Cameras For Architectural Photography

For ages, I used a 10.1mp Canon 1d Mark III camera. Since I do a lot of compositing, I appreciated the small file size that resulted from this camera. 10mp is ample for printing in any magazine or newspaper, but it definitely will be a stretch if you plan to print larger. With the release of the Canon 5d Mark III I finally felt the urge to upgrade, and that is now my camera of choice. If you are not shooting for gallery prints or very high end clients who demand 25+ mp, I insist that the camera does not really matter for this type of shooting. You’re on a tripod 100% of the time, using lights, and you’re able to composite bracketed images together. High ISO is not a concern, neither is autofocus, neither is burst rate, so there’s no need for a state of the art camera. But I won’t lie, I like the new tech that the 5d Mark III provides and I often shoot in one of the medium raw formats in order to (still!) keep file sizes down. Even on the most advanced computer setups, stacking 50+ tiff files results in images well over 3 gigabytes in size, and this will make any computer, PC or Apple, slow to a crawl.

If I had to make a recommendation, I would recommend any full-frame sensor camera body in order to use the tilt shift lenses so common in architectural photography to their full potential. While I personally use the 5d Mark III, I know a number of shooters using the original 5d and 5d Mark II to great effect, as well as the newer 6d. The 5d Mark II and III seem to be the most popular, however there are some who prefer the larger 1ds Mark III and 1dX, though their usefulness for architectural photography is only very slightly marginally better. You are gaining some weather sealing and some tiny features like a larger screen. Frankly, I don’t think there is much of a point to a 1dX or 1ds Mark III unless you know you’ll be outside in rain or want to use the body for other applications such as sports or landscapes.

Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR Camera This is my main camera of choice. It shoots 50 megapixels and lets me crop for days. The only downside is that the file size is sometimes too big to deal with. 

Canon 5D Mark III DSLR Camera The 5d Mark III is second to the Canon EOS 5DS R DSLR Camera but I probably end up using it a little more often. The image quality competes with the 5DSR and with a 24 megapixel sensor, the file sizes end up being much easier to deal with. The image quality is superb through all ISOs that you'll use in architecture, the body is tough as nails, user interface is quick and simple to navigate, the screen is crystal clear and sharp for using live view to focus with tilt shift lenses, and as I said, 22mp has you more than covered for most realistic printing and web applications.

Canon EOS 6D DSLR Camera This camera usually stays in my bag as a back up camera but I'm more than happy to pull it out when I'm shooting multiple shots simultaneously. It's full frame and allows you to work with all of Canon's tilt shift lenses. For strictly shooting architecture, this camera is probably just as good as the 5d Mark III in all respects. It's when you take it outside and want to shoot sports that things might be different, but it's still plenty of camera. If you're on a budget, this is what I'd recommend.

If you prefer Nikon, you'll be okay too, I've got you covered. Below is what I'd recommend for Nikon users. Do note that if you're a Nikon user, save your money on the battery grips: you won't be needing the extra FPS and I can't justify the cost difference.

Nikon D810 DSLR Camera Nikon shocked everyone when they essentially replaced their $8000 Flagship D3x camera with the new D810. This is probably the #1 choice of architectural shooters using Nikon, and just like the 5d Mark III, it covers all the bases you'd need for architecture and then some. Dynamic range has been reported as being quite possibly the best in any DSLR, however, the big issue I hear is that the file size is almost TOO big if you're going to be doing any compositing.

Nikon D750 DSLR Camera The D750 is Nikon's best all round full frame camera and probably what I would use if I were a Nikon shooter on a budget or without a completely state of the art computer.