Portraits reward a larger sensor, reliable eye autofocus and a fast short-telephoto prime around 85mm equivalent. Background blur comes mostly from the lens and sensor size, not the body's price.
| Budget | Best setup | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under £500 | Panasonic Lumix G80 + Panasonic Lumix G 42.5mm f/1.7 | £500 | More options → |
| Under £1,000 | Panasonic Lumix S1 + Panasonic Lumix S 85mm f/1.8 | £950 | More options → |
| Under £1,500 | Panasonic Lumix S5 II + Panasonic Lumix S 85mm f/1.8 | £1,370 | More options → |
| Under £2,000 | Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX + Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art | £1,970 | More options → |
| Under £3,000 | Panasonic Lumix S1R II + Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art | £2,850 | More options → |
| Under £5,000 | Canon EOS R5 Mark II + Canon RF 85mm f/1.2L USM | £4,890 | More options → |
| Under £10,000 | Hasselblad X2D II 100C + Hasselblad XCD 2,5/90V | £9,050 | More options → |
44MP full frame with class-leading stabilisation and 8K video in a lighter body than the original S1R.
Sony's flagship: 50MP stacked sensor, 30fps blackout-free and AI tracking. Resolution and speed in one body.
The A7R V's 61MP sensor in the compact A7C body. Huge resolution you can travel with.
The S1 II body with a conventional sensor: most of its features for less.
Leica's 60MP L-Mount body. Machined build, IP54 sealing and access to Leica, Sigma and Panasonic lenses.
Nikon's affordable full frame with flagship-grade autofocus. Weather-sealed with two card slots.
45MP with a fast stacked sensor, eye-control AF and 8K video. Canon's do-everything pro body.
More resolution and serious video over the Mark II. The top of this guide's price range.
24MP low-light and video SL3 with phase-detect AF.
Across all budgets, the Panasonic Lumix S1R II scores highest for portraits in our database, followed by the Sony Alpha A1 II and Sony Alpha A7C R. The best choice depends on budget; see the setups by price below.
Portraits reward a larger sensor, reliable eye autofocus and a fast short-telephoto prime around 85mm equivalent. Background blur comes mostly from the lens and sensor size, not the body's price.
It helps, through cleaner high-ISO files and shallower depth of field, but a good lens on APS-C will still give excellent results.