The Best Mirrorless Cameras
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You know what's the least important part of taking a great photo? Gear. The vision you have and the work you put into realizing it are far more critical. Want to make great images? Spend more time in the field shooting.
That's not to say gear doesn't matter, just that it only matters if you're using it. The truth is we photographers are incredibly lucky these days. All these cameras are capable of producing amazing images, there really is no wrong choice. The downside to the wealth of great options is picking one gets even harder. I've spent years testing dozens of cameras in all kinds of shooting scenarios to come up with what I think are the best choices for different types of photographers.
Be sure to check out our many other buying guides, like the Best Travel Cameras, Best Compact Cameras, Best Action Cameras, Best GoPro Hero, and Best Instax Cameras.
Updated January 2026: I've changed the top pick to the new Sony A7V and added the Nikon Z5II as the best camera for beginners. I've also updated links and prices throughout.
What to Look for in a Digital Camera
The best mirrorless camera for you depends on what you want to do with it. Ultimately, there is no such thing as the perfect camera. Each has its own limitations, and part of the magic of photography is learning how to get around them. What you want to find is the camera best suited to the type of photos you like to take. This can be a complicated process so we put together an entire guide to choosing the right camera, which walks you through all the jargon, acronyms, sensor options, and extra features to help you figure out the best options for you.
Here are some features to keep in mind, depending on the type of images you are interested in making. While all the cameras below have these features, performance varies and some are better at, for instance, low light photography than others.
Sensor size: Yes, I said it doesn't matter and it doesn't, but you do need to understand it. For example, if you're interested in shooting wildlife, a higher resolution sensor, like Sony's 60 MP sensor in the A7R V, will allow you to crop in on images more than a 24 MP sensor. On the other hand, there's not much reason to spend extra for more megapixels if you aren't going to use them.
Autofocus: When I first picked up a camera in the 1980s, autofocus was a brand-new thing. The Minolta Maxxum 7000 was the first SLR camera with an integrated autofocus system and completely changed the way photography worked. The flip side to this is that every single image made before the early ’80s was manually focused, so no, you don't need autofocus to make a great image. Every camera below has insanely fast autofocus. However, the accuracy varies, so if this feature is important to you, pay attention to those notes.
In-body image stabilization: Often referred to as IBIS, stabilization in the camera body helps eliminate hand shake, allowing you to shoot at slower shutter speeds and still get a sharp image. This one is especially important for anyone wanting to shoot in low light conditions.
Electronic viewfinder: Often abbreviated EVF, the viewfinder is what you use to compose your shots and there is perhaps more variation here between cameras than any other features. The viewfinder has a huge impact on how much you'll enjoy using a camera. This is one place I suggest heading to your local camera shop to try out the viewfinder in person and make sure it works for you, especially if, like me, you wear glasses.
Weather sealing: An often overlooked feature that's important if you want to shoot in adverse conditions. It's never 100 percent though, keep your gear out of the weather whenever you can no matter how sealed it might be. A related feature to look for is a sensor cover that protects the sensor from dust and dirt when changing lenses.
Battery life: Battery life is pretty good across camera bodies these days, but there are still some that are better than others. For example, my Sony A7RII chews through batteries and I seldom head out with fewer than 2 backups, which is a pain.
In-camera JPEG quality: All the cameras here can save your images as RAW files, JPEG files, or both at the same time. However, some cameras produce better JPEGs than others. Fujifilm is especially noted for the amount of control it offers to fine-tune in-camera JPEGs, but these days every manufacturer has embraced this idea, with Nikon providing its own system, Sony also has tools, as does Canon. Panasonic's Lumix line has possibly the best of the bunch with its new ability to apply LUTs in-camera.
Once you've got your camera, read the manual and learn what it can and cannot do, and then use it over and over until it is an effortless extension of your mind. Once you have the comfort level, the gear fades into the background where it belongs, and you can focus on making the images you've always dreamed of creating.
Lenses and Accessories
Once you've figured out the best camera for your needs, buy a lens to go with it and start shooting every day. Which lens? If you're a beginner and aren't sure, we recommend starting with the kit lens. Kit lenses aren't always the fastest lenses, nor do they use the highest-quality glass (though there are some outstanding kit lenses), but they're they best bang for your buck when you're just starting.
These are typically in the 28-85mm range, with the venerable 24-70 being a popular length, which gives you the ability to shoot everything from landscapes (the wide end) to portraits (the long end). Shoot with the kit lens until you figure out your favorite focal length. Then, if you want to upgrade to a fast prime lens, you know which focal length is best for what you're shooting.
The camera industry has come up with hundreds of gizmos and doodads to sell you as camera accessories, most of which you don't need. I like to travel light so my entire collection of camera accessories consists of an air blower (for cleaning dust off lenses and sensors), my favorite camera strap, and my favorite wrist strap (for smaller cameras).
A tripod can be helpful as well, depending on the type of photography you're into. Again, I like to keep things light and simple, which sometimes means stupendously expensive, like this Peak Design one. This Manfrotto aluminum tripod is a little bit cheaper but very robust. If you're serious about video, you'll want something like Manfrotto's extra stout video head tripod.
You'll also likely want a bag to store your camera, lens, and accessories. We have full guide to camera bags to help you out.
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