The 6 Best Cameras For Bird Photography - Fall 2024

The OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark II is the best camera for bird photography that we've tested. A Micro Four Thirds (MFT) camera like this is ideal for birding and wildlife photography thanks to the more portable size of telephoto MFT lens options, not to mention its excellent ergonomics and battery life. The camera's also ruggedly built, with IP53-rated weather-sealing to protect against dust, moisture, and cold, making it the all-terrain vehicle of cameras.

As far as performance goes, this model features a robust autofocus tracking system with subject detection modes for a wide range of subjects, including birds. Its stacked sensor allows for remarkably quick burst shooting in electronic shutter mode, with minimal rolling shutter distortion, so you can easily capture trickier subjects like birds in flight. Plus, the 'Pro Capture' mode allows you to pre-buffer burst images before the decisive moment, ensuring you don't miss critical shots like the moment a bird takes off or lands. Of the cameras we've tested, this is the ultimate choice for birding and wildlife photography.

If the OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark II is out of your price range, the Canon EOS R7 is the next best choice. It's a fantastic APS-C model that's tailored largely towards wildlife and bird photography. With one of the most reliable AF systems on the market, including subject detection modes for birds and more precise eye tracking, it's well-suited to capturing birds in flight, and its high-res sensor gives you some added leeway to crop in your images. On top of that, it has a superb battery life and quick burst shooting for those that need it.

The biggest downside here is that RF lens selection is more limited than, say, the Micro Four Thirds system, especially if you're looking for telephoto options that won't break the bank. However, it's fairly seamless to adapt older EF/EF-S lenses to the RF mount, of which there are plenty, though using an adapter means added cost and bulk. Still, the other features offered here make this one of the best cameras you can get for bird photography at this price point.

While they aren't as portable as newer mirrorless models, DSLRs are a great choice for those who want to save some money. The Canon EOS 90D is an excellent mid-range DSLR that's well-suited to bird photography. While it's fairly bulky, it uses a high-resolution APS-C sensor, just like the Canon EOS R7, giving you some cropping leeway and slightly more portable lens options than you'd get with a full-frame camera. There are plenty of EF and EF-S lenses to choose from, and the camera's built to last, with a battery life that beats every other option on this list.

Of course, being an older model, its autofocus system isn't as sophisticated as the one on the R7, but it still does a good job tracking moving subjects, and you'll have few issues with more stationary birds. Burst shooting is also slower than on many mirrorless options, but at 11 fps, you can still capture plenty of action shots in burst mode. If you need a tried-and-true camera that won't cost too much, this is a great choice, with plenty of used models available for even less.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is the best option for those on a tighter budget or just starting out. As mentioned previously, Micro Four Thirds is one of the best camera systems for birding and wildlife, with a plethora of more portable and typically more affordable lens options than larger sensor counterparts.

The EM-10 Mark IV is a highly portable model with fairly accessible controls and good ergonomics for its size. It's also one of the few budget cameras to feature in-body image stabilization (IBIS), which can come in handy when shooting without a tripod or when capturing stationary subjects at slower shutter speeds. While its autofocus tracking system isn't the most reliable, the camera can shoot at quick burst speeds and has great image quality for its class.

If you're more interested in identifying birds than capturing photos with the best quality, check out the Sony RX10 IV. It's one of the best cameras for birding that we've tested. Unlike our picks above, this bridge (or "superzoom") camera features a built-in lens and a smaller 1-inch type sensor, allowing you to shoot at full-frame equivalent focal lengths of up to 600 mm without the bulk of interchangeable telephoto lenses.

Beyond that, this is one of the most premium bridge cameras on the market, with a sturdy, weather-sealed design, a high-res viewfinder, and a relatively long battery life. Its stacked sensor allows for quick burst shooting at up to 24 fps with minimal rolling shutter distortion, and Sony's autofocus effectively tracks moving subjects better than most bridge cameras. Ultimately, if you want an all-in-one camera for identifying and taking pictures of birds more casually, this is the camera to get.

While the Sony RX10 IV is an impressive bridge camera, it's also on the expensive side for a point-and-shoot. If you're on a tighter budget, the Panasonic LUMIX FZ1000 II is the next best bridge camera for birding. Like the Sony, it uses a 1-inch sensor, so the image quality is good for its class. While its built-in lens doesn't have the longest zoom range among bridge cameras, its max 400 mm equivalent focal length still gives you a fair amount of range to capture or identify far-away birds.

It doesn't have a stacked sensor like the Sony, but it can still shoot at fairly quick bursts of up to 11 fps and has a decent autofocus system. It's also a fairly well-built camera, with a good battery life and a relatively compact design. Plus, it has handy extra features like '4k PHOTO' mode, which lets you pull stills out of brief 4k video clips, ensuring you capture every moment of fast action. Overall, this is a very well-rounded model for the price.