There are mainly two types of cameras you can buy in the market: DSLR and mirrorless. One of the hotly debated topics among camera enthusiasts is — which of these two is better. There was a time when mirrorless cameras were looked down upon in the enthusiast community, but with rapid advances in technology, they are now on par with DSLR cameras. In fact, some even believe mirrorless cameras are the future. Mirrorless cameras, as the name would suggest, don’t use any mirrors — the light directly passes through the lens and projects onto the camera sensor, similar to how smartphone cameras work — unlike DSLRs, where the light is reflected off the mirrors and then projected onto the sensor. Mirrorless cameras are generally more compact than their DSLR counterparts, mainly due to the lack of additional camera hardware. This is one of the main reasons why users opt for mirrorless cameras. With that being said, if you want to buy the best mirrorless cameras available on the market, we make it easy with the below list. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Things to consider while buying mirrorless cameras
- Sensor size, Aperture and ISO: One of the questions you’ll come across while buying a mirrorless camera or just a camera, in general, is which sensor size you should go for. Generally, cameras come in Full-frame sensors (35mm sensor size, film negative size), APS-C sensors (25mm sensor size), and Four-thirds (15mm sensor size). Put it simply — the larger the sensor, the more light it’ll capture — leading to better imaging performance. But Full-frame sensor cameras are usually more expensive than other cameras. If you’re buying a professional camera for the first time, you may want to go with an APS-C sensor camera or even a Four-thirds for cost-effective options. And once you try these and think these are not enough for your everyday needs, you can try Full-frame cameras. But, if you just want to just preserve your everyday memories, both the APS-C sensor or Four-thirds are great options. Note that if you shoot a lot of low-light images, then APS-C cameras are a perfect middle ground and will better low-light pictures than a Four-thirds camera. Further, get a camera with a high ISO count for better low-light images.
- Resolution: A high resolution means you can print highly detailed large prints. But the Higher resolution also comes with the disadvantage of high storage requirements, and you’d need higher-capacity SD cards for the storage. This also affects camera performance as high-resolution images require a lot of processing. This may result in slower continuous shooting- and slower autofocus performance. So consider your requirements and then decide on a resolution. Generally, you won’t need very high-resolution cameras for everyday use, unless you print very large images and want very high cropping latitudes.
- Lens: For mirrorless cameras (or DSLRs for the matter), you need to buy separate lenses. Some manufacturers bundle ‘lens kits’ with the camera so you can quickly get started as soon have the camera in your hands. If you’re going this way, ensure the packaged lens kit is sufficient for your use case. Of course, you can always change the built-in lens, but lenses are generally very costly. So, keep an eye on a camera and what the manufacturer is offering in the bundle, and then decide on your purchase. Another thing to note here is that some cameras restrict which lenses you can attach to them. So when purchasing the camera, make sure to research what lens ecosystem a particular camera supports. So you’re not stuck after you make the purchase.
-
Durability: Portable devices such as cameras are prone to damage and hence their durability matters. Ensure the camera uses high-quality materials for its build. Also, if your photography involves a lot of landscape or wildlife shooting make sure it can handle the outdoor weather conditions and offers protection from dust, water and other things. This is especially important if your work involves shooting nature scenery or if you’re a wildlife photographer.
-
Ergonomics: Ensure the ergonomics of the camera are comfortable and offer long-term usage. Some cameras also feature a tilt/swivel design for the LCD so you can get a little more creative with your shots, as it’ll give you the freedom to move your camera the way you want, while still keeping the viewfinder contents visible in the LCD.
- Other things: Make sure the camera offers good stabilisation so your shots don’t turn blurry or out of focus. Additionally, ensure, it supports RAW file format for detailed image captures, video capabilities like 4K, eye and face tracking, and good battery life (especially important in mirrorless cameras due to the mandatory digital viewfinder). Lastly, ensure the LCD screen offers a high resolution since it’ll be acting as a viewfinder where the camera lacks a digital viewfinder.
Best mirrorless cameras
1. Sony Alpha ILCE-7M3K
Sony Alpha ILCE-7M3K comes with a 35mm full-frame back-illuminated CMOS sensor with a 24.2MP pixel count. The camera weighs around 650 grams, making it easy to carry and fit anywhere and carry easily. The Sony Alpha mirrorless camera comes with a 28mm-70mm lens and supports shooting in 4K. It further comes with a 5-axis stabilisation for ultra-stable videos and blur-free photos. You also get real-time eye AF as well as animal eye AF with up to 10fps making it easy to shoot human subjects and animal subjects. The camera supports a 100 – 51,200 standard ISO range and has a 15-stop dynamic range at lower sensitivity settings. It also gets 14-bit RAW output, 4D Focus, and 4K HDR for versatile photography and videography. Add to that, it also gets Time-lapse and silent shooting. There is a dual card slot for extended flexibility. It also gets a built-in XGA OLED Tru-Finder that offers excellent resolution, contrast, colour gradation, and more. In terms of connectivity, the camera has Wi-Fi and NFC support. Lastly, features such as tiltable LCD, One Touch Sharing, Smooth PC, tethering, a wide range of lens support, and more make it one of the best mirrorless cameras around.
2. Panasonic LUMIX G7
Panasonic is another compact and feature-packed mirrorless camera worth considering. The Panasonic LUMIX G7 comes with a 16MP micro Four-thirds sensor with no low pass filter to capture excellent images with a high dynamic range. It supports 4K video capture at 25fps and Full HD at 50fps. Further, it comes with an interchangeable Lens Camera Kit with a 14-42 mm Lens. Add to that, the camera can capture 8MP photo bursts at 30fps with the 4K photo mode. The camera can further extract high-resolution images from the 4K footage shot at 30fps. Thanks to intuitive controls placed on the front and rear, you can easily control the aperture and shutter speed while simultaneously making any changes required to white balance and ISO for full control over the shots. It also gets a high-resolution OLED Live View Finder and a large LCD screen with tilt and swivels functionality so you get creative with your shoots. Connectivity is handled by the 3.5mm external mic port, 2.5mm remote port, USB 2.0, and micro HDMI Type D. The camera also supports newer SD card formats such as UHS I/UHS-II and SDXC/SDHC so you capture 4K shots without any issues.
3. Fujifilm X-T4
This is the iconic mirrorless camera from Fujifilm that is highly sought after by camera enthusiasts around the globe. If you want a full-featured and no-compromise mirrorless camera, the Fujifilm X-T4 is one of the best cameras around. The camera features a 26.1MP 4th generation APS-C X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and built-in 5-axis image stabilisation along with an X-Processor 4 Engine for excellent imaging performance. And thanks to the processor, Fujifilm X-T4 now features an impressive 0.02 second AF that can capture motion with incredible precision and accuracy, as well as improved face and eye AF and low-light performance.
Further, it gets an LCD/EVF boost mode that lets you control its responsiveness to prioritise Luminance, Resolution, or Frame Rates to suit your photography needs. It also features an improved battery life so that the camera lasts longer on a single charge. Fujifilm X-T4 also comes with modes such as New Movie Mode and Movie Optimized Control for greater control over video captures. It also gets a 4K/60P 4:2:2 10-bit recording via an external HDMI device and internally at 4K/60P 4:2:0 10-bit. You also get a Full-HD 240P recording mode for slo-mo video captures. In terms of durability, the camera features 63 weather-sealed points for resistance against dust and moisture.
4. Sony Alpha ILCE-7M3
Sony Alpha ILCE-7M3 is yet another feature-packed and premium mirrorless camera on our list. It comes in a compact body and features a Full-frame 24.2MP Exmor R CMOS sensor. The camera is designed in a way that it operates at low noise. And yes, this one also gets 5-axis image stabilisation and features a 100-51,200 ISO range. It also has a Wide Dynamic Range that allows nuanced gradation for stunning imagery. It gets continuous shooting with 10fps that provides up to 177 JPEG images, 89 compressed RAW images, or 40 uncompressed RAW images in one burst for precise control over your shots. It also features a Slow and Quick Motion mode that allows slow motion shooting from 1 to 120/100fps that gives up to 60x quick motion and 5x slow motion. Sony Alpha ILCE-7M3 also gets s-log 3, which further helps improve the gradation and increases the dynamic range by up to 14 stops. And other Sony camera features are also here including real-time Eye AF, real-time animal eye AF, dual card slots, and quality of life features such as One Touch Sharing and Smooth PC tethering are also here. This one also uses XGA OLED Tru-Finder and supports a wide range of lense.
5. Canon EOS M200
Canon EOS M200 comes with a 24.1megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor for high-resolution shots with higher cropping latitudes. It also gets a Self Portrait Mode for stunning portraits and gets a skin smoothing feature to remove skin imperfections. It gets a 180-degree tilt-up LCD. Its Dual Pixel CMOS AF covers approximately 88% horizontal by 100% vertical wide area to let shoot to your heart’s content. It has an AF feature that works both while you’re capturing photos as well as videos. Further, the Canon EOS M200 comes with Eye detection AF. It also gets a Creative assist, which lets you apply a range of filters including Blur to Sharp, Dark to Bright, and Vivid to Monochrome to help you fine-tune the photos on the go. The camera can also shoot vertical videos, making it easy to share them on social media or Vlog with ease. And yes, it supports 4K video recording. In terms of wireless connectivity, it gets Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
6. Sony Alpha ILCE-7C
Next up on our list is another Alpha series mirrorless camera from the brand Sony. The Sony Alpha ILCE-7C is one of the most compact and lightweight cameras on the market. This one comes with a 35mm Full-frame back-illuminated CMOS sensor. It has a 24.2MP pixel count and supports 5-axis image stabilisation. This one also operates silently and gets a side-opening LCD monitor that rotates 176 degrees horizontally and up to 270 degrees vertically to give you more flexibility. It supports 4K HDR, Continuous shooting, Slow and Quick Motion, S-log 3, and 4D focus just like its other siblings. Other features such as Real Time Eye AF and Real AF Toggle as well as Real-Time Animal Eye AF. Of course, Sony has ensured you get a long-lasting battery that allows you to capture up to 740 images and 215 minutes of video recording when using the LCD monitor on a single charge. This also uses the same XGA OLED Tru-Finder for excellent performance as the other Alpha series Sony cameras on this list. Lastly, you also get features such as One Touch Sharing and Smooth PC Tethering to easily share photos and videos to your devices.
7. Fujifilm X-T200
Fujifilm X-T200 camera is another affordable choice on this list. It gets an APS-C CMOS image sensor with 24.2MP pixel count. It also gets a copper wiring structure for improved performance and has a Hybrid phase and contrast detection autofocus feature. It can capture 8fps shots in burst mode and can shoot in 4K for highly detailed images and videos. There is a special thing about the 4K on the Fujifilm X-T200. The camera captures video in 6K resolution and then downsampling them to 4K, resulting in videos that are less noisy.
You’re also getting Film Simulation modes from Fujifilm including Velvia, ASTIA, MONOCHROME, CLASSIC CHROME, and more for a versatile film shooting experience. These simulations can be used while shooting 4K for added functionality and flexibility. Add to that, it also gets oy Camera, Miniature, HDR Art, Pop Color, Fish-Eye, Partial Color, and more to add a touch of creativity to your photos. It has a 3.5-inch LCD touch screen to easily navigate the camera, which can rotate between -90 to +180 degrees for increased flexibility. New HDR Movie mode is also present here along with incredibly accurate Face and Eye AF detection.
8. Sony Alpha ILCE-7C/Silver
The Sony Alpha ILCE-7C/silver comes with a 35mm Full-frame back-illuminated CMOS sensor with 24.2MP pixel count. It gets a compact body and gives silent operation. Just like the standard variant, it also gets a side-opening LCD monitor, It supports 4K HDR, Continuous shooting, Slow and Quick Motion, S-log 3, and 4D focus modes. It also gets Real-Time Eye AF and Real AF Toggle and Real-Time Animal Eye AF. It also gets a long-lasting battery that allows you to capture up to 740 images and 215 minutes of video recording with the LCD monitor turned on. The XGA OLED Tru-Finder ensures the camera gives excellent shading, contrast, gradation, and colour reproduction. Touch Sharing and Smooth PC Tethering make it easy to transfer photos and videos to your laptop easy. Support for a wide range of lenses is also present here.
9. Sony Alpha ILCE 6100
Sony Alpha ILCE 6100 is one of the affordable variants in the Alpha series lineup. This offers a compact form factor and has a 24.2MP EXMOR CMOS sensor for better low-light performance. It has Real-time Eye AF, Real-time Animal Eye AF, and Real-time Tracking features. It can burst capture photos at a speed of 11fps. Sony Alpha ILCE 6100 has a tiltable LCD for more flexibility. It gets a 1:1 aspect ratio for social media posts. It gets an external microphone hack to help capture high-quality audio from dedicated hardware. Further, it has a Touch focus feature to make it easy to capture moving shots. Features such as Slow and Quick Motion, time-lapse, XOLED Tru-Finder, and 4K movie recording are also here, as well as support for a wide range of lenses. Wireless features on this one include Wi-Fi, USB, Bluetooth, and a remote tether.
10. Canon EOS M50
The Canon EOS M50 APS-C ships with a CMOS 24.1 APS-C CMOS sensor for high-resolution photos. It comes with a Canon DIGIC 8 Image Processor for further improved image low-noise images. It gets Dual Pixel CMOS AF for tracking and has Eye Detection AF as well. There is a Vari-angle touch screen LCD screen that makes it easy to photos and videos at narrow angles even when holding the camera vertically. Thanks to the 90MB/s shooting speed, it makes it extremely easy to shoot action shots. Further, the camera is capable of offering transfer speeds up to 170MB/s. The Canon EOS M50 also supports shooting in 4K and burst mode as well. The manufacturer has also made sure the camera can handle harsh conditions and is temperature-proof, waterproof, shock-proof, and x-ray-proof. You also get access to RescuePRO Deluxe, which lets you recover accidentally deleted data. And what’s more, the manufacturer is bundling a SanDisk 128GB Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-I card as well.
For all the latest Technology News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
