Best Professional or "Workhorse" Cameras for 2021
In this guide I list the best also affordable cameras for the professional photographer. These cameras are designed to be great hybrid cameras with very good performance for both still photography and video. These cameras can be used for most genres of photography except those that have very specific special needs . These cameras can be used effectively for Wedding and Event Photography, Portrait and fashion photography, sports and action photography etc where the emphasis is on speed and efficient workflow.
Leica SL2-S
Price in India ₹ 356,780 Price in the USA $4,995.00
Leica SL2-S Features
Camera type: Mirrorless full-frame system camera with 24.6 MP CMOS Sensor
Buffer memory: 4 GB: DNG™: > 999 recordings / JPG: > 999 recordings
Storage medium: UHS-II (recommended), UHS-I, SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card
Image Stabilization: 5 axis Body Image Stabilization. Camera stabilizes up to 5.5 stops.
Video resolution:
35 mm - C4K (17:9) 4096x2160 pixels (Sensor range: 6000 x 3168 pixels)
35 mm - 4K (16:9) 3840x2160 pixels (Sensor range: 6000 x 3368 pixels)
35 mm - Full HD (16:9) 1920x1080 pixels (Sensor range: 6000 x 3368 pixels)
Viewfinder (EVF): Resolution: 5,760,000 dots, 120 fps, magnification: 0.78x,
LCD panel: 3.2“ (backlight LED) with anti-fingerprint and anti-scratch coating, 2,100,000 pixels
Shutter speeds: Mech. shutter: 30 min to 1⁄8000 s / Electr. shutter function: 1 s to 1⁄16000 s / Flash Sync: up to 1/250 s.
Multishot High Res : Generates 2 DNGs: 1x 24 MP, 1x 96 MP (8 pictures are combined into one high-res image)
WLAN and Bluetooth ; Yes with Leica FOTOS App
GPS : Yes with Leica Fotos App
USB Power Supply:
USB charger function in standby mode or when switched off, USB power supply when switched on
Canon R6
Price in india Price in the USA
Canon R6 Features
High Image Quality featuring a New 20 Megapixel Full-frame CMOS Sensor.
DIGIC X Image Processor with an ISO range of 100-102400; Expandable to 204800.
High-speed continuous shooting of up to 12 fps with Mechanical Shutter and up to 20 fps electronic (silent) shutter.
Dual pixel CMOS AF covering approx. 100% area with 1,053 AF areas.
Subject tracking of people and animals using deep learning technology.
Video capture resolution: 4K UHD 2160p
Cinematic 4K Capture - 4K (up to 60 fps) and Full HD 1080 (up to 120 fps) recording is ideal for quality content creation.
4K and Full HD video shooting is possible in 10-bit 4:2:2 (H.265) with Canon Log or HDR PQ.4K and Full HD video shooting is possible in 10-bit 4:2:2 (H.265) with Canon Log or HDR PQ.
OLED EVF Resolution - 3.69 Million Dots
Mechanical Shutter - Cont. shooting up to 12 fps
Electronic (Silent) Shutter - Cont. shooting up to 20 fps
5-axis Image Stabilizer - In-body image stabilization offers up to 8 stops of shake correction** for smooth, steady imagery.
Wireless Capabilities
Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth allow for quick and convenient wireless connectivity.
A polycarbonate exterior body and an internal structure of mainly magnesium enable high durability.
SONY ALPHA 1
Price in India Rs 559,990 Price in the USA $6,774.95
Sony Alpha 1 Features
50.1MP* full-frame stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor w/ integral memory.
8x more powerful*, next generation BIONZ XR image processing engine.
Blackout-free shooting up to 30fps from fast sensor readout speed.
World’s first 240 fps refresh rate, 9.44M dot 0.64” QXGA OLED EVF.
World’s first anti-flicker mechanical and electronic shutter.
Wide AF coverage with 759-point phase-detection and 425-point contrast detection AF points
EYE AF - Still images: Human (Right/Left Eye Select) / Animal (Right/Left Eye Select) / Bird, Movie: Human (Right/Left Eye Select)
FOCUS SENSITIVITY RANGE - EV–4 to EV20 (ISO 100 equivalent with F2.0 lens attached)
Movie-making with 8K 30p and 4K 120p
Anti Dust System - Yes (Charge protection coating on Optical Filter and ultrasonic vibration mechanism)
Image Sensor-Shift mechanism with 5-axis compensation (Compensation depends on lens specifications)
BLUETOOTH®
Yes (Bluetooth Standard Ver. 5.0 [2.4 GHz band])
WIRELESS LAN (BUILT-IN)
Yes (Wi-Fi Compatible, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac [2.4-GHz band/5-GHz band])14
USB POWER SUPPLY
Yes (Available with USB Type-C Terminal. USB Power Delivery compatible)
OPERATING TEMPERATURE
32 - 104 degrees F / 0 - 40 degrees C
Sony A9 II
Price in India Rs. 423,990 Price in the USA $4,498.00
Sony a9 II Features
35 mm full frame (35.6 x 23.8 mm), Exmor® RS CMOS sensor
24.2-megapixel 35 mm full-frame stacked CMOS sensor with integral memory
BIONZ X™ processing engine
20fps continuous shooting with AF/AE tracking
Wide AF coverage with 693-point phase-detection and 425-point contrast detection AF points
1000BASE-T LAN terminal, 5 GHz Wi-Fi support for fast data transfer
LENS COMPATIBILITY - Sony E-mount lenses
BATTERY LIFE (STILL IMAGES)
Approx. 500 shots (Viewfinder)/approx. 690 shots (LCD monitor) (CIPA standard)34
VIEWFINDER TYPE
1.3 cm (0.5 type) electronic viewfinder (colour), Quad-VGA OLED
MONITOR TYPE
7.5 cm (3.0-type) type TFT
Precision AF effective down to EV-3 brightness
Real-time Eye AF for humans and animals
Body-integrated 5-axis optical image stabilisation -
Shutter durability and image shake suppression - The shutter has been tested for durability in excess of 500,000 shutter-release cycles and incorporates an internal damper structure to absorb the impact of shutter motion for minimum shutter vibration and noise, helping to also realise more sharply resolved imaging.
Dual media slots, both supporting UHS-II
High-resolution 4K movie recording
The camera is capable of 4K movie recording with full-pixel readout without pixel binning.
Imaging Edge Remote, Viewer, and Edit desktop apps
Capture One (for Sony)
Capture One Express (for Sony)47 is free award-winning editing software that provides RAW development, easy management and powerful editing tools.
NIKON Z6 II
Price in India Rs. 1 64 995.00 Price in the USA $1,996.95
Nikon Z6 II Features
24.5MP BSI resolution that excels in low light. 14 FPS suitable for fast action. 4K UHD Video performance at its best.
Full frame. Full pixel readout. Full featured 4K UHD Video. Top of the line video performance with 4K UHD 60p using full pixel readout and a host of outstanding features for serious videographers. Subject acquisition with speed and precision. 3.5x more buffer capacity than the original Z 6. Faster continuous shooting. Improved AF performance and functionality.
Dual card slots (CFexpress/XQD plus UHS-II SD). Flexibility and peace of mind when shooting important moments or on assignment, such as wedding and event photography. Comfortable. Durable. Intuitive. Z 6II’s exterior and interior have been thoughtfully designed to be handled and used with max comfort and ease of operation. CFexpress (Type B), XQD, SD, SDHC (UHS-II compliant), SDXC (UHS-II compliant)
Vertical Grip Ready. Now compatible with the new vertical battery grip for those in need of more power and easier shutter operation when shooting vertically. USB-C constant power and charging. Never run low on power during livestreams, video shoots and timelapses.
One mount accepts them all. Compatible with a growing line of NIKKOR Z lenses as well as approx. 360 F-mount NIKKOR lenses with FTZ mount adapter (sold separately).
Optical Zoom : 1.0 Multiplier x
Video Frame size (pixels) and frame rate
3840 x 2160 (4K UHD): 30p (progressive)/25p/24p 1920 x 1080: 120p/100p/60p/50p/30p/25p/24p 1920 x 1080 (slow-motion): 30p x4/25p x4/24p x5 * Actual frame rates for 120p, 100p, 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, and 24p are 119.88, 100, 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, and 23.976 fps respectively
Metering system- TTL metering using camera image sensor
Metering mode - Matrix metering Center-weighted metering: Weight of 75% given to 12 mm circle in center of frame; weighting can instead be based on average of entire frame Spot metering: Meters 4 mm circle (about 1.5% of frame) centered on selected focus point Highlight-weighted metering
Range : -4 to +17 EV * Figures are for ISO 100 and f/2.0 lens at 20 °C/68 °F
Mode - Auto, P: programmed auto with flexible program, S: shutter-priority auto, A: aperture-priority auto, M: manual U1, U2 and U3: user settings modes
Exposure compensation : –5 to +5 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV available in modes P, S, A, and M
Wifi and Bluetooth 4.2
5 axis IBIS
Panasonic Lumix S1
Price in India ₹ 1,48,338.63 Price in the USA $1,914.95
Lumix S1 Features
FULL FRAME SENSOR – 24.2-megapixel full-frame (35.6mm x 23.8mm) MOS sensor that provides a wide dynamic range and excellent performance at high sensitivity. (ISO 51200 Max sensitivity)
5-AXIS BODY I.S. and DUAL I.S.– Powerful image stabilization enables 6-stops slower shutter speed with B.I.S. and 6.5-stops with Dual I.S. by intelligently compensating the shakes
4K HDR VIDEO - 4K 60p, 4K 24/30P unlimited recording, 4K60P 29:59 min limited recording. HDR Mode and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG). V-Log with Internal 4:2:2 10-bit 4k30/24p (4K60p output only) available via optional software upgrade key.
96MP HIGH RESOLUTION MODE – A sensor shift technology suitable for taking very high-resolution landscapes and fine art photos via tripod with toggleable motion correction capabilities
LVF and MONITOR – 3.2” 2,100K-dot RGBW LCD monitor (3:2 aspect ratio) with triaxial tilt moving element, plus large 5,760k-dot high-resolution OLED eye viewfinder in a rugged body
Although most of the cameras above are mirrorless cameras it does not mean DSLRs have suddenly become unsuitable for professional photography. Cameras like the Nikon D850 and Canon 5D IV are still very good options for a good professional workflow. in fact great deals can be found on these DSLRs in both new and used condition.
