned, I just wish that the viewfinder had a higher resolution and the touch screen experience would have been better. But for the most experience, the lens does not really create any issues for anyone, so you are definitely looking into something solid across the board.
Overall, it is safe to say that the Sony A7III is an overall, excellent camera that you can get your hands on and if you have been after something that just performs without hitching, then getting your hands on this camera is more than valid because the experience is so flawless.
Canon EOS R6 – Best Hybrid for Event Photography
The Canon EOS R6 is an excellent hybrid camera for anyone who is looking to take some stunning pictures, and at the same time, not spend a lot of money because the camera does not cost a lot of money and still manages to deliver surprisingly stellar performance.
Canon has been making excellent cameras for the longest time and we are all aware of that. However, when Canon finally shifted to mirrorless offerings, we were not sure how to react. The Canon EOS R6 managed to catch a lot of people’s eyes because this was an affordable camera but at the same time, packed some really amazing set of specifications, on top of everything, it was not outlandishly expensive.
One of the reasons why I love this camera so much is the fact that you are looking at a full frame mirrorless camera that is also capable of delivering some of the most stunning images that you can expect. For starters, the image quality is excellent in both JPEG and RAW. So, if you want to hand out some edited photos, you can go ahead and deliver them.
The camera has excellent ergonomics and is an absolute treat to handle, and the dynamic range is one of the best that I have seen in any camera in a long, long time. Despite the sensor just being 20-megapixel, you are getting stunning resolution, and the image stabilization system on this camera is among the best we have tested.
The autofocusing, HEIF mode, and burst shooting are also excellent. Needless to say, it is very evident that Canon has worked really hard on ensuring that the camera is delivering the best possible performance and that too, without breaking a sweat. Not to forget, the battey life is another strong point that you are going to like.
As far as the downsides are concerned, I did not run into any issues during my usage. However, I would say that the rolling shutter can be an issue for primarily video and the setting up the perfect autofocusing system can be difficult.
Overall, I can say it with great confidence that the Canon EOS R6 makes up for one of the best cameras in the market and delivers solid performance across the range. You really do not have to worry abot anything because the performance alone speaks for it.
Nikon D7500 – Best Entry Level DSLR for Event Photography
The Nikon D7500 surprisingly still delivers excellent performance overall and is one of the best entry level DSLRs even today. It delivers great performance and a surprising list of impressife features that make the whole experience a lot better.
It does not come to as a surprise that Nikon has been delivering some excellent cameras over the past couple of years and this trend is something that continues with their mirrorless cameras as well. However, this brings us to another important question, “what about the mid-range cameras?” well, the Nikon D7500 is something that has been around for some time and it is still one of the most sought-after offerings in the market.
The camera might be old but that is not an indication that the performance on it is not good enough. As a matter of fact, the performance is every bit as good as you would expect and more. Now, the camera is certainly a DSLR through and through but that does not, for one second, mean that you are not getting a good experience. Quite the contrary, to be honest.
For starters, the Nikon D7500 acts as an excellent DSLR for anyone who is looking for a good overall experience. Sports, action, or event photographers can benefit from this DSLR and thanks to the higher to the support for a higher burst rate, but trust me, that is not all there is to this amazing camera. The ergonomics are solid and the camera has a heft to it, making it deliver a solid feel overall.
The image quality on this camera is among the best and whether you are shooting RAW or JPEG, the results are excellent in both cases, allowing us to have a great experience altogether without too much complication or hassle coming in the way.
As far as the downsides are concerned, I do not really have any issues. However, I would address that if you are a video shooter, you might want to look at something else because the larger size of the camera can be limiting for you.
Overall, the Nikon D7500 is easily the best camera that you can get if you are just getting into photography. It is not at all outdated and with the right lens, can easily deliver the performance that you want and that too, without any complications.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III – Best Micro Four-Thirds Camera
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is a top-tier micro four-thirds camera that is small, making it ideal for travelers, event photographers, and everyone else who wants something small.
Moving further, we still have some amazing cameras and the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is one of them. Over the past couple of years, the concept of micro four-third cameras has become a lot more common as it allowed a resurgence of some amazing cameras in the market and this trend does not seem to change, either.
Even though I am not a fan of MFT format, to begin with. I have to give credit where it is due and the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is definitely something that can change the game for anyone who is looking for a camera that is good for starters or professionals, for that matter.
Right out of the box, the JPEG and RAW quality of these cameras are excellent, to be honest. This definitely surprised me, considering how little post-processing was needed here to get the results I wanted. The colors also look excellent right out of the camera, allowing for another strong feature and considering how we are talking about cameras for event photography, this definitely gets the job done.
The body itself is designed really well; it is solid, easy to carry, and has a good quality overall, allowing for a much better experience. The camera has really decent burst, too, allowing for a faster shooting experience.
The 4K quality video is also really good, and there is not a lot of rolling shutter taking place, in the first place. The image stabilization that is offered by the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III is another great thing because you never really feel like the images you are getting are not good enough.
The camera also has a high-resolution mode which allows for stunning boost to detail and handles noise really well.
Simply put, there is a lot ot talk about the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III because of how good it is but I am going to keep it simple, if you have been after a camera that just works and works really well, then this is the one that you should be going for. Sure, the dynamic range does suffer due to a smaller sensor size, and you are only getting a single UHS II card slot but in terms of the experience, you cannot really go wrong here.
Overall, if you have been after a good camera, then getting your hands on the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III makes a lot of sense as it is an excellent camera for event photography and is not going to let you down in terms of the performance, ergonomics, or battery life, for that matter.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV – Best High End DSLR
The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV still remains one of the best cameras in the market and for anyone who is looking for something that delivers a higher-end experience, this camera works really, really well for all sorts of photography expeditions.
The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV has been around for some time now but unlike the market for smartphones or laptops, camera market moves at a different pace and sometimes, years pass by before the company realizes that it is time to make the changes that everyone wants. Sure, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV is an old beast, but it has been performing for years and the best part is that it works really well, overall.
The camera’s relevance is partially due to the massive 30.4-megapixel sensor that it uses and also has dual-pixel autofocusing system which is one of the best features that one could hope for. So, if you are looking into that, this is a great way to go forward.
The camera, despite being old, offers among the best dynamic range, autofocusing and high ISO performance, to a point that you would not feel like replacing the camera all of a sudden. It works really well in all the cases, and that is what makes it such a good option, in the first place.
You are getting better continuous shooting experience, along with a better autofocusing experience overall in terms of the AF points. Speaking of autofocus, it can be highly customized based on specific uses cases that you might have.
The touch screen is excellent, and you are also getting a very extensive Q menu that can easily be configured to your liking. Let’s not forget the Dual Pixel RAW that allows for some amazing post processing that looks and works really well and the camera performs brilliantly in video, too.
There are a few things that I do not like about this camera, however. For instance, the ITR subject tacking is not as precise, and there are some reliability issues that come in the way. Additionally, there is a 1.64x crop factor in the camera, which is not the most ideal way out, especially if you are shooting with a tighter focal range.
Overall, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV is still one of the best cameras in the market and for anyone who wants to get the performance they want. Sure, it is not something that is going to be complicated but for good, solid, overall performance, the lens is the way to go and you will not have any issues.
Fujifilm X-T4 – Best Fujifilm Camera for Event Photography
The Fujifilm X-T4 is the camera to go for if you are looking for some easy and stunning photography and videography as the camera works wonders in every case and does not disappoint at all.
We all know Fujifilm as one of the leading companies when you are talking about good quality cameras and this has not changed, to be honest. The company has been giving us some excellent cameras and that too, with ease. So, if you are in the market looking at something that can be yours with ease, then going for Fujifilm is not really something that is a difficult choice.
With that said, there is a lot that makes the Fujifilm X-T4 an excellent camera and today, we are going to talk more about how it works and works wonders. You would be surprised ot know that this camera is not going to create any issues for you.
Now, a lot of people confuse this as a micro four-thirds camera, but that is not the case. This right here is an APS-C camera. However, a smaller sensor size does not compromise the image quality as the camera does deliver excellent offering in the overall image quality section and thanks to Fujifilm’s color science, the experience is just better.
Moving further, you are getting an excellent quality of videos, too. Speaking of shooting videos, the camera offers 5-axis image stabilization, which is an excellent thing to have, considering it helps a lot with the overall idea of handheld shooting, especially where the lighting condition is less than ideal.
The battery life is another great thing, and you are getting a lot of video tools along with customization. Needless to say, Fujifilm X-T4 makes sure that your experience is not faltered n any way as it looks towards delivering the complete photography experience.
There are a few downsides, though. For instance, the autofocus performance, although, is great. It largely depends on the subject rather than the camera, itself. Sadly, there is no subject tracking in video.
Needless to say, the issues that the Fujifilm X-T4 go through are not all flawed or technical. We are just dealing with quality of life issues rather than full-fledged issues, so it is best if you are working on finding a way around the issues, but other than that, there are no issues as the Fujifilm X-T4 delivers among the best performance from an APS-C camera.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
I understand that finding the best camera for event photography can be difficult but with this post, we have tried our best to list down the offerings that we think are going to help you get what you are looking for. All the cameras that we have mentioned here are excellent in every single way, and you can just pick up whatever you like without any issues.
Remember, these cameras are not going to give you any issues in terms of the performance, and that is exactly what makes them such good offerings to go with.
