4 Best Digital Cameras For Photographing Artwork

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase by clicking on an affiliate link, Nevue Fine Art Marketing may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate relationships include, but are not limited to, Bluehost, Tailwind, Skimlinks, SareASale and StudioPress. To learn more visit Affiliate Link Disclosure Policy

Cameras For Photographing Paintings

Are you struggling with taking great images of your artwork to put online?

Selling art online has made it easy for artists to pursue a career doing what they love to do. The other side of the coin is that if your artwork’s images are of low quality, no one will purchase your art. 

I have come up with a list of 4 best digital cameras for photographing artwork to showcase your artwork with high-quality images.

Digital Cameras For Photographing Artwork

Are you having a hard time selling fine art online?

One of the reasons might be due to the images you are sharing online.

Most people will scroll past your artwork if your posting images are fuzzy, lousy lighting, cluttered background, or oversaturated.

Many artists struggle when it comes to photographing artwork.

Below are some articles that will help you to take professional images of your artwork, so they sell.

But before we get into that, I want to talk about investing in a good quality digital camera.

Are you photographing your fine art paintings for online marketing and prints?

The articles highlighted below provide tips about lighting, the angle, and the editing, but you will need a good camera before you get that far.

The image you post online must represent the original.

You do not want the buyer to be surprised when they open the package.

An image that does not represent the original will only upset a customer and tarnish your art business.

How to photograph artwork:

• Why Professional Quality Images Are A Must For Art Websites
• Tips for eCommerce photography for Crafters
• How To Photograph Art To Sell Online

Trying to decide what the best camera to purchase can become overwhelming.

You will hear about mirrorless cameras, DSLR cameras, shoot cameras, compact cameras, cameras that are best for low light, and the list will go on and on.

To make it a little easier, I created an outline of what you should be looking for when researching different cameras for photographing artwork.

What to look for when purchasing a digital camera:

• 12MP or higher
• Larger sensor size will produce a better quality image, but costs will be higher
• Image stabilization helps reduce blur (I recommend using a tripod)
• An optical viewfinder is accurate to what the camera is seeing

4 Best Digital Cameras For Photographing Artwork

The cameras listed below are recommended for artists who are interested in photographing artwork for reproduction and showcasing it on their online art gallery.

Canon E0s 50D Digital SLR Camera

Canon EOS 50D Digital SLR Camera Body {15.1 M/P}

Features:

• Well rounded camera well suited for action photography
• Robust construction with generous control amenities
• 15.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor
• APS-C sensor with 1.6x crop factor compared to 35mm size sensors
• Self Cleaning Sensor Unit with a fluorine coating
• 14-bit A to D (Analog to Digital) conversion for smooth color tones and grayscale gradations
• ISO range 100-3200 (H1: 6400, H2: 12800)
• Fast 6.3 fps (frames per second) continuous shooting
• Buffers up to 90 JPEG or 16 Raw images to CF cards
• Peripheral Illumination Correction setting automatically evens image brightness
• Bright crisp 3-inch Clear View LCD screen
• HDMI Output
• E-TTL II flash metering system with Built-in flash and hot shoe
• Compatible with the extensive line of Canon EF and EF-S Mount Lenses

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC – RX1 Digital Camera

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX1 Digital Camera {24.3 M/P}

Features:

• Ultra-premium compact camera with astounding image quality
• Full frame 35mm format sized sensor (larger than most DSLRs)
• Large low noise sensor and 14bit A to D (Analog to Digital) processing produces ISOs up to 25,600 and excellent dynamic range
• 24.3MP (MegaPixel) resolution
• Carl Zeiss 35mm f/2.0 Sonnar T* lens produces outstanding sharpness, color, & contrast
• Dedicated lens mounted control rings for aperture, focus distance, and infinity/macro range selection
• Focuses from &inf;to 24cm or 29cm to 14cm in Macro mode
• Dedicated controls for focus mode (AF, MF, Direct MF), exposure mode, exposure compensation, focus mode, video recording, AEL (Auto Exposure Lock), & Playback

Sony Alpha SLT – A99 Digital Camera

Sony Alpha SLT-A99 Digital Camera Body {24.3 M/P} – With Battery

Features:

• Sensor Size: CMOS
• Sensor Type: 35.8 x 23.9 mm
• Resolution: 24MP; 65000 x 4000
• ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100-6400 (Extended Mode 100-25600)
• File Formats:
• Still Images: JPEG, RAW
• Movies: MPEG-4 AVCHD
• Audio: AAC
• Lens Mount: Sony Alpha/Minolta
• Shutter Speeds: 30-1/8000 sec

Pentax K-5 Digital SLR Camera

Pentax K-5 Digital SLR Camera Body {16.3 M/P} – With Battery

Features:

• Sensor Size/Type: 1/2.33″ / CMOS
• Resolution: 4928 x 3264
• ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100 to 12800
• File Formats: RAW, JPEG (Good, Better, Best)
• Lens Mount: Pentax KAF2
• Shutter Speeds: 30 sec – 1/8000 sec

Tripods

If you are taking images of your artwork, you will want to make sure your images are not blurry. You want the images to reflect your original art so people will feel confident buying from you online.

You might want to consider purchasing a tripod.

Manfrotto Carbon Fiber 3 – Section Tripod

Manfrotto 055CXPRO3 Carbon Fiber 3-Section Tripod Legs 25-68.9″

More Cameras For Photographing Art

Here is a list of some moer popular caneras artists are using to photograph their artwork.

• Panasonic LUMIX GX7 16.0 MP DSLM Camera
• Olympus OM-D EM-5 Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Camera
• Samsung NX30 20.3MP CMOS Mirrorless Camera
• Pentax K5-II DSLR Camera

Most Popular Photographing Your Art Course

Craft Photography Fundamentals by Candice Stringham

Photographing Artwork With Digital Camera

Here are some basic tips for photographing your artwork with digital cameras.

• Turn off the digital zoom if your camera has one.
• Do not use auto setting, pick the lowest ISO, typically 100.
• Use a tripod
• Position the lighting 45 degrees to each side in front of the art. Use the same wattage and the same distance.

For more information, visit How To Photograph Artwork: From Settings To Lighting Setups. Janet Dwyer covers everything you will need to about photographing your paintings.

Final Thoughts On Cameras For Photographing Artwork

You want high-quality images of your artwork if you are planning to showcase them online.

Cameras for photographing artwork is an investment that cannot be overlooked if you are photographing artwork and selling prints of your original artwork.

Take some time to research the best digital cameras for photographing the artwork listed above to see what the best camera is for your business.

More Photographing Artwork Related Article

7 Tips Photographing Artwork to Sell More Art Online