Research Reveals Which Cameras Photographers Would Use

Through a JotForm poll circulated to various Facebook groups and to its readers, Shotkit attempted to answer the question “What camera do pros and amateurs use?”. The site thus questioned 1000 people defining themselves as photographers to determine the model and brand of their equipment.

We do not know, however, what the practice of these photographers is, the equipment chosen can vary greatly between a studio photographer, a photoreporter, a wedding photographer or an animal photographer for example.

Hybrids, more popular than SLRs

From the outset, we observe that 63% of professional photographers opt for a mirrorless camera, while the share reserved for SLRs is 36%. The trend is similar for amateurs, who use 54% mirrorless cameras and 46% SLRs.

When we look at the brand of the device, Nikon and Canon come out on top, both among pros and amateurs, followed by Sony and Fujifilm. If the pros prefer Nikon cameras (31%) to Canon (28%), it is the opposite among the experts, with a slight preference for Canon (27% against 25%).

Surprisingly, the cameras favored by the pros are the Sony Alpha 7 III (7%) followed by the Canon EOS R6 and the Nikon D750 tied (5%). For their part, amateurs choose the Fujifilm X-T3 more (4%) followed by the Sony Alpha 7 III and the Nikon D850 tied (3%).

Compactness and performance for hybrids

When these photographers are asked to give reasons for their choice, some answers stand out. Both the professionals and the amateurs surveyed say they opt for a hybrid as a priority because of its reduced size (20% and 29% respectively), demonstrating the interest of photographers in a portable and practical solution. Autofocus is the second reason why pros choose a hybrid rather than an SLR, while amateurs value sensor stabilization more.

When we focus on SLR users, the arguments are somewhat different. Thus, pro photographers choose the SLR for the size of the optical fleet (23%), as do amateurs (25%).

Optical park and price to the advantage of SLRs

The price argument also comes up often: 19% of professionals surveyed and 20% of amateurs say that the cost of changing technology would be too high. Similarly, 10% of enthusiasts state that the SLR is less expensive than the alternative hybrid. The autonomy argument is only put forward by 14% of pros and 12% of amateurs, proof that manufacturers have made progress in improving the endurance of their hybrid boxes.

Of course, as with all polls, the results are questionable. This study is nevertheless interesting, in that it allows us to better understand the habits of photographers and to note the growing share of hybrids on the market. Many photographers declaring to stay on SLR for financial reasons should gradually switch to their mirrorless counterparts, the latter becoming more accessible and their optical fleet larger. Regarding the choice of brands, however, the latest sales data indicate that the share of “historic” manufacturers, in particular Nikon, should fall sharply in this type of study in the future.

The full study can be read on the Shotkit website.