Photo by Trendy Youth Media on Unsplash
If you’re ready to take your portraits to the next level, an upgrade in the camera department might be in order.
Sony makes some truly incredible cameras, many of which are ideally suited for portraiture. The question is, what are the best Sony cameras for portraits?
Below, I’ve listed my top choices at vastly different price ranges. To be fair, the Sony a7RIII is really good for all kinds of photography, not just portraiture. That shouldn’t be surprising given its host of incredible specs listed below.
Best Sony Camera for Portraits: Sony a7r III
Sony a7R III Specs
- 42.4-megapixel full frame BSI CMOS sensor
- BIONZ X image processor
- Native ISO range 50-32,000 (expandable to 102,400)
- 3.69-million dot OLED electronic viewfinder
- 3-inch tilting touchscreen LCD with 1.44-million dots
- 10 fps burst shooting
- 399-point autofocus system
- 5-axis image stabilization
- 4K UHD video at 30 fps
- Magnesium alloy body
- Full weather sealing
The 42.4-megapixel full frame sensor produces beautifully detailed images. It’s backside illuminated as well, meaning it has improved low-light performance.
Add to that a native ISO range up to 32,000, and you have a recipe for an excellent low-light portraiture camera.
The a7R III also has eye-detect autofocus, which is obviously very handy when taking portraits. It’s a complex system, but basically the camera is able to lock onto the model’s eyes automatically, that way their eyes are sharply in focus without you having to constantly adjust the focus point.
Speaking of focusing, the a7R III has an ultra-fast hybrid autofocus system. Using 425 contrast-detect points and 399 phase-detect points, this camera can easily track a moving subject for beautiful action portraits.
See how the a7R III handles a portrait shoot in the video above by Manny Ortiz.
The only issue with the a7R III is that it is spendy. At $2,798.00, it’s a serious investment, though you can often find well-cared-for used a7R III cameras for much less.
If the a7R III’s price is too steep, consider the Sony a7R II as a great alternative.
One generation older, this camera still has plenty of clout for portraiture, including the same 42.4-megapixel back-illuminated full frame sensor, the same tilting touchscreen LCD, and eye-detect autofocus.
The primary difference between the a7R II and the a7R III is that the former has just 25 contrast-detect autofocus points and a smaller native ISO range (up to 25600).
However, since you can pick up a used a7R II for well under $1,500.00, the negligible differences in autofocusing and ISO performance are certainly worth the savings.
Editor’s Tip: Though your talent and skill as a photographer are what ultimately helps you create the best photos, having the right gear certainly doesn’t hurt. When purchasing gear, it’s important to find ways to save money, as most of us don’t have an unlimited gear budget. Buying used cameras, for example, can save you hundreds of dollars - money that you can then invest in other gear, like an upgraded lens. SHOP FOR USED GEAR WITH CONFIDENCE and reap the benefits of saving some cash to put towards other gear needs!
Best Sony Camera for Portraits: Sony a6500
Sony a6500 Specs:
- 24-megapixel APS-C sensor
- BIONZ X image processor
- Native ISO range 100-25600 (expandable to 51200)
- 2.359-million dot OLED electronic viewfinder
- 3-inch tilting touchscreen LCD with 922k dots
- 11 fps burst shooting
- 399-point autofocus system
- 5-axis image stabilization
- 4K UHD video at 30 fps
- Magnesium alloy body
- Full weather sealing
Though the Sony a6500 is a small crop sensor camera, it still offers superb features that any portrait photographer will appreciate.
The 24-megapixel APS-C sensor doesn’t have the resolution of the a7R II or a7R III, but it’s still plenty of resolution for creating large-format prints.
The a6500 sports the same BIONZ X image processor as the a7R III, so it has excellent performance.
Its autofocus system has 425 phase-detect points, and paired with a native ISO range that extends to 25600, you’ve got the makings of a more than capable camera for capturing action portraits and low-light portraits.
This camera is also ideally suited for street photography and travel photography, given that it’s a mere 4.5 inches wide and 2.75 inches tall.
So, while the a6500 doesn’t have the same resolution, ISO performance, or autofocus system of its big brother, it still has a weather-sealed body, 5-axis image stabilization for shooting handheld, and eye-detect autofocus as well. All that for a new price of $1,198.00 or a used price of $849.00.
Get more details about the Sony a6500 in the video above by Gear Glasses & Gadgets.
Again, if you want to save even more money, you can purchase an older version of this camera.
Though the Sony a6000 is now five years old, it’s still a highly capable portrait camera for beginner and enthusiast photographers.
It has an autofocus system with 179 phase-detect AF points and 25 contrast-detect points, so though it isn’t as robust as the other cameras on this list, the a6000’s autofocus system is nothing to be ashamed of.
In fact, the a6000’s autofocus system is fast, accurate, and has the same eye-detect autofocusing capabilities of the more expensive cameras outlined above.
Best of all, you can find a used Sony a6000 for barely over $300.00, so it’s by far the least expensive portrait camera on this list.
From just $300.00 to nearly $3,000.00, now you have four solid choices for the best Sony camera for portraits.