Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras (ILC) are the rising industry in the market of digital cameras, and there is a reason for that. They come in all varieties, packing everything from Micro Four Thirds, APS-C to Full-Frame sensors. Some are designed for beginners, while other feature very impressive performance meant for enthusiasts and professionals. However, they all have one thing in common – compact design. They are the natural evolutionary step for photographer moving up from a traditional point-and-shoot compact system, a step which was missing until recently. This makes a closer option for an average consumer than a full-blown DSLR. In some cases, they will even outperform a DSLR in the same price range.
To list a few key differences between a mirrorless camera and a DSLR, we would start off with the most obvious one – size and weight. Mirrorless cameras are lighter and smaller, thus falling in the compact category. Another usual suspect is the viewfinder, mirrorless cameras mostly offer Electronic View Finders (EVFs) compared to DSLRs which mostly use the optical viewfinder. EVFs have come a long way and now offer comparable experience to their optical counterparts.
When it comes to image quality, DSLRs might still be the top choice for professionals. But that doesn’t mean mirrorless cameras can’t do a fine job as well. Mirrorless cameras are also generally cheaper, which makes them a very attractive alternative to hefty DSLRs.
In this review we have prepared the Top five mirrorless cameras for you to choose from. Mainly they are mid to high-end performers of high quality, but not to worry, we have some interesting recommendations for those on a budget as well.
Note that even though this review is written in the 2016, not all these cameras actually come from the 2016. Some are a year, or a few years older. But make no mistake, they are still the best choices around. See, unlike the smartphone market, where the next must-have big thing comes around and shades away the previous model every year, digital camera market is a bit more conservative, and realistic of user needs, which is a good thing.
Top 5 Mirrorless Cameras
Sony Alpha 7R IIGo to Amazon
When Sonny announced the A7R we were excited, but ultimately not overly impressed. It was a good camera but had one to many flaws. Sony has decided to rectify all that with the introduction of Sony Alpha 7R II (A7R II).
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Pros
High resolution
Great build quality
5-axis Image Stabilization
Good noise handling
Cons
Battery life
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The A7R II represents the second generation of Sony's A7 high-resolution mirrorless cameras. Most of us had a pretty good idea what we will see with A7R II based on the previous model in line. But, we have to admit Sony has introduced quite a few nice surprises by which we were impressed.
Alpha 7R II features a 42.4 Mpx Full-frame sensor. Right at the first listed specification you can see quite the difference – this time we have a Full-frame sensor which brings this mirrorless camera one step closer to the professional class. Full Frame sensors in digital cameras are the equivalents of 35mm film. These sensors generally produce better image quality and depth of field.
Another obvious upgrade is the megapixel count – 42 Mpx ensures insane levels of detail in photos, a lot of cropping potential without loss of quality and of course, images ready for large-scale prints.
Another interesting fact about this sensor is that it's back side illuminated (BSI) sensor. Thats right, this is the type of sensor Sony has previously stated is best for small sensors, and it also the first of the kind in full-frame type of sensors. In any case, it seems they have made a good choice since images that come out of this sensors look exceptional. You will even get more detail out of this camera than the very popular Nikon D810.
Another notable improvement is the introduction of 4K video, which is not at all surprising but still something we are grateful for. Video quality at 4K is nothing astounding, but it will do fine if you really need ultra high resolution videos.
Moving on to shutter performance, Sony has made significant improvements in there by reducing shutter noise and vibrations. There is even a silent shooting mode which completely gets rid of the shutter noise, enabling taking stealthy shots. It is even more impressive that they managed to this with a sensor of this size, which we believe required some seriously fine engineering expertise.
Auto-focus (AF) has also been improved, with a whopping 399 AF points. The AF now focuses even faster before and even with third-party lens.
Last but not least among the upgrades is the impressive 5-axis in-body image stabilization (IBIS). We are very grateful to Sony for incorporating this feature in the sensor. While IBIS is never as good as optical image stabilization on lens, this time it works really well, especially for photos. When you look IBIS-stabilized video on the A7R II, it might not be as much as impressive, but still does the job fairly well.
With the increased price tag and impressive specification set, it is obvious Sony is now targeting higher-end photographers, be it enthusiasts or professionals. The Sony Alpha 7R II is a mirrorless camera which rivals even high-end dSLRs.
Sony Alpha a6000Go to Amazon
The Sony Alpha a6000 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera which was released two years ago but is still in production today. This camera is the successor to award-winning Alpha NEX-6 which is a great all-around affordable camera. The Alpha a6000 improves upon its predecessor in almost every aspect.
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Pros
Budget-friendly
Great build quality for the price
Exceptionally fast at 11fps
High image quality
WiFi + NFC connectivity
Cons
Noise handling could be better
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It features the standard design we've come to know from the Alpha NEX series with a few additions and small changes. The body is metal and feels like it could survive moderate impacts and drops without serious damage. It also packs a tilting 3-inch LCD screen, a built-in flash, WiFi and NFC.
The sensor inside the a6000 is a 24 megapixel (MP) APS-C CMOS, powered by a Bionz X image processor which promises more details and less noise.
At low ISO, this camera will produce images of excellent quality, quite impressive for this price range. Everything up to ISO 800 should be noise-free, crisp photos. Colors are generally natural looking with high accuracy. The same accuracy applies to white balance as well.
Once you move above ISO 800 images gradually become more noisy and details become more smudged. This is one of the few examples where other cameras in the same class might produce better results. However, we have found that everything up to ISO 12800 is usable, even in print.
Raw photos hold an incredible level of usable pixel information the shadows and highlights which you can play with to produce photos with a wide dynamic range.
You will be able to record Full HD 1080p video at 60fps which is again excellent for this class of mirrorless camera. As with shooting photos, you are able to manually adjust all settings including exposure, ISO aperture during live video recording.
When it comes performance, the Sony Alpha a6000 is able to put even some mid-range dSLRs to shame. It is able to shoot continuously at 11 frames per second, while using autofocus the whole time, for each shot. This is a super fast performance for a camera in this class.
The autofocus (AF) system is incredibly fast, ensuring fast and reliable shooting. This is largely in thanks to 192 phase-detect and 25 contrast-detect AF points. Sony has even packed in a solid AF tracking mode which is called Lock-on AF. It is able to track moving subjects with high accuracy and speed.
Every now and than in the digital camera consumer industry you can find a product that really does offer what every manufacturer advertises all the time – do more for less money. Sony Alpha a6000 is exactly that kind of a product. Almost everything from its specifications, to its features and performance, clearly outshines the competition. Don't get us wrong, it cannot do everything better than other cameras in this range, and you may still find another camera for similar price that will be better suited for you, but in all honesty, it is unlikely that you will. Excellent image quality, very fast rate of capture packed with a WiFi and NFC smartphone connectivity, at a price this low is really hard to beat.
Fuji XT-1Go to Amazon
Fuji XT-1 is an SLR-shaped high end mirrorless camera which translated into DSLR class sits somewhere in the mid-end range, competing with types of Canon 7D.
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Pros
Build quality
Excellent image quality
Weather-proof
Best-in-class viewfinder
Good AF
Cons
No in body IS
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It features an SLR-like design which treats it really well. XT-1 is made almost entirely out of quality magnesium alloy which feels solid and premium. The body is weather-sealed which means rain will not hurt it. However, you should not go so far to take it underwater.
On the top there are several control dials all of which are metal. You have a shutter speed dial, an ISO dial and an EV dial. It is very handy to have manual hardware controls for these settings, although they are not very practical for one-handed use when you are peeking through the viewfinder.
Looking at the back of the camera, there is an LCD screen, a four-way range of buttons for controlling the settings in the LCD, and above it, an EVF (Electronic View Finder).
Electronic View Finder means that the live image is transferred digitally, unlike traditional viewfinders on SLRs where we have an optical view finder. The EVF has been a mixed bag with digital cameras so far, having its advantages and disadvantages over the optical viewfinder. With XT-1, Fuji has made sure to provide a high quality EVF. Indeed, this EVF is wonderful to use, offering a large screen which automatically rotates between landscape and portrait mode. It also features a dual focus mode, meaning that while looking through it you will see two separate live feeds, one larger, with normal Auto Focus and another smaller, zoomed-in screen for manual focus tweaking.
The sensor is APS-C X-Trans CMOS II with 16 megapixels (Mpx) with a crop factor of 1.5x. Looking at it's size, it sits somewhere in between the Micro Four Thirds system and full-frame sensor. This sensor performs very well, with high image quality beating even Canon 7D. However, in low light you will notice increased noise and low visibility within the viewfinder. The video can be recorded in 1080p Full HD at 60 frames per second (fps).
Unfortunately, the body does not have in body image stabilization (IBIS). On the other hand, Fuji's lenses have IS and that includes the kit lens. Another interesting fact about the Kit lens is the F2.8 - F4 aperture which is really nice for a starting lens, offering nice depth of field and capturing lots of light if needed.
The hybrid Auto-Focus (AF) system does a great job both in focus accuracy and speed. Again, in low light AF will struggle to focus accurately and this is where 7D is much better.
XT-1 is able to shoot continuously at 8 frames per second, which is quite impressive.
Another notable feature is the built-in WiFi, which can be used to connect with your smartphone for file transfer and remote control. We were impressed with the capable in-app real-time video feed as well.
Samsung NX1Go to Amazon
It took some time for Samsung to catch up with the competition in the digital camera market. Sure, they have been producing attractive cameras, and a bunch of them at that, for many years now, but not so much for the a more serious, enthusiast to professional range. That is why when Samsung was making the NX1, what they had in mind has been a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera to rule them all.
Overall rating:
77
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Pros
Ergonomic, DSLR-like design
Weather-proof
AMOLED touch-screen
Straightforward UI
Best-in-class burst mode at 15 fps
4K video
Excellent image quality
Cons
Clumsy buttons
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The body of NX1 is designed to look much like a smaller version of a high-end DSLR, or in other words, it looks very impressive. At the same time, being a compact system camera, it offers a cleaner and a more smooth design than that of a typical professional DSLR. The buttons are intuitively positioned with simplicity in mind. While the back side is just smooth plastic, the front has a nice rubber-texturized finish. Overall it feels sturdy and substantial. It also weather-proof so do not worry about taking it for a spin while it is raining. The only downside we have found with this design is the weight, it packs more than half a kilo without the lens, and over a kilogram with Samsung's average-weight lens. This does not exactly feel light and compact.
One of the things that set the NX1 apart from the competition in this price range is the integrated AMOLED touch-screen. This where you can notice Samsung's expertise which came from other consumer electronic devices. We are talking about a very straightforward and clean interface. Using the touch-screen, you can control all the settings, including those available on hardware dials for manual control.
Add to that the secondary monochrome display which sits on top, for quick access to shooting parameters, and you can see how much Samsung has invested in this camera.
Samsung NX1 is the first camera to feature a BSI (Back Side Illuminated) technology for a sensor of this size. BSI sensors are what gives smartphone cameras a much needed edge in image quality. The combination of a 28 MP APS-C sensor with BSI took many by surprise, and is bound to give the same edge for Samsung and its NX1 in the ICL enthusiast market.
You will find the photos produced by this camera are of excellent quality, at least at lower ISO speeds If you bump it up beyond ISO 800 you will definitely see noise popping up, but nothing that the competing mid-range DSLRs don't suffer from either.
Performance is superb and unbeaten in this range, with up a whopping speed of up to 15 fps in continuous shooting mode, with auto-focus.
As for the video capabilities, the NX1 can record gorgeous 4K videos at about the same level quality as still photos.
While the NX1 left us very impressed, there is a downside with choosing Samsung for ICL cameras in general. Samsung's lens collection is limited, and while it is growing it still considerably lagging behind old-timers such as Canon and Nikon. On the other hand, Samsung does offer various adapters which can be used to mount third-party lens.
The NX1 is not cheap, even now in 2016, but is a very solid enthusiast-class mirrorless camera. If you are looking for a camera in this price range, we would recommend NX1 as one of the best, if not the best.
Olympus Pen-FGo to Amazon
Olympus Pen-F is a digital remake of the homonymous 1963 film format camera Pen-F. The 21st century Pen-F is similar in design and in purpose, but unsurprisingly much different in everything else.
Overall rating:
68
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Pros
Beautiful retro design
Premium build quality
Excellent image quality
In Body IS
Cons
Limited battery life
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There is a lot to say about its retro look, and we would like to start by saying it is beautiful, attractive and simply genius. Not that we haven't seen more ergonomic and more intuitive designs, far from it, but the very idea of making a high quality modern digital camera inside of a 50+ year old design is interesting to say the least.
The body is made out of aluminum and magnesium, with a little plastic parts here and there. Sufficient to say, it is not only attractive but also built with premium quality in mind. It comes in two color combinations; black, and black and silver. We found the latter to be prettier in our humble eyes.
You will find this camera has even more unique features, one of which being the metal dial on the front. This dial offers four different options, or presets if you will: Mono, Color, Art and Crt. These allow for quick switching between different shooting modes. For example, with Mono you will get to choose between several monochromatic modes, while Art offers a large number of Instagram-like filters.
On the rear of the camera you'll find an LCD screen, a Electronic View Finder (EVF) and a couple of standard navigational buttons, which are in our opinion a bit too small and close to each other.
Now lets talk about the actual camera. Packing a 20 megapixel (MP) Micro Four Thirds sensor which produces beautiful, sharp images. It is a good all-around camera with satisfying results whether you're shooting landscape, portrait, sport or low-light photography. Noise handling is quite good, even at higher ISO speeds.
Performance-wise, the most notable new feature is the 5-axis in-body image stabilization, also known as IBIS. This is always a big plus, as you will always have stabilized shots regardless of which lens you use. We've found that this particular stabilization system works very well. We've taken photos at 1/10th of second with no loss in sharpness at all, which would otherwise require much higher ISO.
Burst mode is able to shoot at 10 frames per second, which faster than what many mid-range, and even some high-end dSLRs can do.
Unfortunately, video recording is limited to 1080p Full HD. We would have loved if it had 4K, which is becoming a standard for high-end compact cameras. Still, at least for us, lack of 4K is not a deal breaker – we're not there yet.
Battery life is another minor downside, with mediocre results at around 300 shots per charge. Again, its not that bad that it could break the deal, but it could be better.
Olympus Pen-F is a stylish camera for street photographers and others who would like to introduce some fashion to their cameras, while still retaining a capable, fast mirrorless camera with high image quality.
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