If you are looking for a Sony camera that can perform amazingly while shooting events, this list is a great cheat sheet for what features to keep in mind, plus the corresponding Sony models that outperform the others when it comes to event photography.
Best Sony camera for event photography
First off, to shoot events, be it sporting competitions or photojournalism-style coverage of important gatherings, it takes a high level of professional skill as well as experience. Going into an event as a professional, alone, and without prior experience or planning is a recipe for disaster. Many photographers who find themselves in the niche of covering events know that almost 90% of what happens cannot be repeated, and thus it is important to have reliable equipment to assist in capturing those decisive moments.
For event photography, you are looking for a camera body with good stabilization; not all the time will you be able to bring a tripod with you. Most photographers who cover events shoot handheld; less weight affords them the agility, even when using heavy telephoto lenses. High resolution would be great as most events need some kind of printed output, either as a photo album, wall art, or even news or magazine print. Another important criteria is being able to be used for long sessions, and not limited by overheating or recording limits. Lastly, it would also be great if there was the option of having a long baterry life to minimize battery changing.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Full-frame + Fast Autofocus like pro sports cameras + Has built-in stabilization | – Pricey – Small, may not be ergonomic |
Bigger than their largest APS-C model, the a7C is small yet designed for optimal handling. Sony has hyped it up as having professional power in a ultra-portable body. What this suggests is that this model was designed to be handled even better than its smaller cousins. The full-frame sensor not only allows more light, but also gets better details, better coverage from lightest highlights to darkest shadows, and plush image depth. This camera simply takes a lot of technical stress out of the photographer’s mind. The touch LCD swings bent the side and swivels 270°, keeping it from blocking the hotshoe also the mic ports on the side.
The alpha a7C also makes it easy to transfer and share files. it’s WiFi and Bluetooth enabled, also as having a smartphone as a foreign with NFC One-touch. During this day and age, sharing photos may be a large a part of the rationale why people take up photography, and this model embodies the saying that the perfect camera for events is that the one always with you. If the event you are covering needs instant uploads as part of its promotion, this camera is a great choice.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Full-frame sensor, 61.0 MP + Has built-in stabilization | – Autofocus not as fast – Large file sizes |
The Sony alpha 7R IV is proof that Sony continually tests the boundaries of imaging. Coming up with a 61.0 MP on a full-frame camera is the perfect invention geared to accommodate event photography. Most events need print outputs, either as wall art or large albums, or for general print publication. Being able to work with an original image that is massively detailed is both a boon and bane for photographers—the option to crop without losing detail is very handy. Professional photographic artists will also be pleased with how it delivers the texture of subjects and subtleties of light and dark.
It has two memory card slots, always a welcome feature for event photographers who are guaranteed to shoot a lot. Also, with a wide focusing grid, this camera cuts out the trial-and-error process while candidly capturing subjects that don’t necessarily pose for you.
If you have experience working with large file sizes and know that the high resolution is something you need, there is no other camera that can capture more image detail than the Sony a7R IV.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Lighter and smaller than most full-frame cameras + Sony’s IBIS (stabilization) + Robust battery | – Cropped sensor – Pricey |
The Sony Alpha a6600 is highly recommended for those who almost always use the full manual mode of their cameras and would like to graduate from serious enthusiast to semi-pro photographer who covers events. The a6600 has a speedy, reliable AF, including Eye AF that finds and tracks the eyes of your subject or subjects. It has an extreme ISO rating of up to 32000 and with the latest image processing, this camera can produce impressively noiseless images in low lighting. This means that you can effectively shoot indoors, and matched with a great lens, can rely on ambient lighting to capture the feel of the events.
An improvement from previous models is the battery life; the battery itself is larger than other APS-C models of its line, but the ergonomics of the body remains the same. It’s able to last longer before changing batteries, which translates to more time shooting.
Alpha a6600 is an amazing tool that will make covering events easier. Being lighter than other professional cameras, it handles better when using for long hours. It has features that rival even some models in the Sony professional line. You might want to keep in mind that, as this is geared towards those with an intermediate skill level, it does not have a pop-up flash for those emergency flash situations.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| + Best pairing for telephoto lenses + Fantastic battery life even with continuous shooting + Silent shutter | – Battery can drain even when turned off – Dated |
Another model coming from the professional line is the Sony Alpha 9, released in 2017. It is a popular full-frame mirrorless camera for photojournalists as has more features than a7R line. In particular, it’s one of the two in the full-frame line that can shoot up to 20 frames per second—key for event photographers. Aside from IBIS, the a9 also has a built in electronic level, and silent mode, perfect for not drawing attention and infringing on the moment.
Reviews are very happy with how the resolution and image quality of this camera is one of the best, even with zoom and crop. The color reproductions are also spot on and consistent, and seamlessly integrates into a pre-existing Sony posts-production workflow.
One set-back of this model is that it seems to drain its battery even when not in use. If you are covering events that keep you away from charging your gear for more than a day, or if you use the burst shooting mode often, prepare a few extra batteries as a safety measure.
| Reasons to buy | Cons |
|---|---|
| + One of the fastest Autofocus for Sony + Burst mode also goes up to 20fps + Ultra-portable | – fixed lens – Pricey for a fixed lens |
The RX100 line has been a favorite among photography-inclined creators and photographers. As more and more people want to share their everyday experiences in pictures and videos, the RX100 VII answers the call for an easy to use yet high quality gadget to capture everyday events. As Sony says, you don’t need the technical know-how to use this camera to produce polished and professional-looking images. Easy operation sets creativity free.
Notable is its capability to also do 20fps, with the technology borrowed from more expensive sport cameras like the Sony a9. It focusing AI is also well-known, with fast switching between near and far subjects, The touch LCD can be used for focusing stills as well as Real-time Tracking for videos. On top of everything, the RX100 VII is definitely the smallest of the ones in this list. With a zoom lens that covers an equivalent of 24-200mm, the built in lens cuts down even more on other gear you have to carry to events.
If you don’t mind the fixed lens, have little need for big resolution-ed cameras, mostly share your images and clips online immediately, the RX100 VII is great to carry be always prepared for any kind of event.
Conclusion
In summary, there a lot of options for the best camera body for event photography, and this short list is just a few of the recent offering from Sony. The nice thing to note is that, apart from the RX100 VII with the built-in lens, all the other models feature Sony’s one mount—the E-mount. This universal mount keeps many lenses accessible to you regardless of which mirrorless Sony you have. Oftentimes, an event photographer’s kit contains more than one lens as well as another back-up camera body; having a system of lenses and bodies that can be swapped around as needed will make event coverage more streamlined and stress-free.