Best All-Around, High-End Camera System in 2025?
- danballardphotogra
- Oct 11
- 9 min read
When people ask me what the best camera system is right now, I always begin with a caveat: you seriously can't go wrong with any well-known brand these days. Every major player is pushing the envelope, and honestly, I’d be comfortable shooting with any of them. Whether Nikon, Canon, Sony, Panasonic, OM, Fuji, Leica or Hasselblad —you have the potential for incredible results.
The inspiration for this article comes from going through a full system upgrade myself—new body, new lenses and new cards.
I have been a Sony shooter for a long time, but since I was selling and buying so many new camera components, it would have been easy to completely change brands. So I gave that option very real consideration, and took a closer look at pretty much every major system. I have absolutely zero brand loyalty (or camera sponsorships), so any and all brands were potentially on the table.
Since I teach hundreds of photographers a year on my photo workshops, I already had a lot of personal hands-on experience with most brands and models, and lots of thoughts about each. That said, it took digging deep (and lots of consideration) to really lock in my feelings about which system I think is currently the best, and what I will recommend to students going forward.
Keep in mind, I was after the ultimate do-it-all setup. As someone that shoots landscapes, commercial, automotive and western photography professionally, I really need a setup that does every single thing well, from high resolution to high speed. Also, I was coming at this with the idea of using two bodies. For a high-end commercial or very challenging fast paced western shoot, two bodies are just mandatory. I also travel non-stop, so weight and size were a huge consideration.
Two Systems That Define the Top Tier
If you want performance with minimal compromise, two systems kept rising to the top: Canon’s EOS R5 Mark II and Sony's A7RV + A1 II (orA9iii) combo.
The Canon EOS R5 Mark II is a seriously powerful one-body solution. It balances resolution, speed, autofocus, and build quality in a way that makes it a true all-around pro tool at a reasonable price. If you want one camera to do nearly everything well for all types of photography, and don't need all the resolution you can get, the R5 ii is hard to beat. Two of them would also make a killer two-body (same model) setup, and I was very tempted to go this route just because of overall cost.
Sony, however, takes the crown for the absolute best, no-compromise system and best camera overall. That is assuming price isn't a major concern.
Whether you are going with two bodies and want the absolute best of everything, or you only really do one type of photography and want one main body for that specialization, Sony is king of the hill right now in my opinion.
The Sony A7RV is the very best landscape camera available today. With 60 vs 45MP and better dynamic range vs both the R5ii and the Nikon Z8, in a small rugged body. It is the clear winner here.
The Sony A9 III is one of the very best high speed sports/action cameras around, with 120fps, killer AF, global shutter, and it's still small.
The Sony A1 II takes something from both and is the best commercial/action/wildlife/all-around camera on the market and I honestly believe the best camera ever made. Although you definitely pay extra for it. Also, yep, small.
Each Sony model excels in its own domain, and when you pair two of them together (which two depends on your needs), you get the single best combo that exists right now—a true no-compromise setup that covers every possible scenario.
I have been using the A7RV for years, have used the A1 on multiple jobs, and have had the new A1 II for a few weeks at the time of writing this. Again, while it might not sound like it, I have zero loyalty to Sony, and I was 100% considering switching to Canon before extensive research and consideration.
Of course, there is more to this than just camera bodies. While I do think the Sony bodies have an edge overall, and the R5 II has the edge for an all-around camera at a better price, picking the very best overall system also comes down to lenses and many other factors we'll discuss below.
Why I stayed with Sony
Lens ecosystem. Sony’s excellent range of lenses, plus the unmatched number of third-party lenses available, gives it a major advantage. If you are like me and value lightweight lens options, it really can't be beat. Sony has been producing some stunning lenses lately, and they are generally much smaller and lighter than options from Canon and Nikon.
Sony has several super small/light travel options that are extremely capable (like the 16-25 f2.8 pictured above, and the 20-70 f4, which I also own and love).
At the same time, lenses like the 28-70 f2 (pictured) and 50-150 f2 are just incredible for professional work and are very unique (and while not exactly small, they are not bad considering the fast aperture and focal ranges).
There are something like 400 lenses in the Sony system (way more than Nikon or Canon have for their mirrorless cameras). This alone was honestly reason enough for me to stay.
Rear screen. The A7RV, A1 II and A9 III share one of the best articulating screens on the market and it just works so much better vs the competition. This is huge for me.
Resolution. The A7RV provides tons of detail for large prints/cropping. The extra 15MP is really a big factor for landscape and commercial work. The extra 5MP on the A1 II certainly doesn't hurt either.
Better dynamic range and noise. The A7RV outperforms both the R5 II and Z8 by a noticeable amount IQ wise in low light when pushing files.
APS-C Crop button. This is another really big one for me. Being able to easily assign any button to go into crop mode is extremely useful and something I do all the time. Especially on the A7RV where you still get a 26MP image. Yes, it is similar to cropping, but it completely changes how I compose, where I focus, etc. This is not an (easy, practical) option on the Canon R5ii.
Viewfinders. Both the A7RV and the A1 II have phenomenal EVFs—bright, sharp, fast, and immersive. It makes the shooting experience so much more enjoyable.
Compact, tough bodies and lenses. Modern Sony flagships are rugged and very well weather-sealed, but still portable (again, very important in my opinion). The A1II (A9 III) has a very comfortable body and competes well with anything else out on that front, at least to my hands.
The A1 II is incredible on its own. The A1 II is one of the fastest and most capable cameras ever built, and while other bodies certainly rival and can even (arguably) beat it by a touch in areas like autofocus, as mentioned, I think the overall package is the best yet, by any manufacture. It doesn't have any real faults that I can find. It's only true disadvantage vs the Canon EOS R5 II is price.
Nikon: Rugged and impressive, but with Caveats
Nikon deserves more than a passing mention here, and again, I would absolutely shoot Nikon right now without a thought. Their Z-series cameras—especially the Z8 and Z9—are strong tools with notable pros, but unfortunately, also some big cons that sort of rule them out for me since there are other options available. Note, this might change, and soon.
What Nikon Does Well
Ruggedness and weather sealing. Nikon’s flagship bodies are some of the toughest on the market, with pro-level durability, seemingly above other brands (although that is hard to test).
Z-mount and optics. The wide mount enables excellent lens designs and Nikon has some of best long telephoto lenses available.
Ergonomics. Comfortable grips and intuitive button layouts for big hands, and depending on your personal preference.
Like the Sony bodies you can assign a button to go to crop mode.
Where Nikon Falls Behind (for me)
Dynamic range and noise. While the DR is great, and absolutely not a big issue, it does fall short of the A7RV in low light when you go to pull details back from highlights and shadows.
Size and weight. Toughness and comfort come with bulk—the Z8 and of course the Z9 are heavy compared to Sony equivalents. Nikon Lenses are also heavier and bigger overall.
Screen articulation. Less flexible than Sony’s, limiting some shooting angles. An awesome flippy screen is such a game changer.
Focus stacking. Less polished, especially handheld (this is a major deal breaker for me). Basically, you can't use the shutter button to start a focus bracket set. You must hit start in the menu. That is fine on a tripod, but I shoot focus stacks handheld all the time, and that is much, much harder on a Nikon.
Average EVF. While not terrible, the EVF on the Z8 isn't nearly as good as in the Sony's.
Lens roadmap pace. Slower and less varied than Sony’s; fewer third-party options.
Firmware/software stability. Teaching workshops, I’ve seen Nikon shooters run into quirks, freezes, or bugs more often than Sony or Canon. It is way more common than it should be.
The Best One-Camera Solution for many: Canon EOS R5 Mark II
As mentioned, if you only want one body (or two of the same model) that excels at everything out there (especially considering price), Canon’s EOS R5 Mark II is one of the most balanced cameras around.
It’s an amazing “Swiss Army Knife” camera and can handle sports as well as the A1 II for much less money, landscapes nearly as well as the A7RV, it's housed in a great reasonably sized, tough body, and Canon certainly makes some amazing lenses. It also has awesome in-body stabilization (possibly the best?).
The only real drawbacks are heavier lenses with fewer options compared to Sony, less resolution if you need it and slightly worse DR than the A7RV for landscapes. It also doesn't have as great of a flip screen/EVF, or an easy way to get to crop mode.
Of course it doesn't really compete with the A9 III for sports or intense action either, so at least for a small kit where the huge R1 doesn't come into play, Sony has the advantage here as well for a two body sports setup (if you need as fast as possible and still portable).
For me personally, those are all pretty real differences and add up to a fairly easy choice to stay with Sony, but for many, and especially those already shooting Canon, the EOS R5 Mark II is seriously great. Also, we are basically comparing one much more expensive camera here (A1II) to match it, and two different Sony models working together to completely beat it....that's impressive!
Other Excellent Options: Just Not for Me
Before I wrap up, I want to highlight that Sony, Canon, and Nikon aren’t the only good systems out there. Several smaller brands—like Fuji, Panasonic, OM System, Hasselblad, Leica and others—offer compelling options with unique strengths worth considering.
They aren't right for me for a variety of reasons, but they might be for you.
In regards to the small offerings, I strongly prefer full frame sensors vs APS-C for overall IQ.
Yet, the large sensor medium format options from Fuji and Hasselblad that have awesome IQ/dynamic range, come with serious trade offs as well. Things like overall size/weight, much, much slower shooting and focusing speeds, lack of tough weather sealed bodies, and overall usability. Not to mention overall cost.
Even the new Hasselblad X2D II 100C, which addresses many of these issues and has come a long way, is in a completely different world for overall usability vs cameras like the A1II, Z8 and R5 mark II. It doesn't even have a screen that rotates vertically, only shoots 3fps and autofocus is very lacking. Of course for certain jobs and certain people it would be amazing and those features are not needed.
All of these other systems have less lens options vs Sony. Again, that is a major, major thing.
As mentioned, while these smaller brand offerings are not for me, they can be great for certain photographers with specific needs. Wanting to have an ultra-lightweight system for example, where overall wight and costs need to stay very low, there are some amazing options out there!
Final Word
Here’s how I see it:
Best for Landscape/commercial. While the Canon EOS R5 Mark II is excellent and Medium format options are very compelling, if you want the best IQ for things like landscape photography in a small, tough, generally useful body, you basically have to go with the A7R5.
Overall best for action/wildlife/sports/all-around. If you want an ultimate all around camera where speed is more important than max resolution, but you still need 50MP and also want very small light lens options, the A1 II is really the only choice.
Best camera to do it all for less money? If overall weight is not that important, budget is, (or you are already shooting Canon), and you don't really need the extra resolution, the R5 II is amazing (regardless of price).
Ultimate two-body system? Sony’s A7RV + A1 II combo (or A7RV + A9 III combo), with all the excellent/travel-sized lenses is unmatched— A7RV for landscapes, A1 II for action/everything else— together the best no-compromise kit available.
When the Sony A7V comes out, it might well be an excellent second body to go along with the A7RV for half the cash. At 33MP, it won't be quite as good of an all around camera as the A1 II, and certainly won't be as fast or full featured as the A9 III, and you will need to think more about which body you use for which circumstance, but again, for the price difference, it will probably be an awesome two-body setup for Sony users that will go head to head with two R5 II bodies for similar cost.
Comments