Reviews
New: Best mirrorless cameras
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'What's the best camera?' That's a question we hear a lot at DPReview, not only from readers but also from friends and family. And it's impossible to give a definitive answer because the question is very subjective. The best camera for you might come down to any number of personal preferences, unique to your priorities and the kind of photography you prefer to do.
That being said, a lot of people - especially people just getting into photography - want to know which cameras stand out in the market, relative to competitive products. Even if you don't necessarily end up using all of a camera's features, it's always good to know your options and avoid models which may not meet your needs in the future.
In this article we'll break down your options roughly by price, and our rankings are based on all-round capability. For more precise recommendations, tailored to the photography you want to do, we'd recommend looking at our buying guides based around specific types of photography.
Jump to:
- Best mirrorless cameras around $500
- Best mirrorless cameras around $1000
- Best mirrorless cameras around $1500
- Best mirrorless cameras between $2000-$3000
- Best mirrorless cameras between $3000-$4000
Best mirrorless camera around $500: Canon EOS M200
($500 with 15-45mm lens)
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The Canon EOS M200 is a nicely designed entry-level mirrorless camera aimed at beginners and smartphone upgraders. Canon hasn't messed too much with the essential design principles of the original M100 (you still won't find an EVF, or a handgrip on the M200) but the addition of Eye Detect autofocus and 4K video mode make the M200 more competitive, and more useful to keen photographers just getting into picture-taking. |
Best mirrorless camera around $1000: Canon EOS M6 Mark II
($1000 with 15-45mm lens)
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The Canon EOS M6 Mark II does just about everything right for a camera in its class and at this price-point. With sensible, enthusiast-friendly ergonomics, solid image quality from its 32MP APS-C sensor, and up to 14fps continuous shooting, the M6 II is a great camera for stills photography. It also offers full-width 4K video, and an excellent Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus system. If you buy the M6 II in a kit with a lens, you'll also get an electronic viewfinder in the box. |
Best mirrorless camera around $1500: Fujifilm X-T4
($1699 body only)
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Like its predecessor, the Fujifilm X-T4 excels at both still photography and video, and now has the added bonus of in-body image stabilization. The X-T4 is a fast and reliable tool for shooting everything from portraiture and lifestyle to wildlife and sports. Photos look great and video features (including 4K/60p) and quality are top-notch. The weather-sealed body has an ultra-high-res viewfinder along with a fully articulating touchscreen display. |
Best mirrorless camera $2000-$3000: Canon EOS R6
($2499 body only)
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The Canon EOS R6 is the enthusiast-targeted model in the company's line of full-frame mirrorless cameras. At 20 megapixels, its resolution is low for its class, though it doesn't make an appreciable difference in terms of image quality (which is excellent). Canon's Dual Pixel autofocus system is most impressive, as it's easy to set up and tracks subjects well, even at 20 fps. The camera has built-in image stabilization which can reduce shake by up to 8 stops with compatible lenses. The R6 produces great-looking video and features numerous video tools, supports 10-bit Log capture, and offers both mic and headphone sockets. The camera is prone to rolling shutter in footage when panning or tracking fast-moving subjects, however. Video recording time may vary due to heat, though Canon has made made improvements to this via firmware updates. |
Best mirrorless camera $3000-$4000: Canon EOS R5
($3899 body only)
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Canon threw every conceivable feature into the high-end EOS R5, including a 45MP full-frame sensor, in-body image stabilization, a super-high-res EVF, dual card slots and 8K video capture. Build quality is excellent, and its control layout will be familiar to users of Canon's DSLRs. Image quality is excellent, as is the camera's Dual Pixel AF system, which we found easy to set up. The camera is capable of shooting at 20 fps with continuous autofocus: impressive considering its resolution. On the video side, the camera can capture great-looking 8K Raw and oversampled 4K footage. Heat buildup is an issue, however, so record times can be inconsistent depending on the kind of footage you need to shoot. The R5 features numerous tools for video capture and, as you'd expect, sockets for an external mic and headphones. |
