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Comparison of the best mirrorless cameras

Comparison of Mirrorless Cameras

Mirrorless cameras are all the rage. They combine the advantages of compacts with those of DSLRs. As with DSLRs, the lenses are interchangeable. And as with compacts, the viewfinder is electronic, without mirrors. They’re therefore lighter and more compact. For the same price, they offer similar image quality to that of DSLRs.

Our survey

We carried out a large survey between 19th and 24th April 2023, amongst 1,212 people who had gone on a long trip. We asked them many questions about the devices they used to take their photos. Learn more about our methodology

19% of long-term travellers took a mirrorless camera.

Most used mirrorless camera brands

The most popular mirrorless camera brands amongst RTW travellers are:

  • Sony: 32%
  • Fujifilm: 21%
  • Panasonic Lumix: 16%
  • Olympus: 13%
  • Nikon: 11%
  • Canon: 9%

Full-frame mirrorless cameras

From $1,500 to $2,500

We compared the most used full-frame mirrorless camera models by long term travelers. We also included some cameras that are too recent to be included in our survey but are among the best sellers.

Sony
Alpha 7
Mark IV
Sony
Alpha 7
Mark III
Nikon
Z6
Mark II
Panasonic Lumix
S5
Mark II
Panasonic Lumix
S5
Canon
EOS R6
Mark II
Canon
EOS R6
Canon
EOS R8
Sony A7 iv Sony A7 iii Nikon Z6 ii Lumix S5 ii Lumix S5 Canon R6 ii Canon R6 Canon R8
BUY
Price (body only) $2,300 $2,100 $1,850 $1,800 $1,800 $2,500 $2,000 $1,500
Buy Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon
OUR SURVEY
Number of respondents who bought this series (including older models) 35 35 15 5 5 3 3 1
Average rating on the following websites: Amateur Photographer, Camera Jabber, Camera Labs, Camera Race, Digital Camera World, Cnet, DP Review, Les Numériques, PCMag, Photography Blog, Tech Radar, UFC Que Choisir and Versus.
These ratings are based on the evaluation at the time of the camera’s release. For older devices, the score may be slightly inflated due to the technological advancements of competing devices.
Average rating from 13 specialised websites (out of 10)
See all ratings
Release Year 2021 2018 2020 2023 2020 2022 2020 2023
SENSOR
Sensor size (mm) 35.9 x 23.9 mm 36 x 24 mm 35.9 x 23.9 mm 35.6 x 23.8 mm 35.6 x 23.8 mm 36 x 24 mm 36 x 24 mm 36 x 24 mm
Number of megapixels 33 Mpx 24.2 Mpx 25 Mpx 24 Mpx 24 Mpx 24 Mpx 20 Mpx 24 Mpx
Sensitivity : native ISO range 100 – 51,200 100 – 51,200 100 – 51,200 100 – 51,200 100 – 51,200 100 – 102,400 100 – 102,400 100 – 102,400
Sensitivity : extended ISO range 50 – 204,800 50 – 204,800 50 – 204,800 50 – 204,800 50 – 204,800 50 – 204,800 50 – 204,800 50 – 204,800
Autofocus
Contrast detection
Phase detection
Number of focus points 759 693 273 779 225 1,053 1,053 1,053
Shutter speed
Mechanical shutter speed 1/8,000 – 30 s 1/8,000 – 30 s 1/8,000 – 900 s 1/8,000 – 60 s 1/8,000 – 60 s 1/8,000 – 30 s 1/8,000 – 30 s 1/4,000 – 30 s
Maximum mechanical burst speed at full resolution 10 fps 10 fps 14 fps 9 fps 7 fps 12 fps 12 fps 6 fps
Video
Video size 4K 4K 4K 6K 4K 4K 4K 4K
Video: maximum size (pixels) and frame rate (fps) 3,840×2,160 / 60 fps
1,920×1,080 / 120 fps
3,840×2,160 / 30 fps
1,920×1,080 / 120 fps
3,840×2,160 / 30 fps
1,920×1,080 / 120 fps
5,952×3,968 / 30 fps
4,096×2,160 / 30 fps
1,920×1,080 / 120 fps
3,840×2,160 / 60 fps
1,920×1,080 / 60 fps
3,840×2,160 / 60 fps
1,920×1,080 / 120 fps
3,840×2,160 / 60 fps
1,920×1,080 / 120 fps
3,840×2,160 / 60 fps
1,920×1,080 / 180 fps
Viewfinder
Type Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic
Number of dots 3,686,400 2,359,000 3,690,000 3,690,000 2,360,000 3,690,000 3,690,000 2,360,000
Screen
Size 7.6 cm 7.6 cm 8.1 cm 7.6 cm 7.6 cm 7.6 cm 7.6 cm 7.6 cm
Number of dots 1,036,800 921,600 2,100,000 1,840,000 1,840,000 1,620,000 1,620,000 1,620,000
Touch screen
Screen type Fully articulated Tilting Tilting Fully articulated Fully articulated Fully articulated Fully articulated Fully articulated
Connectivity
WiFi
NFC
Bluetooth
GPS
Microphone input
USB USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 GBit/sec) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 GBit/sec) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 GBit/sec) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 GBit/sec) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 GBit/sec)
Stabilisation
Sensor stabilisation
Stabilisation rating (CIPA) 5.5 stops 5 stops 5 stops 6.5 stops 6.5 stops 8 stops 8 stops
OTHER SPECIFICATIONS
Built-in flash
Battery life (CIPA) 580 frames 710 frames 410 frames 370 frames 440 frames 580 frames 360 frames 350 frames
PHYSICAL SPECS
Weight of the camera body with battery and memory card (CIPA) 658 g 650 g 705 g 740 g 714 g 670 g 680 g 461 g
Body dimensions 131x96x80 mm 127x96x74 mm 134x101x70 mm 134x102x90 mm 133x97x82 mm 138x98x88 mm 138x98x88 mm 133x86x70 mm
Weather sealing
Buy
Buy Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon

APS-C mirrorless cameras

From $600 to $1,500

We compared the most used APS-C mirrorless camera models by long term travelers. We also included some cameras that are too recent to be included in our survey but are among the best sellers.

Sony
Alpha 6600
Sony
Alpha 6400
Fujifilm
X-T5
Fujifilm
X-T4
Fujifilm
X-T30
Mark II
Fujifilm
X-S10
Canon
M50
Mark II
Canon
EOS R7
Canon
EOS R10
Sony
ZV-E10
sony a6600 sony a6400 fujifilm x-t5 fujifilm x-t4 fujifilm x-t30 ii fujifilm x-s10 Canon M50 ii Canon R7 Canon R10 Sony ZV-E10
BUY
Price (body only) $1,000 $780 $1,700 $1,450 $1,300 $1,000 $600 $1,500 $1,000 $800
Buy Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon
OUR SURVEY
Number of respondents who bought this series (including older models) 25 25 18 18 10 9 4 3 3 1
Average rating on the following websites: Amateur Photographer, Camera Jabber, Camera Labs, Camera Race, Digital Camera World, Cnet, DP Review, Les Numériques, PCMag, Photography Blog, Tech Radar, UFC Que Choisir and Versus.
These ratings are based on the evaluation at the time of the camera’s release. For older devices, the score may be slightly inflated due to the technological advancements of competing devices.
Average rating from 13 specialised websites (out of 10)
See all ratings
Release Year 2019 2019 2022 2020 2021 2020 2020 2022 2022 2021
SENSOR
Sensor size (mm) 23.5 x 15.6 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm 22.3 x 14.9 mm 22.3 x 14.9 mm 22.3 x 14.9 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm
Number of megapixels 24 Mpx 24 Mpx 40.2 Mpx 26.1 Mpx 26.1 Mpx 26.1 Mpx 24.2 Mpx 32.5 Mpx 24 Mpx 24.2 Mpx
Sensitivity : native ISO range 100 – 32,000 100 – 32,000 125 – 12,800 160 – 12,800 160 – 12,800 160 – 12,800 100 – 25,600 100 – 32,000 100 – 32,000 100 – 32,000
Sensitivity : extended ISO range 100 – 102,400 100 – 102,400 64 – 51,200 80 – 51,200 80 – 51,200 80 – 51,200 100 – 51,200 100 – 51,200 100 – 51,200 100 – 51,200
AUTOFOCUS
Contrast detection
Phase detection
Number of focus points 425 425 425 425 425 425 143 651 651 425
SHUTTER SPEED
Mechanical shutter speed 1/4,000 – 30 s 1/4,000 – 30 s 1/8,000 – 15 s 1/8,000- 30 s 1/4,000 – 900 s 1/4,000 – 900 s 1/4,000- 30 s 1/8,000- 30 s 1/4,000- 30 s 1/4,000 – 30 s
Maximum mechanical burst speed at full resolution 11 fps 11 fps 15 fps 15 fps 8 fps 8 fps 10 fps 15 fps 15 fps 11 fps
VIDEO
Video size 4K 4K 6,2K 4K 4K 4K 4K 4K 4K 4K
Video: maximum size (pixels) and frame rate (fps) 3,840×2160 / 30 fps
1,920×1,080 / 100 fps
3,840×2,160 / 30 fps
1,920×1,080 / 120 fps
6,240×4,160 / 30 fps
4,096×2,160 / 60 fps
4,096×2,160 / 60 fps 4,096×2,160 / 30 fps 4,096×2,160 / 30 fps 3,840×2,160 / 24 fps
1,920×1,080 / 60 fps
1,280×720 / 120 fps
3,840×2,160 / 60 fps
1,920×1,080 / 120 fps
3,840×2,160 / 30 fps
1,920×1,080 / 120 fps
3,840×2,160 / 30 fps
1,920×1,080 / 120 fps
VIEWFINDER
Type Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic
Number of dots 2,360,000 2,360,000 3,690,000 3,690,000 2,360,000 2,360,000 2,360,000 3,690,000 3,690,000
SCREEN
Size 7.6 cm 7.6 cm 7.6 cm 7.6 cm 7.6 cm 7.6 cm 7.6 cm 7.6 cm 7.6 cm 7.6 cm
Number of dots 921,600 921,600 1,840,000 1,620,000 1,620,000 1,040,000 1,040,000 1,620,000 1,040,000 921,600
Touch screen
Screen type Tilting Tilting Tilting Fully articulated Tilting Fully articulated Fully articulated Fully articulated Fully articulated Fully articulated
CONNECTIVITY
WiFi
NFC
Bluetooth
GPS
Microphone input
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 GBit/sec) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 GBit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec)
STABILISATION
Sensor stabilisation
Stabilisation rating (CIPA) 5 stops 7 stops 6.5 stops 6 stops 6 stops
OTHER SPECIFICATIONS
Built-in flash
Battery life (CIPA) 810 frames 410 frames 580 frames 500 frames 380 frames 325 frames 305 frames 660 frames 450 frames 360 frames
PHYSICAL SPECS
Weight of the camera body with battery and memory card (CIPA) 503 g 403 g 557 g 607 g 383 g 465 g 387 g 612 g 426 g 343 g
Body dimensions 120x67x69 mm 120x67x60 mm 130x91x64 mm 135x93x64 mm 118x83x47 mm 126x85x65 mm 116x88x59 mm 132x90x92 mm 123x88x83 mm 115x64x45 mm
Weather sealing
BUY
Buy Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon

Micro 4:3 mirrorless camera

From $600 to $1,000

We compared the most used micro 4:3 mirrorless camera models by long term travelers. We also included some cameras that are too recent to be included in our survey but are among the best sellers

Panasonic Lumix
GX9
Panasonic Lumix
GX85
Olympus
E-M10 Mark IV
Panasonic Lumix
G95
OM System
OM-5
lumix gx9 lumix gx85 olympus om-d-e-m10 mark iv lumix g95 om system om-5
BUY
Price (body only) $800 $600 $800 $650 $1,000
Buy Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon
OUR SURVEY
Number of respondents who bought this series (including older models) 21 21 15 8 5
Average rating on the following websites: Amateur Photographer, Camera Jabber, Camera Labs, Camera Race, Digital Camera World, Cnet, DP Review, Les Numériques, PCMag, Photography Blog, Tech Radar, UFC Que Choisir and Versus.
These ratings are based on the evaluation at the time of the camera’s release. For older devices, the score may be slightly inflated due to the technological advancements of competing devices.
Average rating from 13 specialised websites (out of 10)
See all ratings
Release Year 2018 2016 2020 2019 2022
SENSOR
Sensor size (mm) 17.3 x 13 mm 17.3 x 13 mm 17.4 x 13 mm 17.4 x 13 mm 17.4 x 13 mm
Number of megapixels 20.3 Mpx 16 Mpx 20 Mpx 20 Mpx 20 Mpx
Sensitivity : native ISO range 200 – 25,600 200 – 25,600 200 – 25,600 200 – 25,600 200 – 25,600
Sensitivity : extended ISO range 100 – 25,600 100 – 25,600 100 – 25,600 100 – 25,600 64 – 25,600
AUTOFOCUS
Contrast detection
Phase detection
Number of focus points 49 49 121 49 121
SHUTTER SPEED
Mechanical shutter speed 1/4,000 – 60 s 1/4,000 – 60 s 1/4,000 – 60 s 1/4,000 – 60 s 1/8,000 – 60 s
Maximum mechanical burst speed at full resolution 9 fps 8 fps 8.7 fps 9 fps 10 fps
VIDEO
Video size 4K 4K 4K 4K 4K
Video: maximum size (pixels) and frame rate (fps) 3,840×2,160 / 30 fps
1,920×1,080 / 60 fps
3,840×2,160 / 30 fps
1,920×1,080 / 60 fps
3,840×2,160 / 30 fps
1,920×1,080 / 60 fps
3,840×2,160 / 30 fps
1,920×1,080 / 120 fps
3,840×2,160 / 24 fps
1,920×1,080 / 120 fps
VIEWFINDER
Type Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic Electronic
Number of dots 2,760,000 2,764,800 2,360,000 2,360,000 2,360,000
SCREEN
Size 7.6 cm 7.6 cm 7.6 cm 7.6 cm 7.6 cm
Number of dots 1,240,000 1,040,000 1,040,000 1,240,000 1,040,000
Touch screen
Tilting
Fully articulated
CONNECTIVITY
WiFi
NFC
Bluetooth
GPS
Microphone input
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
STABILISATION
Sensor stabilisation
Stabilisation rating (CIPA) 4 stops 4 stops 4.5 stops 5 stops 7.5 stops
OTHER SPECIFICATIONS
Built-in flash
Battery life (CIPA) 260 frames 290 frames 360 frames 290 frames 310 frames
PHYSICAL SPECS
Weight of the camera body with battery and memory card (CIPA) 450 g 426 g 383 g 536 g 414 g
Body dimensions 124x72x47 mm 122x71x44 mm 122x84x49 mm 130x94x77 mm 125x85x50 mm
Weather sealing
BUY
Buy Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon

Ratings on 13 specialised websites

We aggregated the ratings given to mirrorless cameras from 13 specialised websites. We converted them to a scale of 10 to calculate the average score. These ratings were given at the time of the camera’s release. For older cameras, the average score may be slightly inflated due to technological advancements.

Buy Price (body only) Release date Average rating Versus Photo-graphy Blog Camera Race Digital Camera World Amateur Photo-grapher Tech Radar Les Numé-riques PCMag DP Review Camera Jabber UFC Que Choisir Cnet Camera Labs
Fujifilm X-T4 Amazon $1,450 2020
8.4 10 6.5 10 10 10 8 10 9.2 10 8.4 9.1 8.2
Canon EOS R6 Mark II Amazon $2,500 2022
9.2 10 7.8 9 10 9 8 9 9.1 9 9
Sony Alpha 7 Mark IV Amazon $2,300 2021
8.9 9 7 9 10 10 9 8.9 10 8.1 9 9.2
Sony Alpha 7 Mark III Amazon $2,100 2018
8.5 10 7.2 9 10 8 10 8.9 9 8.2 9.2 9
Panasonic Lumix S5 Mark II Amazon $1,800 2023
7.9 10 6.9 10 9 10 10 7 9
Fujifilm X-T5 Amazon $1,700 2022
8.4 10 6.5 9 10 9 8 8 9 10 9.2
Canon EOS R7 Amazon $1,500 2022
8.3 9 6.6 10 9 9 8 9 9 8.4 8
Canon EOS R6 Amazon $2,000 2020
8.7 10 7 8 10 9 8 8 9 8 8 9.5 8
OM System OM-5 Amazon $1,000 2022
7.3 9 9 10 9 6 8.3
Nikon Z6 Mark II Amazon $1,850 2020
9 9 7 8 9 9 8 7 8.9 8 8.1 9
Panasonic Lumix S5 Amazon $1,800 2020
8.1 9 6.5 9 9 9 8 9 8.8 8 7.7 7.3 8
Canon EOS R8 Amazon $1,500 2023
7.9 9 6.8 9 9 8 8
Fujifilm X-S10 Amazon $1,000 2020
7.5 9 6.3 9 10 9 6 8 8.8 9 7.6 8.6
Fujifilm X-T30 Mark II Fnac $1,300 2021
7.5 9 6.1 8 10 9 6 8 9 7.6
Sony Alpha 6400 Amazon $780 2019
7.1 8 6.4 8 8 9 6 9 8.5 8 7.3 8.5 8
Canon EOS R10 Amazon $1,000 2022
6.5 9 6.2 9 8 9 6 8 8.7 7.7 7.8
Panasonic Lumix G95 Amazon $650 2019
5.8 9 5.5 9 9 8 6 8.3 10 7.4
Sony Alpha 6600 Amazon $1,000 2019
7.9 8 6.5 8 8 8 6 8 8.3 8 7.3 8
Panasonic Lumix GX85 Amazon $600 2016
5.8 10 5.3 9 8 4 8 8.2 8 7.3 8 10
Sony ZV-E10 Amazon $800 2021
6.4 9 6.4 8 8 9 6 7 8.2 8 7 8
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV Amazon $800 2020
5.7 9 5.4 10 9 8 6 7 8.1 8 6.5 8
Panasonic Lumix GX9 Amazon $800 2018
5.7 9 5.4 8 8 8 6 8.4 8 7.4 7
Canon M50 Mark II Amazon $600 2020
6.2 7 6 8 8 7 6 7 8 7 7.3 7.7

Selection criteria

Sensor

The sensor is one of the most important parts of a camera. It’s used to convert light rays into electrical signals. A large sensor makes it possible to have a shallow depth of field (which in turn makes it possible to have a subject in focus and a blurred background) and offers better rendering in low or contrasting light.

The number of megapixels isn’t a determining factor when choosing a camera. All cameras sold today have enough megapixels to make satisfactory enlargements. The higher the maximum ISO sensitivity, the more light the sensor can store and therefore take indoor photos without flash or photos of moving subjects.

Lenses

If you’re buying your first mirrorless camera, there are kits that consist of a body and a lens. The focal length of the lens determines how much your subject will be magnified.

Its maximum aperture is stated like this: f/number(s). The smaller the f, the larger the aperture, allowing you to take photos in low light, without needing to increase the ISO sensitivity or use your flash.

The lenses that come in the kits are great for getting started, but as you get better, you’ll probably need to buy more. Lenses aren’t compatible from one brand to another. Therefore, remember to take the lens brand into account when buying your device. Sony is the brand that offers the most lenses for mirrorless cameras. Panasonic Lumix, Fujifilm and Olympus also have a pretty wide range. Canon, on the other hand, only recently arrived on the mirrorless market and doesn’t have many lenses for mirrorless cameras.

Size and weight

Mirrorless cameras are more compact and lighter than DSLRs. With the lens, they weigh between 14 oz and 2.2 lbs (400 g and 1 kg). The bigger your camera, the more it’ll weigh down your bag and attract unwanted attention, and the harder it’ll be to get out to capture scenes from everyday life.

Video

Lots of mirrorless cameras now support 4K video (or UHD) which offers more detail, precision and clarity than shooting in Full HD. 4K also has the advantage of allowing you to crop. This is particularly useful for stabilising your image in the post-production editing process, since the software doesn’t need to insert pixels. But, be careful, as 4K requires a lot of storage space, as well as a high-performance computer if you plan on video editing.

Screen

The larger the rear screen and the number of megapixels, the easier it is to view photos and navigate. A rotatable screen also makes framing easier. A touch screen simplifies menu navigation and lets you scroll through photos, just like on a smartphone.

Speed

The higher the maximum shutter speed, the more blur-free photos you can take of moving subjects. Burst mode allows you to take several images in a row automatically. The higher the maximum burst speed, the more likely you are to get a good shot.

Connectivity

  • WiFi: this is the most common connection on cameras. It’s high-speed and is used for downloading your photos or displaying the viewfinder on a smartphone or tablet when controlling the device remotely. However, it’s energy-consuming and requires you to disconnect your phone from the Internet.
  • NFC: this is a limited-range and low-speed connection. It’s used to directly pair two devices without a password. With the arrival of Bluetooth Low Energy, the usefulness of NFC has become questionable.
  • Bluetooth: this connection consumes very little power and doesn’t require you to disconnect your phone from the Internet. It maintains a constant connection with a smartphone to synchronise the camera clock, automatically retrieve GPS coordinates to add to photos and continuously upload photos to your phone.
  • Built-in GPS: this lets you add GPS coordinates to photos. It’s not essential when the device has a Bluetooth connection (see above).
  • Mic input: this allows you to connect a better quality microphone than the one already built into the camera.
  • Flash bracket: this lets you attach an external flash or other accessories.
  • USB: a USB 3.0 connection is ten times faster than a USB 2.0 connection.

Stabilisation

With optical stabilisation, it’s the lenses that move in the lens so that the image follows the movements of your camera. 5-axis stabilisation combines optical stabilisation with mechanical stabilisation in the sensor to compensate for the five different movements.

Battery life

Mirrorless cameras’ battery life is usually shorter than that on DSLRs. It varies a lot from one model to another. You could carry an extra battery and a portable charger to avoid running out of power. But, that’ll increase the weight of your gear.

Weather resistance

“Weather-sealed” devices have several rubber seals that prevent water and dust from getting inside. DSLR lenses, grips and flashes can also be weather-sealed. But this name is more of a marketing term than an actual standard. It covers different situations from one brand to another. So it’s actually quite hard to know exactly what one camera can endure.