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Best Mirrorless Cameras for Christmas 2018
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Best Micro Four Thirds Camera for Amateurs: Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III
Olympus’ OM-D range of Micro Four Thirds cameras gives you a great range of features and superb image quality from a compact body. This is especially true of the 16.1MP OM-D E-M10 Mark III which is aimed at novice photographers and travellers.
Unlike some smaller mirrorless cameras, the OM-D E-M10 III has a viewfinder built-in as well as a tilting 3-inch 1,037,000-dot touchscreen. There’s also a sensitivity (ISO) range of 200-25,600, 5-axis in-body image stabilisation and 4K video at 30, 25 or 24p.
The mode dial has an Advanced Photo (AP) mode that gives a quick route to Olympus’s clever Live Composite and Live Time modes for easy long exposure shooting, as well as Multiple Exposure, HDR, Silent, Panorama, Keystone Correction, AE Bracketing and Focus Bracketing.
It’s a great little performer.
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Best APS-C Mirrorless Camera for Amateurs: Fujifilm X-T100 Digital Camera
The X-T100 has the same APS-C format 24.2MP CMOS sensor as the X-A5 and it can capture super quality images. It also has a 91-point hybrid autofocus system with 35 phase-detection points to get subjects sharp quickly.
Fujifilm has used a mini-DSLR design for the X-T100 so the 0.39inch 2,360,000-dot OLED viewfinder is at the centre of the top plate. There’s also a 3inch 1,040,000-dot LCD with a 3-way tilting mechanism which is useful for shooting selfies or when you’re composing images above or below head height. The screen is also touch-sensitive and allows gesture control for quick setting selection.
The camera has a more beginner-friendly design than the cameras higher up Fujifilm’s X-series line-up. Instead of the traditional exposure controls, for example, there’s a mode dial that lets you select the exposure mode. These include the usual PASM options and a fully automatic SR+ mode.
Its combination of high build quality and superb images make this one a winner.
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Best Multimedia Digital Camera for Enthusiasts: Nikon Z 6 Digital Camera
A few weeks back the Sony A7 III would’ve filled this slot but the Nikon Z 6 is now available and it’s receiving huge praise for its image quality and well thought out control arrangement. Nikon users will find themselves right at home and the FTZ adapter allows you to use most Nikon F lenses on the new mount.
Inside the Z 6 is a 24MP full-frame sensor which is coupled with the Nikon Expeed 6 processing engine. This enables a maximum shooting rate of 12fps and a standard sensitivity (ISO) range of 100-51,200.
There’s also a 273-point hybrid AF system that covers 90% of the image frame and it does a great job of keeping fast-moving subjects sharp - even when the mount adapter is in use.
Add in the top-notch 3.6million-dot viewfinder, superb 3.2-inch 2,100,000-dot tilting touch-screen and 4K video capability and you have a great all-rounder.
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Best APS-C Mirrorless Digital Camera for Enthusiasts: Fujifilm X-T3
Fujifilm’s X-T2 was a superb and very popular camera but Fujifilm has managed to top it with the X-T3. The new camera has a 26MP backside-illuminated APS-C format X-Trans CMOX IV sensor and a new processing engine that enables a standard sensitivity range of ISO 160-12,800 and full-resolution shooting at up to 11fps. If you want, you can also shoot 16Mp images at up to 30fps without the need for a booster grip.
There’s also a 425-point autofocus system that uses 2.16million phase detection pixels spread across the whole imaging sensor. It’s extremely fast and accurate, even keeping up with speeding cars. Portrait photographers will also love the Eye-detection AF system that operates in continuous focusing mode to get the most important part of the subject sharp.
The X-T3 also has plenty to offer video enthusiasts with 4K/60p 4:2:0 10bit internal recording and 4K/60P 4:2:2 10bit external recording via the HDMI port.
It’s a great combination of first-rate image quality and traditional exposure control.
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Fastest Full-frame Mirrorless Digital Camera for Professionals: Sony Alpha A9
The 24.2MP Alpha 9 is Sony’s flagship full-frame mirrorless camera. Its headline features include 20fps continuous shooting with full AF capability, a standard ISO range of 100—51,200, a 693-point phase-detection AF system, 4K (3840 x 2160) video recording at 30p, a tilting 3-inch LCD with 1,4400,000 dots and a 0.5-inch OLED viewfinder with 3,686,400 dots.
Crucially, the AF system is superb, with brilliant tracking capability. The Eye AF system has also proved a huge bonus to Wedding and Social Photographers.
Crucially, the A9 delivers the type of image quality that professional photographers expect while its snappy AF system keeps sports photographers like Bob Martin happy.
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Best Multimedia Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera for Professionals: Nikon Z 7
The full-frame 47MP Z 7 is the high-resolution version of the Nikon Z 6. It has exactly the same build and very similar features apart from the sensor.
Unlike the Z 6, the Z 7 has no anti-aliasing filter on the sensor and this helps it to capture a very high level of detail. And despite the small size of the new mirrorless camera, the handling is very good with the control arrangement being familiar to anyone who uses a Nikon DSLR.
Like the Z 6, the Z 7 uses Nikon’s new Z mount but the FTZ adapter enables most F-mounted lenses to be used on it. What’s more, they perform as you would expect.
Think Nikon D850 minus the mirror and you’re pretty much there with the Z 7. It’s one of the best mirrorless cameras available right now.
- 26 Nov 2018
