11 Best Mirrorless Cameras for Beginners: Find One for Your Budget

Updated, more powerful sensor

With more pixels than ever before packed onto a Canon APS-C sensor, the sensor of the EOS M6 Mark II has a substantial increase in resolution over the one in the M6. Along with it, the M6 Mark II has the most recent Digic 8 processing engine, which gives it a noticeable speed advantage over the M5 and the M6 – particularly, 14 fps shooting with continuous autofocus at full resolution. If you're OK with "only" 18 megapixels, there is also a 30 frames per second raw burst option available.

Fast autofocus

It doesn't take long for the M6 Mark II to focus. The camera will latch onto targets with amazing speed and precision in excellent lighting. It's possible to detect some hunting in very dim lighting, but incorrect focus confirmations are incredibly rare. This camera's 14fps rate is one of its standout characteristics. With autofocus running between each shot, this feature makes the camera perfect for sports and action photography.

Good battery life

The EOS M6 Mark II's battery has a fairly average official battery life of 305 shots, but you can typically get much more out of it by carefully managing your power. The good news is that USB-C charging is available, which is fantastic for powering up while traveling or if you don't want to bring a bunch of chargers.

Ergonomics and build

The A6000 will appeal to people who want a lot of knobs and buttons. It features a ton of controls, and like previous Sony cameras, almost all of them can be customized to let you modify the camera to your preferences for taking pictures. The Sony A6000's grip is very minimally pronounced and rather comfortable to handle, but it starts to feel a little front-heavy when used with a larger lens like the Sony 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6. The camera is also covered in a lovely texture.

Good mage quality and metering

The A6000 performs admirably even by today's standards. It produces extremely sharp photos with gorgeously saturated colors. By changing Creative Styles—some of which are offered as pre-stored settings—you can experiment with how JPEGs seem right from the camera. The camera's metering system performs a fair job with exposure, but it occasionally suffers in scenes with a lot of contrast, necessitating the use of exposure compensation. The automated white balancing mechanism works well, too, despite the fact that some artificial light sources can cause it to become slightly confused.

Versatile kit lens

A 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 lens is included with the A6000 as standard optic. With a decent range of different focal lengths and the ability to produce some attractive shallow depth of field effects, it is an excellent all-around performer for your first optic.

Powerful stills & video performer

While both stills and video may be captured with this camera, the video features have gotten the most attention in the most recent iteration. However, this is a camera that excels at both still and action photography because to its 20MP sensor, quick burst mode, and expanded burst depth of over 108 raw files or more than 999 JPEGs. With the GH5 II's 4K 60p video capability, pre-installed V-Log L profile, support for C4K, VFR, 10-bit internal recording, and other features, it's also a serious video tool. 20 megapixels is sufficient for many types of stills shooting. For photographers and filmmakers that need both stills and video in the same camera and most likely during the same production, this is a suitably strong hybrid camera.

Decent autofocus and eyes tracking

The GH5 II can maintain sharpness on moving subjects if you choose a focus point and keep it over the subject. With fixed subjects, it is furthermore swift and efficient. However, the Animal Detection AF can be slow to react and has a tendency to detect animals where none actually present. While useful, especially for vlogging or live-streaming, the Human Face/Eye identification is not quite as reliable as the equivalent technologies from Sony and Canon.

Live streaming feature

One of the most significant improvements made by the GH5 II over the GH5 is the ability to live stream using a smartphone running Panasonic's Lumix Sync app. Once everything is set up, it works excellently. The camera can stream content to a router, a smartphone running Panasonic's Lumix Sync app, or directly to social media sites like Facebook using a wired or wireless connection.

Extremely compact and lightweight

The M10 Mark IV has a satisfyingly substantial feel for a camera that almost fits into the palm of the hand, helped by a practical and well-sculpted right-hand grip that makes one-handed operation possible. The black and silver color scheme is similar to the company's well-known Olympus Trip 35mm film model, one of the most recognizable cameras in the world, and follows a trend for compact cameras with retro-inspired looks.

In-built image stabilization

A small in-body image stabilization mechanism with up to 4.5 EV steps of adjustment and 15 fps high-speed sequential shooting is another feature of the Mark IV. For continuous focusing on moving subjects, Continuous AF precision has also been increased. The Face Priority/Eye Priority AF can now focus on faces that are in profile or looking downward, which should make it easier for users to take sharp portraits even from unusual angles.

Various shooting modes

A number of shooting modes are available on the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV, including AUTO, SCN (Scene), AP (Advanced Photo), and Art Filter. Panoramas, HDR, and other difficult shooting techniques are made accessible to beginners via the AP mode. While not especially helpful in more serious shooting scenarios, the Art Filter mode has a range of filters that are fun to experiment with with family and friends.

Improved autofocus

For the MK IV model, Olympus made much of its better autofocus, and it does deliver. The camera's autofocus performance is among the best in its category, consistently locking on to motion at a respectable distance. For a little camera, it performs well when it comes to catching the ideal moments, especially if you’re doing street and wildlife photography. Additionally, its capable burst mode can shoot at 15 frames per second.

Fast powering and autofocus

After powering on for a second, the camera can start shooting. For typical settings, Z-series lenses focus swiftly and silently while also providing a manual focus override. To-screen touch tracking auto-focus is sticky on your subject, and the Z fc reliably, quickly, and accurately recognizes eyes and faces.

Great noise handling and dynamic range

All settings up to ISO 6400 look clean, especially those under ISO 800, demonstrating how well the 20.9MP sensor controls noise. As a general guideline, you should stay away from ISO 25,600 and ISO 51,200 if you want to minimize the negative effects of noise. Dynamic range is impressive, and an HDR mode's implementation is quick and efficient. Pleasant functionality The Z fc's practicality honors its legacy with large, recognizable dials for controlling the ISO and shutter, and it works exceptionally well when used "hands-on." Playing about with shutter speeds and settings with a digital camera is just as enjoyable as it would be with a film camera because you can see the results of your adjustments as soon as you press the shutter release.

Small but mighty

The M50 Mark II has the same minuscule footprint as its predecessor - it is a mirrorless camera that is both small and powerful. Its reduced APS-C picture sensor makes it more smaller and more maneuverable than full-frame mirrorless cameras like the Canon EOS R5.

Powerful sensor and low-light shooting

Because of the sophisticated light-capturing technology used by this large CMOS sensor, it can shoot images and videos with minimal noise and create results that are clear and detailed even in low light. In addition, it enables you to focus rapidly and shoot quickly in continuous mode for high-speed performance that helps you capture once-in-a-lifetime moments.

Autofocus and eye tracking

Thanks to Canon's Dual Pixel sensor, which uses phase-detection focusing, eye detection and tracking are now available for both still photos and video, and they perform rather well. Both still photos and 1080p video can capture fast-moving subjects without losing them. However, only contrast-detect AF is available when recording in 4K, which slows down the autofocus a touch.

Video capabilities

The M50 Mark II's ability to capture vertical video is a crucial feature for content creators who film for TikTok, Instagram and Facebook stories, and other portrait-oriented social media. Regarding normal 4K shooting, keep in mind that the camera has a large 1.56x crop that may be increased to 1.75x by enabling digital image stabilization and to 2.26x by using advanced IS. This means that if you want to conduct handheld selfie-style vlogging, you need to be careful about the lenses you choose. However, the 1080p video is still excellent and would satisfy most basic needs.

IBIS and and wide ISO range

With five stops of in-body image stabilization on five axes, stills photographers may take pictures in lower light or with smaller apertures without worrying about blurry images due to camera shake. This substantial IBIS also makes handheld video recording more fluid in some situations, negating the need for a camera gear. Despite this, it features an ISO range of 100 - 51200, which for low light photography expands to 50 - 102,400.

Viewfinder and autofocus

The Nikon Z5 has a great 3.69 million-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF), which is big and bright and makes composing photographs fun. It also has a great 3.0-inch tilt-angle touchscreen. A 273-point autofocus system is also available, which is quite capable and effective for both static and moving subjects.

Weather sealing

Given that many entry-level DSLR cameras lack any weather sealing, the Z5's ability to keep out rain and dust is a nice bonus. The camera should be able to keep up with the user wherever they are thanks to the improved weatherproofing and USB power bank charging capabilities.

Dual-card design

The Z5's dual-card design also allows you to record raw files to one card and JPEGs to the other, which is useful for sharing images quickly from one card while having the full-fat files for those you might wish to work on more thoroughly on the other. You can also increase the number of shots you can take without physically switching cards by using the dual-card design.

Compact and function-rich

The A6100 is compact enough to slip inside a jacket pocket, depending on the lens. Its form size, which is just 67mm high and has a fairly flat profile without the pentaprism "hump" observed on competitors like the Fujifilm X-T3, is responsible for this. The external controls are strong and the polycarbonate shell feels solid, and the textured hand and thumb grips offer a secure grasp. Praise be for the A6000's grip, which is a little bit larger. Although this camera is small, it packs a powerful punch in terms of controls and functions. You receive a pop-up flash that may be manually tilted back to provide fill light. Optional accessories like an external microphone can be attached to the hotshoe and linked to the microphone port on the side.

Stellar autofocus with modes

The A6100's quick and dependable autofocus technology for both photos and video is where it excels. Its AF system is identical to that of the more expensive, flagship Sony A6600. There are numerous Focus Areas and Focus Modes available. After experimenting with these options, we decided that for almost all situations, continuous AF with the 'Tracking: Expand Flexible Spot' focus area was best. Focusing for broad action, such as family photos or a specific topic within the frame, is quite dependable when this AF configuration is in use. Since the A6100 is so dependable for fine focusing, there were occasions when we forgot that this is a beginner's camera.

Image and video quality

The A6100's 24.2-megapixel sensor is the same as the one in the previous generation, so sharpness and detail are basically on par. The A6100 offers far improved color rendering than the A6000, notably for portraiture, because to new image processing algorithms that Sony adopted. When it comes to video, the A6100 significantly improves upon the previous model. It's extremely sharp because you can now capture 4K at up to 30 frames per second with a complete pixel readout. Additionally, thanks to Sony's adjustments to the color science, the subjects of your videos will appear more real and authentic.

Compact size and solid build

The G100 is one of the smallest interchangeable lens cameras on the market right now with a fully articulating LCD touchscreen. The implementation of the camera's 3-inch, 1.84 million dot LCD touchscreen is excellent. Even in direct sunshine, it is simple to discern due to its brightness and contrast. Even though it is small, the G100 has a sturdy build. It is constructed from a durable polycarbonate material and has few spots that appear prone to drop damage.

Mighty sensor

The G100's main component is a 20.3-megapixel Live MOS sensor, which can capture stunning 4K/30p video. For stunning slow-motion clips, it can also capture Full HD video at up to 120 frames per second. All frame rate settings, including up to 8x rapid video modes, are located at the S&Q position on the camera's mode dial by Panasonic to keep things simple. The camera's intervalometer settings can also be used to produce time-lapse and stop-motion sequences. ideal for producing dramatic B-roll video.

Perfect for vloggers and travelers

The G100 offers a number of features that make it particularly appealing to travel vloggers, especially since they can capture high-quality footage in front of and behind the camera while on the go without having to lug along an additional microphone. The camera automatically enters Video Selfie Mode when the LCD screen is flipped forward to face the user. By extending the depth of field, you can maintain both the background and your face in sharp focus. The G100's sophisticated face-tracking and identification algorithms can reliably recognize and lock onto faces.

Superb sensor

The EOS RP can save files in RAW format, which gives me more area for post-processing, and it has a native ISO range of 100 - 40000, which can be expanded to 50 - 102400. With this camera, you can take spectacular 4K video and high-resolution pictures because of its enormous sensor. Fine details and brilliant, rich hues, including deep reds, emerald greens, and luscious blues and purples, are easily captured through the mighty sensor.

Decent autofocus

When using the autofocus through a viewfinder, LCD, or touchscreen, it performs well. To focus a subject, you simply tap on it. Additionally, one of the 4779 focusing points can be chosen and placed against the target. When necessary, manual focus can be used in conjunction with focus peaking. A working range of -5EV to 18 should allow the camera to perform well when dealing with dimly illuminated subjects.

EVF

With the EOS RP's electronic viewfinder, shooting in direct sunshine and other circumstances when it would be challenging to see the LCD panel is made simpler. For more precise framing and less need for post-processing cropping, 100% coverage ensures that what you see in the viewfinder when taking the photo corresponds perfectly to what you will get later in your image.

Fast and responsive AF

The A6400 is as quick and responsive as its cutting-edge AF specifications would indicate. Face/eye detection moves around the frame without any latency, and in continuous AF/continuous shooting mode, the autofocus nearly instantaneously adjusted to changes in subject distance. Both tracking functions are quick and precise thanks to the 425 phase-detection AF points, 425 contrast-detection points, and new BIONZ X processor.

Detailed and crisp images

The Sony A6400 can capture a lot of detail at low sensitivity levels. Even at 100% on screen, images appear clear and everything appears to be rather natural. As the sensitivity level rises, noise enters the equation, as is to be expected. Jpeg photographs can appear a little smudged in some areas when shooting in low-light situations that call for an ISO setting of 16,000 or 32,000, which is the native maximum.

Unlimited video recording

Many digital still cameras include a clip length restriction of 29 minutes and 59 seconds or less. With the a6400, there are no such limitations, so you can keep recording until the SD card is full or the battery dies. Even though the majority of videos and movies are made from many shots or clips, this lets you record events like lectures and concerts without having to start the recording again.