Cameras


Great Mirrorless Cameras You Can Buy Today

December 4, 2017

By Greg Scoblete

MEDIUM FORMAT

Hasselblad X1D

The X1D redefines what it means to be a medium-format camera. Gone is the bulk, as the X1D is smaller and more compact than many full-frame DSLRs. Yet inside, it boasts a 50-megapixel sensor with 14 stops of dynamic range and an ISO range of 100 to 6400. Additionally, there are a pair of SD card slots, built-in Wi-Fi and a 3-inch touch display. And if you fancy recording movies with a medium-format camera, the X1D can capture full HD video at a cinematic 24 fps. There are mic and headphone jacks, too.
Price: $8,995
hasselblad.com

Fujifilm GFX 50S

While Fuji can’t lay claim to the most compact mirrorless medium-format camera on the market, the GFX 50S has its own unique virtues. Starting with autofocusing, there are 425 AF points available in AF-S mode and 117 in one of the zone modes. The GFX 50S supports continuous autofocusing and also offers face and eye detection, enabling the camera to focus more like a smaller-format mirrorless camera than the often more deliberate focusing found on traditional medium-format cameras. Despite its speed, the GFX 50S doesn’t scrimp on either resolution or dynamic range, with a 50-megapixel image sensor delivering 14 stops of dynamic range. The camera has a native ISO of 100 to 12,800 with extension settings pushing the range from 50 to 102,400—another benchmark for the medium-format category. You’ll find Fuji’s film simulations, built-in Wi-Fi and two SD card slots.
Price: $6,500
fujifilmusa.com

FLAGSHIP

Sony a9

While Sony’s second-generation a7 series gave photographers a mirrorless option to compete with the likes of Canon’s 5D series or Nikon’s D800, there was no answer for the high-performance flagship cameras like the D5 or 1D X Mark II—until now. The 24-megapixel a9 is packed with 693 phase-detect and 25 contrast-detect AF points covering 93 percent of the sensor. It has a class-leading burst mode of 20 fps with AF tracking engaged for a total of 222 RAW and JPEG images, a native ISO of 100 to 51,200 (expandable from 50 to 204,800) and performs AF/AE tracking calculations up to 60 times per second. It records 4K video (3840 x 2160) at 30p or full HD up to 120 fps.
Price: $4,500
sony.com

 

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

If you want Sony a9-level speeds in a smaller, less expensive body, Olympus’ E-M1 Mark II can burst at 18 fps using an electronic shutter or 15 fps with a mechanical shutter that includes AF tracking. In Pro Capture mode, you can tap the electronic shutter to start buffering JPEG and RAW images to the camera’s memory before you fully start shooting. The 20-megapixel E-M1 Mark II records 4K video, boasts five-axis image stabilization and a 50-megapixel high-res shot mode to coax even more detail from your images.
Price: $2,000
getolympus.com

Panasonic GH5

Panasonic’s hybrid mirrorless option offers filmmakers high-quality 4K recording—you can save a 10-bit 422 file at 30p to an SD card or shoot 4K at up to 60p. The 20-megapixel GH5 builds on Panasonic’s 4K Photo mode with a new 6K Photo mode that isolates an 18-megapixel still image from a short 6K clip. Still shooters will enjoy that there’s no low-pass filter, plus the improved autofocusing. The GH5’s dual image stabilization allows the camera’s stabilizer to work in tandem with compatible image-stabilized lenses from Panasonic.
Price: $2,000
panasonic.com

Sigma sd Quattro H

The sd Quattro H takes the unique Foveon image sensor technology previously used in Sigma’s APS-C cameras and super-sizes it to an APS-H-sized imager. As you’d expect, the bump in size delivers a corresponding bump in resolution as the sd Quattro H produces the equivalent of a 51-megapixel image—the highest resolution yet achieved by a mirrorless camera. The camera is dust- and splash-proof, and it offers a 2.3-megapixel electronic viewfinder and 3-inch display. Unlike many of its mirrorless rivals, however, the H can’t record video.
Price: $1,199
sigmaphoto.com

Fujifilm X-T2

The X-T2 uses a 24-megapixel, APS-C-sized X-Trans CMOS III image sensor with no low-pass filter. It’s the first Fuji camera to support 4K video recording (3840 x 2160 at 30P/25P/24P) for up to 10 minutes per clip. Its AF system boasts 325 AF points, including 91 zone-focusing points. Roughly 40 percent of the imaging area is covered with phase-detect AF pixels. It also has a native ISO range of 200 to 6400, which can be extended to 100 and 51,200. Furthermore, there’s an OLED EVF with a speedy 100 fps refresh rate and almost no blackout time.
Price: $1,600
fujifilmusa.com

Leica SL

The SL sports a 24-megapixel sensor capable of 4K recording. The sensor has no optical low-pass filter, coaxing out that much more sharpness. The SL features a 3-inch display and a very high-res electronic viewfinder, plus a backlit display of settings on the top of the camera. Shutter speeds top out at 1/8000 sec. with a bulb mode option for a 30-minute exposure. It has a pair of SD card slots with support for fast UHS II memory in the first and slower UHS I in the second, in addition to a USB 3.0 port and HDMI output. You’ll have Wi-Fi and NFC, plus built-in GPS for geo-tagging images.
Price: $5,995
us.leica-camera.com

Canon EOS M5

The M5 delivers something that Canon mirrorless shooters have pined for since the M-series first launched: a viewfinder. Beyond the EVF, the M5 boasts a 24-megapixel, APS-C-sized CMOS image sensor with Canon’s Dual Pixel AF autofocusing system. The sensor has an ISO range of 100 to 25,600 and you’ll enjoy high-speed shooting speeds of up to 7 fps with continuous autofocusing or
9 fps with focus locked on the first frame. The M5 records full HD video at 60p and has a 3.2-inch tilting touch screen display. There’s Wi-Fi for image transfer and remote control, plus Bluetooth for quicker pairing with mobile devices.
Price: $980
usa.canon.com

MID-RANGE

Leica TL2

The new TL2 features a 24-megapixel APS-C-sized image sensor with an ISO range of 100 to 50,000. It uses a contrast-detection autofocus system with 49 AF points. According to Leica, the TL2 can acquire focus three times faster than its predecessor and it’s able to burst at up to 7 fps using a mechanical shutter, and up to 20 fps with an electronic one. On the video front, the TL2 records 4K video (3840 x 2160) at 30p. Full HD recording is also available up to 60p. You can mount both TL and SL series lenses directly to the TL2.
Price: $1,950
us.leica-camera.com

Fujifilm X-E3

The Fujifilm X-E3 is the first Fuji camera to use Bluetooth Low Energy to maintain a constant connection with a paired smartphone, automatically transferring images to your phone as you shoot them. It also features a new image-recognition algorithm to enhance AF tracking on moving subjects. Thanks to the algorithm, the camera can track subjects that are half the size or moving twice as fast as previous cameras. The X-E3 can record 4K/30p video for up to 10 minutes at a clip with clean HDMI output. Full HD video can be captured at up to 60p. The camera can burst at up to 14 fps using an electronic shutter or at 8 fps using a mechanical shutter.
Price: $900
fujifilmusa.com

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III

Packing a 16-megapixel image sensor with a native ISO range of 200 to 25,600 (with an ISO 100 LOW setting), the E-M10 Mark III is the budget-friendly option in Olympus’ OM-D lineup. The camera’s in-body, five-axis stabilization system is good for up to four stops of correction, per CIPA standards, and there are 121 AF points with touch-focusing capability on the 3-inch, tilting display. You’ll enjoy continuous shooting of up to 8.6 fps with focus fixed on the first frame. On the video front, the Mark III can record 4K (3840 x 2160) at 30p or 24p and full HD at 60p. It can also compile 4K time-lapse movies in camera.
Price: $650
getolympus.com

Panasonic G85

The G85 may not win a megapixel war with its 16-megapixel sensor, but there’s no optical low-pass filter so you can squeeze out a bit more sharpness. Better still, the camera’s five-axis image stabilizer can be paired with select Panasonic lenses to deliver up to five stops of image correction. You can also record 4K video at 30p or full HD at 60p with Panasonic’s 4K photo modes, post focus and focus stacking features. And where many other mirrorless models lean on film-era nostalgia for their designs, the G85 cuts a more modern (dare we say, DSLR-like?) figure.
Price: $900
panasonic.com

Canon EOS M100

The M100 features a 24.2-megapixel APS-C-sized CMOS sensor with a native ISO of 100 to 25,600 and Canon’s DIGIC 7 processor. There’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF for smooth live view and video autofocusing, plus a new touch-based interface that supports touch focusing. The 3-inch display can be raised above the camera body for the all-important selfie. You’ll enjoy continuous shooting speeds up to 6 fps with focus fixed on the first frame or 4 fps with continuous AF engaged.

Price: $600
usa.canon.com

Sony a6500

If you’re enticed by the a9’s speed and autofocusing capabilities but prefer a smaller, less expensive body, the a6500 is a nice alternative. It features a 24-megapixel CMOS sensor with a native ISO range of 100 to 25,600 (expandable to 51,200). There are 425 phase-detect points and 169 contrast-detect points with a sensitivity range to -1 EV. Burst speeds can hit 11 fps through the viewfinder or 8 fps in live view—not quite a9-level speeds but very fast for cameras in this category.
Price: $1,400
sony.com

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