Mirrorless cameras have been around for a little while now. Sony, Fuji, and a few other camera companies have been producing mirrorless cameras exclusively for a few years. Canon and Nikon have jumped on the mirrorless bandwagon in recent years and are now phasing out their DSLR lines. But why? And what are your best options?
First, let’s talk about the differences and advantages of mirrorless cameras. The main physical difference is the lack of a mirror. A DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) has a mirror that allows you to look directly through the lens to focus and compose your photos, then the mirror moves up and out of the way to allow the shutter to open and the sensor to capture the photograph. Mirrorless cameras remove the mirror and use the video feed from the sensor and an electronic viewfinder (basically a small monitor where the viewfinder would be on a DSLR), allowing you to compose your photos. The disadvantage of this is that the viewfinder is constantly on which shortens battery life.
The mirrorless camera has a few advantages. Since you're seeing a video feed from the sensor, you can set your camera up to see the exact exposure your photo will be. You'll know if your photo is over or underexposed before you take the shot. The autofocus is better because mirrorless cameras use the sensor to focus, while a DSLR has a second sensor for focusing and there can be calibration issues that lead to slower focusing and more out-of-focus photos. Finally, mirrorless cameras are lighter, smaller, and should last longer because they have fewer moving parts.
For Canon and Nikon shooters moving to mirrorless, there's the question of lenses. Many photographers already have a large selection of lenses and are afraid they'll need to buy all new lenses. This is not true. Both Canon and Nikon have adaptors that work fine with legacy lenses. The Canon R and Nikon Z series mirrorless cameras do have different lens mounts that allow the new lenses to be designed differently and will have better optical qualities and often be smaller and lighter. My advice is to buy new mirrorless lenses as your older lenses wear out. You’re not losing any quality; you’re just not getting the advantages of the new lenses.
Now to the controversial recommendations: First, a disclaimer. I shoot Canon, Fuji, and some Sony. I do have a few Nikon film cameras. I feel they all make great cameras. One year, Canon might make a slightly better camera, the next year it might be a Nikon, Sony or Fuji that has an advantage. So I recommend buying the camera that either fits with what you already have or buy the camera that's best suited for what you shoot the most.
Mirrorless Cameras for Photography
Right now, if I wanted to buy a general-purpose camera, I would consider the Canon R6, Nikon Z6II, Sony a7IV, Fuji X-T4, and Olympus EM-1. These cameras are all great still cameras for day-to-day photography but they're not the best for video, and they lack the highest pixel count that many commercial and landscape photographers demand. But they're easy to use and produce very high-quality images.
Canon R6
Specs
Resolution: 20.1MP
Autofocus: 6,072- AF points
Maximum continues shooting rate: 12fps mechanical, 20fps electronic
Movies: 4K at 60p
The R5 is a killer camera, but it might be overkill for most photography. The R6 is affordable, has awesome low light performance, superb image stabilization and auto focus. It's a camera you can go out and just enjoy shooting. You'll feel confident that it will capture the image and if you need video every now and then, 4k at 60p will suit the needs of most users except maybe v-loggers and video producers.
Nikon Z6II
Specs
Resolution: 24.5MP
Auto focus: 273- hybris AF points
Maximum continues shooting rate: 14fps
Movies: 4K at 30p
The Z6II is just a solid camera. The animal eye/face detection is great for wildlife and animal photography. Low light performance is very respectable with the BSI CMOS sensor. People who have the original Z6 will find this a nice upgrade and anyone new to mirrorless won't be disappointed.
Sony a7IV
Specs
Resolution: 33MP
Autofocus: 759- AF points
Maximum continues shooting rate: 10fps
Movies: 4K at 60p
Sony’s cameras are known for their great photo quality and video versatility and the a7IV keeps that streak going. With 33MP, it's the resolution king of general-purpose cameras. With the ability to use CFexpress cards, you'll have no issue in either still or video mode with hitting the buffer, even with the 10-bit video output.
Fuji X-T4
Specs
Resolution: 26.1MP
Autofocus: 425- hybris AF points
Maximum continues shooting rate: 15fps
Movies: 4K at 60p
The X-T3 has a great reputation as a still camera. No one does film simulation quite as well as Fuji does. The X-T4 adds video capability right up there with the best video in class, in-body image stabilization (IBIS) and Fuji glass (lenses are often called glass). This is the first of two cameras on this list with a crop sensor and you don’t miss anything except the weight and size of the camera.
Olympus OM-D E-M1 MkIII
Specs
Resolution: 20.4MP
Autofocus: 1,053- hybris AF points
Maximum continues shooting rate: 15fps mechanical, 60fps electronic
Movies: 4K at 30p
I want to be a full-frame snob when I shoot with this camera, but I can’t. With features like built-in focus stacking, high res shot, and Live ND, this camera offers things other cameras on this list don't offer. And for travel photographers, this camera fits anywhere and goes anywhere. The 120 fps with the electronic shutter just blows my mind. If I find a fault, it would be the low light performance. Going past ISO 1600 I just feel it doesn’t hold up to the other cameras on this list.
Mirrorless Cameras for VLOGGERS
Vlogging is very popular, and these cameras have some very nice features for making vlogs easy to shoot. If you are looking for a vlogging camera that's also great for still shots, look at the Fuji X-S10, the Sony a7C for travel vlogging, or the Sony ZV-1 as a compact camera that's a great vlogging camera.
Fuji X-S10
Specs
Resolution: 26.1MP
Autofocus: 425- hybris AF points
Maximum continues shooting rate: 8fps, 20fps electronic
Movies: 4K at 30p, Full HD at 240p
Sony a7C
Specs
Resolution: 26.1MP
Autofocus: 425- hybris AF points
Maximum continues shooting rate: 8fps, 20fps electronic
Movies: 4K at 30p, Full HD at 240p
Sony ZV-1
Specs
Resolution: 26.1MP
Autofocus: 425- hybris AF points
Maximum continues shooting rate: 8fps, 20fps electronic
Movies: 4K at 30p, Full HD at 240p
These three are tops in vlogging. If you're looking for both vlogging and film making, check out the Lumix GH6, Olympus E-M5 Mark III, or Canon R5. These are bigger cameras than the three listed above.
DJI Pocket 2
I’m going to give a special shout out to the DJI Pocket 2. Not just because I've just bought one myself, but because of its size and its built-in gimbal. I will be using these for walk and talks for you YouTube channel. It will do 4k up to 60fps and is small enough to fit in a pocket.
Mirrorless Cameras for Landscape Photography
Landscape photographers love their megapixels because they sell large prints for a living. These cameras are also very good for commercial photographers, but I won't go into much detail as most of them are already locked into this info. For these cameras, megapixel is probably the number one factor and other factors like weather sealing are taken into consideration. I will note size in the specs because I often hike with my gear and weight is a factor.
Canon EOS R5
Specs
Resolution: 45MP
Autofocus: 384 AF points
ISO Range: 100-51,200
Image Stabilization: 8-stops with IBIS and IS Lenses
Size and Weight: 135.8 x 97.5 x 88mm, 738 g with card and battery
When the R5 came out it seemed to mainly be focused on the hybrid photographer/video shooter. This is still true, but the camera has really come to its own as a still camera. The IBIS/lens stabilization has almost made tripods obsolete. I've shot waterfalls at ½ sec using a wide angle IS lens to get flowing water and tack sharp rocks handheld. Although I don't recommend this, when shooting fast or in locations where a tripod is out of the question, this opens a lot of possibilities.
Sony a7R IV
Specs
Resolution: 61MP
Autofocus: 425 AF points
ISO Range: 100-32,000
Image Stabilization: 8-stops with IBIS and IS Lenses
Size and Weight: 128.9 x 96.4 x 77.5mm, 665 g with card and battery
Being the highest resolution camera of the three 35mm based camera here, and with GMaster lenses attached to the a7R IV, it's hard to beat. You'll see a lot of landscape shooters with this camera and you won't go wrong with it.
Nikon Z 7II
Specs
Resolution: 45.7MP
Autofocus: 493 - AF points
ISO Range: 64-25,600
Image Stabilization: 5 axis IBIS
Size and Weight: 134 x 100.5 x 96.5mm, 705 g with card and battery
For the Nikon shooter who held off on going mirrorless because the Z7 only had one card slot, the Z 7II has fixed this issue. Now, Nikon shooters can take advantage of the NEW Z mount lenses, still use their legacy lenses with the FTZ adapter and get the weight savings and improved backside illuminated (BSI) sensor in one seriously weatherproof camera that produces great images.
The Medium format option
Fuji GFX 100s
Resolution: 102MP
Autofocus: 493 - AF points
ISO Range: 100-12,800
Image Stabilization: 5 axis IBIS
Size and Weight: 150 x 104.2 x 87.2mm, 900 g with card and battery
All the above cameras are 35mm full-frame cameras. The Fuji is a medium format camera so it's larger and a bit heavier that the other landscape cameras. It’s also a 100MP and uses Fuji lenses that are known for their image quality and color rendering. There are currently a limited number of lenses offered for the GFX cameras but luckily, they are lenses most landscape photographers would naturally be looking for. This is the Cadillac of landscape cameras.
On a final note, when you transition from a DSLR to a mirrorless camera it will take a little time to get use to the electronic view (EV) finder. Many people don't like them at first, but I'll bet that after a few weeks you'll end up loving the EV finder and the ability to see what the image looks like before you take the photo. This should limit the number of bad photos you get.
I strongly recommend recommend up going into a camera store and getting one of these cameras in your hands. Buying online can seem convenient but how a camera fits and feels in your hand will make a big difference in how much you enjoy shooting with it and how often you pull it out to take photos. Sometimes it makes sense to just buy a camera body and use your old lenses, but other times switching is the right choice. Come in and we will help walk you through your camera purchases and make sure you feel comfortable using your new camera.