The best digital camera 2018: which one should you buy?

Choosing the best camera can be tricky. The market is flooded with fantastic options, from quality compacts and mirrorless cameras through to full-frame DSLRs with high-end features for professional users. Fortunately, whether you’re looking for a cheap and cheerful compact or the best DSLR out there, we’ve got you covered in our best camera buying guide.

We’re lucky enough to get our hands on all the latest cameras here at Digital Camera World. We subject them to rigorous testing procedures, which often throw up interesting results. Sometimes a camera will smash our expectations and deliver excellent performance for its price. Other times, a highly anticipated camera may fall short of what we believe it should offer, whether that’s in the lab or out in the field.

To help you pick the best digital camera for your needs and budget, we’ve compared everything we’ve recently reviewed, along with our favourite older models, and come up with a comprehensive list of the very best cameras on the market right now.

As you might expect, we've factored value for money into our decision-making process. Naturally, this means there's a handful of otherwise excellent cameras that haven't made the cut. But don't worry – we'll be revisiting this list regularly, and as prices drop we'll adjust our guide accordingly.

(Looking for the best camera for a specific use? Check out our other camera buying guides below this article.)

The best cameras in 2018

1. Nikon D850

A speedy and versatile full-frame performer, with 4K video to boot

Supremely versatile

Tough, weather-sealed body

Pedestrian live view AF

Lower buffer capacity at 9fps

Nikon has had a fair few smashes in the last couple of years, but the D850 has, unquestionably, stood out among them as one of the best DSLRs out there. As with the Sony A7 III (below), this appears to be largely down to its versatility. The 45.7MP sensor provides bags of resolution for landscapes, fashion and still-life setups, while 7fps burst shooting and a 153-point AF system means it's equally at home when faced with action – and you can boost this to 9fps with an optional battery pack if you need to. Wedding photographers will love the silent burst shooting mode, while 4K video shows it's no slouch when you need to record moving footage too. On top of all that, the robust, weather-sealed body means you can easily rely on it in even challenging conditions. The Nikon D850 is easily one of the best cameras you can buy.

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Toni Morrison