7 Best Canon Cameras For Wedding Photography (…and 3 to avoid)

Wedding photography is part portrait, part candid, part action, and part documentary photography. Basically, you need a camera that does everything and does it well.

So if you want to do it right then you need a camera that can do all of those things. That’s why I chose the Canon EOS R5 as the Canon camera for weddings. It really has no weaknesses and excels in virtually every category.

But if you want to know why and see some additional options, then keep reading.

• Best Canon Mirrorless Cameras For Weddings
• Best Canon DSLRs For Weddings

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Best Canon Mirrorless Cameras For Weddings

Overall the mirrorless options above are going to give you better results than DSLR cameras in most cases. The ability to use their eye autofocus alone makes it a lot easier to shoot weddings and increases your odds of getting the important shots.

Even if you have a large collection of EF Mount lenses, you can still use them on Canon mirrorless cameras with this Canon R Mount adapter.

So let’s get right to the top picks…

Top Pick

1. Canon EOS R5

With 45 megapixels of resolution, excellent autofocus, and solid dynamic range, the R5 is the best in the Canon lineup for shooting weddings.

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The Canon R5 is a high resolution beast that will give you the best quality images in the Canon lineup.

First let’s take a look at the specs…

The first thing you’ll notice is the 45 megapixel sensor. A high resolution camera like this ensures you get amazing detail in your images.

In addition to just high resolution, the R5’s sensor delivers excellent color rendition and dynamic range.

The dynamic range is extremely helpful when shooting in situations where you have very bright areas and very dark areas in the same frame. For example, if you want to shoot a with a sunset in the background, you need all the range you can get.

The excellent low light performance also helps in darker wedding venues so you can still get the shots.

The R5 autofocus system is also very good and will help you get your subject’s eyes in sharp focus more consistently. It has Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF II system with 1053 available AF zones.

Like most current mirrorless cameras the R5 gives you eye AF which tracks the eyes of your subject (or subjects) and gets them in focus with impressive consistency.

This is a major reason why I recommend mirrorless cameras for any kind of action shooting. The average person will get better results from a mid-range mirrorless camera than even a high end DSLR when it comes to shooting in tricky focusing situations like sports.

Overall, this camera is really perfect for shooting weddings and the Canon camera that I would recommend for any pro wedding photographer.

But if you’re not quite ready to spend $3,700 on your next camera body then you may want to try these next few options that are a little easier on the wallet…

Runner-Up

2. Canon EOS R6 Mark II

Although the R6 Mk II has a lower megapixel count than the top pick above, it still has great image quality, great autofocus, and is over $1000 less.

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The Canon EOS R6 Mark II is a high-performing, mid-priced camera body that delivers outstanding full-frame image quality at medium-high resolution.

The Canon R6 Mark II made the second spot on my list because it gives you many of the important features you need at a price point that is lower than the R5.

Essentially, what you are getting with the R6 Mark II is a slightly less full featured camera compared to the R5.

The biggest difference is the 24.2 megapixel sensor. You’ll be giving up some detail in on your shots while maintaining a high resolution. But as long as you don’t plan to make any large prints, this is not a major factor.

The R6 Mk II gives you the same excellent autofocus system as the R5 with the same 100% coverage and 1,053 focus points. You’ll also get the same excellent subject and eye tracking focus modes.

So if you don’t think you need 45 megapixels then you can save yourself over $1,000, then this is a great choice.

Overall, this is a very impressive camera so the choice comes down to how much of your budget you want to spend on the camera body.

Budget Pick

3. Canon EOS R50

The R50 is a crop sensor camera with a number of high end features that makes it a lighter and more affordable option.

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There are some benefits to shooting with a crop sensor and if they appeal to you then the R50 is a great option. Especially since you can get it for well under $1000.

A crop sensor camera gives you a narrower field of view with the same focal length lens compared to a full frame camera. The crop factor for Canon is 1.6x which means that a 100mm lens on a crop sensor camera will have the same field of view as a 160mm lens.

This also means that you’ll effectively get less lens blur for similar shots compared to full frame cameras.

So when it comes to weddings, you’ll get more reach for farther subjects, but you’ll lose some background blur to separate your subject.

In general, I tend to favor full frame cameras for shooting weddings, but I also understand that may not be in the budget for those of you just getting started.

Now let’s take a look specifically at the R50…

The 24.2 megapixels is on par with the R6 Mk II so you’re getting the same about of detail from the smaller sensor.

Unfortunately, the smaller sensor does mean you’re going to see less dynamic range and more noise at high ISO settings than you would with a full-frame camera. So there is some downsides to the crop sensor sensor.

The viewfinder is a bit of a step down in both resolution (2.36m dots) and refresh rate (60fps) compared to the full frame options above, but this is something you might not even notice unless you compared both side by side.

But keep in mind that this camera only has one SD card slot. So you’re not going to be able to back up your photos to a second card in real time.

This is playing with fire when you’re shooting weddings.

Overall, this is a great budget option if you want to save some a few bucks and get started shooting wedding photography. But if it’s still out of your price range, then here are two more you can try…

Under $1000

4. Canon EOS RP

Canon’s least expensive full-frame mirrorless camera will deliver beautiful full frame images for under $1000.

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The Canon EOS RP is one of the best “entry-level” full-frame cameras you can find. It delivers similar image quality as the R6 Mk II above but at a much lower price point because it lacks some of the features in that camera.

I usually recommend that photographers spend most of your budget on lenses rather than camera bodies. You can get a lot farther by investing in high quality glass that is suited for the type of photos that you want to shoot rather than expensive cameras.

So going with a less expensive model like the RP and spending more on quality lenses can give you far better results.

I like the RP for weddings because it gives you good dynamic range and low light performance at a very reasonable price. The biggest drawback for this camera compared to the ones above is the slow continuous shooting, which isn’t usually an issue for events like weddings.

Just be aware that like the camera above, it only has one card slot. So you won’t be able to have real time backups of your photos.

If you’re trying to save more money for lenses and want a full-frame camera for improved low-light performance, then this would be a viable but not necessarily ideal option.

Under $500

5. Canon EOS R100

Canon’s entry level mirrorless camera is an excellent value for less than $500.

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The Canon R100 is actually pretty impressive for it’s small price tag and may be one of the best values in photography, especially for those on a really tight budget.

Keep in mind that this camera only has one card slot like the two above.

While its not necessarily the best option for shooting weddings, getting into the Canon mirrorless system for under $500 is a tremendous value.

Spend your money on better lenses instead and then you can upgrade the camera body later.

Best Canon DSLRs For Weddings

You can probably tell that I am not a big proponent of buying a new DSLR at this point. They are still great cameras (and I still use my old DLSR all the time), but there’s really not a compelling reason to invest in buying a new one if you need a camera now.

That being said, Canon DSLRs are still great cameras. So I want to cover a few that I think are great options for wedding photography IF you’re ok buying into a discontinued system.

That being said, if you are looking for a solid Canon DSLR for shooting sports photography, then you can’t go wrong with the picks below….

Top Pick

6. Canon 5D Mark IV

The Canon 5d Mark IV is one of the most popular DSLR cameras of all time among wedding photographers and for good reason.

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There was a time when you were more likely to see this camera in a professional photographers bag than any other camera. It was the workhorse of the Canon DSLR lineup.

With a 30.4 megapixel sensor and one of the best DSLR autofocusing systems out there, this was the perfect camera for shooting weddings.

But I say “was” because at this price, you can do a lot better with some of the mirrorless options above.

That being said, if you want a DSLR for shooting weddings then you won’t be disappointed.

It gives you beautiful colors and detail in your images with its 30/4 megapixel sensor. Additionally, Dual Pixel CMOS AF enables continuous automatic AF and AF tracking at the pixel level in a variety of places and lighting situations, enhancing overall camera operation for sharp images.

Overall, the 5D Mk IV is probably the best option for anyone that wants to shoot with a DSLR.

DSLR Runner-Up

7. Canon 6D Mark II

For those of you that aren’t ready to give on on DSLRs, the 6D Mark II is a great choice for shooting sports.

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The 6D Mark II is like the little brother to the 5D mark IV. It doesn’t have the high resolution of the 5D but a great way to save some money.

That being said, I would still recommend going with one of the mirrorless cameras over this one.

Canon Cameras You Should Avoid

Canon 1DX Mk II

This is a great camera and a proven professional powerhouse. So why did I list it down here are one to avoid? There’s really no good reason to spend over $6000 on a DSLR nowadays.

If you really want the top of the line pro camera and have that much to spend then go for the R3 instead. Although, you can save over $2000 and do quite well with the R5.

But however much you want to spend, there are better options out there now for less than the 1DX Mk II.

Canon M-Series (M6, M50, M200

If you can still find these available new online but you should avoid them. Canon’s experiment with the M line was kind of a failure. The cameras themselves aren’t necessarily terrible, but they aren’t developing the M lens lineup anymore and have gone all in on the RF system instead.

Canon 7D Mark II

This was an excellent camera when it was released in 2014. It’s a crop sensor body with pro features at an affordable price point.

So why am I saying to avoid it?

Well, it’s old. Almost 10 years old at the time I’m writing this. Even if you can find it at a great price in some places, you’ll just get better capabilities with something like the R50 above that has a faster shutter speed and better image quality.

So it’s not a bad camera (if you already have one) but just not something I would recommend investing in now.

What To Look For When Choosing A Canon Camera for Wedding Photography

Wedding photography is difficult, so there are certain things you want to make sure you have in a camera body if you want to shoot weddings.

Good Low Light/High ISO Performance

You can’t control the light at most wedding ceremony or reception venues. That means the only way to get the shot is to use a high ISO setting.

So if you don’t want an angry client because of noisy photos, then you’ll want a camera that has solid low light/high ISO performance.

Generally, you get what you pay for when it comes to low light performance. Full frame cameras will perform better than crop sensor cameras and more expensive full frame cameras generally do better than the less expensive models.

Great Autofocus System

You don’t get a second chance at those special wedding moments. So if your camera missed focus, then you might be looking at a very angry couple.

The autofocus systems in modern mirrorless cameras, Canon included, are kind of amazing. Which is why all the cameras on this list are from the Z mount mirrorless system.

Redundancy

You can’t risk losing photos as a wedding photographer. You need a camera with 2 card slots so you can write the photos to both of them at the same time.

This ensures that even if one card fails, you haven’t lost the once in a lifetime photos that your clients are paying you thousands of dollars to preserve.

High Resolution

Not everyone will agree with me that high resolution is important to wedding photography but here’s why I think it is.

First, you’re shooting a live event and you don’t get the opportunity to position people or shoot parts of a wedding over again so if you didn’t quite get the right framing of the image then you’ll probably need to adjust the cropping to improve the image.

So having those extra megapixels to crop in on and still get a high resolution image is pretty important, especially if you don’t have a long telephoto or didn’t have it on your camera at the time.

Plus, most wedding photos end up getting printed. They could end up in albums or even blown up to larger sizes on the newlywed couple’s wall. So a 47 megapixel image can really come in handy, especially if you need to crop in a little to get the best composition.