EDITORS’ PICKS

Cameras are undeniably moving toward a mirrorless future, and 2021 advanced considerably to that end. Nearly all of the new gear introduced this year was for mirrorless systems. Here are our top picks of those new cameras and lenses that meet the unique needs of nature and adventure photographers.

CAMERAS

CAMERA OF THE YEAR

SONY A1

This year was a significant one for flagship mirrorless camera releases from Canon, Nikon and Sony. Canon introduced the EOS R3, which sits at the top of its full-frame mirrorless system and is carefully positioned by Canon as “between” the EOS R5 mirrorless and EOS-1D X DSLR, leaving room for a future mirrorless model above the R3. At the time of this writing, Nikon has announced the development of the Z 9, which is expected this year and will be Nikon’s most advanced full-frame mirrorless camera to date.

Though we don’t yet know the specs of the Nikon Z 9, we’re still confident in selecting the Sony a1 as our Camera of the Year for 2021. Sony kicked off 2021 by revealing this remarkable model in January, an unusual time for a major camera introduction. Its capabilities set a new benchmark for resolution and speed, making it an exceptionally good choice for wildlife and sports