Best Cameras for Boudoir Photography 2021 (Top 5 Picks)

It is quite difficult to find the best camera for boudoir photography because there are a wide variety of cameras available in the market. And sometimes when we find a great camera it might not be affordable.

That’s why after reading and listening to different professional boudoir photographers and watching different boudoir shoots I found 5 best cameras for boudoir photography that performs excellently in almost any situation.

Besides, the camera you are going to get especially for boudoir photography needs to have certain features such as:

• It performs well in low light
• Have good aperture and shutter speed
• The wide range of ISO especially performs well on higher ISO numbers such as 800 and 1600.
• Interchangeable and compatible lens and more.

So in this article, I will try to provide you every single detail you need to start boudoir photography.

If you are curious about what you can get from this article click on the “SHOW” available below and check the table of content.

5 Best Camera for Boudoir Photography

Boudoir photography is not like wildlife photography where you need high-quality camera bodies. In boudoir photography, you shoot models and working women and high-end camera bodies are not necessary.

Yes, there are some cameras such as Canon EOS 5DS that are specially designed for these types of work. But if you are looking for an affordable camera you can find pretty amazing dslr and mirrorless camera bodies in the price range of $500 to $1000.

These are the 5 best cameras for boudoir photography that offer great flexibility to capture amazing shots of beautiful women in any situation.

1. Nikon D3300

Nikon d3300 is one of the affordable and popular cameras you can get for boudoir photography.

The camera features a CMOS sensor with a 24.2MP resolution that captures detail and clear images. The advantage of having Nikon d3300 is that you can hold it easily because it is lightweight and has an excellent handgrip.

It also has 11 AF points with 3d tracking that tracks the subject/model and allows you to take the perfect shot. The autofocus system of the camera works excellently not like other high-end cameras but at this price, it does a perfect job.

The focus system works great on single and even on continuous shots. The camera allows 5 frames per second continuous shooting.

Another good thing about the camera is it captures clear images at high ISO levels as well. The ISO range of the camera is 100 to 12800 which is way more than needed for boudoir photography. It allows capturing characteristic features of women.

Because of the excellent focus system and ISO, you can capture amazing shots even in low lights.

Another amazing feature of the camera is a 3-inch LCD with 921,000 dots, also it is compatible with lenses at glance.

Along with excellent images, it can also capture Full HD 1080p videos at 60, 50, 30, 25, 24 fps.

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• User-friendly interface and menu system
• Excellent battery life
• Good picture quality
• Very affordable price
• Extra light AF makes it good in low light

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• Fixed LCD screen
• Only one slot for SD Card

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Overall the design, built quality, and the features I mention do an amazing job and if you are looking for a camera for boudoir photography under $500 then definitely you should consider Nikon d3300.

2. Pentax K-70

Pentax K-70 is another excellent boudoir photography camera. It is not a popular brand like Canon or Nikon but they produced amazing accessories and the K-70 is one of their top products. There is a reason it’s “Amazon’s Choice”.

It has a weather-resistant body that resists the water, cold, dust, fog, and snow to enter in and makes it possible to use it in any weather condition.

The feature I like in Pentax K-70 is that it can shoot continuous shots at 6 frames per second. 6fps are not too much but for boudoir photography it’s great.

The Pentax K-70 has an APS-C CMOS Sensor with 24.2 megapixels resolution and can capture excellent images in any light. It has the ability to capture high-quality images without losing too much quality at high ISO range.

The ISO range is incredible which is 100 to 2,04,800. Even you increase ISO at 8000 you can still capture good quality photos.

Another advantage of having K-70 is its Night vision red rotatable light LCD display. The rotatable screen helps you to capture pictures from angles where it is not possible to take captures normally.

Lastly, the camera has an excellent and accurate focus system with phase detection that can focus the object at glance. It has 11 AF points with 9 cross types which are great for getting your clients at the focus.

Other features include built-in wifi, excellent battery life, in-body shake reduction, FULL HD 1080p videos and more.

Overall I’m impressed with the quality of the camera and have a very positive rating with positive reviews on Amazon. Furthermore, you should give them preference over Canon, Nikon, and other popular brands and it will not disappoint you. It is affordable(under $599) as well.

Along with boudoir photography, you can use it for shooting landscapes, cityscapes, flowers, birds, and more.

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• High image detail
• Excellent weather resistant built quality
• Accurate and fast focus system
• Very flexible and wide range of ISO
• Rotatable screen

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• Relatively few autofocus points
• Slow kit lens

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Recommended Lenses: Pentax 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL WR

3. Sony a7 Full Frame

If you are interested in getting a mirrorless camera for boudoir photography under $1000 then consider Sony a7. Sony a7 is a compact, lightweight, and easy to carry around anywhere without any problem.

 

The camera features Full Frame 24.3 MP resolution with 14-bit RAW output.

The camera performs excellently in low light because of its fast focus system and wide ISO range (100 – 25,600). It has a Fast Hybrid AF phase detection feature that tracks the face of objects and never loses focus.

The AF points covered almost the complete frame and focused the object instantly.

The strong side of this camera is it is fully compatible with lenses. The Auto System of the camera is excellent as well. However, if you are shooting at manual focus it performs ergonomically great.

Another great thing about the Sony a7 is its super user-friendly button layout and menu system. New dials and customizable buttons are placed for a quick adjustment that makes the work fast and easy to use even for a beginner.

It has a 3-inch tileable screen with 921,600 dots that help to capture models from different and difficult angles.

Unfortunately, the battery life of Sony a7 is not good but luckily Sony batteries are super cheap so its better you take extra.

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• Slim, compact, and lightweight
• Fast Autofocus system
• Excellent image quality in poor light and good light
• Weather sealed body
• Eye tracking

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• Not have inbuilt image stabilization

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The recommended kit lens for Sony a7 is Sony 28-70mm Interchangeable Standard Zoom Lens. Overall it is the best mirrorless camera for boudoir, glamour, and portrait in 2020.

4. Nikon D7100

Another best Nikon camera for boudoir photography is D7100.

The feature that I like in the Nikon d7100 is that it has two slots for SD Card and the advantage of this is that you can capture more RAW shots to get the best picture.

The camera also offers to capture 6fps continuous shots in JPEG and RAW format. The strongside and feature that makes this camera special is its focus system. The focus system of the d7100 is strong, accurate, and fast even in poor light.

The camera has a CMOS sensor, 24.1 resolution, and 100 to 6400 ISO range. With excellent resolution, you can get top quality images and ISO range makes possible to get clear and detailed shots in any light.

Another good thing about the image quality of d7100 is it provides better detail in image and colors.

However, the button and menu system is a little complicated and it takes time for new photographers to fully understand but those who already familiar with cameras can easily navigate.

You can transfer and share your images and videos through wifi. The camera also allows you to record 1080p FULL HD videos with full-time focus and a built-in stereo mic allows you to record clear audio as well.

Along with Boudoir photography, you can use the camera for fashion photography and glamour photography.

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• Fast shooting
• Excellent design and super comfortable to use
• Incredible ISO performance in RAW and JPEG in any light
• Good JPEG setting
• Weather Sealed Body
• Dual SD card slots

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• Lack of aperture in movie mode
• Noticeably soft video output

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The recommended lens with d7100 is Nikon AF S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G. The lens is great to capture models in any light with a variety of aperture.

5. Canon 5DS

If you are a professional Boudoir photographer and looking for the best camera with advanced and high-quality features then consider Canon 5DS.

Also, Canon 5DS is probably the best camera because it is specially designed for fashion photography.

It has a full-frame sensor and 50.6 Megapixel resolution that delivers ultra-high-resolution images.

The camera has an Electro-Optical System scene detection system that features up to 150,000-pixel RGB+IR Metering Sensor.

The most beautiful thing about Canon EOS 5DS is its incredible focus system. The camera contains 61 AF points plus 41 cross-type points that make the focus system precise, incredibly fast, and accurate.

Furthermore, the amazing tracking performance never allows you to lose the subject from the focus.

When capturing pictures with high resolution there is a chance that the pictures get blurred and appear some shakiness. To avoid this problem Canon included an Advanced mirror control mechanism in EOS 5DS. The advantage of this is it detects the vibration or shakes and prevents it from affecting the image.

The built quality of the camera is robust as well and it provides an excellent handgrip that you will not feel any discomfort. The camera also includes the time-lapse feature and it has nice battery life.

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• Incredible fast and accurate Focus system
• Full-frame CMOS sensor with 50.6 Megapixel resolution
• 5 fps continuous shoot with excellent buffering
• 3.2 inch LCD with 1.04M-dot
• Time lapse and interval shooting modes
• Especially designed for photographing models and fashion

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• Expensive

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If budget is not a problem for you and you are looking for the best camera for boudoir photography, fashion, or glamour photography then consider Canon EOS 5DS.

What is the best lens for boudoir photography?

Quality lenses are crucial for boudoir photography. Similar to cameras there is a wide variety of lenses available in the market. However, three lenses that I recommend you to get for boudoir photography. You can also check the recommended lens under each camera review.

• 35mm f/1.4: Could be ideal for capturing in really small spaces
• 50mm f/1.4: These lenses are so versatile, you can get the look of both 35mm and 85mm lenses by going forward to the subject and backward.
• 85mm f/1.8: Ideal for situations where you need to isolate your subject from unwanted things and also it could be the ideal option for capturing headshots

Before Choosing a Camera and Lens for Boudoir Photography | Buyer Guide

Price

Spending thousands of dollars on a camera is not necessary. Yes, it’s true that expensive cameras offer excellent and advanced features. But if you cannot afford it, don’t think that you cannot do anything.

There are some good dslr cameras you can get in $500 rupees that can perform well for a boudoir photo shoot. Also a good mirrorless camera you can get in the $500 price range. That’s why in this list of best cameras for boudoir photography I include cameras in every price range.

However, for better quality and performance, it’s better you should invest $500.

ISO 

ISO is the sensitivity of the image sensor and is shown in different numbers in the camera (100, 200, 400, and so on). The minimum value of ISO in the cameras is usually 100 and it’s ideal where the camera gets good or enough light.

But in low light or dark places to capture a good and clear photo you need higher ISO.

So the point of the whole scenario is to choose a camera that allows you to regulate ISO at different numbers neither at higher ISO grains appeared in the image or it affects too much on the image quality.

That’s why taking care of ISO range I include all cameras and these perform very well in low and good light situations.

Focus System

When choosing the best camera for boudoir photography you should consider the focus ability of the camera. AF points play a crucial role in the focus system of a camera.

Some cameras contain low AF points such as 9 which does not have as good an AF system as cameras that have 15, 30, and more AF points. So remember the focus system is very important for the camera and should consider AF points to determine the Focus quality.

Lens compatibility

Another thing needed to take while choosing the best boudoir camera for boudoir photography is the camera should be compatible with a variety of lenses.

In boudoir photography for wide, normal, and close up shots different lenses are needed such as 35mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.4, and 85mm f/1.8. So make sure the camera allows you to use different lenses.

What is the Best Camera Setting for Boudoir Photography?

As I already mentioned that in boudoir photography everything is well settled, stable, and has proper light.

Shutter Speed for Boudoir Photography

The ideal shutter speed for boudoir photography is 1/200 because while shooting our subject stays stable. So no need to worry about it and also you do not need to choose high shutter speed such as 1/1000.

ISO setting for Boudoir Photography

In boudoir photography, we capture most of the pictures inside the house or room and in good light which means we didn’t face low light problems too much.

So set your ISO setting at 100 or 200 and take some shots but make sure you hold the camera super steady. However, while capturing from different angles you may find low light issues so increase your ISO 100 to onward. Try to stay in the range of 100 to 800 or 1600.

Because at high ISO some cameras do not perform well and you’ll see grains in the image. Also as ISO increased the quality of the image decreased.

What is Boudoir Photography?

If you came here looking for the best camera for boudoir photography it means you know what boudoir photography is.

According to Wikipedia definition of Boudoir Photography is:

Boudoir photography is just like portrait photography. If you want to go one step further in portrait photography you can consider boudoir photography.

Also, boudoir photography is considered as the best practice for women to face their fear and know more about themselves. Because these sessions can help women to know and love about themselves more.

Is Boudoir and Glamour Photography the same?

The straight answer is no Boudoir and Glamour Photography are totally different.

If you see the images of boudoir and glamour photography you may consider both types of photography as one.

But in general, they are not.

You may not agree with my opinion and it is fine but in my point of view.

Boudoir photography refers to empowering women photography. We can also consider it as a phototherapy session that changes the complete thinking of a woman about themselves.

In this photography women, age 18 to 61 from almost every professional hired a boudoir photographer to photograph them. These women faced tough times or accidents and they want to accept their new look and life.

Boudoir photography is also referred to as a private photo session where some women do not want photographers to share these photos with others. Because these women are not photographed for career or fame.

On the other hand in Glamour photography photographers shoots model in full dress and naked but in erotic poses and the purpose of these photoshoots is fame, to promote models, products, or companies.

What kind of women does Boudoir photoshoot?

Every age or size of women that want to feel better, recover their body, and need to feel beautiful again can do boudoir photoshoot.

• Pregnant women who want to feel good about their bodies.
• Mothers who have recovered their bodies and want to feel good about themselves after the birth of a baby.
• Girls who love their partners and want to surprise them with their new look and feel how beautiful they are.

Other than these Athletes, models, and all those who faced any type of issues with their life and want to recover themselves and feel better they do Boudoir photo sessions.

Conclusion

Boudoir photography is not just about taking some sensual shots it is more than that.

For many women who face very hard times, it is a change, it takes their fear, gives them feel how beautiful they are, they are worthy and more. Overall it is a great experience for women and photographers.

I hope you will get useful information and my recommendation for the best camera for boudoir photography helps you to find a better camera.

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