Mirrorless Camera Reviews

Fujifilm created quite a buzz in Cologne, Germany at the recent Photokina exposition with the introduction of the distinctive GFX 50S medium format camera, boasting a compact mirrorless design, 51.4MP resolution and attractive retro styling. In the videos below, four top pros discuss what all the fanfare is about.

The hot topic for serious shooters going into the New Year: Should you stick with the traditional DSLR system that has served you splendidly, or opt for one of the latest mirrorless compact system cameras that promises to deliver the full interchangeable lens shooting experience in a smaller, lighter package?

So that there’s no confusion, this story is about a camera that was introduced in the fall of 2012. Like many of the cameras that I use, it’s not the latest or greatest—but it’s miles above the “good enough” threshold. And it’s very affordable in today’s secondhand marketplace. The Sony NEX 6 is an outstanding performer and it can be purchased at a true bargain price. Sound interesting?

The Canon EOS M10 is Canon's new entry-level mirrorless camera and features an 18MP APS-C sensor (22.3 x 14.9 mm). The new EOS M mount lens Canon offers with the new camera, the Canon EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM, is very compact. Including this new lens, Canon now offers five lenses in the EOS M series line; the Mount Adapter EF-EOS M adapter allows use of their EF lenses as well.

While some mirrorless cameras might be mistaken for a small APS-C DSLR, albeit minus the pentaprism bulge, Canon’s EOS M6 is more akin to a compact camera that can take interchangeable lenses, either the growing list of dedicated EF-M lenses, or EF and EF-S lenses with an optional adapter. (My tests were with the EF-M 18-55mm IS STM lens, f/3.5-22 at wide and f/5.6-32 at tele, with an equivalent focal length of about 28-88mm.) 

The hybridization of cameras and phones has produced various manifestations of late, one being the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, reviewed here a few months back, which looks like a smartphone with a camera/lens grafted onto it’s front. The Galaxy NX comes at this combination from the other direction, a decidedly camera-like design with built-in Android functionality, sans phone capability, but with all the other amenities and accouterments included. And there’s no confusing this with a smartphone, what with it being 3x5.5x2.25 inches in size, the benefit being a very large back display, 4.77” on the diagonal and width to height ratio of 2.5 x 4 inches.

Ahead of our upcoming full review of the new 28-megapixel Samsung NX1 mirrorless camera, which will appear in the March 2015 issue of Shutterbug, we had a chance to shoot some sample test images with the camera at the annual Christmas Spectacular show at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.