Top 5 Best DSLR Cameras in 2025

For many years, DSLR cameras were the preferred tool for both amateur and professional photographers. While mirrorless cameras have caught up to and, in some cases, surpassed DSLRs in terms of competitive autofocus systems and video capabilities, there are still plenty of DSLRs that deliver when it comes to photography. Some people may prefer the unfiltered view provided by an optical viewfinder, and DSLRs are still widely regarded as having the best battery life. A DSLR may also be the most cost-effective option, with more models available on the used market—on eBay or at retailers such as Adorama, B&H Photo Video, KEH Camera, or MPB—and well-established lens ecosystems.

If you’re looking for the best DSLR camera in 2025, we’ve narrowed down our top picks from over 110 cameras we’ve purchased and tested. If you’re just starting out, you might want to look into the best DSLRs for beginners. You can also look at our recommendations for the best cameras for photography and the best cameras in general.

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Last update on 2025-03-23 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Top 5 Best DSLR Cameras in 2025

1.Nikon D850

Last update on 2025-03-23 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

The Nikon D850 isn’t just the best DSLR camera we’ve tested; it’s also one of the best DSLRs ever produced. This professional-grade camera is designed to withstand heavy use and boasts a fantastic 45-megapixel sensor that has even been adapted to newer mirrorless models such as the Nikon Z 7II. It has a remarkably wide dynamic range, allowing you to capture more detail in high-contrast settings, and it resolves enough fine detail to give you plenty of leeway when cropping your images. This is a photographer’s camera through and through, and with the well-established F mount system, you’ll have a plethora of high-quality and affordable lenses to choose from for all types of photography, from portraits to wildlife.

Of course, due to its large size and weight, this will not be your go-to travel camera, and the controls can be intimidating, especially if you’ve never shot a Nikon before, but it’s very durable and has an excellent battery life. If you want something a little lighter, with a better Live View autofocus system that makes it better suited to video work, consider the Nikon D780. However, the D850’s sensor gives it an advantage in photography.

Nikon’s D850 is a full-frame DSLR from 2017. This professional-grade camera is widely regarded as one of the best DSLRs, if not the best, ever produced—and with most manufacturers abandoning the DSLR game, it may retain that distinction indefinitely. With a fantastic 45 MP sensor that’s been adapted to newer models like the Nikon Z 7II, it’s a mainstay for photography for a reason, and its robust, weather-sealed build and extensive physical controls are designed for pro-level use. That said, if you’re looking for portability or advanced video features, this is not the camera for you.

The Nikon D850 is great for landscape photography. Its high-resolution full frame sensor captures remarkably sharp and detailed images with incredible dynamic range for high-contrast landscapes. Its ergonomics and build quality are excellent, with a robust, weather-sealed build and plenty of physical controls for hands-on shooting. That said, this isn’t the most portable option for long hikes or shoots at remote locations.

2.Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Last update on 2025-03-23 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

If the Nikon D850 is out of your price range, the Canon EOS 6D Mark II is a great full-frame alternative at a lower cost. It’s not quite as tank-like as the Nikon or its more expensive stablemate, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. However, it is still well-built, with a weather-sealed body and numerous physical controls that allow you to change settings on the fly. While the D850 has a better sensor with advantages in noise control and dynamic range, the 6D Mark II still produces stunning photos and has a reliable autofocus system.

The biggest trade-off here is that it can’t shoot 4k video. You also lose out on a secondary SD card slot and headphone jack. Ultimately, this is primarily a photography camera, whereas a higher-end model like the Nikon offers pro-grade features like dual memory card slots and 4k video capability. But if you can live without those features, this is still an excellent camera for the price.

The Canon EOS 6D Mark II is a full-frame DSLR camera. It’s well-built, comfortable to use, has an intuitive menu system, and offers an excellent overall battery life. It also delivers excellent image quality, with little apparent noise or graininess present in images and an okay dynamic range. Unfortunately, its video qualities are somewhat limited, with no support for 4k recording and mediocre video quality in FHD. It’s also big and bulky, making it a challenge to carry around for long periods.

The Canon 6D Mark II is suitable for landscape photography. Even in low light, images are sharp, color-accurate, and relatively noise-free. However, its dynamic range is limited, so high-contrast landscape shots may suffer from detail loss. Fortunately, the camera is quite sturdy, with an aluminum and polycarbonate construction that is rated as weather-proof. It’s easy to use and has a bright screen that you can read even in direct sunlight. However, its large size and weight can be a challenge on long hikes to remote shooting locations.

3.Nikon D7500

Last update on 2025-03-23 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

One of the most significant changes the Nikon D7500 introduced was a new sensor. While both the D7100 and D7200 used 24MP chips (as did the entry-level D3400 and D5600), Nikon chose to use the slightly lower-resolution 20.9MP sensor from the D500, which, like that camera, is paired with Nikon’s EXPEED 5 image processor.

As with the D500, removing the low-pass filter allowed Nikon to extract a little more detail from the 20.9MP sensor, and while losing nearly 4MP compared to the D7200’s 24.2MP may appear to be a sacrifice, the minor drop in resolution has advantages, particularly in terms of sensitivity.

Compared to the D7200’s ISO range of 100-25,600, the D7500’s 100-51,200 standard offers an extra stop of flexibility, but it’s the expanded range that impresses. There’s a low setting of ISO 50, while the upper ceiling is a staggering ISO 1,640,000. The reality is that these upper sensitivities are likely to be pretty much unusable, but the benefits will be felt further down the sensitivity range, and if the new camera performs like the D500 it should impress in this regard. 

While both the D7100 and D7200 sported 3.2-inch displays that sat flush with the camera body, the D7500 has a 3.2-inch tilt-angle touchscreen display with a 922,000-dot resolution (the D500 has a 2,359,000-dot resolution). There’s also an eye-level pentaprism optical viewfinder that offers 100% coverage.

We were pleased to see that the D7500 now supports 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) video capture at 30, 25, and 24p for up to 29 minutes and 59 seconds. As usual, lower-resolution video modes are available, and Full HD footage can be shot in 60p for slow-motion playback. In addition, 4K UHD timelapse movies can be created in-camera, and electronic Vibration Reduction reduces the impact of camera shake when shooting handheld movies.

The D7500 also supports simultaneous 4K UHD output (to card and uncompressed via HDMI), as well as a headphone and microphone jack for professional audio recording and monitoring.Speaking of cards, the D7500 only features a single SD card slot, not two, as on the D7200, which will no doubt be a disappointment for some potential buyers.

As with the D500, D3400, and D5600, the D7500 incorporates Nikon’s SnapBridge technology, which allows the camera to remain permanently connected to a smart device via a low-power Bluetooth connection (or Wi-Fi). This means that once the initial connection has been established, images will be automatically transferred to your phone whenever you shoot.

4.Canon EOS 1D X Mark III

Last update on 2025-03-23 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

The Canon 1D series is designed for professionals who cannot afford to miss a shot, and it has long been the preferred SLR for photographers covering sports, world news, and wildlife. The latest edition, the EOS-1D X Mark III, has a slew of new features worth mentioning, including a fantastic 20MP full-frame sensor, 5.5K Raw video capture, and built-in Wi-Fi. However, its release comes after Canon shifted its focus to the development of mirrorless cameras and lenses, which you should consider if you don’t need a new 1D.

If you’ve picked up a 1D before, you’ll find the Mark III familiar. Canon hasn’t made a lot of changes, welcome news to anyone who has years of experience behind a 1D viewfinder. It’s bulky, even for an SLR, with an integrated vertical shooting grip and controls, leaving space for a big battery to keep you going through an all-day event.

If you’ve picked up a 1D before, you’ll find the Mark III familiar. Canon hasn’t made a lot of changes, welcome news to anyone who has years of experience behind a 1D viewfinder. It’s bulky, even for an SLR, with an integrated vertical shooting grip and controls, leaving space for a big battery to keep you going through an all-day event.

It is also at a dead end in terms of future development. Canon is focusing on new lens designs for its mirrorless RF system, and while the EF mount will continue to be supported, no lens updates are expected in the future. And, while an adapter allows you to transfer your EF lenses to a mirrorless camera, the reverse is not true.

The body itself is dense—it’s wrapped in a leatherette, but you can feel the strength of the magnesium alloy chassis when holding the 1D tightly in your hands. It has two grips and sets of shooting controls, so you can readily find buttons and dials by touch when shooting in landscape and portrait orientation alike.

And there are plenty of controls. The 1D X has a number of buttons for direct access to features and settings. It’s quick to cycle through various autofocus modes, change image quality settings, add voice memos to images, and much more.

Most buttons are in the exact same place as with the Mark II version, and several can be reconfigured via the menu as desired. The AF-ON buttons are updated, and it’s a notable one, adding some functionality for photographers who don’t typically use it.

5.Nikon D780

Last update on 2025-03-23 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

The Nikon D780 is arguably the best example of a DSLR reinventing itself for the mirrorless era. It’s a very traditional-looking full-frame camera with an optical viewfinder, but underneath that old-school skin is some of the same technology as its cutting-edge Nikon Z6 counterpart. In other words, it’s a hybrid between DSLR and mirrorless cameras.

When Nikon and Canon finally agreed to commit to their Z Series and EOS R mirrorless systems, fans of optical viewfinders and long battery lives were understandably concerned that the days of new DSLRs were over. However, the D780 demonstrates that Nikon isn’t abandoning the DSLR; in fact, if you have a stash of F mount lenses or simply prefer the way a DSLR handles, it could be one of the best full-frame cameras the company has produced thus far.

This is Nikon’s ‘entry-level’ full-frame model, sitting below the D850 and offering something for those who don’t need ultra-high resolution but still want a good all-rounder.

Nikon has stated that it will run its mirrorless and DSLR offerings concurrently, so it is possible that other new DSLR models with mirrorless technology will be released, such as an APS-C Nikon Z50 equivalent. However, if you want to shoot in full-frame, the D780 is a very compelling new option, and it is one of the best DSLR cameras available right now.

The D780 has been designed to be a good all-rounder, appealing to a broad cross-section of photographers. Keen amateurs are perhaps the main target audience, but professionals who don’t crave the huge resolution (and unwieldy file sizes) of the D850 may also find the D780 an enticing, and more than capable, option. 

At its heart is a back-illuminated 24.5MP full-frame sensor paired with the latest EXPEED 6 image processor – the same combination found in the Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera. Other notable features include up to 12fps shooting (when in Live View, which is inherited from the Z6), in-camera charging via USB, and 4K video recording. Naturally, a full-frame DSLR has a much larger body than a mirrorless equivalent, and one of the advantages is that it can hold two memory cards – this model has two UHS-II-compatible SD card slots.

Viewfinders are a contentious issue – many like the ‘shoot what you see’ stylings of electronic viewfinders, but there are still plenty who prefer optical ‘finders. If you fall into the latter camp, then you’ll be happy with the 0.7x optical finder here, which is inherited from the D750.