14 OF THE BEST MIRRORLESS CAMERAS

Mirrorless cameras are quickly becoming the kings of the hill. With mirrorless cameras you get the size and price benefits of a compact, and the features and image quality of a full-sized DSLR. We’ve just put together our list of 14 best mirrorless cameras. To come up with the best list we took into consider a number of features:

Sensor Size

When it comes to camera sensors, bigger is definitely better. For the longest time it was believed that we should all be looking at the number of megapixels a camera had to determine whether or not it would give us a good picture, but now we know that’s not the whole story.

Sensors are more important in determining picture quality than megapixels. When shopping look for the largest sensor you can afford and then consider megapixels.

Think of Image Sensors as the equivalent of film. They’re made up of millions of cells called photosites. These photosites record what you see through the lens. So the bigger the sensor the more information that’s recorded which produces better images.
Say you have two 12 megapixel cameras, one is a small compact with a tiny sensor and the other a mirrorless with a bigger full frame or APS-C sensor. The mirrorless will give you a much better picture because its photosites are much larger and can take in more information.

Based on the previous section I don’t want you to think that megapixels aren’t important, because they are still part of the overall equation.

This gives you a picture with a much greater dynamic range, reduced noise levels, and better low light performance.
So what sensor size is a good size? For our purposes the largest standard sensor is the full frame 36x24mm. The smallest on this list is the APS-C 22.2×14.8mmm and APS-C 23.5X15.6mm. For comparison an iPhone has a 1/3″ sensor which is 6mm diagonally. The APS-C sensor are 26.7 – 28.4mm diagonally and the Full frame is 43.3mm diagonally.

Megapixels

Based on the previous section I don’t want you to think that megapixels aren’t important, because they are still part of the overall equation. Megapixels provide your resolution and when combined with a larger sensor will give you the best possible picture. There is a school of that that imagine quality isn’t discernable above 16 megapixels, so keep that in mind when thinking about going above your budget to chase those last few megapixels.

Viewfinder

So lets back up for a second and review the meaning of mirrorless. When you look through your standard DSLR you’re actually looking through the lens of the camera.
As the light passes through the lens it hits a mirror, bounces up and hits a prism that orients the image so you see it the right way. This is the basic workings of an optical viewfinder.

EVF’s may in fact be better than OVF’s because they allow for easier focusing, can automatically brighten in low light situations, and can show more information.

The clicking sound you hear when taking a picture is the mirror flipping out of the way so the image can hit the cameras sensor.
By removing the mirror and the prism you greatly reduce the size of the camera, but how do you see the image if you don’t have a mirror?
Mirrorless cameras user either electronic viewfinders (EVF), rangefinders like Leica, LCD’s, or a combination.
Electronic viewfinders are made up of a video feed from the sensor and a screen inside a viewfinder. Some feel EVF’s may in fact be better than OVF’s because they allow for easier focusing, can automatically brighten in low light situations, and can show more information.
Leica uses rangefinders that place the viewfinder close to the lens and sharpens the picture by aligning two images. Rangefinders deliver an incredibly sharp picture but are not the best option if you’re going to be shooting extreme close ups.

Screen

The screens are straightforward. If it’s going to be the main way you frame your picture you’ll want to makes ure that you have a descent size (most are at least 3.0″), a good resolution and Live View.

Live View

The Live View Shooting Mode is pretty much what the name says, it allows you to see exactly what the lens is seeing on your LCD screen. This is a great for composing the shot without having to look through the finder.

Sony Alpha A7/NEX-7/NEX-6/NEX-5T/NEX-3N

 
The first five cameras are the Sony Alpha Series cameras. The Sonys are the most popular Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras (MILC) on the market. They’re popular because they have a wide range of lenses available plus adapters for other lens types. The cameras also feature great image quality and a multitude of settings and options.
The A7 is Sony’s soon to be released top of the line MILC. It is their first full frame MILC and features a full frame 24 MP 35.8×23.9mm sensor, a digital viewfinder, a 3.0″ LCD screen, and video at 1080p up to 60fps. The A7 is currently in pre-order and will to start shipping on December 1st.
The other models all features nice sized 16MP APS-C 23.5×15.mm sensors, LCD screens of various resolutions and shoot HD movies at 1080p @ 60fps. So the major difference in these models are; a 24MP sensor in the NEX-7, while the NEC-5T and NEC-3N don’t have digital viewfinders.

Leica M-Monochrome/M/M-E

The Leica M Type 240 replaces the much loved M9-P. It still has many of the design cues of previous models, but the internals have been much improved. The M is the first Leica rangefinder to use a CMOS image sensor. This lets the camera use Leica R and other other SLR lenses via adapters. The camera features a 18.1 MP full frame 36.0×24.0mm sensor, a rangefinder viewfinder and shoots video in 1080p @ 25fps. The one down fall of this camera is the low resolution LCD screen. It does have Live View, but the screen isn’t of much use other than scrolling through menu options.
The Leica M-Monochrome is for those rangefinder purists who want a dedicated black and white camera. It’s missing the Bayer filter so it can’t shoot color even if you wanted to, but the black and white images that it does shoot are simply stunning. The camera also has a full frame sensor (18.1 MP), rangefinder viewfinder, and a low resolution LCD, but it does not have video capability. If you want to shoot in color you can opt for the Leica M-E.

Samsung NX300/NX2000/NX20

Over the past year Samsung has upgraded their sensor technology, their camera’s speed, and lens quality. Their flagship NX300 has a 20 megapixel APS-C 23.5×15.7mm sensor, fast autofocus and a nice arsenal of lenses. It also comes with a 3.3″ OLED tilting screen that has 768K dot screen resolution. Its maximum shutter speed is 1/6000th of a second and it can shoot RAW or JPG files. The NX300 has a little heft to it due to its metal alloy body, which gives you that nice old school feel.
The NX2000 is the middle child of the Samsung lineup. It offers the same sensor as the NX300, but it has a larger 3.7″ screen without the ability to tilt. The thing you notice most about the NX2000 is the lack of the metal alloy. It weighs less than it’s brother, has a maximum shutter speed of 1/4000 second and comes with a 2GB of internal memory.
The Samsung NX20 is their entry level unit and comes with a the same sensor as its bigger brothers, has a nice 3.0″ tilting OLED 614k dot screen. The body has the look of classic DSLR’s but with a very plastic feel. Overall a great entry level MILC.

Samsung NX300
Sensor Size: APS-C 23.5×15.7mm
Megapixels: 20 MP
Live View: Yes
Movie Format: 1080p @ 60fps
Screen Type: OLED
Screen Resolution: 768k
Screen Size: 3.3″
Viewfinder: None

Buy Now: $570

Samsung NX2000
Sensor Size: APS-C, 23.5×15.7mm
Megapixels: 20.3 MP
Live View: Yes
Movie Format: 1080p @ 30fps
Screen Type: LCD
Screen Resolution: 1152k
Screen Size: 3.7″
Viewfinder: None

Buy Now: $500

Samsung NX20
Sensor Size: APS-C 23.5×15.7mm
Megapixels: 20 MP
Live View: Yes
Movie Format: 1080p @ 30fps
Screen Type: OLED
Screen Resolution: 614k
Screen Size: 3.0″
Viewfinder: Digital

Buy Now: $400

Fujifilm X-E2/X-M1

The Fujifilm X-E2 is their newest premium MILC. The camera has a 16.7 MP 23.6×15.6mm APS-C sensor and is touted as having the worlds’s fastest auto focus at .08 sec. Fujifilm’s Lens Modulation Optimizer (LMO) technology allows for high-precision processing of the focal length and aperture. The results are an edge-to-edge image with incredible sharpness and a sense of dimensional reality. The X-E2 shoots video at 1080p up to 60fps. Wifi is also available that allows you to transfer your pictures to any of your computer devices, tablets, or phones. You can transfer up to 30 pictures at a time.
The Fulifilm X-M1 are for users who want to step up to the MILC arena from their compacts. It has a lot of the same features as their other X-Series cameras such as a menu shortcut button, in-camera RAW processing, a 16.7 MP 23.6×15.6mm APS-C sensor, and a tilting 920k 3.0″ digital screen, but it is missing a viewfinder. So you need to decide how important an EVF is to you.

Fujifilm X-E2
Sensor Size: APS-C, 23.6×15.6 mm
Megapixels: 16.7 MP
Live View: Yes
Movie Format: 1080p @ 60 fps
Screen Type: LCD
Screen Resolution: 1040K
Screen Size: 3.0″
Viewfinder: Digital

Buy Now: $999

Fujifilm X-M1
Sensor Size: APS-C, 23.6×15.6mm
Megapixels: 16.5 MP
Live View: Yes
Movie Format: 1080p @ 30fps
Screen Type: LCD
Screen Resolution: 920K
Screen Size: 3.0″
Viewfinder: None

Buy Now: $732

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Canon EOS M

Last up is the Canon EOS M. If you’re not ready to jump all the way in and are looking for a camera the can give you SLR-like image quality, has a smaller footprint, in an easy to use package that won’t break the bank then the Canon EOS M is probably the camera for you. With the Canon EOS M you’ll basically get a mirrorless version of Canon’s 650D with an easier interface for beginners. The lenses specific to the EF-M lens mount are limited but with a mount adapter you can use all of Canons EF and EF-S SLR lenses.
The EOS M is also missing a viewfinder and the rear screen is fixed, so using the camera at weird angles will be difficult. But what it has is a great 18 megapixel 22.3×14.9mm APS-C sensor, a respectable 1040k dot 3.0″ screen and can shoot movies at 1080p up to 30fps.
Canon EOS M
Sensor Size: APS-C 22.3×14.9mm
Megapixels: 17.9 MP
Live View: Yes
Movie Format: 1080p @ 30fps
Screen Type: LCD
Screen Resolution: 1,040k dots
Screen Size: 3.0″
Viewfinder: None

Buy Now: $313