Which is best

I've been testing the best professional cameras for years – both as a reviewer and a pro photographer. And no matter what your profession, one thing you need from any camera is speed. Whether I'm taking portraits for a client or I'm commissioned to cover a sporting event, I need to know that my camera is quick to turn on, fast to focus, and responsive enough to keep up with the ebbs and flows of the job.

There are obviously other factors, from weather sealing and lens selection to battery life and buffer size. I've been shooting professionally for over a decade, and over the past 6 years I've taken well over 200,000 photographs while testing the best professional cameras for this website.

Having tested and compared these cameras in real-world situations, shooting everything from Olympic teams to amateur athletes, the best professional camera all-round is the Canon EOS R5 Mark II. It has 30fps burst shooting and phenomenal AF to photograph fast action; 45MP resolution (upscalable in-camera to 180MP) for high-end fashion, beauty and product work; 8K 60p / 4K 120p video to cover hi-res video; and heavy-duty weather sealing and robust build quality to withstand extended all-purpose use.

However, while this camera meets the needs of every profession, not every profession needs this camera! I recommend the Panasonic S5 IIX for pure video work, for example. And if you're on a budget or just starting out as a pro, I would suggest the Canon EOS R6 Mark II as a similar do-everything device at a much more reasonable price. So here, then, are the best professional cameras you can buy right now that I personally recommend. 

1. Canon EOS R6 Mark II

Best camera for professional photography beginners
Specifications
Type: Mirrorless
Sensor: Full frame
Megapixels: 24.4MP
Lens mount: Canon RF
Monitor: 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 1.62m dots
Viewfinder: OLED EVF, 3.69m dots, 100% coverage, 120fps refresh
Max continuous shooting speed: 12fps mechanical shutter, 40fps electronic
Max video resolution: 4K 60p
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Reasons to buy
+40fps continuous shooting
+4K video oversampled from 6K
+Killer autofocus
Reasons to avoid
-24.4MP resolution
-Uses SD cards
-No third-party AF lenses

2. Canon EOS R5 Mark II

Best Canon camera for professional photography
Specifications
Type: Mirrorless
Sensor: Full frame stacked, back-side illuminated
Megapixels: 45MP native, 180MP in-camera upscaling
Lens mount: Canon RF
Monitor: 3.15-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 2.10m dots
Viewfinder: OLED EVF, 5.76m dots, 100% coverage, 120fps refresh
Max continuous shooting speed: 12fps mechanical shutter, 40fps electronic
Max video resolution: 8K 60p
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Reasons to buy
+45MP, with 180MP upscaling in-camera!
+8K 60p RAW video
+AI-powered autofocus and tracking
Reasons to avoid
-8K needs cooling grip for longer recording
-Split memory card system
-Lack of third-party AF glass