A number of our readers have been asking our team about our recommendations on different mirrorless cameras. With so many different options on the market today, choosing a mirrorless system can get very confusing. In this particular article, I would like to start off by comparing mirrorless camera systems that are available today from different manufacturers. This below charts will be updated periodically with new / updated information. Please note that the below comparisons are only for mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. Discontinued systems such as Pentax K-01, Ricoh GXR, Pentax Q and Samsung NX have been removed. The list is sorted alphabetically and had to be split into two parts to fit. Also, please keep in mind that some of the benchmarks presented in this article are very subjective, based on our and our readers’ prior experience using the cameras. I have also published an article comparing mirrorless systems, where I go into a lot more detail about lenses and other important considerations.
| Mirrorless Systems #1 | Canon EOS M | Fujifilm X | Leica M | Leica SL | Nikon 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * Denotes PL Subjective Rating | |||||
| Lens Mount | Canon EF-M | Fuji X | Leica M | Leica L | Nikon 1 |
| Announcement Date | Oct 2012 | Jan 2012 | Mar 2004 | Oct 2015 | Oct 2011 |
| Mount Diameter | 58mm | 42mm | 44mm | 51mm | 40mm |
| Sensor Size (Diagonal) | 26.8mm | 28.3mm | 43.0mm | 43.0mm | 15.9mm |
| Flange Distance | 18mm | 17.7mm | 27.80mm | 19mm | 17mm |
| Image Stabilization | Lens | Lens | N/A | Lens | Lens |
| Autofocus | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Autofocus System | Hybrid | Hybrid | N/A | Contrast | Hybrid |
| AF Performance * | 4 | 5 | N/A | 5 | 5 |
| Native Lenses Available | 6 | 21 | 26 | 3 | 11 |
| Third Party Lenses | 13 | 38 | 39 | 5 | 0 |
| Total Lenses Available | 19 | 59 | 65 | 8 | 11 |
| System Compactness * | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Image Quality * | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Top Model (Manuf. Link) | Canon EOS M5 | Fuji X-Pro2 | Leica M 10 | Leica SL (Typ 601) | Nikon 1 V3 |
| Top Model Price (B&H) | $979 | $1,699 | $6,599 | $7,450 | $1,199 |
| Mirrorless Systems #2 | Olympus M43 | Panasonic M43 | Sigma sd | Sony α (E) | Sony α (FE) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| * Denotes PL Subjective Rating ** Since both Olympus and Panasonic lenses are interchangeable, the total number of lenses is the total for the mount | |||||
| Lens Mount | Micro 4/3 | Micro 4/3 | Sigma SA | Sony E | Sony FE |
| Announcement Date | Jun 2009 | Oct 2008 | Dec 2016 | Jun 2010 | Oct 2013 |
| Mount Diameter | 38mm | 38mm | ? | 46.1mm | 46.1mm |
| Sensor Size (Diagonal) | 21.7mm | 21.7mm | 32.1mm | 28.1mm | 43.0mm |
| Flange Distance | 20mm | 20mm | 44mm | 18mm | 18mm |
| Image Stabilization | Lens/Body | Lens/Body | Lens | Lens/Body | Lens/Body |
| Autofocus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Autofocus System | Hybrid | Contrast | Hybrid | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| AF Performance * | 5 | 5 | ? | 5 | 5 |
| Native Lenses Available | 25 | 32 | 28 | 13 | 22 |
| Third Party Lenses | 42 | 42 | 0 | 27 | 42 |
| Total Lenses Available | 99** | 99** | 28 | 40 | 64 |
| System Compactness * | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Image Quality * | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Top Model (Manuf. Link) | OM-D E-M1 Mark II | Panasonic GH5 | Sigma sd Quattro H | Sony A6500 | Sony A7R II |
| Top Model Price (B&H) | $1,999 | $1,999 | $1,199 | $1,399 | $2,899 |
I am not going to pick a winner from the above chart, as there are some important criteria to consider such as autofocus speed, image quality, lens selection, compactness and price. So if you are shopping for a mirrorless system, I hope you will use the above chart as a reference point.
Please let me know if you have any questions!