Last updated on December 7th, 2023
Sports photography is in high demand for local outdoor sports and professional sports alike. There’s so much competition when it comes to photographing sports. What a good sports photographer needs to be is an expert in their field. It’s important to combine all the best skills for photography for that one-in-a-lifetime game-winning shot. Think about the most famous sports photos like Michael Jordan’s hoop shot. That photo has become synonymous as the basketball player’s reputation. What it takes is having a good eye and paying great attention to the fine details.
And what the best sports photographers need is the best camera. Luckily, we’ve rounded up the best cameras for sports. These cameras are winners in our book and apt to get you the perfect game-winning shot
Best Overall Camera for Sports Photographers
Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR Camera
First on our list as the overall best camera for sports photography is the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR camera. And let us tell you, this camera does not disappoint when it comes to capturing the greatest sports moments.
Features & Specifications
- The camera features a high quality image of new 20.1 megapixels, a full-frame CMOS sensor, and a new low pass filter.
- It comes with a brand new DIGIC X image processor with an ISO range of 100 to 102,400. You can even expand the range from 50 to 819,200.
- A new 191 point AF system that can track your subject’s head and face with Deep Learning technology.
- A Dual Pixel CMOS AF that gives you fast and accurate auto focus up to 3,869 AF positions and 525 automatic positions.
- You can have high-speed continuous shooting up to 16 FPS and 20 fps while doing live view with AF/AE tracking.
Customer Reviews
Customers like you love this best camera for sports photography because it’s a beast of a camera. You’ll love how sharp the images turn out with a great auto focus and better battery life than ever before.
Camera for Sports Photographers
Panasonic Lumix FZ300 Long Zoom Digital Camera
Our budget best camera for sports is the Panasonic Lumix FZ300 long zoom digital camera. This camera boasts 4K quality at the most affordable price.
Features & Specifications
- Shoot 4K video and photos with Panasonic’s exclusive 4K technology. It used 30 frames per second in high resolution 4K ultra HD video. You’ll never miss those best moments.
- Comes with a Leica DC Vario Elmarit lens with 24 times zoom capability of the highest quality on the market.
- You get a high image quality with the 12.1 megapixel high sensitivity MOS sensor.
- The venus engine excels at yielding images crisp and free from artifacts that usually come with small aperture settings.
- The camera is designed to be rugged and is splash proof as well as dust proof. It withstands harsh weather conditions.
- The five access hybrid optical image stabilizer plus reduces blur from shooting with one hand. It compensates for five types of movement. And its level shot function can detect the horizon line and maintain it, even when the camera tilts.
Customer Reviews
Customers like you love this budget best camera for photography because it’s so easy to use yet so solid. With weather sealing, use this camera in any weather (although, it’s not waterproof so do be aware). You’ll get a great zoom range and a larger and improved EVF.
Runner Up
Nikon D6 FX-Format Digital SLR Camera Body
Our runner up best camera for sports photography is the Nikon D6 FX-Format digital SLR camera body. With captivating image power, fast speed, and amazing low light performance, this camera is awesome when you need to shoot sports photography.
Features & Specifications
- It comes with the most powerful autofocus system in its class.
- The full-frame flagship D6 is equipped with a high density all cross-type and fully selectable AF sensor.
- Features Nikon’s latest and greatest image processor.
- 14 fps for the toughest sports photographers.
- Triple-density 105-point and fully selectable all cross-type AF sensor system.
- Set focus anywhere without recompassing.
Customer Reviews
Customers like you are blown away by this runner up best camera for sports photography and its AF performance. At a full 14 fps burst rate, the AF keeps up with any sports subject.
2nd Runner Up
Sony a9 II Mirrorless Camera
Our second runner up best camera for sports is the Sony a9 II mirrorless camera. This camera is compact enough for professionals who want to master sports photography.
Features & Specifications
- Photojournalists and sports photographers love this camera for being so compact and to travel anywhere.
- Fast speed at 35mm and full-frame 24.2 MP.
- It comes with a stacked Exmore RS CMOS sensor for the best integrated memory.
- Fast autofocus at up to 20 fps.
- Full resolution at 60 AF/AE tracking per second.
- It has advanced subject recognition for real-time tracking and real-time eye AF so you can photograph humans moving at fast speeds playing sports.
- Comes with a voice memo function that you can attach to .wav photo files for use voice to text IPTC data.
- The high luminance viewfinder allows you to continuously view the blackout-free OLED tru-finder with 100 percent full-frame coverage.
- Connectivity is upgraded to high speeds of 2.4 or 5 GHz wi-fi or up to one Gbps ethernet with secure FTP transfer.
Customer Reviews
Customers like you love this second runner up best camera for sports photography because it has tremendous autofocus and captures images so crisply.
Best Point and Shoot Camera For Sports
Sony RX100 VII Premium Compact Camera
Our best point and shoot camera for sports is the Sony RX100 VII premium compact camera. It features a high AF speed 357 point focal plane to capture any moving image graciously-even as a point and shoot camera.
Features & Specifications
- Comes with a 20.1 MP 1.0 type stacked CMOS sensor.
- Features a Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* 24 200 mm F2.8 F4.5 large aperture with a high magnification zoom lens.
- .02 second high AF speed
- 357-point focal place
- Phase detection AF
- 425 point contrast detection AF.
- Up to 20 fps of blackout-free shooting that uses up to 60x per second.
- Ai based on real-time tracking for stills and movies including touch tracking.
- Real-time eye AF for sports movies and stills.
- Shoots 4K video with s log3 and interval shooting.
- Includes a microphone jack and can do vertical position data recording.
- Comes with active mode image stabilization for 4K video recording.
- Compatible with Movie Edit add-on.
Customer Reviews
Customers like you love the advanced real-time tracking of this best camera for photography. Customers find the 200mm zoom capabilities a selling point for this more powerful than ever camera body.
Best Camera For Sports Under $1,000
PANASONIC LUMIX G9 4K Digital Camera
Our favorite camera for sports under $1,000 is the Panasonic LUMIX G9 digital camera. Get professional sports photo and video performance without breaking the bank.
Features & Specifications
- The 20 3-megapixel micro four-thirds sensor and no low-pass filter helps you confidently capture the sharpest images with a higher dynamic range without any artifacts.
- The design is rugged with a durable magnesium alloy body that can withstand heavy use.
- The camera is freeze-proof to negative ten degrees. It’s also splash and dustproof with weather sealing on every joint dial and button on the camera.
- The dual image stabilization five axis corrects lenses including classic lenses and is a leader in its class.
- OIS eliminates the blur and eliminates body and lens shaking in photo and 4K video recording.
- The 4K 60P video and 422 10 bit as well as slow motion affects make silky-smooth 4K 60P recording.
- The 422 10 bit high-speed video recording gives a dramatic slow motion affect and fill HD quality.
- You can listen to headphones with a 3.5mm audio port with its connectivity and ports.
- Connects to devices with USB 3.0.
- Connect to an external monitor or recorder with its HDMI port.
- Available twin SD card slots (compatible with UHS-II U3)
- Telephoto lens
- Bayonet mounting type
Customer Reviews
Customers like you love this best camera for sports photography under $1,000 because of its excellent image quality and best IQ. It handles well and offers the best 4/3 IQ available.
Honorable Mentions
Sony α7R IV Full-frame Mirrorless Camera
Our first honorable mention for the best camera for sports photography is the Sony a7RII full-frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. This camera gives you stunning resolution, making it a top contender for sports photography.
Features & Specifications
- Has the most stunning resolution because of its world-class 61MP full frame and 35 mm back illuminated Exmor R CMOS image sensor.
- Features high speeds up to 10 fps for continuous shooting at 61 MP with AE/AF tracking.
- Features 26.2 MP in APS-C crop mode.
- Its fast hybrid autofocus fives you 567 phase detection AF points for more area coverage.
- Comes with advanced subject recognition for real-time tracking and real-time eye AF for shooting sports video and stills.
- Accurate color reproduction gives 15-stop dynamic range, even at low sensitivities, leading to greater color accuracy.
- See the finest detail with its own area-specific noise reduction coming out of the Sony BIONZ X processor.
- Shoot 4K video for a full-pixel readout in 35mm mode.
- Comes with S log and HLG features.
Customer Reviews
Customers like you love the amazon quality of this best camera for sports photography. There’s a huge difference in quality, especially compared to other models.
Canon EOS 90D
Our next best camera for sports is the CanonEOS 90D DSLR camera. This camera comes with an EF-S 18-55 STM lens kit for better accuracy.
Features & Specifications
- Comes with a 32.5 megapixel CMOS (APS-C sensor) for the highest quality.
- Get high speed continuous shooting at up to 10 fps and no lag time during OVF shooting
- Shoots 4K UHD 30P and Full HD 120P video
- Comes with a 45-point all cross-type AF system that supports up to 27 points with F/8 metering.
- Comes with EOS utility webcam beta software on Mac and Windows so you can create a webcam with an HDMI output.
- An AF system that allows for the fastest and most precise focus, even when shooting sports.
- The optical viewfinder has minimal glare and lag time so you can get the right shot while sports players are moving fast.
Customer Reviews
Customers like you love this best camera for sports photography because of the high quality still images, the high resolution, and the ISO upgrades over the 7D.
Nikon D500 DX-Format Digital SLR
The Nikon D500 DX-Format digital SLR is our next best camera for sports photographers. With a high speed image processor, you can get the best images while shooting fast sports.
Features & Specifications
- Comes with a 20.9MP DX format CMOS sensor.
- Comes with a eye-level pentaprism single lens reflex viewfinder.
- The Expeed five image processor makes the camera work fast.
- Record 4K UHD video at 30 fps
- Comes with a multi-cam 20k 153 point AF system.
- The native ISO is 51,200 and extends to ISO 16,400,000.
- Features 10 fps shooting up to 200 frames
- Comes with built-in wifi and NFC
- Comes with a 180k pixel RGB sensor and group area AF
- You can do an in camera time lapse at up to 9,999 frames.
Customer Reviews
Customers like you love this best camera for sports photography because it has such high capabilities while shooting fast moving subjects.
Sony Alpha A6600 Mirrorless Camera
Next for best cameras for sports is the Sony Alpha A6600 mirrorless camera. This camera has so many wonderful features for the best sports photography shoots.
Features & Specifications
- Fast AF and steady image stabilization for stunning image quality.
- High capacity battery
- 4K HDR (HLG)2 movie shooting.
- The accuracy and tracking performance of autofocus gives amazing 4K movie quality.
Customer Reviews
Customers like you love this best camera for sports photography because its affordable and has many high-quality features that sports photographers need.
Fujifilm X-T4 Mirrorless Camera
The Fujifilm X-T4 mirrorless camera body is our next best camera for sports. The stability of this camera gives accuracy when it comes to shooting sports photos.
Features & Specifications
- Stable and reliable with five-axis body image stabilization.
- 600 frames per change and a large battery capacity give an optimal shooting performance to sports photographers.
- 1.62 million pixel vari-angle touchscreen and 2.69 million pixel/100fps electronic viewfinder.
- Professional DCI 4K/60p and full HD/240p slow motion video.
- AF-C subject tracking in low light conditions to -6EV.
Customer Reviews
Customers like you are impressed with this best camera for sports. Some even say it’s Fujifilm’s best camera to date.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III
The final best camera for sports is the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III camera body. This camera can shoot in low light and bright light scenarios for excellent sports photography.
Features & Specifications
- Comes with a multi selector joystick for quick AF selection when you look through the viewfinder.
- Camera body is dustproof, slashproof, and freezeproof with magnesium alloy weather-sealed construction.
- High resolution shots at 50MP
- 60 fps (S-AF)
- 18 fps (C-AF tracking) for continuous shooting
- 121 point cross type phase detection
- Contrast detection AF
- DUAL SD card slots
- Shoot in night mode
- IPX1 weather-resistant
Customer Reviews
Customers like you love this best camera for sports because of the weather-sealed camera body. It allows you to shoot sports photography even in challenging conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions For Sport Photography
What is the best shutter speed for sports?
The best shutter speed for sports is about 1/1000 of a second if you are stopping motion. At night you should opt for a faster F stop. If you don’t have a fast enough shutter speed, then increase the ISO.
How many FPS do you need for sports photography?
You should use around five to seven frames per second (FPS) for sports photography at a minimum. Though, it will depend on the sport. It’s best to play around with this range to get the right frame for your shooting.
What lens do sports photographers use?
Some favorite lenses that photographers use for sports include:
- Canon EF 400mm f/2.8 L IS II USM.
- Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.6-5.6L USM.
- Nikon 70-200mm f2. 8G AF-S VRII.
- Nikon 300mm f/2.8 G ED-IF II AF-S VR-II.
How do I get my sports pictures sharp?
To get your sports pictures the sharpest, try these tips:
- Try faster shutter speeds to stop action in motion.
- Utilize a wide aperture setting for more shallow depth of field.
- Autofocus areas with more contrast.
- Increase ISO in dark settings for more light
- Choose multiple AF points for more accurate sharpness.
Conclusion: Best Cameras for Sports and Action
Taking the best photos during a big game like football, basketball, and polo is hard, but when you have the best camera for sports photography on your side, it’s a little easier. All you have to do is set your camera up for success.
Ready to take the perfect game-winning shot? Make sure you snatch up one of these best cameras for sports so you can be a professional sports photographer.
