Why am I writing a post on the best camera for blogging? I’ll ask you this: What is a blog post without pictures? Words. That’s what it is, just words. It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. If you are just starting out blogging, you quickly learn (or if you’ve done it for a while now, you know) that pictures are important to the art of communicating via blog post.
In this post, I am going to provide some info on how to choose a great camera for creating photos for your blog. I’ll also provide some recommendations for taking videos if you are so inclined. Here are my personal and professional recommendations on the best camera for blogging.
Why Should I Get a Camera? I Have a Smartphone.
People that are not already into photography as either a hobby or a profession are often tempted to try to use their smartphone for all their photos. And don’t get me wrong, there are people doing that somewhat successfully.
However, in my own experience, getting really good photos on a smartphone is often a roll of the dice. Both scene composition and image quality can sometimes become an issue, an issue you don’t need getting in the way of creating good blog content.
Food bloggers regularly shoot photos on location.
What About Stock Photos?
Sure, I have used stock photos. I still do sometimes. They can be useful if the type of picture you want is something you cannot take. For example, I needed some winter photos for a post I was writing in the middle of the summer.
However, high-quality stock photos can get expensive, and free stock photo sites often have limited selections. Also, what if your niche requires you to take real photos of the subject you are talking about?
Food bloggers are an example of that, and there are dozens of other examples.
In the end, it’s often better to invest the cash into a more permanent solution. That’s why I am writing this post about the best camera for blogging, to help you with those decisions and your investment.
Travel bloggers take photos in many different situations.
Best Camera for Blogging
OK, You’ve Convinced Me. What Camera Should I Get?
Hang on for a moment. I’ll get to that. But first, I want to share some info about why I am recommending what I am recommending. There is more to this than simply finding the camera with the most features for the lowest price.
If you’re going to spend some money on this, you should do it wisely, using solid information based on real experience. This info is what you need to find the best camera for blogging.
When buying a standalone digital camera, you are really buying into a brand.
That brand represents quality, features, support, and long-term experience in bringing the solid equipment to market. This is even more true for a camera than for something like a vehicle.
Most peripherals and accessories purchased for your camera will need to fit on that brand. Once you have invested in all of this stuff, are you just going to get rid of it and start over when it’s time to upgrade or replace your camera? Of course you aren’t, so that’s why it’s important to understand that you are investing in a brand.
When it was time for me to choose an investment in a brand, after a lot of research and discussion with various camera owners, I wound up choosing Canon. No one has ever made a bad decision by choosing Canon. They are universally recognized as a top-tier brand. So given my personal experience with Canon, this is the brand I am recommending to you.
DIY and craft bloggers need to take photos up close and indoors.
Can You Tell Me About the Cameras Now?
OK, enough introduction and background. Let’s talk about the cameras. I have selected four options, based on budget, functionality, learning curve requirements, and features.
Option 1 – Best Camera for Low Budget and Simple Use
This is for the people who want a standalone digital camera, with fully automatic point-and-shoot modes, for someone that needs something easier to use that fits a limited budget. This type of camera fits easily in a pocket or bag, will shoot good quality photos and HD video, and has WiFi connectivity for transferring images to a computer.
Canon PowerShot ELPH 190 Digital Camera
Price approx. $179.00
Notable features:
- 20 MegaPixel resolution for great image quality
- Low Light Mode for dark settings
- WiFi connectivity
- Smart Auto Shooting Mode
- Remote control shooting for selfie photography
Option 2 – Best Camera for Medium Budget, for Blog Photography and Personal Use
This is for someone who wants a few more features and capabilities but still desires ease of use and automatic point-and-shoot modes. This has a slightly higher price, but it is still reasonable in the world of digital cameras. It can be used for taking personal travel photos and snapshots, in addition to taking blog-specific photos. It also has a huge zoom capability to get closer to faraway subjects.
Canon PowerShot SX740 HS Digital Camera
Price approx. $379.00
Notable features:
- 20 MegaPixel resolution for great image quality
- Tilt & Swivel LCD back screen
- WiFi & Bluetooth connectivity
- High Speed Continuous shooting up to 10 frames a second
- 40x optical and 80x digital zoom for telephoto needs
Option 3 – Best Camera for Larger Budget, for More Serious Photography and Videography
This is the option for someone that wants higher quality images and more control of the camera. This is also considered one of the best cameras for vloggers. It has the ability to plug in external microphones for live audio. Its mirrorless design and electronic viewfinder allow you to see the effect of setting changes directly on the screen. This camera also offers high-quality interchangeable lenses to increase capabilities. It does present a slightly steeper learning curve.
Canon EOS M50 Mirrorless Digital Camera
Price approx. $549.00 (for Version 1 model)
Notable features:
- 24 MegaPixel resolution for great image quality
- OLED Electronic Viewfinder
- Tilt & swivel LCD back screen with touchscreen capability
- Silent Mode for quiet operation
- 4K UHD 24fps and HD 120fps for slow motion
Option 4 – Best Camera for Big Budget, for Those Very Serious About Photography and Videography
This is the option for people who currently are serious about photography or plan to get serious about photography. The learning curve is going to be much steeper, unless you already have a good base knowledge of photography skills. This is a camera that would allow you to do more of the esoteric stuff, like long exposures, night/star photography, etc. And the image quality is going to be superb. Basically, this is a professional-grade camera.
Canon EOS R Mirrorless Digital Camera
Price approx. $1899.00
Notable features:
- 30.3 MegaPixel resolution for fantastic image quality
- Dual Pixel AutoFocus for quick accurate focusing
- Eye Detection AutoFocus that is great for people or wildlife
- Silent Mode for quiet operation
- 4K UHD 30fps and HD 120fps for slow motion
Fitness bloggers will need to shoot close up and indoors.
Best Camera for Blogging
What About Important Camera Accessories?
Yes, this is a good place to mention what I consider to be the most important accessory: A good camera bag. After all, the camera is going to spend a significant portion of its life in a bag. If you’re going to get the best camera for blogging, it needs to have a good home. And you will need something to put your photo stuff into. A good bag should help you keep things organized, and it should be easy to carry.
Your camera bag is a very personal choice. It’s as much fashion as it is function. And it should be comfortable to carry around. I personally like the style, quality, and function of camera bags made by Peak Design. I have a product review article on the Peak Design’s Sling Bag on my blog, and you can see it here: https://www.simplephototips.com/camera-bag-review-peak-designs/
The other important accessory you will need is one or more memory cards for the camera. Most will accept common SD-style cards, but refer to the camera documentation to be sure.
Aside from that, the list is nearly endless with tripods, extra batteries, external microphones, flash units, filters, cleaning kits, etc. Not all of those things are necessary. You can do nicely with just a camera and a bag for it to live in.
Learning to Use Your Camera More Effectively
There are a number of different ways to learn. Personally, I learn best by doing and learning small bits that I can layer together. You can find many photography topics for study on Pinterest. And there are some complete courses available. Sadly, I cannot recommend one because I’ve never used one, and I don’t recommend stuff I haven’t tried.
I would, however, appreciate it if you took a look at my blog. It’s a photography learning blog, and there are some gear recommendations and product reviews there as well: www.simplephototips.com
Photography bloggers tend to use pro-quality cameras.
Best Camera for Blogging
Conclusion to Best Camera for Blogging
I hope this article has provided some useful info and things to think about, as well as good suggestions for the best camera for blogging. Photography can sound complicated, and you can make it that way if you bite off more than you can chew.
Take is slow and steady. Don’t overindulge in the tech stuff and keep the end result in mind. What it’s really all about is getting an engaging, sometimes inspiring photo to add to your blog post.
Best of luck on your blogging, camera, and photography journey!
Author Bio
Loyd Towe is a professional photographer living and working in Portland, Oregon. Loyd has been doing all types of photography for over 13 years, but he is focused on fine art landscape photography. Loyd’s images have been on book covers and CD covers, and they’ve been shown on TV, appeared in online galleries, and hung on the walls of private homes.