In recent years the digital camera competition has been heating up, with camera industry giants pushing the boundaries of technology and releasing new products faster than ever. 2020 has seen an astonishing number of digital cameras being released, all boasting more advanced technologies than we’ve seen before.
As these advancements continue and with so many models on the market, the search for the right camera can be an arduous task. No need to worry though, we have listed our top 6 camera releases for the year that produce fantastic for both stills and video.
Panasonic Lumix S5
The Panasonic Lumix S5 is a mid-range full-frame mirrorless camera perfect for enthusiast photographers and videographers who are looking for an all-rounder camera. It inherits the 24-megapixels from the Lumix S1 and delivers impressively powerful performance and outstanding image quality. It employs a 5-axis dual stabilisation system delivering up to 6.5 stops in shake reduction. It is additionally equipped with dual card slots, 96MP high-resolution RAW+JPEG image capabilities as well as a fully articulated touchscreen, which is neatly packed into a compact, weatherproof body. The Lumix S5 wouldn’t carry the Panasonic name if it didn’t have outstanding video quality.
Boasting 10-bit 4:2:2 and using the full width of the sensor at 30p or 24p as well as 10-bit 4:2:0 4K/60p video with an APS-C crop, the camera can smoothly capture superb video footage. The Panasonic Lumix S5 is the most versatile camera that Panasonic has ever designed whether you are shooting stills or video.
Sony A7SIII
The Sony A7S III is a full-frame mirrorless camera geared towards professional videographers, who have been anticipating its launch after its successful predecessor Sony A7SII was released. It has everything an enthusiast or professional videographer needs; from an exceptional autofocus performance with a 759 focal point phase-detection to an incredible low light capability.
It features a 12 Megapixel BSI (Backside Illuminated) CMOS sensor which can capture up to UHD 4K/120p video without pixel binning and delivers an impressive expanded ISO range of 80–409600. Its newly developed BIONZ XR image processing engine allows you to capture 4K/60p in 10-bit 4:2:2 with no crop and time limitation. With all the other new upgrades, Sony has created an impressive camera that is tough to beat.
Canon EOS R5
The Canon EOS R5 is Canon’s latest flagship full-frame mirrorless camera which extends the capabilities of the Canon R series line-up. As the first mirrorless camera with the ability to capture 8K RAW video with a new 45-megapixel CMOS sensor, this camera has been designed to appeal to professional videographers and photographers. It is packed with the latest technologies and inherits the DIGIC X processor, which was originally introduced in the EOS-1D X Mark III.
It offers 5-axis in-body stabilisation with up to 8 stops shake reduction when teamed with selected Canon R lenses, and additionally houses dual memory card slots for CFexpress and SD cards. The EOS R5 can record 8K DCI footage at 30/25/24 fps as well as 4K DCI up to 60fps. Additionally, extremely high-speed continuous shooting, 5,940 autofocus points as well as a high-resolution viewfinder with a weather-sealed magnesium alloy design all in a lightweight 738 grams body makes it a class-leading hybrid camera for both videos and stills.
Fujifilm X-T4
The Fujifilm X-T4 is one of the most versatile run-and-go cameras available on the market which, which delivers a fusion of advanced video and stills capabilities. Its APS-C-size 26.1MP X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor delivers a UHD/DCI 4K video capability with up 60 fps and captures Full HD video up to 240 fps. It features a new 5-axis in-body image stabilisation which provides 6.5 stops image stabilisation on 18 Fujifilm X-mount lenses. Compared to a Fujifilm X-T3, it features enhanced autofocus, a vari-angle screen, improved battery life and faster continuous shooting of up to 20 fps with the mechanical shutter.
The biggest advantage of Fujifilm X-T4 as a hybrid camera is the dedicated single-purpose individually marked dials that allow you to swiftly switch between the movie and stills mode, while maintaining settings for each mode. The Fujifilm X-T4 is a class-leading camera that is hard to find any fault with.
Nikon D780
The Nikon D780 is an impressive all-rounder DSLR, released to close the gap between mirrorless and DSLR cameras. It employs a 24-megapixel sensor and is equipped with the on-sensor autofocus and video capabilities of the Nikon Z6 to the DSLR range. It is a profound evolution of the Nikon D750, one of the best DSLRs ever made, featuring high-quality video and impressive image quality. It is capable of capturing 4K UHD videos with up to 30fps and Full HD video with up to 120fps.
Additionally, it features dual UHS-II memory card slots as well as remarkable 2,260 shot battery life. It inherits the shutter mechanism of the D850 and delivers unbelievable extended shutter speeds of 900 seconds. The Nikon D780 is an extremely versatile hybrid camera perfect for enthusiast or professional photographers and videographers who prefer the feel of a DSLR camera with mirrorless technology.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is an entry-level mirrorless camera that can cover everything from photography to videography. Its light and compact design is packed with the latest technologies and makes for a perfect choice for those who want to step up their game and get into photography or videography more seriously. Compared to its predecessor, the EM10 III, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV employs a new 20MP Micro Four Third sensor with an improved built-in 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilisation. It uses a TruePic VIII image processor similar to Olympus EM5 III, which offers the ability to shoot up to 15 fps continuous shooting.
It features a variety of shooting modes perfect for those who want to challenge their photography skills. Additionally, 4K video capabilities with a tilting LCD monitor gives you the edge in video shooting and vlogging scenarios.
Final words
Here at Digital Camera Warehouse we see hordes of new cameras coming through the doors, and 2020 has really thrown some exceptional cameras our way, so as you can imagine, it is a task and a half to pick our top six. These are all cameras that are incredibly versatile, functional and produce extremely high-quality results, taking your photography skills to the next level in no time!
There have been some enormous technological advancements this year that have presented themselves through a variety of camera brands and their new camera models, and if this year if anything to go by, we cannot wait to see what products are in store for 2021.