Best Cameras for Pet Photography in 2022

Whether you want to capture learn more memories with your animals or share photos of your furry pals to gain social media fame, you’ll have to choose the right camera for pet photography.

It can even help you photograph other people’s pets as a side hustle once your skills are up to snuff.

And while there aren’t hyper-specific cameras intended for the genre, the best cameras for pet photography will aid you in getting reliable, consistent, frame-worthy results.

• Best overall Sony: Sony a7 IV
• Best entry-level Sony: Sony Alpha a6400
• Best overall Nikon: Nikon Z 6 II
• Best entry-level Nikon: Nikon Z50
• Best overall Canon: Canon EOS R6
• Best entry-level Canon: Canon EOS R10
• Best Fuji: Fujifilm X-T30 II
• Best for adventures: GoPro Hero 10

Here are our picks for the best cameras for pet photography in 2022:

Best overall Sony: Sony a7 IV

Why it made the cut: With incredibly fast autofocus, Sony’s a7 IV will accurately and quickly focus on your pet, no matter where they move in the frame.

It’s also It’s also learn more a true hybrid camera, so you can get great videos of your pets as well. a true hybrid camera, so you can get great videos of your pets as well.

Key features:

Frames per second: Up to 10 fps for up to 828 raw frames or unlimited JPEG frames
Sensor: 33MP Full frame
Max video quality: 4K 60p
Weight: 1.4 pounds

Pros

• Exceptional autofocus includes animal eye AF
• Excellent image and video quality
• Lightweight body
• Wide dynamic range

Cons

• Only 10 fps

Sony has been leading the way in autofocus abilities and continued that trend in the fourth version of its popular A7 line.

It utilizes Sony’s Real-time Tracking AF, which allows you to tap on your subject on the screen or half press the shutter to lock on. Then, learn more no matter where your subject goes in the frame, the focus will stay on them.

Sony’s autofocus also includes a specific Animal Eye AF, which automatically identifies and focuses on the eyes of dogs and cats.

It makes it easier than ever to autofocus on pets and also Then, learn more no matter where your subject goes in the frame, the focus will stay on them. allows you to trust your focus will be in the right spot even when shooting with wider apertures.

Video is becoming more and more prominent in the social media and marketing worlds. So, if you are a pet content creator, you need to be able to create attractive videos to keep up.

Luckily the a7 IV is a full hybrid camera with impressive video abilities. It learn more can shoot 4K video at 60p, has impressive slow motion modes, and provides excellent in-camera stabilization.

The A7 IV can only shoot at 6 fps for lossless raw files. But, you get 10 fps with compressed raws, which still provides plenty of dynamic range and data for recovering shadows and highlights.

And while you want good burst shooting in a camera for pet photography, you don’t want to overshoot and give yourself a ton to cull and edit at the end of the day.

Want to know more? You can read my full review on the a7 IV here.

Best entry-level Sony: Sony Alpha a6400

Why it made the cut: This small camera produces impressive image and video quality and includes Sony’s impressively effective autofocus system.

Key features:

Frames per second: Up to 11 fps for up to 46 raw frames or 116 JPEG frames
Sensor: 24.2MP APS-C
Max video quality: 4K 30p
Weight: 14.22 ounces

Pros

• Impressive focus with animal eye AF
• Compact and lightweight body
• Excellent image quality
• Slow motion up to 120 fps

Cons

• Autofocus options can be confusing to learn
• No in-body stabilization

If you want to take advantage of Sony’s autofocus system but don’t want to spend the money required for a full frame camera, the a6400 is an excellent alternative. Its autofocus is extremely fast, with Sony claiming it can lock on to a subject in 0.02 seconds.

Those numbers vary widely in the real world, of course, but we can attest that it focuses quickly. Even if your pet is in motion, it will be able to find and focus on them instantly in most situations.

Best overall Nikon: Nikon Z6 II

Why it made the cut: The Z6 II Provides a solid mix of resolution with speed and overall image quality.

Key features:

Frames per second: Up to 14 fps for up to 139 raw frames or 200 JPEG frames
Sensor: 24.5MP full frame
Max video quality: 4K 30p
Weight: 1.4 pounds

Pros

• Excellent low light performance
• Great burst shooting
• Rugged build quality
• Good video with in-body stabilization

Cons

• Battery life could be better
• Autofocus hunts with big shifts

The Z6 II is Nikon’s second iteration of the Z6, and though it didn’t reinvent the wheel, it did bring some welcome updates. The most noteworthy change, especially for pet photography, is the addition of a second EXPEED 6 image processor.

The dual image processors allow for the best burst shooting in its class, coming in at 14 fps. That comes in particularly handy when getting action shots during play time.

Best entry-level Nikon: Nikon Z50

Why it made the cut:

It’s a tiny but sturdy APS-C camera that captures 11 fps when shooting JPEG files or 9 fps in raw for getting action shots of your pets.

Key features:

Frames per second: Up to 11 fps
Sensor: 20.9MP APS-C
Max video quality: 4K 30p
Weight: 13.93 ounces

Pros

• Very compact and lightweight
• Good video quality
• Excellent dynamic range
• Image quality is very good

Cons

• Autofocus is a little slow
• Limited native lenses

Nikon’s first ASP-C mirrorless camera packs advanced but easy-to-use features in a tiny body.

It’s an especially great option for Nikon DSLR users wanting to switch to mirrorless, as you’ll be able to use your existing lenses with an adapter.

As with other Nikon cameras, you’ll get great ergonomics in the Z50.

It employs Nikon’s simple-to-use user interface, making it straightforward to adjust settings so that you can focus on shooting instead of sifting through menus.

The autofocus is fast in acquiring focus and has face and eye detection.

It does lag a little with fast-moving subjects, so this won’t be the camera for you if you photograph speedy pets, but it will do more than fine for most situations.