{"id":11392,"date":"2019-03-07T18:00:51","date_gmt":"2019-03-07T18:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.apogeephoto.com\/?p=11392"},"modified":"2019-03-07T21:09:23","modified_gmt":"2019-03-07T21:09:23","slug":"best-mirrorless-camera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.apogeephoto.com\/best-mirrorless-camera\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing the Best Mirrorless Camera"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"bestOnce a distinctly amateur niche, in recent years the Mirrorless camera system has really come into its own. Now the best Mirrorless cameras offer many of the advantages of top-end DSLRs, but with few of the disadvantages. So whether you\u2019re an experienced and demanding photographer looking to make the transition across from a DSLR, or a smartphone photographer wanting to move up to a more flexible and powerful camera, our guide to the best Mirrorless cameras will likely include a model that\u2019s right for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Advantages of Mirrorless Cameras<\/b><\/h2>\n

The mirror in a DSLR camera is there to reflect the view through the lens up to the camera\u2019s optical viewfinder, allowing you to see what you\u2019re shooting right up until the moment you press the shutter. When you fire off a shot, the mirror flips up out of the way, and the light falls onto the camera\u2019s sensor. <\/span><\/p>\n

The movement of the mirror creates two main problems for camera designers. The least serious of these is that this action creates the classic \u201cclick\u201d or \u201csnap\u201d noise that we associate with taking photos. This can render DSLRs less suitable for shooting in situations where silence is essential. For example, on a film set or discrete documentary work. <\/span><\/p>\n

More problematic still is that the flip of the mirror may cause the entire camera to move slightly, creating a risk of blurred photos due to camera shake. While this was a more serious problem back in the days of analog film photography – when the heavy mechanical construction of cameras was more basic and less reliant upon electronics – it nonetheless remains an issue that camera manufacturers must deal with today. A Mirrorless camera is one way around this problem, allowing for silent and steady shooting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, a Mirrorless camera\u2019s design doesn\u2019t need to incorporate space for a mirror to flip, which allows for a slimmer camera body. <\/span><\/p>\n

In short, the advantages of a Mirrorless camera are threefold:<\/span><\/p>\n

– Silent operation<\/span><\/p>\n

– Reduced risk of camera shake<\/span><\/p>\n

– Smaller camera body<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Disadvantages of Mirrorless Cameras<\/b><\/h2>\n

Cameras without mirrors have existed side by side with SLRs for the best part of a century: think of the iconic Leica rangefinders favored by many classic documentary photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson. Nonetheless, SLRs have historically been the most popular form of camera. Clearly a camera using a mirror system must offer some advantages.<\/span><\/p>\n

Without the use of a mirror, the photographer has no way of seeing exactly what the camera sees. Old 35mm Leica rangefinders do indeed have a viewfinder that the user looks through to focus and compose the photo, but this is simply a small window going directly through the camera body from front to back, and not a true representation of the view that will be captured on film. <\/span><\/p>\n

However, as the viewfinder and lens are positioned very close together on a 35mm Leica, the difference in viewpoint and perspective between the two is minimal, especially when photographing more distant subjects. For dedicated Leica fans, this slight degree of divergence in view is quite acceptable. <\/span><\/p>\n

Some larger format film cameras also employ the rangefinder focusing system (e.g. the Mamiya 7, or some Linhof field cameras). The distance between lens and viewfinder is usually much greater, causing a more significant difference in viewpoint, known as parallax error. <\/span><\/p>\n

This can become a serious problem when photographing subjects very close to the camera. For example, you might clearly see your subject peeking over from behind that wall, but the lens is actually positioned lower down than the viewfinder, so all it sees is bricks. And unfortunately, it\u2019s bricks that you\u2019ll get on film.<\/span><\/p>\n

Modern digital Mirrorless cameras can get around this problem by means of an LCD: light falling into the lens is captured by the sensor and displayed on a screen at the back of the camera, thus bypassing the need for a mirror. The drawback of this, from some purist photographers\u2019 point of view, is that what the eye sees is not a direct and unmediated depiction of the scene in front of the camera, but instead just a video representation of it. These photographers argue that although the view on an LCD is almost instantaneous, and is identical to what will be captured by the sensor, it\u2019s not the same as looking at reality with the naked eye.<\/span><\/p>\n

While many younger photographers reared on smartphones will likely be fully comfortable with shooting via a screen rather than an eyepiece, plenty of older photographers do not find this way of composing a photograph very satisfactory. The view on a screen also tends to be trickier to see in bright lighting conditions, making LCD shooting more difficult in strong sunlight.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thankfully some manufacturers of Mirrorless cameras have taken this complaint onboard and begun to add Electronic View Finders (EVFs) to many more recent models. These are essentially just tiny – but usually very high resolution – video screens inside an eyepiece on top of the camera. <\/span><\/p>\n

While the addition of an EVF doesn\u2019t change the fact that the photographer is still looking at a digital image of the scene rather than a direct view, it does provide a shooting experience that is closer to that of an old-school SLR while also eliminating any problems associated with viewing an LCD in bright light.<\/span><\/p>\n

At present, though, EVFs are rarely to be found on entry-level Mirrorless cameras. Some people really prefer looking at an optical – rather than electronic – view of the scene. <\/span><\/p>\n

Thankfully a few Mirrorless cameras now offer both an EVF and an optical rangefinder – such as the Fujifilm X-Pro2 for example. This gives users the choice of either a high-tech shooting experience or one closer to that of using the classic rangefinders of yesteryear by means of an optical viewfinder. Unsurprisingly, though, cameras offering both an electronic and optical viewfinder tend to be priced towards the higher end of the spectrum.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s another reason why professional photographers have been relatively slow to jump onboard the Mirrorless system: even just a few years ago there were relatively few lenses available for Mirrorless cameras. Quite how many lenses a single photographer needs is of course debatable. But it\u2019s understandable that photographers already fully invested in a DSLR setup, with the enormous choice of optics this system provides, would not be quick to embrace a new and untested format offering a vastly restricted range of lenses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another issue is that, until fairly recently, Mirrorless cameras were mostly synonymous with the \u201cBridge\u201d category: small and portable cameras that fell somewhere between compact point and shoots and DSLRs. These invariably had tiny image sensors and came with built-in, non-interchangeable \u201cmegazoom\u201d lenses. Due to the compromised image quality associated with such extreme zooms, this is not the kind of camera that would appeal to more serious shooters. <\/span><\/p>\n

Thankfully though, both of these points have rapidly changed in a very short space of time. Most Mirrorless cameras today will take interchangeable lenses. <\/span><\/p>\n

While many still come with smaller Micro Four Thirds format image sensors, there\u2019s an increasing trend for manufacturers to offer flagship Mirrorless models with much larger sensors and high pixel counts. Indeed, there\u2019s now a growing choice of Mirrorless cameras on the market that are equipped with full-frame sensors – and sometimes even bigger.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the end, then, the once quite significant differences between DSLR and Mirrorless cameras have become less of an issue with every year that passes. Indeed, with several high-resolution full-frame options now available, and a much greater choice of lenses than even just a couple of years ago, neither image quality nor convenience can be considered valid reasons for not choosing a Mirrorless system. <\/span><\/p>\n

To help you decide which will be the best Mirrorless camera for your budget and shooting style, we\u2019ve compiled a list of some of the most convincing Mirrorless options currently on the market.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The 5 Best Mirrorless Cameras of 2018<\/b><\/h2>\n

1. Sony Alpha 7 III<\/b><\/h3>\n

\"Sony<\/a><\/p>\n

Pros:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

+ Full-frame 24 MP image sensor<\/span><\/p>\n

+ 4K video<\/span><\/p>\n

+ Good low light performance<\/span><\/p>\n

+ Fast AF<\/span><\/p>\n

+ 10 fps burst rate<\/span><\/p>\n

+ Long battery life<\/span><\/p>\n

+ Dual HD card slots <\/span><\/p>\n

+ High-resolution touch screen and EVF<\/span><\/p>\n

+ Completely silent when used in Silent Mode<\/span><\/p>\n

Cons:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

– LCD is tilt only, not fully articulating<\/span><\/p>\n

– No built-in flash<\/span><\/p>\n

Every so often a camera manufacturer drops a technological bomb that changes the photographic landscape for good. Some years ago it was Canon\u2019s 5D Mark II, with a quality of video that, for the time, was virtually unthinkable in such an affordable camera. Almost overnight the 5D became an industry standard and completely recalibrated what consumers could expect from a DSLR. <\/span><\/p>\n

It was a smart move on Canon\u2019s part, as everyone who wanted a piece of the full-frame video action was forced to invest in the company\u2019s system. Hordes of photographers and filmmakers made the move to Canon at the time, and of these many will still be with the brand today. This year Sony did something similar in the Mirrorless market when it released the full-frame Alpha 7 III<\/a><\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n

The a7 III isn\u2019t the first full-frame Mirrorless camera by any means. In fact, it isn\u2019t even Sony\u2019s first full-frame model. What it <\/span>is<\/span><\/i> though is a very affordable full-frame Mirrorless camera, offering fantastic usability and features, and with genuinely very little in the way of compromise. And this despite Sony labeling the a7 III as its \u201cbasic\u201d camera.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sure, with a resolution of \u201conly\u201d 24 MP, the a7 III pales in comparison to flagship Sony Mirrorless offering the a7R III. But then again, given that pixel count isn\u2019t the be-all and end-all of the image quality anyway, who really needs a 42 MP camera? <\/span><\/p>\n

A 24 MP image sensor on a full-frame camera is already capable of producing exceptional quality images. And, in the case of the Alpha 7 III, for much, much less money than most comparable Mirrorless options.<\/span><\/p>\n

How does the rest of the camera hold up against its peers? Well, it\u2019s true, the a7 III can \u201conly\u201d manage a burst rate of 10 fps. Yet think of poor old Cartier-Bresson with his manual-wind Leica: that didn\u2019t stop him from capturing some of the most famous \u201cdecisive moments\u201d in history. <\/span><\/p>\n

In any case, bear in mind that the 20 fps continuous shooting rates offered by some more expensive models is practically the speed of video: total overkill. If you can\u2019t get the shot at 10 fps, you probably never will.<\/span><\/p>\n

Assisting you in this quest is excellent autofocus with facial recognition across the frame. The camera also features a Silent Mode that is, well, <\/span>genuinely<\/span><\/i> silent. And in addition to the LCD, there\u2019s a high-resolution electronic viewfinder. Despite sharing the same battery as Sony\u2019s a9, performance here is actually even better than with its sibling. <\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, the earlier comparison with Canon\u2019s 5D Mark II is apt, as the a7 III also offers excellent quality 4K video. That\u2019s <\/span>full-frame<\/span><\/i> 4K video, remember.<\/span><\/p>\n

The a7 III isn\u2019t what you would call cheap, and nor does it offer the absolute pinnacle of Mirrorless features and design. But it\u2019s much less expensive than anything with comparable specs and is more than capable of delivering excellent quality images in almost any conceivable situation. In our book, that makes the Sony Alpha 7 III<\/a> the best Mirrorless camera out there right now.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\n \n \n
\n\n Sale<\/span>\n
\n \n \"Sony\n <\/a>\n\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n Sony a7 III Full-Frame Mirrorless Interchangeable-Lens Camera Optical with 3-Inch LCD, Black (ILCE7M3\/B) <\/a>\n
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