Mirrorless Choosing Guide 2024

Universal Features

There is a huge gamut of mirrorless digital cameras that encompasses everything from entry-level to high-end professional models. Even the most basic mirrorless offers Full Manual Controls, Manual-Focus, Spot Metering, Custom White-Balance and more. Expect all these cameras to offer functions universally found on entry-level DSLR offers with two exceptions:

1. These are a handful of models which do not have a viewfinder with no provision to add one. Many low-cost models support an Optional EVF via a proprietary connector which may block the hot-shoe, meaning either the Optional EVF or an External Flash can be used but not both at once.
2. Certain models omit either a hoe-shoe or a built-in flash, although no model has omitted both since 2011. Those without a hot-shoe are always very compact entry-level offerings that would be seriously unbalanced with an External Flash attached.

Manual Controls: Both fully-manual (M) and semi-automatic modes (T and V). Custom White-Balance: Specifies exactly what should be white to the camera. Continuous Drive Action Photography: Shutter speeds of 1/1500 or more. Night Photography: Reaches shutter-speeds longer than 4 seconds. HD Video: 1280x720 resolution or more. Hotshoe: Allows external flash units to be attached.

All current mirrorless have a broad exposure latitude with a shutter-speed range that matches entry-level DSLRs or exceeds them. Particularly high shutter-speeds above 1/8000s are simply not possible using a mechanical shutter. Mirrorless cameras and even a few compacts can reach 1/40000s, allowing them to freeze incredibly fast action. On the other hand of the spectrum, all mirrorless are capable of exposing for 30s but not many can take longer exposures. Bulb mode, which is standard on DSLRs, is not available on all mirrorless. Even when it is available, there is often a limit of a few minutes, typically between 2 and 15 minutes.

As with all interchangeable lens cameras, the aperture range and minimum focus distance of mirrorless ones is determined by the lens being used. Most lenses support screw-on filters to modify incoming light.

Ergonomics

Even though one can expect complete photographic controls on all mirrorless cameras, the accessibility of these features differs greatly. Every mirrorless offers at least one control-dial, with two being twice as common and a good number even providing three, something which only exists on Pentax DSLRs. A Mode Dial is also very common yet not universal.

The most criticized ergonomic aspect of mirrorless digital cameras is clearly their Electronic Viewfinder, known as EVF. Early EVFs had very poor resolution with Minolta introducing the only 1 megapixel EVF in their prosumer cameras where it remained unmatched for years. Sony eventually acquired Minolta which had merged with Konica. The lowest resolution EVF in mirrorless during the last 5 years is 1.4 MP which is detailed yet not so sharp. Only a small minority use such viewfinders. Most modern mirrorless though have very sharp units with 2.4 to 3 megapixels of resolution. Those look very sharp and make it possible to confirm focus.

Newer EVFs are extremely sharp and so detailed that the human eye cannot distinguish pixels. Most high-end mirrorless now feature EVFs with at least 3.6 megapixels. In 2020, EVF resolution reached 9.4 MP. This state-of-the-art technology not only provides higher resolution but also a significant boost in contrast. The top EVF units claim to show 1:1000 contrast which provides a much more natural preview. While the human eye can adapt to high contrast, gain can be applied to an EVF to brighten the preview down to very low light levels. This is a fantastic advantage for photographers that use ND filters to create longer exposures.

The apparent size of a viewfinder is called its Magnification. Higher magnification greatly improves comfort and usability. Although EVFs have a size measured in inches, typically 0.39-0.5", there are optics that magnify and focus the image. This results in EVFs of the same size having sometimes different magnification. The EVF is an expensive electronic component and so lower-cost mirrorless usually have smaller units that show around 0.6X magnification. The majority of mirrorless provide a larger 0.7X or higher magnification which is similar to most professional DSLRs. The latest flagship mirrorless cameras even have huge 0.9X magnification EVFs. See the EVF Size Article for exact and always up-to-date numbers.

Exclusive Features

There are significant advantages to constantly reading from the imaging sensor. The resulting stream of data is used to generate the Live Preview, measure focus, perform metering, compute white-balance and analyze the scene. This makes it possible for mirrorless cameras to simulate exposure, track small details down to a single eye, apply sophisticated metering patterns, generate a Live-Histogram, determine what type of scene is being photographed and analyze the preview to show edges in focus or improperly exposed areas.

Live-Preview lets mirrorless digital cameras offer exclusive features such as Sweeping Panorama, Multiple Exposure preview, HDR preview, refocus images, change aspect-ratio and even show an exposure in-progress during Bulb or Timed exposure. Keep in mind that these features are not available on all mirrorless since manufacturers are still discovering the technology and constantly innovating.

Manual Focusing was traditionally difficult with anything other than a Reflex Optical Viewfinder (OVF). This now turned around completely in that EVF offer superior Manual Focus experience. The ultra-high resolution of modern EVFs makes them impeccably sharp and match the best OVFs. Plus, the majority of mirrorless cameras offer at least one MF-Assist modes. The most common is Electronic Magnification which zooms onto one part of the frame to increase magnification. Many add Focus-Peaking which highlights edges of maximum sharpness, effectively outlining in-focus areas.

Video Capabilities

Mirrorless cameras are the most capable hybrid cameras on the market. All can record at least Full HD (1080p) and plenty capture 4K Ultra-HD at 30 FPS. An increasing number reach 60 FPS at 4K or record wider Cinema 4K which has a 17:9 aspect-ratio. Capture speeds of 120 FPS at Full HD are also possible with even higher frame-rates at lower resolution.

Autofocus remains fully functional while filming since mirrorless cameras always use their sensors to measure focus. Exposure is also computed exactly the same way for still and video which allows for good consistency. All DSLRs essentially turn into mirrorless cameras while recording video by moving the mirror out of the way. This forces them to switch a different AF system, use on-sensor metering and prevents filming with the camera at eye-level. Some DSLRs perform very well in this mode yet they are not designed that way and so they rarely fully match the video performance of mirrorless cameras.