The best DSLR and CSC cameras with super high resolutions
If you measure the best and smart DSLR camera in the world then if can choose this.
Pentax K-1
The Pentax K-1 doesn't have the highest resolution of all the cameras in our round-up, but is an excellent all-rounder and very competitively priced for a full-frame camera.
The sensor offers a 36.4MP resolution, which is easily big enough to create A2-sized prints, as well as enjoying the other benefits of cameras with high pixel counts. And, like most of the other contenders here, the K-1 is free from an optical low-pass filter to maintain maximum image clarity and sharpness. If you want to capture smaller resolution files to save space on your memory cards, you can set the K-1 to shoot in the 15MP APS-C Crop Mode. Built into the sensor is Pentax's 5-axis Shake Reduction II mechanism, so you can shoot up to 5 stops slower without encountering camera shake.
ISO & autofocus
Partnering the sensor is a PRIME IV processor, and this lets the K-1 shoot up to 4.4fps for 70 JPEGs or 17 RAW files. This burst rate is only fractionally behind the pace of the Canon, Nikon and Sony offerings. The processor also allows for an ISO range of 100-204,800, which matches the one medium-format camera in our round-up, the Pentax 645Z. To set the focus, the K-1 employs the SAFOX 12 AF system, which uses 33 points, 25 of them being the superior cross-type AF sensors.
The K-1 also lets you shoot movies, and you can record Full HD (1080p at 60fps), but there's no 4K video capability. There is Wi-Fi though, so you can connect with your smartphone or tablet for remote operation or easy transfer of images. The built-in GPS isn't just for location data but works with the sensor's stabilization unit to follow the movements of the stars in the sky, allowing for longer and more detailed exposures of the heavens.
Additional features
The body is comfortable in the hand, rugged and weatherproof, making it ideal for all types of environment. On the rear there's a 3.2in 1037k-dot LCD which tilts away from the body, to help with more challenging compositions. All this is available from just £1,149, making it a very tempting option for anyone that's not already invested in a rival system.
Pros
36.4MP full-frame sensor
Impressive native ISO range
Attractive price
Cons
Slower frame rate than rivals
No 4K video functionality
The sensor offers a 36.4MP resolution, which is easily big enough to create A2-sized prints, as well as enjoying the other benefits of cameras with high pixel counts. And, like most of the other contenders here, the K-1 is free from an optical low-pass filter to maintain maximum image clarity and sharpness. If you want to capture smaller resolution files to save space on your memory cards, you can set the K-1 to shoot in the 15MP APS-C Crop Mode. Built into the sensor is Pentax's 5-axis Shake Reduction II mechanism, so you can shoot up to 5 stops slower without encountering camera shake.
ISO & autofocus
Partnering the sensor is a PRIME IV processor, and this lets the K-1 shoot up to 4.4fps for 70 JPEGs or 17 RAW files. This burst rate is only fractionally behind the pace of the Canon, Nikon and Sony offerings. The processor also allows for an ISO range of 100-204,800, which matches the one medium-format camera in our round-up, the Pentax 645Z. To set the focus, the K-1 employs the SAFOX 12 AF system, which uses 33 points, 25 of them being the superior cross-type AF sensors.
The K-1 also lets you shoot movies, and you can record Full HD (1080p at 60fps), but there's no 4K video capability. There is Wi-Fi though, so you can connect with your smartphone or tablet for remote operation or easy transfer of images. The built-in GPS isn't just for location data but works with the sensor's stabilization unit to follow the movements of the stars in the sky, allowing for longer and more detailed exposures of the heavens.
Additional features
The body is comfortable in the hand, rugged and weatherproof, making it ideal for all types of environment. On the rear there's a 3.2in 1037k-dot LCD which tilts away from the body, to help with more challenging compositions. All this is available from just £1,149, making it a very tempting option for anyone that's not already invested in a rival system.
Pros
36.4MP full-frame sensor
Impressive native ISO range
Attractive price
Cons
Slower frame rate than rivals
No 4K video functionality
Sony Alpha 7R II
If you want a big resolution, but are put off by a heavy and bulky DSLR, then you should certainly consider the Sony Alpha 7R II. It's a CSC so is slim by nature, with a profile measuring 127x96x60mm and weighs just 582g.
Despite its diminutive casing, it features a 42.4MP full-frame sensor – the highest of any CSC on the market – and is only beaten for resolution in our round-up by the ground-breaking Canon and medium-format Pentax. Like most of the other cameras featured in this test, there's no optical low-pass filter present on the sensor, so images are as sharp as can be. The sensor comes with a 5-axis image stabilization system, which detects movement during the exposure and shifts the sensor to compensate. This can allow you to shoot up to 4.5 stops slower than would ordinarily be possible without encountering the blur of camera shake.
ISO & autofocus
The imaging chip is supported by the BIONZ X image processor, and this gives the Alpha 7R II a native ISO range of 100-25,600, which can be expanded to ISO 50-102,400. The processor also provides the speed, and like both the Nikon and Canon contenders, the top shooting rate is capped to a respectable 5fps.
The Sony Alpha 7R II uses a Hybrid AF system to set the focus, and it features an enormous 399 AF points which cover 45% of the frame area. This makes it easy to lock onto and track moving subjects, even when set to record movies.
While all the high-resolution cameras in our collection offer Full HD video recording, the Alpha 7R II is the only one here to offer 4K movie capture, which at 8MP is 4x the resolution of Full HD.
As this camera is a CSC there's no optical viewfinder present. There is, however, a 0.5in EVF (electronic viewfinder) that features the highest magnification of any EVF at 0.78x and a resolution of 2359k-dot, helping the images to appear large and bright. On the rear, there's also a 2.95in 1228k-dot LCD if you prefer to frame using Live View. The Alpha 7R MkII also comes with NFC and Wi-Fi, so you can use your smartphone or tablet as a viewfinder and remote shutter release, and one-touch sharing lets you transfer your photos and videos from your camera to your smart device, so you can quickly display your images online.
Additional features
As the Alpha 7R II uses either the EVF or Live View to frame up it's fairly power-hungry, so you may need a spare battery, as it's only set to last for 290 shots from a single charge.
Despite being reasonably petite, the Alpha 7R II is extremely solid and has a rugged feel thanks to the magnesium alloy design. It offers some unique features and is competitively priced at £1652. While there are comparatively few lenses available for Sony full-frame CSCs, it is possible to use Canon or Nikon lenses with the aid of a converter.
Pros
42.4MP full-frame sensor
5-axis image stabilisation
4K video
Cons
Poor battery performance
No tilt or touchscreen
Despite its diminutive casing, it features a 42.4MP full-frame sensor – the highest of any CSC on the market – and is only beaten for resolution in our round-up by the ground-breaking Canon and medium-format Pentax. Like most of the other cameras featured in this test, there's no optical low-pass filter present on the sensor, so images are as sharp as can be. The sensor comes with a 5-axis image stabilization system, which detects movement during the exposure and shifts the sensor to compensate. This can allow you to shoot up to 4.5 stops slower than would ordinarily be possible without encountering the blur of camera shake.
ISO & autofocus
The imaging chip is supported by the BIONZ X image processor, and this gives the Alpha 7R II a native ISO range of 100-25,600, which can be expanded to ISO 50-102,400. The processor also provides the speed, and like both the Nikon and Canon contenders, the top shooting rate is capped to a respectable 5fps.
The Sony Alpha 7R II uses a Hybrid AF system to set the focus, and it features an enormous 399 AF points which cover 45% of the frame area. This makes it easy to lock onto and track moving subjects, even when set to record movies.
While all the high-resolution cameras in our collection offer Full HD video recording, the Alpha 7R II is the only one here to offer 4K movie capture, which at 8MP is 4x the resolution of Full HD.
As this camera is a CSC there's no optical viewfinder present. There is, however, a 0.5in EVF (electronic viewfinder) that features the highest magnification of any EVF at 0.78x and a resolution of 2359k-dot, helping the images to appear large and bright. On the rear, there's also a 2.95in 1228k-dot LCD if you prefer to frame using Live View. The Alpha 7R MkII also comes with NFC and Wi-Fi, so you can use your smartphone or tablet as a viewfinder and remote shutter release, and one-touch sharing lets you transfer your photos and videos from your camera to your smart device, so you can quickly display your images online.
Additional features
As the Alpha 7R II uses either the EVF or Live View to frame up it's fairly power-hungry, so you may need a spare battery, as it's only set to last for 290 shots from a single charge.
Despite being reasonably petite, the Alpha 7R II is extremely solid and has a rugged feel thanks to the magnesium alloy design. It offers some unique features and is competitively priced at £1652. While there are comparatively few lenses available for Sony full-frame CSCs, it is possible to use Canon or Nikon lenses with the aid of a converter.
Pros
42.4MP full-frame sensor
5-axis image stabilisation
4K video
Cons
Poor battery performance
No tilt or touchscreen
3 of 4
Nikon D810
The Nikon D810 builds on the success of its forebear – the D800 – which was one of the first DSLRs to enter the megapixel territory of medium-format cameras.
The FX-format sensor has a resolution of 36.3MP, and this time Nikon has ditched the low-pass filter found on the D800 to increase image sharpness. The resolution, however, is actually the lowest of any of the full-frame cameras in our round-up, but still big enough to produce large prints or apply hefty digital crops. The sensor is partnered by an EXPEED 4 image processor, which allows for a respectable top shooting speed of 5fps, and you can continue firing the shutter for an unlimited number of JPEGs. This can be increased to 6fps when shooting in the DX crop mode, but doing so means images have a reduced resolution of 15.3MP. With the additional battery grip (£299), the increase in power lets you shoot at a speedy 7fps.
ISO & autofocus
The D810 also offers the ability to shoot smaller-sized 12-bit RAW files. One criticism of high-resolution cameras is that image files are so large, they take up a lot of storage space and processing time. Also, such large files just aren't necessary for many scenarios. With the D810 you can select RAW size S in the Image Size menu options and shoot smaller 9MP files.
The D810 has a native ISO range of 64-12,800, which can be expanded to ISO 32-51,200. One of the advantages of having fewer pixels is a better low light performance, as each individual photosite is bigger, thus increasing the light-gathering potential of the sensor. And the D810 does do a good job of restricting noise when shooting at high sensitivities.
The D810 uses the same 51-point Multi-CAM 3500FX AF system found in the D4S. This was Nikon's flagship DSLR in 2014 and is a testament to the speed of the focusing system in the D810. It offers Group Area AF for easier focusing on smaller subjects framed against distracting backgrounds. The AF system also includes single-point, 9, 21 or 51-point dynamic-area, 3D-tracking, and auto-area.
Additional features
On the rear, there's a 3.2in 1229k-dot LCD, which can be used when capturing Full HD (1080p) movies at 60fps. The body is sealed, making it both dust- and weather-resistant, and inside the deep finger grip, there's space for both CompactFlash and SD memory cards. The battery offers the best performance of any in our countdown, rated to last for 1200 shots from a full charge. In our own shooting experience with this camera, the battery keeps going for over 2000 frames.
Priced at £1099, the D810 is one of the more affordable high-res cameras in this round-up, and if you're already a Nikon user it's definitely worthy of your consideration.
Pros
36.3MP full-frame sensor
Fast AF performance
Good battery
Cons
Lower resolution than competitors
Fairly low native ISO
The FX-format sensor has a resolution of 36.3MP, and this time Nikon has ditched the low-pass filter found on the D800 to increase image sharpness. The resolution, however, is actually the lowest of any of the full-frame cameras in our round-up, but still big enough to produce large prints or apply hefty digital crops. The sensor is partnered by an EXPEED 4 image processor, which allows for a respectable top shooting speed of 5fps, and you can continue firing the shutter for an unlimited number of JPEGs. This can be increased to 6fps when shooting in the DX crop mode, but doing so means images have a reduced resolution of 15.3MP. With the additional battery grip (£299), the increase in power lets you shoot at a speedy 7fps.
ISO & autofocus
The D810 also offers the ability to shoot smaller-sized 12-bit RAW files. One criticism of high-resolution cameras is that image files are so large, they take up a lot of storage space and processing time. Also, such large files just aren't necessary for many scenarios. With the D810 you can select RAW size S in the Image Size menu options and shoot smaller 9MP files.
The D810 has a native ISO range of 64-12,800, which can be expanded to ISO 32-51,200. One of the advantages of having fewer pixels is a better low light performance, as each individual photosite is bigger, thus increasing the light-gathering potential of the sensor. And the D810 does do a good job of restricting noise when shooting at high sensitivities.
The D810 uses the same 51-point Multi-CAM 3500FX AF system found in the D4S. This was Nikon's flagship DSLR in 2014 and is a testament to the speed of the focusing system in the D810. It offers Group Area AF for easier focusing on smaller subjects framed against distracting backgrounds. The AF system also includes single-point, 9, 21 or 51-point dynamic-area, 3D-tracking, and auto-area.
Additional features
On the rear, there's a 3.2in 1229k-dot LCD, which can be used when capturing Full HD (1080p) movies at 60fps. The body is sealed, making it both dust- and weather-resistant, and inside the deep finger grip, there's space for both CompactFlash and SD memory cards. The battery offers the best performance of any in our countdown, rated to last for 1200 shots from a full charge. In our own shooting experience with this camera, the battery keeps going for over 2000 frames.
Priced at £1099, the D810 is one of the more affordable high-res cameras in this round-up, and if you're already a Nikon user it's definitely worthy of your consideration.
Pros
36.3MP full-frame sensor
Fast AF performance
Good battery
Cons
Lower resolution than competitors
Fairly low native ISO
ausome
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