The best professional DSLRs are workhorses that still remain relevant even as the world moves mirrorless
Who says the DSLR is dead? The world may be moving mirrorless, but there are still many photographers out there who prefer the optical viewfinder and longer battery life a DSLR brings. For this reason, we’ve seen the big camera makers continue – for now – to release innovative DSLRs at the professional end of their range. The best professional DSLRs still make a lot of sense for those jobbing photographers who need a workhorse with a long battery life.
Outside of Pentax, which has doubled down on the technology, new DSLR releases are fewer and far between these days. But the DSLR isn’t going anywhere just yet, and the best professional DSLRs will remain viable options for a while yet. If you watched the most recent Olympics you probably noticed a sea of white L series lenses on Canon EOS-1D X Mark III bodies alongside Nikon D6 bodies snapping away.
For many advanced photographers and even some professional photographers, the all-powerful D6 and EOS-1D X Mark III might be overkill. Take a step down from that top-tier of DSLR cameras and you can still find some quality technology and often at a great price. With manufacturers desperate to move users over to their growing mirrorless systems, the price tag for many of the best professional DSLR cameras, such as the Nikon D850 or Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, have come down considerably since their launch.
With that in mind, let’s check out some of the best professional DSLR options that are currently on the market. We’ve tested all of these cameras over the years, and these are our favourites.
The best professional DSLRs you can buy today
All of the options on our list of the best professional DSLRs were chosen based on our experience testing them. You might find our guide to the overall best DSLRs useful as well. For a deeper dive into the many different camera types and features available, check out our range of camera buying guides.
