The Best Cameras and Drones of 2020
Tools for capturing high-energy pursuits
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
iPhone 11 Pro ($999)
Three lenses on the iPhone 11 Pro shoot stunning landscape photos. A 12-megapixel, f/2.4, 12mm ultrawide-angle lens next to 26mm and 52mm lenses capture crisp action and vivid backgrounds at the same time, like a skier ripping down a mountain against vibrant alpine scenery. We’re also fans of the Night Mode feature: the 26mm lens brackets several photos together to produce crisp, accurate low-light photos.
DJI Mavic Mini Drone ($399)
About the size of a Âsandwich, and weighing just over half a pound, the Mavic Mini is ultraportable and perfect for adventurers headed for hard-to-reach spots. Spec-wise, the Mini isn’t quite pro quality, but it shoots attractive 2.7K video that’s stabilized using a three-axis gimbal, and it’s good for a respectable 30 minutes of flight time. An improved app with a simple interface makes the Mini easy to fly for those without much drone experience.
GoPro Hero8 Black ($400)
The headline here is HyperÂSmooth 2.0: GoPro’s improved image-Âstabilization technology, which yields some of the cleanest footage we’ve seen from an action camera. Your videos won’t look as steady as they would if you were shooting on a gimbal, but they’ll be damn close—reason alone to upgrade from the Hero7 Black. Other updates include built-in mounting fingers (the Hero8 doesn’t need a special case to mate with tripods, hand grips, and the like), better audio recording, and new clip-on accessories like a directional microphone and flip-up screen.
Sony a7R III ($2,800)
The a7R III remains one of the most powerful cameras available and a top choice for adventure photographers. It captures action at ten frames per second with a full-frame, 42.4-Âmegapixel sensor, a silent shutter mode, and great ISO range (up to 102,400). It isn’t new, but it makes our list because Sony recently dropped the price from $3,200. Now you can shoot with a wildly capable camera without draining your wallet (as much).