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The 14 Best Mirrorless Cameras in 2017

What are the best mirrorless cameras that you can buy in 2017 and how do they compare? From entry-level to professional, we've got the best for you...

Mirrorless cameras are here to stay. They're packed full of features that compete with their digital SLR big brothers, which means professional photographers can capture the same high quality images with a much smaller camera, and for enthusiasts and those just getting started they're a huge upgrade from a compact camera, while still benefiting from their compact body form.

With a host of features including the choice of interchangeable lenses, fast and accurate autofocus systems, wireless connectivity, weather sealing, and many others, there's plenty to consider when buying one in 2017, so here's our top picks (in price order) for you to think about:

1. Canon EOS M10

Based around an 18 megapixel APS-C sized sensor, the Canon EOS M10 will be familiar to anyone upgrading from a compact camera who's is maybe looking to experiment with interchangeable lenses and the ability to get more creative.

Coming up to a year and a half old (it was released in October 2015), the EOS M10 is the entry-level model in Canon's EOS-M mirrorless line-up and is one of the best budget mirrorless cameras available in 2017.

The EOS M10 is available as body only, which is perfect if you've already got a Canon lens, in two colours - black or white, or as a kit with an EF-M 15-45mm lens.

Buy your Canon EOS M10 in either Black or White today from Park Cameras from only £199

2. Olympus PEN E-PL8

Up next is the Olympus PEN E-PL8 - a camera that is adored by fashion and style bloggers. The E-PL8 is a gorgeous, retro-styled mirrorless camera that celebrates fashion and femininity.

Styled after the iconic original Olympus PEN, the E-PL8 is perfect for blogging and vlogging, with a flip-down touch screen, Full HD video, and built in WiFi for easy and immediate transfer of your images and video to your smartphone or tablet.

The Olympus E-PL8 benefits from being compatible with the entire Olympus mirrorless lens line-up, which give you the creative freedom to shoot how you want to shoot.

Available in either black or stunning white, the E-PL8 is also available as either a body only, or as a kit with a 14-42mm EX Pancake lens.

Buy the Olympus E-PL8 at Park Cameras in either black or white from only £429

3. Panasonic DMC-GX80

The Panasonic GX80 came Highly Recommended in the Park Picks 2017 Awards - an acknowledgement of how feature packed this affordable entry-level mirrorless camera really is.

It's got all the makings of a much more premium mirrorless camera, boasting 4K video, 4K photo and Post Focus, a 16 Megapixel sensor with no low pass filter, and 5-axis Dual Image Stabilisation.

The GX80 has these features because Panasonic were early to the mirrorless camera game and have had time for their best technologies to trickle down from the high end models. 

This is also the first camera in our line-up to feature a viewfinder - although it is a corner view finder more akin to a Rangefinder or compact camera, than a central viewfinder that you might be used to from a DSLR.

The Panasonic GX80 is available from Park Cameras as either a body only option, or as a kit with a 12-32mm f3.5-5.6 lens, or as a kit with a 12-32mm + a 35-100mm lens kit.

The Panasonic GX80 is available from Park Cameras from only £549

4. Canon EOS M6

The EOS M6 is Canon's latest mirrorless camera, sitting between the EOS M3 and EOS M5 as their mid-range EOS-M camera. It may look like a slightly chunky compact camera, but in reality the M6 has a feature-set that rivals most DSLRs.

We recently reviewed the M6 as we reckon it's the next big camera for vloggers - it's lightweight, has Canon's supreme DualPixel CMOS AF autofocus system, a large 24.2 megapixel APS-C sized sensor, and importantly for vlogging, 5-axis digital image stabilisation for video recording.

The EOS M6 is available with an optional Electronic viewfinder, or you can shoot with the tilting touchscreen on the back. Overall, it's one of the best mirrorless cameras in 2017 - a truly impressive camera with outstanding focusing, Full HD video, and a compact and lightweight body.

Buy the Canon EOS M6 today for only £729 for body-only

5. Fujifilm X-T20

The Fujifilm X-T20 is the second camera in this line-up to feature 4K video recording, as well as a new 24.3 megapixel sensor and a titling LCD touchscreen.

Benefiting from Fujifilm's renowned image reproduction processing, the Fujifilm X-T20 produces beautiful image with life-like colour reproduction thanks to the X-Trans CMOS III sensor and X-Processor Pro image processing engine.

See how the Fujifilm X-T20 compares to its predecessor, the X-T10.

Combining retro styling and the best of the latest technology, the Fujifilm X-T20 brings the speed and excellence of Fujifilm's X-Series line-up.

The Fujifilm X-T20 is available in black or silver as body only for £799 or in two kits starting at £899

6. Sony a7

Even though the Sony a7 has now been superceeded by the a7 II and it's been out since October 2013, it's still an absolutely fantastic camera, and if you're looking for a first entry into the mirrorless camera world - you could do worse than the Sony a7.

The Sony a7 is a Full Frame mirrorless camera - the first in this line-up that is. The 24.3 megapixel full frame sensor is capable of producing incredibly detailed images and has superb low-light sensitivity, although it does lack image stabilisation.

With the Sony a7 you can pick up one of the best full-frame mirrorless cameras for less than £800!

Buy the Sony a7 today at Park Cameras for only £799

7. Canon EOS M5

The EOS M5 is Canon's top-end & best mirrorless camera - a powerful compact digital camera with DSLR-esque features that make it perfect for professionals and keen-amateurs alike.

See our comparison of the Canon EOS M6 vs EOS M3 vs EOS M5.

Boasting a brand new 24.2 megapixel APS-C sized sensor, Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus, a large 3.2 inch tilting LCD touch screen, and Canon's DIGIC 7 process for super fast image processing - the EOS M5 stands out in the EOS-M range as the only camera with an in-built Electronic viewfinder.

It also features 5-axis in-body image stabilisation, continuous shooting of 7fps for up to 5.3 seconds, and is fully connected via WiFi and Bluetooth so you can instantly download your photos to a mobile device.

Buy the Canon EOS M5 from Park Cameras for only £919 body only or kits starting from £999

8. Leica TL

  • It's a Leica.
  • 16 megapixels.
  • Huge 3.7" touchscreen.
  • Full HD video.
  • It's a Leica.

The Leica TL is available in Black Anodised finish, Titanium Anodised finish, or Silver Anodised finish for £1,299 from Park Cameras.

9. Fujifilm X-T2

The Fujifilm X-T2 was awarded 'Highly Commended' in the 2017 Park Picks awards as one of the overall Best Products of 2016 - and there's very good reason for this.

When it was released it was the first Fujifilm camera to sport 4K video recording capabilities and came with a new Electronic viewfinder that allayed some fears about input lag with a 60fps refresh rate.

The X-T2 proved a much more viable camera than its predecessor thanks to a vastly improved ISO range and sensor, as well as a Vertical Power Booster Grip accessory that added extra power in the form of increased fps in burst mode.

Buy the Fujifilm X-T2 at Park Cameras from £1,399

10. Panasonic Lumix GH5

The Panasonic Lumix GH5 is likely to be one of the most popular selling and best mirrorless cameras of 2017. When it was launched in January 2017 it broke new ground as the first mirrorless stills camera that's capable of recording 4K video in 4:2:2 10-bit, which is broadcast quality footage.

Packing an all-new 20 megapixel micro four thirds Live MOS sensor, the Panasonic GH5 is proving a firm favourite with filmmakers and videographers who are looking for a compact, lightweight, but immensely powerful camera that will not only give them incredible quality still images but is also capable of shooting stunning video footage as well.

Check out our full in-depth video review of the Panasonic GH5. And see how the GH5 compares to its predecessor in our GH5 vs GH4 Review.

Buy the Panasonic Lumix GH5 at Park Cameras for £1,699 (body only) or with a Lumix G 12-60mm lens kit for £1,899, or with a Leica DG 12-60mm lens kit for £2,199

11. Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

When we first heard about the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II back in September 2016 we thought it was going to be a sports and wildlife game changer of a camera, then we got our hands on it again in November we knew for sure that it was a magnificent camera for shooting sports, wildlife, or any fast paced action.

In our review of the Olympus E-M1 Mark II we had the opportunity to put the camera through its paces and try out all the features and it blew us away, which is why we think it's one of the best mirrorless cameras this year.

The E-M1 Mark II boasts 4K video, a 20 megapixel sensor, 5-axis image stabilisation (which is incredible!), a dual fast AF system, full weather sealing, and modes such as PRO Capture for shooting at super high frame rates.

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II is available from Park Cameras starting from £1,849

12. Sony a7R II / Sony a7S II

Identical to the Sony a7 II on the outside, the a7R II and a7S II are worlds apart on the inside, and that's what makes the difference.

So what's the difference? Well, the 'R' in a7R II stands for 'Resolution', whereas the 'S' in a7S II stands for 'Sensitivity'.

The a7R II features a huge full-frame 42 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, as well as 5-axis image stabilisation and internal 4K video recording as well as 399 Autofocus points for highly accurate focusing. When it's resolution that you're after, the a7R II is the camera for you.

The a7S II, on the other hand, features a full-frame 12.2 megapixel CMOS sensor. The pixels on this sensor are larger and further apart than on higher resolution sensors, which makes the a7S II absolutely superb in low light situations, with an ISO range up to 409,600. It also features 5-axis image stabilisation, and 4K video recording.

Buy the Sony a7R II at Park Cameras for £2,499 or the Sony a7S II also for £2,499

13. Sony a9

The fabulous Sony a9 is the sure to be one of the best mirrorless cameras in 2017, it's the latest camera on this lineup and caused quite a stir in the photography world when it was recently launched. The Sony a9 is reported to be the first 'fully digital' digital camera - which means that there are no analogue features on the camera. It's got an electronic shutter, electronic viewfinder, 5-axis image stabilisation, and shoots 4K video.

Is the Sony a9 a mirrorless camera for professionals?

The main tricks of the Sony a9 is its blisteringly fast speed - it's capable of shooting at up to 20fps in continuous mode for up to 241 RAW images or 362 JPEGs. It also has phase-detection AF with 693 points, so pin sharp and accurate focusing isn't a problem.

How does the Sony a9 compare to the Sony a7 series?

This is a professional grade mirrorless camera - pitched to sports and wildlife photographers thanks to the speed, but it would equally be at home with anyone looking for a top-of-the-range mirrorless camera, and when paired with Sony's ever-growing range of superb E-mount lenses, this really is a winning combination.

The Sony a9 is available for Pre-Order in various kits starting at £4,499 (body only).

14. Leica SL (Typ 601)

The Leica SL is another full-frame mirrorless camera in this lineup - packing a 24 megapixel sensor and a 4.4 megapixel Electronic viewfinder into it's gorgeous, retro and beautifully styled body.

It's not just a fashion object though - the Leica SL will shoot at 11 frames per second in burst mode, features ultra high definition 4K video recording and ultra fast autofocus.

As with all Leica cameras, the build quality of the SL is exceptional, it's fantastic in the hand and looks, well, like a Leica.

Read our original hands on review of the Leica SL.

Even though it's nearly two years old, the Leica SL is still up there as a premium. mirrorless camera.

Buy the Leica SL at Park Camers for £5,499

Hopefully this article has helped you choose the best mirrorless camera to buy in 2017, there's plenty to choose from, but if you need any more help, drop into one of our stores in either Burgess Hill or Central London for expert help and advice, or call our friendly Customer Service team on 01444 237070.

Further Reading

Mirrorless Camera Buying Guide 2017

Park Cameras Calendar Photography Competition Winners So Far

The Best A3 Photo Printers Under £500 in 2017

8 Tips for Low Light Photography

Mirrorless Cameras - Why Should You Make The Change?

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By Park Cameras on 10/05/2017

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