So, you’re looking to purchase the best new Canon camera, but which model is the right choice? With so many options, it can be challenging to sort through all of the technical specs and features to find the perfect camera. Allow us to do most of the heavy-lifting for you. Canon is one of the most-trusted names in consumer-grade video cameras, but even under the Canon umbrella, the camera choices are plentiful. We’ll be ranking the best Canon cameras for purchase keeping both quality and cost in mind. Let’s make sure you pick the best Canon camera on the market for your individual needs.

Good Canon camera

7. Rebel SL3

Best Canon camera for beginners  •  SL3

If you are already an experienced photographer or videographer, then you are best off looking further down this list for more advanced camera models. However, if you are a beginner photographer or videographer and looking to purchase your first Canon camera, then the Rebel SL3 is an excellent pick.

This SLR-model camera is extremely intuitive and user friendly. It is easy to pick up and shoot, allowing you to get a feel for the camera quickly and through hands on use rather than tutorials and manuals. You won’t find the most high-tech specs or the most advanced features here, but for a sturdy, versatile camera at an excellent price-point, the Rebel SL3 is a solid pick.

If you are new to photography or videography, take a look at our introductory guides to things like ISO, frame rates, and aperture. And, when you’re ready to get started, take a look at some creative photography ideas for inspiration.

  • Intuitive
  • Versatile
  • User-friendly
  • Lacks features
  • Low power
  • Limited options

Best Canon camera for beginners

Conclusion

A strong contender for best Canon camera for beginners.

Best Canon camera for photography

6. M6 Mark II

Best Canon mirrorless camera?  •  Hands-on review

A sizable step up from the SL3 is the EOS M6 Mark II. This is still a beginner-level camera but has a much more robust feature-set and higher image quality for both stills and video. This is a mirrorless camera with a pretty darn good sensor considering the relatively low price.

4k video is possible with the M6 Mark II without too much compromise, and the photography options are quite strong as well. One somewhat-questionable design was the choice to NOT include a built-in viewfinder.

This probably helps keep the cost low, but it also means you will need to purchase a viewfinder separately. The Canon M-series lenses compatible with the M6 Mark II are also pretty far from ideal, and your lens options are fairly limited with this model.

  • Uncropped 4k
  • ISO options
  • Good sensor
  • No viewfinder
  • M-series lenses
  • Beginner-level

Best Canon mirrorless camera

Conclusion

The EOS M6 Mark II has a couple of major drawbacks but also packs more power than many cameras at this price point can manage.

Best Canon camera for professional photography

5. EOS R5

Best Canon camera for photography?  •  A review of the EOS R5

The EOS R5 is a quality offering from Canon and just might be your best pick depending on where your camera priorities lie. The EOS R5 was constructed with a clear focus on stills photography over the camera’s video capabilities.

The video offerings from this camera are far from bad, it is capable of shooting 8K video after all. But there are some drawbacks such as the heat restrictions, and frame rate cap.

If stills are what you’re after, then the EOS R5 has you covered with a full-frame CMOS sensor and 45MP resolution. Learn why full-frame sensors are better than crop sensors.

  • Perfect for stills
  • Quality viewfinder
  • Great autofocus
  • Pricey
  • Drawbacks with video
  • Can overheat

Best Canon full frame camera

Conclusion

The EOS R5 is decent for video and excellent for stills. The high price tag is a drawback wherever your priorities lie.

Best Canon camera for video

4. EOS R6

Good Canon camera  •  A hands-on review of the EOS R6

The EOS R6 was introduced as a slightly cheaper alternative to the EOS R5. In some ways, the R6 is scaled back from the R5 but, in other ways, it is actually an improvement. The megapixel count for stills has been reduced by more than half from 45 MP to 20.1MP, so if stills photography is your focus, then the EOS R5 is the better option.

However, if video is your priority, the R6 fares slightly better than the R5 with stronger frame-rate options, shooting duration, and added features such as high-quality, internal stabilization. This is a mirrorless digital camera with a maximum resolution of 4K/60. 

  • Stabilization
  • Cheaper alternative to R5
  • Mirrorless
  • Not all features compatible with 4K
  • Lower MP
  • Dynamic range drawbacks

Best new Canon camera

Conclusion

The EOS R6 is a strong counterpoint to the EOS R5 with decent photography capabilities and excellent video capabilities.

Best Canon camera for photography

3. EOS-1D X Mark III

Best Canon for photography?  •  Detailed review

The EOS-1D X Mark III is one of the most powerful cameras that Canon has ever put out. This dominant power is reflected in the extremely high cost of the camera, which is the main downside and the only major factor preventing this camera from placing higher on the list.

The 1D X Mark III finds plenty of real-world professional use, especially in the world of action and sports photography and videography. This beast can shoot 4K at 60-FPS, can shoot up to 20-FPS stills at 20.1MP, and makes use of a high-quality, full-frame CMOS sensor.

For further explanation of camera sensor sizes, take a look at our breakdown of full-frame sensors vs. APS-C sensors. The 1D X Mark III supports raw video and utilizes the CFExpress card system, even including two CFExpress card slots within the camera to accommodate long and intensive shoots.

  • Mirrorless
  • Uncropped 4K
  • Pro quality
  • Quite expensive
  • Fixed-position screen
  • N/A

What is the best Canon camera?

Conclusion

If the extremely high price tag is not prohibitive for your budget, then the 1D X Mark III is a dependable, professional-grade camera.

Best Canon DSLR camera

2. Rebel T8i

A review of the T8i  •  Best Canon camera for portraits?

The Rebel T8i is the latest in Canon’s long-running ‘Rebel T’ series and is, as you would expect, the most advanced. The leap from T7i to T8i wasn’t as extreme of an improvement as past iterations have been, so if you already have the T7i, it may not be worth the price to upgrade.

But, if you’re looking to get your Canon DSLR, you can do no better than the T8i. With all of the previous model's features included and then some, the Rebel T8i is extremely user-friendly and a great choice for consumer-level use.

  • Good value
  • 4K resolution
  • Versatile
  • Mirrored
  • Frame rate cap
  • Sensor quality

Best Canon for photography

Conclusion

The Rebel T8i is easily one of the best DSLRs on the market. It is a great entry point to the Canon family of cameras.

Best Canon camera for video

1. EOS RP

Best Canon camera for video?  •  Peter McKinnon compares footage

The EOS RP is a fantastic all-round camera with a couple of major points in its favor. It is mirrorless, has a full-frame sensor, and is extremely cheap for a camera of this caliber. The EOS RP costs less than one-third of what a typical mirrorless, full-frame camera often costs.

This decreased price does come with some drawbacks, but the value of the RP remains a highlight as it costs about the same or less than a recent-model DSLR while being able to pull off practically all of what makes mirrorless cameras more desirable.

The more significant drawbacks are more apparent when using the camera’s 4K-shooting mode. The autofocus will be disabled, the image will auto-cropped, rolling shutter becomes a risk, and other small undesirable adjustments rear their ugly heads when using the 4K-mode. If you stick to 1080p-shooting, you will hardly run into any issues whatsoever.

  • Low cost
  • Full-frame sensor
  • Mirrorless
  • 4K limitations
  • Short battery life
  • Rolling shutter

Best Canon camera on the market

Conclusion

The EOS RP is a great entry-level mirrorless camera, mostly due to its low price.

UP NEXT

The Best Mirrorless Cameras

That was our ranking of the best Canon cameras you can buy in 2021. If you are considering one of these DSLR options, it is important to keep the benefits of a mirrorless camera in mind. For the next step up in video camera technology from a DSLR, many look to mirrorless cameras. Learn all about the differences between DSLRs and mirrorless cameras and find out which mirrorless cameras are the best on the market, up next.

Up Next: Mirrorless Cameras Ranked →
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  • Sam Kench is an internationally-awarded screenwriter, independent filmmaker, and film critic. Lover of foreign films; hater of American remakes.

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