Holiday Gift Guide – The best new cameras of 2023
Nov 27, 2023
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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Another lap around the sun means another winter holiday season! Black Friday is still lingering with Cyber Monday sales – and you can see those deals here – but here are some more gift ideas this giving season, even if you’re giving to yourself. In this guide, we’re looking at some of our favourite new cameras of 2023.
Whether stills, video or even flying cameras, here are the ones that have impressed us this year. Keep visiting this week as we release our other guides, including lenses, lighting, tripods, sliders & gimbals, and accessories and gadgets.
Panasonic S5 II – $1,998
The Panasonic S5 II is the company’s most advanced full-frame camera at the moment. At least when it comes to its autofocus system. It’s the first Panasonic mirrorless camera to implement a phase-detection autofocus system. So, it’s ready to lock on to fast-moving subjects.
Sony A7CR – $2,998
The Sony A7CR is a compact version of the larger (and more expensive) Sony A7R V. It offers a lot of great video capabilities in a smaller package, and it’s excellent for stills, too. It can’t shoot 8K video like the A7R V, but it will shoot 4K at up to 60 frames per second and its 61-megapixel sensor provides a great level of detail. It also includes Sony’s legendary AI-based autofocus system.
Nikon Zf – $1,996
People have been waiting for Nikon to post a full-frame mirrorless follow-up to their retro-styled Nikon Df DSLR for a long time. This year, they finally announced it with the Nikon Zf, and it rapidly became one of Nikon’s most popular mirrorless bodies. It offers a similar feature set to the Nikon Z6 II but with a few nice benefits. It boasts better ISO performance with a full flippy-out LCD and a massive 8-stops of shake-stopping IBIS. It also has that retro cool factor!
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K – $2,595
lackmagic’s Pocket Cinema Camera line has become legendary for the level of performance its cameras offer for what they cost. The new Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K is a Pocket Cinema Camera in all but name. It offers 6K BRAW video at up to 60fps. It’s the perfect camera for any budding Spielberg.
Panasonic G9 II – $1,898
This has got to be the camera of the year for Micro Four Thirds shooters. The Panasonic G9 II inherits the more advanced autofocus system from the Panasonic S5 II also in this year’s list, but with the smaller Micro Four Thirds sensor. Don’t let that small sensor fool you, though. It offers great ISO performance, with 4K video at up to 60fps and a massive 100-megapixel high-res mode.
Nikon Z8 – $3,997
Nikon might have had a rocky start when it first ventured into mirrorless camera systems. But boy, has it made up for it lately. The Nikon Z8 holds some of Nikon’s most advanced camera tech to date, including some features from the company’s flagship Z9. Features like 8K video recording and extremely good autofocus. Except, it offers them at a significantly lower price. It’s still not a cheap camera, but for somebody who’s serious about photography, the Nikon Z8 is a very solid option.
Sony A9 III – $5,999
In a year of firsts, the Sony A9 III marks a turning point for mirrorless cameras. It’s the first mirrorless camera to feature a global shutter CMOS sensor. The implications of the technology hold a lot of promise for the future of mirrorless cameras. But for now, this is the only camera on the market that has one. It means no more rolling shutter artifacts and it’ll work with flash all the way up to its maximum shutter speed of 1/80,000th of a second. It also shoots full-resolution raw images at up to 120 frames per second.
Hover Air X1 – $479
The Hover Air X1 is unique among drones. It doesn’t offer the usual array of features you’d expect with most drones, but it offers features the others don’t. It’s a tiny, pocket-sized drone with an array of selfie modes, as well as follow modes with tracking. It’s essentially a flying action camera, ideal for vacations, days out, or creatives who want to shoot aerial behind-the-scenes footage.
DJI Mini 4 Pro – $758
The DJI Mini 4 Pro is the standard when it comes to <250g drones. Drones in this weight class don’t require any registration in much of the world. They also suffer from fewer restrictions than larger drones. It features obstacle avoidance in all directions, making it one of the easiest drones to fly with minimal risk of crashing.
Leica Sofort 2 – $389
The Leica Sofort 2 is an interesting camera. Leica’s hybrid compact camera contains a number of built-in film styles with a built-in instant printer. It is a digital camera, saving to microSD, but you can also get prints right out of the camera, too. It also lets you transfer between your smartphone for easy sharing and more control over your instant prints.
Polaroid I-2 – $599
Leica isn’t the only one releasing an interesting camera this year. Polaroid hit out with a surprise this year. It’s the Polarid I-2 and it’s the company’s first-ever all-analogue instant film camera with full manual controls. It sports a 98mm f/8 lens that can stop all the way down to f/64. Shutter speeds from a speedy 1/250th of a second to a long 30 seconds offer a wide range of creativity. It even has a sync port, letting you use it with an external speedlight or a whole studio full of lights.
DJI Osmo Pocket 3 – $519
DJI remains a leader when it comes to small handheld gimbal cameras. The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is the latest iteration of the line, offering some unique new (and useful) features. It sports a rotating screen, which can turn the unit on and off, but it also allows you to shoot vertically or horizontally while holding it naturally in your hand.
Insta360 Ace Pro – $449
The Insta360 Ace Pro is the latest action camera from Insta360. In a first for action cameras, it shoots 8K video footage, with 48-megapixel stills. It’s waterproof to 10 metres, shoots 4K video at up to 120fps, and has a flippy-up LCD for shooting selfies and vlogs. It features Insta360’s FlowState stabilisation for rock-solid footage, even without a gimbal. It also offers probably the best nighttime vision of any action camera on the market.
GoPro Hero 12 – $399
GoPro might be facing some challenges from companies like Insta360, but it’s still the standard when it comes to action cameras. The latest iteration, the GoPro Hero 12 offers the usual rugged action camera, capable of taking on just about anything, but with new features over its predecessor. It shoots 8:7 aspect ratio for a large shot at all resolutions including Timelapse and other effects modes. It adds HDR video, providing a wider dynamic range in contrasty scenes. In short, if you want a GoPro, this is the one to get.
Insta360 GO 3 – $399
When it comes to super tiny cameras, there’s really nothing out there to beat the Insta360 GO 3. It doesn’t offer 4K, but it does shoot 2.7K footage at up to 30fps. It comes in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB storage options for light, regular and heavy use. It lets you film in places that would be impossible for other cameras. It also lets you shoot first-person footage very easily for some unique perspectives in your videos.
Overview
With so many great new cameras being released in 2023, it’s been a difficult one to pick. And the list is a little longer than in past years. You might notice there are a couple of names missing from this year’s list, like Canon. Don’t worry; they’ll be showing up in some of our other 2023 Holiday Gift Guide posts!
What’s been your favourite new camera in 2023? Were this year’s camera announcements all that you hoped they’d be? Will you be treating yourself or a loved one to something from this list? What are you most anticipating for 2024?
Keep an eye out for our upcoming guides, coming over the next few days covering lenses, lighting, tripods, sliders & gimbals, as well as accessories & gadgets!
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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