Wildlife photography is a demanding genre, and photographers need high autofocus, high megapixels, and excellent image quality. Camera equipments are also upgrading from time to time, and wildlife photographers have to keep them up-to-date with the latest cameras, lenses, and technology.
Best APS-C Cameras for Wildlife Photography in 2025
While full-frame cameras are popular, APS-C cameras can offer better reach, deeper depth of field, and lower costs. Here are some of the best APS-C cameras for wildlife photography.
Canon EOS R7: A Budget-Friendly Powerhouse
The Canon EOS R7 is an APS-C camera with a 32.5MP sensor and a 30fps burst rate. Its autofocus is similar to the professional Canon R3. The camera offers 7-stop image stabilization, UHD 4K60p 10-bit video recording, and 651 autofocus points.
The R7 is lightweight, weather-resistant, and has excellent image quality. Bird photographers will especially appreciate the high autofocus hit rate. At 500mm, you can still get usable images at 1/160th second. As noted in our review, “Wildlife and bird photographers: this has to be one of the most perfect cameras on the market for you at a budget.”
Sony a6500: Compact Yet Powerful
The Sony a6500 features a 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor and a BIONZ X processor. It has 425 autofocus points, a burst rate of 11fps, ISO up to 51,200, and can record internal UHD 4K videos. The camera comes with a 2.36m-dot OLED EVF and a 921.6k-dot LCD.
The a6500 delivers fast autofocus and great image quality, even at ISO 25,600. “A fair amount of details can be recovered from the highlights, and the color rendition is overall pretty manageable. The files are highly capable for the needs of most photographers,” our review noted.
Fujifilm XH2: High Resolution and Speed
The Fujifilm XH2 is an APS-C camera with a 40MP X-Trans 5 BSI sensor. It shoots 8K videos at 30fps and offers a burst rate of 20fps. ISO sensitivity goes up to 12,800, and autofocus works down to -7 EV. The camera has a 1.62m-dot LCD and a 5.76m-dot OLED EVF.
The XH2 offers vibrant colors, excellent image quality, and weather sealing. It is also ideal for street photography. High ISO images remain clean, and the battery life is impressive.
Nikon D500: Reliable and Durable
The Nikon D500 has a 20MP sensor, 10fps burst rate, and ISO up to 51,200. It can record 4K UHD videos at 30fps and has 153 autofocus points. Its 3.2-inch 2,359,000-dot LCD and 860g body make it practical for outdoor use.
The D500 offers fast and accurate autofocus, great image quality, and strong build quality. Highlights and shadows are captured with precision, and images at ISO 6400 remain sharp. As noted, “It’s a seriously great camera that I’d recommend to sports, photojournalists, and wildlife shooters. They’re bound to make the most of it.”
APS-C cameras like these combine speed, quality, and affordability. They are perfect for wildlife photographers seeking reach and precision without the full-frame price.
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