Venturing into wedding photography or are you already a seasoned pro? Make sure to check out this article for the best mirrorless cameras for your style and budget!
Hi! My name is Ali G, I am a professional photographer based in Hong Kong. Over the years, I have photographed hundreds of beautiful weddings worldwide, from Hong Kong to San Diego! As a photography workshop instructor, I have also helped my students master different cameras.
Mirrorless cameras are a great choice for capturing beautiful wedding photos. They are smaller than DSLRs, easy to carry around, provide great video and offer a true silent mode.
I believe that the Sony a7R III is the best overall mirrorless camera for wedding photography. It is a professional-grade camera that comes with many amazing features which you can grow into!
I will also provide you with other options suitable for different needs, so you can pick one according to your preference. You can always check out the Best Selling cameras!
Let’s get to it!
Quick Summary
- Sony a7R III (Best Overall)
- Fujifilm X-S10 (Best On-the-Go)
- Nikon Z6 (Best Versatility)
- Fujifilm X-T30 (Best Budget)
4 Best Mirrorless Cameras for Wedding Photography
Here are my most recommended mirrorless cameras for wedding photography and their detailed reviews:
Sony a7R III
- Key Features: Wide standard ISO 100-32000 range, 42.4MP full-frame Exmor R CMOS sensor and BIONZ X processor, 3 in/7.5cm tilting touchscreen 1.4 million dots, 3.69-million-dot Quad-VGA OLED Tru-Finder, new multi-selector: AF-ON button, and touch focus functions, 5-axis in-camera image stabilizer
- Video Resolution: 4K2 HDR3
- Lens: Sony ALC-B1EM Body Cap for E-Mount lenses
- Product Dimension and Weight: 12.7 x 9.83 x 7.62 cm; 657.71 Grams
- Best for: Overall
Wedding photography is one of the most detailed and emotionally-oriented specialties in photography. Capturing a couple’s love story through portraits and videos, documenting the details from the preparation to the ceremony up to and including the reception. These once-in-a-lifetime moments deserve the best equipment.
The Sony a7R III 42.4MP full-frame mirrorless camera is by far the best in its class for a professional photographer. It is also my choice of the best sony camera for portraits and the best sony camera for video.
The eye AF doubled its performance in eye detection and tracking, perfect for those focused and dramatic pre-wedding and wedding shoots.
For impressive landscape or location shots, a7R III offers a wide standard ISO 100-32000 range, expandable to ISO 50-102400 (for image only), and an enhanced 5-axis in-camera image stabilizer, for better clarity shooting experience.
If you’re not tasked with stills, the a7R III flaunts its capacity to record 4K2 movies oversampled from 5K (15MP). The camera is one tough piece of equipment, regardless of its compact and light body, it’s very much designed for multiskilled creatives, from landscape photography, street photography, to beautiful wedding photography.
Workflow benefit: This is a plus for all you hardworking shooters out there! The camera has this new multi-selector, AF-ON button, and touch focus functions that make focus operation quicker and more intuitive.
Plus, with its built-in dual slots and compatibility with large-capacity rechargeable batteries like NP-FZ100, the a7R III ensures continuous shooting. Less interruption because you won’t need to change the battery often.
Fujifilm X-S10
- Key Features: 26. MP X-Trans CMOS Sensor, X-Processor 4 image-processing engine, MF Assist, 2.36 million dot display electronic viewfinder, pop-up iFlash, full HD 240fps, 3.5mm microphone jack, 18 Film Simulation modes, -7EV High-sensitivity back-illuminated sensor , 5-axis In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS)
- Video Resolution: 4K UHD
- Lens: (Kit) Fujifilm XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR
- Product Dimensions and Weight: 126.0mm × 85.1mm × 65.4mm; 465 grams
- Best for: On-the-go
The Fujifilm X-S10 is best for on-the-go photographers. It’s built to offer boundless creative possibilities with its hybrid technology and compact design.
Let’s start with Fujifilm X-S10’s 18 exclusive simulation modes with an incredible 0.02s focus that can help the photographer track and lock the subject’s movement. This is a pretty cool assist, especially when shooting a couple’s “in-action” shots. Clarity is not compromised.
The Fujifilm X-S10 offers three impressive focus settings. To emphasize in-focus areas on the screen, the Focus Peak setting can do it. For image sharpness guide, both Digital Split Image and Digital Microprism settings are of good assistance. Not to mention the superb quality you get also while using the Fujifilm XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR, a highly recommended lens for weddings.
Shooting videos with this camera will be a different experience as most cameras today are shot in 4K while Fujifilm X-S10 footage is oversampled from an original 6K signal. This means giving out rich color without any noise. To top it off, you can film in DCI format, 17:9 aspect ratio, a top-notch cinematic quality. You can also attach your headphones to the camera if you want to playback your footage in peace.
Nikon Z6
- Key Features: 24.5MP, EXPEED 6 image-processing engine, continuous shooting at up to approx. 12 fps, 273-point hybrid AF system, 3690k-dot Quad-VGA EVF with Nikon’s superior optical and image-processing technology
- Video Resolution:4K UHD, Full HD 100/120p and 10-bit N-Log.
- Lens: Z mount NIKKOR lenses or F mount NIKKOR lenses with mount adapter; restrictions may apply
- Product Dimensions and Weight: 134 x 100.5 x 67.5 mm ; 675 g
- Best for: Versatility
Photographers love Nikon Z6’s versatility and ruggedness. Personally, I enjoy using all Nikon mirrorless cameras but this comes with everything a wedding photographer wants. You can use the Nikon Z6 while shooting under hot weather, cold and snowy conditions, and even heavy rain.
Even if you leave the setting at auto white balance, it still gives high-quality images with minimal post-edit. Its dynamic area AF helps focus more on the subject by giving more depth to it. The battery life of the Nikon Z6 is also reliable. Shooting a few b-rolls and more than 300 stills is very doable.
The downside of this camera is that there aren’t many lens options to choose from yet but Nikon is working hard on new lenses. Additionally, the grip material in front where the two function buttons are placed may need to improve because, over time, the rubber material will become uncomfortable as you continue to shoot.
Overall, the Nikon Z6 is still great for capturing weddings because of its AF system. It can continuously track subject eyes, something that other Nikon DSLRs aren’t capable of.
Fujifilm X-T30
- Key Features: 24.5MP, 23.5mm×15.6mm (APS-C) X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor with a primary color filter, EVF with approx. 2.36 million dots, 3.0-inch tilting touchscreen LCD monitor, eight-direction lever, 6 AF modes, 16 Film Simulation modes
- Video Resolution: 4K
- Lens: Fujifilm XF 18-55mm kit lens, also compatible with X-mount lenses
- Product Dimensions and Weight: 118.4 x 82.8 x 46.8 mm; 383 g
- Best for: Budget
Fujifilm’s X-T30 is the latest hybrid camera out in the market now. The build and design were inspired to be better among other cameras in Fujifilm’s X-series.
One of the featured upgrades is the enhanced autofocus performance. It has 6 AF modes to choose from, and the “face and eye-detection AF ” has upped its game in two levels. This is a very helpful and powerful tool in portrait or wedding photography since the subject requires accurate focus with a shallow depth of field.
As a newbie wedding photographer, this is a good camera that is worth investing in. Fujifilm’s X-T30 has a compact body and good grip. This is because of its eight-direction lever, unlike the other cameras that use traditional 4 way selector buttons. The grip has also improved so that your hands will be more comfortable whenever you shoot.
Best Mirrorless Camera for Wedding Photography – What to Consider
Read through the following section for useful tips and information to get the best mirrorless camera for wedding photography.
Video Resolution
Documenting the best day of your client’s life deserves the best 4K camera with 24fps. This will give the wedding video a more cinematic feel and let your images look more natural, regardless if you are shooting indoors or outdoors.
Max Burst Speed
It will really depend on the photographer’s situation. But if you’re looking at a slower movement, like a couple walking toward you at a normal pace, set shutter speed to about 1/125. On the other hand, if the couple is running toward the camera, adjust the speed of around 1/250 to 1/500 and burst mode.
Weight
Weight is one of the deciding factors when choosing a camera for wedding photography. You will be carrying your camera for long periods of time, sometimes from one location to another. Not only that, but you will also be carrying with you different accessories and gears like lenses, flashes, extra batteries. Make sure to choose a camera with a weight that you can handle for a whole day.
Lenses
In terms of lenses, look into those that are compatible with the camera you have. A 24-70mm f/2.8 is the ideal lens for standard zooms. A wide-angle lens like 16-35mm f/2.8 wide-angles is perfect for church, reception, and group shots. You can also opt for the photographer’s favorite, such as the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 S Telephoto Zoom Lens for Nikon Z Mirrorless Cameras for portraits and creative background bokehs.
FAQS
Here are a few quick answers to some commonly asked questions relating to mirrorless cameras for wedding photography.
Mirrorless Cameras are used by Wedding Photographers?
Yes, mirrorless cameras are becoming more widely used by wedding photographers. The lighter weight, silent shutter, and newer technologies comparable to a DSLR make mirrorless more popular.
What Kind of Camera do Wedding Photographers use?
Based on photographers’ reviews, they seem to think that Sony cameras are the go-to-cameras of not just wedding shoots but professional shoots as well. The current Sony cameras have come so far with upgraded technology already, helping shooters to be more effective in their craft.
Can Mirrorless Cameras be used for Professional Photography?
Yes, mirrorless cameras can also be used for professional photography. Years ago, people used to shoot with DSLR cameras which dominated the industry, but when the mirrorless cameras came into the picture, most photographers or newbies began adapting to mirrorless cameras.
An example of “a bang for your buck” are Sony cameras. They are on top of their game in both photography and videography.
Wrapping Up
My top pick for the best mirrorless cameras is the Sony a7R III. It comes with excellent eye autofocus function, image stabilization, and excellent video quality, this is a professional-grade camera that is capable of multitasking.
All the mentioned cameras here are great options for wedding photography. Simply pick one that suits your needs the most, and get the job done!
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A big thanks to Phottix for the professional lighting equipment provided to Ali G Studios.
All photos are © Ali Ghorbani and Ali G Studios
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