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Updated Nov 22
Landscape photography benefits from cameras with the highest resolution and dynamic range. We also look at factors such as weather-sealing, battery life and operability on a tripod when making our selection. We've selected the camera that's most likely to deliver the best possible image quality if you're going to spend hours hiking to the perfect location and waiting for the perfect light.
Best camera for landscapes: Fujifilm GFX 50S II
What we like:
- The most affordable medium-format ILC yet
- Photographer-friendly ergonomics, with lots of customization
- Effective in-body stabilization
What we don't:
- Contrast-detect AF is slower than its peers
- Image quality not signficantly better than the best full-frame
- Eye-detection AF isn't as dependable as rival systems
- Unimpressive video specifications (HD only)
The GFX 50S II's medium format sensor gives it a slight image quality advantage over all its full-frame peers. Its more expensive 100MP sister model is better still, but for the purposes of this guide we've set an upper limit of $4000. The 50S II offers rugged build and both a tilt-up screen and top-panel settings display for when you're working with a tripod, along with a user interface polished in the mainstream X-series models.
It's a sensible size and weight, despite its large sensor, and in-body stabilization means you don't always need to carry a tripod. It has a lower resolution viewfinder and it can't compete with the burst rates, AF speed or tracking performance of its full-frame rivals, so it wouldn't be our pick if your interests extend to more dynamic subjects, but the GFX 50S II's dynamic range and its excellent (though expensive) lenses give it the edge here, for us.
Sony's a7R V, which gains motion correction for its multi-shot high-res mode (albeit still assembled in desktop software), would be our pick of the full-frame cohort, outdoing the Fujifilm in many regards, but Nikon's Z7 II is also worth a look. Its autofocus isn't as good as the latest Sony or Canon models but its image quality is exceptional despite being one of the most affordable models here.
Read more about the Fujifilm GFX 50S II
Also consider:
These are the other models we think lend themselves particularly well to landscape photography:
- Canon EOS R5
- Fujifilm X-H2
- Nikon Z7 II
- OM System OM-1
- Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R
- Pentax K-1 Mark II
- Sony a7R V
- Sony a7R IVA
- Sony a7R IIIA
Why should you trust us?Our Buying Guides are based on extensive use and testing of the cameras included. We only recommend cameras once we know how they compare to their peers in a variety of shooting situations. All selections are made solely by our editorial and video teams and are the models we'd buy or recommend to friends and family. We gain no financial advantage from recommending one camera over another, either as individuals or as a business. |