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Reflecting on the Best Mirrorless Cameras of 2017
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II
Overall Feature-Rich Photo & Video Value
Olympus has packed an impressive number of high-end features into the 16.1Mp OM-D E-M5 Mark II’s dustproof, freezeproof and weatherproof body. For instance, there’s High Res Shot mode that produces 40Mp images, 5-axis Image Stabilisation (IS) that works with stills or video recording and Live Time, Live Bulb and Live Composite mode to make shooting long exposure incredibly easy.
In addition, as it has the Micro Four Thirds mount, it’s compatible with a huge range of lenses, so every shooting scenario is catered for.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III
Best for Novices
The little brother to the OM-D E-M5 Mark II, the 16.1Mp Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III makes a great camera for novices looking to step-up to interchangeable lens photography. Thanks to the new Advanced Photo (AP) mode it’s easy to get to grips with advanced features like Live Composite, Live Time, Multiple Exposure, HDR, Silent, Panorama, Keystone Correction, AE Bracketing and Focus Bracketing.
And while it may be tiny, the OM-D E-M10 Mark III still has an electronic OLED with 2,360,000 dots built-in alongside the tilting 3-inch 1,037,000-dot OLED touch-screen.
Sony Alpha A6300 (discontinued, please see the Sony a6400 here >)
Fast Autofocus, 4k and 120fps at 1080p
If you’re looking for a camera that can focus quickly and capture lots of detail, then take a look at the 24.2Mp Sony Alpha A6300. It has Sony’s incredible 4D Focus system with 425 phase detection points and 169 contrast detection points and it can lock onto a subject in just 0.05 seconds. There’s also a 0.3-inch OLED electronic viewfinder with 2,359,296 dots and a tilting 3-inch LCD with 921,600 dots to give a you a great view of your subject.
Sony Alpha a6300
Sony Alpha a7R II
Sony Alpha A7R II - Discontinued, why not take a look at the Sony A7R IV >
Enthusiast Full-Frame for Photographers and Content Creators
While Sony has recently introduced the Alpha A7R III, the A7R II has the same 42.4Mp resolution and that means its full-frame back-illuminated sensor is capable of capturing a huge amount of detail. What’s more, there’s superb control over depth of field so you can really blur backgrounds if you want.
It might be a high-resolution camera, but Sony has also given the A7R II an extensive video feature set including 4K (3840x2160) recording in either Super 35mm crop mode or full-frame mode along with Time Code, clean HDMI output and Sony's Picture Profile modes that give access to S-Log2 Gamma and S-Gamut for greater dynamic range.
Sony Alpha 9
Professional Level Photographic System
With a 24.2Mp full-frame sensor, 693-point phase detection AF system and the ability to shoot silently at 20fps with full autofocus and exposure tracking, the Sony A9 is winning over professional sport photographers. The focusing system is superb, but the ability to shoot silently, and in low light, means that they can get shots that just aren’t possible with other cameras.
Sony Alpha a9
Canon EOS M5
Canon EOS M5 (the EOS M5 is now discontinued, view Canon Mirrorless Cameras here)
Enthusiast Vloggers and Canon Fans
Inside the tiny EOS M5 is the same APS-C format 24.2Mp Dual Pixel CMOS sensor as is in the superb Canon 80D. That means it has fast focusing to compliment its 7fps shooting capability (9fps in Single AF mode). Of course that AF prowess is also on-hand when you’re shooting video.
In addition to the 0.39-type 2,360,000-dots OLED electronic viewfinder there’s a 3.2-inch 1,620,000-dot ClearView II Touchscreen LCD that can be tilted 85 degrees up and 180 degrees down, which helps make the M5 especially attractive to vloggers.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8(the EOS M5 is now discontinued, view Panasonic Bridge Cameras here)
Vloggers and Great Image Quality
The Panasonic GX8 is a 20.3Mp Micro Four Thirds camera that has proved popular with vloggers because of its high video (and still image) quality. In addition to its 3-inch 1,040,000-dot OLED touch-sensitive vari-angle screen, the GX8 has a 2,360,000-dot OLED viewfinder that can be tilted up for easier viewing from above - that’s especially useful when you want to shoot from below head-height on bright days.
Lumix DMC-GX8
Fujifilm X-T2
Fujifilm X-T2
Beautiful Images and Excellent Lens Collection
At the heart of the X-T2 is Fuji’s superb 24.3MP APS-C format X-Trans CMOS III sensor. This chip’s clever design means no anti-aliasing filter is required so you get more detail than from a standard sensor.
We also love the traditional exposure controls of the Fuji X-T2, they give you a fabulous sense of control and, of course, you can see or adjust them whether the camera is turned on or off.
Add to the mix Fuji’s understanding of colour and the superb Film Simulation modes, as well as the 91/325-point AF system and 14fps top-shooting rate and you, ’ve got a stunning performer.
- By Matthew Ward
- 1 Mar 2018
