I'm a Photographer and Videographer. These Are the Best Cameras and Drones I Can't Recommend Enough
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Smartphones have put powerful, easy-to-use cameras in our pockets and cratered the market of disposable, instant, and point-and-shoot varieties that were de rigueur for travel and special events. But if you’ve found the limitations of your smartphone, I've highlighted the best cameras of 2025 as part of Men's Journal's 2025 Tech Awards.
High-end digital cameras get better each year, and even low- and mid-tier options make it easier than ever to capture high-quality images and videos that beat out smartphones. The shrinking of camera tech means there are more options than ever for specialty cameras, such as handheld 360-degree video devices, app-connected Polaroid cameras, and drones that shoot pro-grade images from the sky.
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Best Cameras of 2025 at a Glance
- Best Camera Overall: Sony ZV-1
- Best Camera for Beginners: Leica D-Lux 8
- Best Camera for Pros: Sony a7C II
- Best Adventure Camera: Insta360 x4
- Best Value Camera: Nikon Z6III
- Best Instant Camera: Polaroid Now+ Generation 2 Starter Set
- Best Drone: DJI Mini 4 Pro
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Best Cameras of 2025, Tested and Reviewed
Best Camera Overall: Sony ZV-1
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Why I Chose It
Sony markets this pocket-sized camera to content creators and vloggers, but don’t feel like you need to have a YouTube channel to get value from this well-rounded evolution of the classic point-and-shoot. Yes, it shoots 4K video and 20.1 megapixel images, and this dual skill set will appeal to people used to a smartphone camera that does both fairly well. But at a price point under $700 with a quality built-in Zeiss lens that ranges from 24 to 70mm (a pretty standard zoom range that covers most photography situations), it’s hard to beat the value if you want to gain more control over your images without spending thousands on an interchangeable lens system from a big camera brand.
It also shoots up to 24 frames per second to better capture fast-moving scenes—a situation where most phone cameras come up short. Sony’s excellent autofocus is also rewarding for amateur photographers and videographers; the more manual focus controls allow you to achieve shallow depth of field and highlight specific subjects in frame. There’s a newer version of this camera out now—Sony ZV-1 Mark II—but it’ll run you $200 more. Plus, it has a wide-angle lens range and loses optical image stabilization so the original may be a better choice if you’re focused on stills over video.
Sony ZV-1 is a great camera for almost anyone. Beginners can experiment with manual controls and build their skills with a capable camera for a more modest initial investment. Pros will like the camera as a more portable auxiliary option when toting a camera bag with lenses and a full-size body isn’t practical without feeling too limited by the specs or options.
Best Camera for Beginners: Leica D-Lux 8
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Why I Chose It
One of the biggest problems with modern digital cameras is their reliance on software-based menus for controls, which is often frustrating for aspiring photographers accustomed to the intuitive interfaces of smartphone cameras. Even pros can get lost in the endless scrolling through LCD screen menu options. Leica D-Lux 8 has a classic film camera aesthetic, but it’s not just for show. The fundamental controls for aperture, shutter speed, and focus are controlled by physical dials ergonomically placed on the camera body.
Thankfully, there’s also an excellent full-auto mode if you just want to capture something without thinking about it. The $1,600 price tag is hard to stomach for a first-timer, but it’s still thousands cheaper than most pro-grade interchangeable lens system cameras and lens kits. D-Lux 8 also makes a great travel/pocket camera for more seasoned photographers who don’t always want to lug their full kit around
Best Camera for Pros: Sony a7C II
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Why I Chose It
I’ll lead this superlative with a caveat: Professional photographers can create amazing images with a wide range of cameras and Sony a7C isn’t even Sony’s “best” camera on paper. The flagship Sony a1 II is a 50-megapixel beast, but it’ll set you back around $6,500 just for the body. If you need the latest and greatest, and have the budget, by all means spend away, but I highlight a7C II as a great value within Sony’s lineup of powerful full-frame cameras that’s more compact and wallet-friendly.
This is a camera body that permits lens changes. It uses the same E-mount lenses as the a1 and other top-of-the-line options, so you could update the body later without having to buy all new lenses. It’s still more than $2,000 for just the body, so it’ll only appeal to serious hobbyists or pros on a budget, but the specs are more than adequate for professional work and large-format prints.
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Best Camera for Adventure: Insta360 X4
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Why I Chose It
Vacations are often the inspiration for buying a camera other than the one already in your pocket. And while any of the cameras here can serve that purpose admirably, I present a non-traditional choice as the best option for most adventures: Insta360 x4. This is a “360 camera,” which means it uses dual wide-angle lenses to capture stills or video of basically everything in your surroundings. While they technically can create VR-like content, you can also select and output images and videos from that 360-degree capture, which I’ve found much more useful than the actual 360 imagery.
Unlike GoPro-style action cameras, you don’t need to worry about framing a shot or mounting the camera to your body or vehicle. You can simply hold it in your hand or place it in the middle of a scene, then capture the action, and frame your shot later in editing. Yes, there’s post-capture work to be done, but the apps for phone and laptop are easy to use and let you quickly select your framing, adjust the speed of video, and a ton of other options to create a polished finished video or image.
This is an ideal pairing with a smartphone that can be used for composed still images while using the up to 8K video capture of the Insta360 X4 for video and faster moving scenes from city centers to cliff jumps.
Best Value Camera: Nikon Z6III
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Why I Chose It
The mid-tier interchangeable lens mirrorless camera category is highly competitive. But Nikon Z6III—a recently released upgrade to the previous model—pushes past the competition. For a sub-$2,500 camera body, Z6III has impressive video and still image specs and is more than enough camera for almost any photographer when paired with quality lenses (Sigma 24-70 mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art Lens is a great all-rounder to start your system that’ll put your upfront investment around $3,500). You can save by buying some of the older mirrorless models from Nikon, Sony, and Canon, but Z6III will give you more time before you feel the need to upgrade.
Best Instant Camera: Polaroid Now+ Generation 2 Starter Set
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Why I Chose It
Physical prints are becoming a relic of a different time, so there’s a novelty in going back to the original instant cameras made by Polaroid, which put prints in your hand moments after you shoot them. These cameras were never the answer if you wanted high-quality prints, but the immediacy makes them a refreshing alternative for parties, vacations, and events for sharing quick snaps.
Now+ Generation 2 has a vintage build that adds to the fun and comes as a kit with 15 packs of film to get you started. The fun of the camera and the image quality hasn’t changed much in decades, but this modern iteration offers app integration that permits more control and creativity if you want to do more than just point and print with friends.
Best Drone for Photography: DJI Mini 4 Pro
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Why I Chose It
If there’s one thing smartphones can’t do well, it’s imitate drones. Arguably nothing has changed photo and video capture more in the past decade than the proliferation of consumer drones, which permit bird’s eye views that are impossible to replicate.
DJI Mini 4 Pro Drone can travel more than 10 miles away from its operator, adding the ability to capture images without even being there yourself. DJI has cheaper drones aimed more at beginners, but the pro drone photographers I spoke with said their image and flying capabilities are sub-par and the Mini series is the better bet if you want high-quality captures. It also has the latest obstacle-sensing tech, which means less chance of destroying your expensive drone on those clunky first flights.
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What to Look for in the Best Cameras and Drones
Image Quality
Better-than-a-phone quality should be the baseline for novice camera shoppers. Smartphones have become the default camera for most of the world and with good reason. They’re easy to use, always in-hand, take quality images, and make sharing with others and online platforms super-easy. For most people, there’s little need to buy a standalone camera in addition to their $1,500 iPhone.
Taking images with a dedicated camera requires more work in post-processing while smartphones automatically do lots of image enhancement that make your shots look more finished. In tough photography situations, such as low light and nighttime, smartphones quietly do things to improve image quality that take skill and practice to perfect with a dedicated camera.
However, as folks get deeper into photo and video capture, they find a few important situational limitations to phone cameras that might push them to consider a more professional camera choice. While AI and software keeps chipping away at these limitations, a phone still can’t compete with the physics of good lens glass and high-powered sensors in pro and “prosumer” dedicated cameras, as well as the better point-and-shoot options.
If you want to print large-format reproductions of your images, a higher megapixel dedicated camera is a must. Shooting from far away from subjects, such as wildlife and stars, requires a dedicated camera with long telephoto lenses that aren’t easily paired with smartphones, but are built for interchangeable-lens cameras. Video and audio capture get better with a dedicated camera with larger sensors and higher resolution capture formats, as well as the ability to connect professional microphones.
Before buying a “real” camera, be honest with yourself about how much work you’re willing to put into the hobby to learn how to use post-processing software and, most importantly, the skills to properly operate the camera. If you put in the work, dedicated cameras still deliver the best images possible.
Point-and-Shoot vs. Interchangeable Lens
Point-and-shoot cameras are a more entry-level dedicated camera choice that usually don’t have interchangeable lenses and instead use a fixed optical zoom lens with a wide range to cover most photography situations. The downside is you’re stuck with the built-in lens, and the sensor and image quality is usually lower than DSLRs or interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras.
Cheaper point-and-shoot cameras often deliver underwhelming results compared to modern smartphone cameras as well, so while the fixed lens isn’t a bad concept and saves you money, spend enough to get a higher end option that can outperform your phone or it’ll likely end up sitting on the shelf.
Interchangeable lens cameras have more flexibility to tailor the lens to the situation and tackle special scenarios such as macro photography. You’ll still want an all-around zoom lens most of the time, but if you want to specialize in sports or wildlife photography, a telephoto lens can be swapped in. Wider lenses can be used for expansive landscapes. Macro lenses can capture high-resolution images of details the naked eye would miss.
These systems are also more easily upgradeable as you can buy better camera bodies and better lenses as you find the need and the budget without replacing your entire system. The downside here is once you’ve committed money to a brand and particular line, you’re locked into it and can only swap in compatible pieces.
Megapixels and Resolution
Discussions of megapixels can get technical fast and confuse even professional photographers. The short answer is that, yes, megapixels do matter, but they’re not the only factor for assessing the quality of a camera. Megapixels are an expression of the resolution of a particular camera, which matters most when viewing photos on larger screens or printing in larger formats.
Larger resolutions also allow for cropping images without losing too much quality. If you’ve ever zoomed in tight and cropped a phone image, you probably noticed the serious degrading of image sharpness. Keep in mind that megapixels can’t compensate for a small camera sensor or poor quality lenses, however.
How We Chose the Best Cameras
To find the best cameras in the diverse camera marketplace of 2025, I pulled from my own experience shooting photos and videos professionally and polled industry pros. For this article, I talked with professional photographers, licensed drone videographers, and industry reps to make sure I was pulling from the latest and greatest in the evolving world of digital image capture.
Why You Should Trust Me
I’m a lifelong journalist and video producer who started shooting video and photos professionally more than 20 years ago when digital was taking over the camera world. I’ve shot video for PBS and commercial clients, such as Reebok, and had photos published in magazines and newspapers. I’ve followed the evolution of cameras and own interchangeable lens models from Sony, Canon, Panasonic; I also use 360 and action cameras extensively in my video work.