Over the course of blogging for 7 years (since 2010), I’ve shot with 8 cameras. Canon XTI, Canon T2i, Panasonic Lumix GF3, Canon Mark II, Canon Mark III, Canon M10, Sony A7Rii, and Canon G7X. One of the top 5 questions that I get asked all the time is, “what camera do you shoot with?” So I figured I would run through a history of all the camera bodies I’ve shot with. I didn’t bother pulling photos that I shot with the Canon XTI, Canon T2i, Panasonic Lumix GF3, and Canon Mark II because the photos were awful. Not because the cameras weren’t good, but because that’s when I just start blogging and didn’t know how to shoot photos.
SEE ALSO: How Much Does It Cost To Run A Food Blog?
The second FAQ I’m asked is, “do I need to buy a DSRL?” Yes, and no. Yes, if (1) you want to be a professional blogger with a blog and not just Instagram, and (2) you want to do client photography work. No, if you just want to do Instagram. Scroll down for the best cameras for bloggers.
Table of Contents
OLYMPUS EPL-7
I received the Olympus EPL-7 from a campaign with Olympus. This was my first time using a camera with a flip screen and it changed my life. The camera came with the 14-42mm IIR Lens, which was versatile for everyday shooting.
PRICE: $499
PROS: Flip out screen, built-in wi-fi capability, and compact size. Great for vlogging.
CONS: There was a learning curve to using the Olympus camera settings. The quality of the photos isn’t the best but the video quality is superior.
CANON MARK III
I loved the Canon Mark III – incredible for portraits, landscapes, and food. Between the boyfriend and I, we had around 10 lenses for the Canon Mark III (which was his). My favorite lenses were the 24-70mm and the 50mm. However, I hated how bulky and heavy the Mark III was. Not travel-friendly and inconvenient for everyday shooting.
PRICE: $2000 – $2200 body only
PROS: The best camera on the market that produces the highest quality photography IMO. I didn’t bother buying the Canon Mark IV since I switched to Sony so I don’t know how the Canon Mark IV compares to the Canon Mark III.
CONS: No flip out screen and no built-in wi-fi capability. Bulky and heavy.
CANON M10
I bought the Canon M10 point-and-shoot camera to use alongside the Canon Mark III because I needed a camera with a flip out screen and built-in wi-fi capability. The camera comes with the EF-M 15-45mm, which is great for everyday shooting. I didn’t bother buying another lens. However, it didn’t make any sense for me to carry two cameras around so I consolidated down to one camera: Sony A7Rii.
PRICE: $449
PROS: Flip out screen, built-in wi-fi capability, and compact size.
CONS: The image quality isn’t the best but works fine for posting to Instagram.
SONY A7RII
The Sony A7Rii is my current camera that I’ve been shooting with for the past 7 months (since November 2016) and I love it. The camera is a lot lighter in weight compared to the Canon Mark III, it has Wi-fi capability, and it has the flip out screen. The majority of my Instagram photos are shot with this camera.
PRICE: $2,898 – $2,698 for the body, $1000 – $1500 per Sony lens. I shoot with the Sony 35mm 2.8 and 50mm 1.8 so it was around $5000 total.
PROS: Sharp and crisp photos, built-in wi-fi capability, flip out screen, and compact size.
CONS: Pricey but other than that I have no complaints! The camera body is still a bit too heavy for me to travel so I’m considering on buying the Fujifilm X100t.
iPHONE 7 PLUS
I had the iPhone 6 before switching the iPhone 7 plus and the image quality is SOO much better. If you’re just doing Instagram, I’d recommend just getting the iPhone 7 plus and not bothering with a camera. When photos get imported into Instagram, they get reduced anyway so there’s not really a difference. Plus, you don’t have to carry around extra camera equipment.
PRICE: $769 for 32GB
PROS: High-quality camera and very compact.
CONS: None that I know of 🙂
CANON G7X
The Canon G7X is the newest camera to my camera collection. I bought it for vlogging because it’s considered the best vlogging camera on the market. The camera quality isn’t bad so if you’re looking to focus on video and want to take pictures for Instagram, I would recommend the Canon G7X over the Olympus EPL-7 and Canon M10.
PRICE: $679
PROS: Best vlogging camera on the market that records in HD, touchscreen, compact size with collapsing lens, and built-in wi-fi capability.
CONS: Photo quality isn’t great.
Which photo do you think was shot with the Sony A7Rii ($5000) or Canon G7X ($679)? Top photo was shot with Canon G7X and bottom is Sony A7Rii.
