When choosing the best camera for action photography, you’re looking for one main feature – speed. You want your camera to be fast. In fact, you want your whole setup to be fast. Before we talk about the best cameras for action photography, let’s talk about one thing you need to have regardless of the digital camera you choose.
You Need A Fast Memory Card
And if you’re shooting RAW files – you need an even faster memory card. Shooting one 24 megapixel JPG a second will take a memory card that can write at least 24 mb/second. It’ll take a memory card that can write twice as fast to take the same picture as a RAW file.
Action photography requires even faster writing speeds so you can take bursts of photographs to capture that perfect shot. If each RAW file takes up 24 mbs and you’re taking 5 pictures in a second, you need a memory card that can write at least 120 mb/second…and a camera that can handle that speed. Here are a few memory cards that can get the job done.
Once you have your memory card picked out, you need to make sure you pick out a camera that can take advantage of the memory card’s fast writing speed. Here’s a list of cameras that will help take your action photography to the next level.
Our Picks for Best Cameras for Action Photography
Canon Rebel T6i
The Canon EOS Rebel T6i has a 24.2 megapixel sensor and can handle ISO from 100 – 12800. It can also take up to 5 fps to allow you to get the perfect image no matter how fast your subject is moving.
The Canon EOS Rebel T6i also has 19-point autofocus so you keep up with the action. It’s a great overall camera for action photographers.
Sony A7Sii
The Sony Alpha 7 II has 24.3 megapixel resolution and fast autofocus with phase detection. The full-frame sensor and 5-axis stabilization means that this camera compensates for blur and is great for action photography.
The Sony A7Sii can take 24.3mp quality images at a rate of 5 frames per second and that’s not even the beginning of the list of features. Make sure you click the ‘learn more’ button. You won’t be disappointed.
Nikon D500
The Nikon D500 has a 20.9 megapixel sensor and can accept a variety of lenses. While this camera can take pictures at 10 frames per second and is great for action photography, it can also be a nice all-purpose camera.
The Nikon D500 works well in a range of light conditions with a native ISO range of 100 – 51,200.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II has a 20.4 megapixel sensor and can take up to 60 frames per second. It also features a 121-point dual fast autofocus to take amazing photos without blur.
The ‘Pro Capture Mode’ is an action photographer’s dream come true. Just press the shutter release button half way and hold. After you press the button down the rest of the way, the camera will take that picture as well as the previous 35 frames. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Panasonic Lumix G9
The Panasonic Lumix G9 let’s you change between 20.3 megapixels and a 80 megapixel high-resolution mode. The change lets you take bursts of images as well as higher resolution photos when your subject isn’t moving fast.
Like several of the other cameras we mentioned, the Panasonic Lumix G9 has stabilization technology to prevent blur. The ease of use and variable settings make the Lumix G9 one of our favorites.
No matter which camera you choose, nothing will help you take better action photography than to get out there and practice. So grab your equipment, load up a fast memory card, and start taking pictures.