Comparison of Mirrorless Cameras

We carried out a large survey between 22nd and 25th August 2019, amongst 890 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: 40%
• Panasonic Lumix: 28%
• Fujifilm: 18%
• Olympus: 13%
• Canon: 2%

Most used mirrorless models

We’ve grouped the devices by series, from the newest model to the oldest.

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.

In this table, we compare the technical features and prices of models which, according to our survey, are the most used by long-term travellers.

	Sony Alpha 6000	Lumix GX80	Olympus E-M10 Mark II	Olympus E-M5 Mark II	Sony Alpha 7 Mark II	Sony Alpha 7 Mark III	Lumix G80	Lumix GX 9	Lumix G7	Fujifilm X-T30	Fujifilm X-T20	Fujifilm X-T3	Fujifilm X-T2	Canon M50	Sony Alpha 6500
Price of body only	$420 (£380)	$300 (£270)	$450 (£400)	$750 (£670)	$1,000 (£900)	$1,900 (£1,700)	$680 (£610)	$560 (£500)	$390 (£350)	$930 (£830)	$700 (£620)	$1,120 (£1,000)	$900 (£800)	$660 (£590)	$1,400 (£1,250)
Price of kit with lens	$560 (£500)	$500 (£450)	$600 (£535)	$1,250.00 (£1,120)	$1,350.00 (£1200)	$2,100 (£1,900)	$780 (£700)	$850 (£760)	$500 (£450)	$1,340 (£1,200)	$900 (£1,000)	$1,400 (£1,250)	$1,000 (£900)	$730 (£650)	$1,600 (£1,450)
Release year	2014	2016	2015	2015	2015	2018	2016	2018	2015	2019	2017	2018	2016	2018	2016
	Our survey
Number of survey respondents who chose this model	19	12	7	7	7	6	6	6	4	4	4	5	3	3	3
Overall score our of 10	8.4	7.7	8.4	8.1	9.0	9.6	8.5	8.3	8.5	8.8	8.5	8.6	8.7	9.0	7.0
Photo quality out of 10	8.9	8.7	8.4	8.3	9.0	9.6	8.7	8.3	8.5	9.8	9.3	9.2	9.3	9.0	8.0
Video quality out of 10	7.2	8.1	8.0	7.3	8.0	9.8	8.3	8.0	8.3	10	9	8	7	9.0	8
Responsiveness out of 10	7.8	7.6	8.4	7.9	8.6	9.6	8.4	8.5	7.8	9.3	6.8	9.6	8.3	7.5	8.0
Ergonomics and functions out of 10	8.6	8.1	7.9	8.1	8.8	8.6	8.3	8.3	8.3	7.5	8.8	8.4	8.3	8.0	7.7
	Dimensions
Body length	120 mm	122 mm	119 mm	124 mm	127 mm	127 mm	128 mm	124 mm	125 mm	118 mm	118 mm	132 mm	132 mm	116 mm	120 mm
Body depth	67 mm	71 mm	83 mm	85 mm	96 mm	96 mm	89 mm	72 mm	86 mm	83 mm	83 mm	93 mm	92 mm	88 mm	67 mm
Body height	45 mm	44 mm	47 mm	45 mm	60 mm	74 mm	74 mm	47 mm	77 mm	47 mm	41 mm	59 mm	49 mm	59 mm	53 mm
	Weight
Weight with battery and memory card (CIPA standard)	344 g	426 g	390 g	469 g	599 g	650 g	505 g	450 g	410 g	383 g	383 g	539 g	507 g	390 g	453 g
Lens weight in the kit	116 g	70 g	93 g	285 g	295 g	295 g	210 g	210 g	265 g	330 g	330 g	330 g	330 g	130 g	116 g
Total weight	460 g	496 g	483 g	754 g	894 g	945 g	715 g	660 g	675 g	713 g	713 g	869 g	837 g	520 g	569 g
	Sensor
Sensor size (name)	APS-C	4/3″	4/3″	4/3″	Full frame	Full frame	4/3″	4/3″	4/3″	APS-C	APS-C	APS-C	APS-C	APS-C	APS-C
Sensor size (in mm)	23,5 x 15,6 mm	17,3 x 13 mm	17,3 x 13 mm	17,3 x 13 mm	36 x 24 mm	36 x 24 mm	17,3 x 13 mm	17,3 x 13 mm	17,3 x 13 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	23,5 x 15,6 mm
Number of effective pixels	24,3 Mpx	16 Mpx	16 Mpx	16 Mpx	24,3 Mpx	24,2 Mpx	16 Mpx	20,3 Mpx	16 Mpx	26,1 Mpx	24,3 Mpx	26,1 Mpx	24,3 Mpx	24,1 Mpx	24,2 Mpx
Sensitivity (ISO range)	100 – 25 600 ISO	100 – 25 600 ISO	200 – 25 600 ISO	100 – 25 600 ISO	100 – 51 200 ISO	100 – 51 200 ISO	200 – 12 800 ISO	100 – 25 600 ISO	200 – 25 600 ISO	160 – 12 800 ISO	200 – 12 800 ISO	160 – 12 800 ISO	200 – 12 800 ISO	100 – 25 600 ISO	100 – 51 200 ISO
	Kit lens
Focal range	16-50 mm	12-32 mm	14-42 mm	14-150 mm	28-70 mm	28-70 mm	12-60 mm	12-60 mm	14-140 mm	18-55 mm	18-55 mm	18-55 mm	18-55 mm	15-45 mm	16-70 mm
Maximum aperture	f/3.5-5.6	f/3.5-5.6	f/3.5-5.6	f/4.0-5.6	f/3.5-5.6	f/3.5-5.6	f/3.5-5.6	f/3.5-5.6	f/3.5-5.6	f/2.8-4	f/2.8-4	f/2.8-4	f/2.8-4	f/3.5-6.3	f/4
Range of lenses in this brand	Excellent	Average	Average	Average	Excellent	Excellent	Average	Average	Average	Average	Average	Average	Average	Poor	Excellent
	Video
Video size (name)	Full HD	4K	Full HD	Full HD	Full HD	4K	4K	4K	4K	4K	4K	4K	4K	4K	4K
Video size (in pixels)	1920 x 1080 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	1920 x 1080 pixels	1920 x 1080 pixels	1920 x 1080 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels	3840 x 2160 pixels
Number of frames per second	60 frames/s	30 frames/s	30 frames/s	60 frames/s	60 frames/s	30 frames/s	30 frames/s	30 frames/s	30 frames/s	30 frames/s	30 frames/s	60 frames/s	30 frames/s	30 frames/s	30 frames/s
Sound	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo	Stereo
	Screen
Size	7.5 cm	7.5 cm	7.6 cm	7.6 cm	7.5 cm	7.5 cm	7.5 cm	7.5 cm	7.6 cm	7.6 cm	7.6 cm	7.6 cm	7.6 cm	7.5 cm	7.5 cm
Numbre of sRGB dots	921,600 dots	1,040,000 dots	1,037,000 dots	1,037,000 dots	1,228,800 dots	921,600 dots	1,040,000 dots	1,240,000 dots	1,040,000 dots	1,040,000 dots	1,040,000 dots	1,040,000 dots	1,040,000 dots	1,040,000 dots	921,600 dots
Touch screen
Rotatable
	Speed
Max. mechanical shutter speed	1/4000 s	1/4000 s	1/4000 s	1/8000 s	1/8000 s	1/8000 s	1/4000 s	1/4000 s	1/4000 s	1/4000 s	1/4000 s	1/8000 s	1/8000 s	1/4000 s	1/4000 s
Max. burst speed in high definition	11 frames/s	8 frames/s	8,5 frames/s	10 frames/s	5 frames/s	10 frames/s	9 frames/s	9 frames/s	8 frames/s	8 frames/s	8 frames/s	11 frames/s	8 frames/s	10 frames/s	11 frames/s
	Connectivity
Wifi
NFC
Bluetooth
Built-in GPS
Mic jack
Flash bracket
USB	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0	USB 3.0	USB 2.0	USB 3.0	USB 3.0	USB 2.0	USB 2.0
	Other specifications
Stabilisation	Optical	5-axis	5-axis	5-axis	5-axis	5-axis	5-axis	5-axis	Optical	Optical	Optical	Optical	Optical	Optical	5-axis
Viewfinder	Electronic	Electronic	Electronic	Electronic	Electronic	Electronic	Electronic	Electronic	Electronic	Electronic	Electronic	Electronic	Electronic	Electronic	Electronic
Built-in flash
Battery life (CIPA standard)	360 shots	290 shots	320 shots	310 shots	350 shots	710 shots	330 shots	260 shots	360 shots	380 shots	350 shots	390 shots	340 shots	235 shots	350 shots
Weather resistance
	Body Only
Buy on	Amazon	–	–	–	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	–	Amazon	–	Amazon	–
	Kit with lens
Buy on	Amazon	Amazon	–	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon	–	–	–	Amazon	Amazon

Less than $800 (£600) with lens
Canon M50

In our view, in this price range, the Canon M50 offers the best value for money:

• It’s the only camera in this range (as well as the Sony A6000) to have an APS-C sensor which offers better image quality than 4/3” sensors.
• It’s one of the lightest mirrorless models. The body only weighs 13.8 oz (390 g) with battery and memory card (18.3 oz (520 g) with a 15-45 mm lens).
• It has a rotatable, 1,040,000 megapixel touch screen.
• It supports 4K video.
• It can connect via wifi, NFC and Bluetooth.

Less than $1,100 (£900) body only
Fujifilm X-T30

In our opinion, in this price range, the Fujifilm X-T30 offers the best value for money:

• It has an APS-C sensor that offers better image quality than 4/3” sensors.
• It’s one of the lightest mirrorless models. The body only weighs13.5 oz (383 g) with battery and memory card (25.1 oz (713 g) with a 18-55 mm lens).
• It has good overall responsiveness.
• It has lots of customisation options and manual control buttons.
• It has an electronic shutter up to 1/32000sec. to take pictures silently.
• It has a rotatable, 1,040,000 megapixel touch screen.
• It supports 4K video.
• It can connect via wifi, Bluetooth and USB 3.0.
• It’s a recent model. It was released in 2019.

Less than $1,700 (£1,300) with lens
Sony Alpha 7 Mark II

From our point of view, in this price range, the Sony Alpha 7 Mark II offers the best value for money:

• It has a full frame sensor and delivers outstanding image quality.
• It has a wide ISO range: from 50 to 25 600.
• It has 5-axis image stabilisation.
• It’s equipped with a high-end electronic viewfinder.
• It has a rotatable, 1,228,800 megapixel touch screen.