The least we can say is that mirrorless cameras (or hybrid cameras) are on the rise in 2019. It’s not surprising because these cameras can offer large sensors (4/3, APS-C up to Full Frame) in much smaller bodies than DSLRs (since they do not have mirrors) while keeping the advantage of interchangeable lenses. In addition, this family of cameras has made huge progress in recent years and Hybrid cameras now easily compete with DSLR cameras in terms of performance (it is no coincidence that Nikon and Canon started to launch Full Frame mirrorless cameras in 2018). And if you want to take pictures while traveling, these cameras are particularly interesting because they are an excellent compromise between weight / size and performance.
Afterwards, as with DSLR’s, it is sometimes a question of finding a compromise between budget, performance and size. So even if Full Frame mirrorless cameras have become more affordable (and remain smaller than their DSLR equivalents), they are not exactly “cheap” and the lenses that take full advantage of these sensors are not lightweight and cheap either.
In the comparison table below, I have therefore deliberately chosen to exclude super high-end mirrorless cameras (such as the Sony A9, Sony A7iii, Nikon Z6 and Z7 as well as the Canon EOS R) which are aimed more at professional photographers than at the general public. You will find below all the hybrid cameras that I think are the best and still affordable for most people.
Last update : 06/10/2019
Which mirrorless camera (hybrid camera) to choose? the Important criteria
I will not go over all the important criteria to choose the right camera, but I will just focus on the points that deserve particular attention in the case of mirrorless cameras.
Sensor size: In the mirrorless camera family, you will find micro 4/3 sensors, APS-C and Full Frame sensors. In general, the larger the sensor size, the better the performance in low light and high light contrasts conditions. But it’s important to rememeber that the bodies with Full Frame sensors are a little larger / heavier and especially that the lenses for Full Frame sensors are larger than those specially designed for micro 4/3 and APS-C formats. In short, it is always a question of finding a good balance according to your needs and your budget. There is no answer better than the other and everything is a question of compromises- The lenses selection: It is important to look at whether the range of lenses available for a camera (depending on its sensor size) is large enough for your needs. This is one of the arguments in favour of DSLR because Canon and Nikon have very extensive lens lineups. But don’t worry, with the success of mirrorless / hybrid cameras, it’s changing and the lens lineups are getting bigger and bigger for other brands as well.
Without further delay, here is the comparison table of the best mirrorless cameras in 2019. I will try to keep this table up to date as best as I can, but your suggestions for cameras that I may have forgotten are more than welcome (and as I said, I didn’t put the super high-end models on purpose).
The comparative table below is interactive. You can choose the cameras you want to compare, remove the lines that do not interest you… and to reset the table, simply reload the page. For a better reading experience, do not compare more than 2-3 models on mobile and 6-7 on computer.
| Criteria |  Sony A 6000 |  Canon EOS M50 |  Olympus EM10 M3 |  Fujifilm X-T20 |  Sony A7 II |  Sony A6500 |  Fujifilm X T2 |  Fujifilm X T3 |  Panasonic GH5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criteria | Sony A 6000 | Canon EOS M50 | Olympus EM10 M3 | Fujifilm X-T20 | Sony A7 II | Sony A6500 | Fujifilm X T2 | Fujifilm X T3 | Panasonic GH5 |
| Characteristics of the device | |||||||||
 Price | 500-600$ | 600-700$ | 550-700$ | 700-1000$ | 1300-1500$ | 1200-1400$ | 1500-1800$ | 1500-1900$ | 1500-1800$ |
| Weight (body + kit lens) | 344gr + 124gr | 387gr + 100gr | 396gr + 107gr | 383gr + 320gr | 556gr | 453gr | 507gr + 310gr | 539g + 330gr | 725gr |
| Size | 120 x 67 x 45 mm | 116 x 88 x 59 mm | 122 x 84 x 50 mm | 118 x 83 x 41 mm | 127 x 96 x 60 mm | 120 x 67 x 53 mm | 133 x 92 x 49 mm | 133 x 93 x 59 mm | 139 x 98 x 87 mm |
| Toughness – Waterproofing | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 1/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Battery life | 310-360 pictures | 235 pictures | 330 pictures | 350 pictures | 350 pictures | 310-350 pictures | 330-340 pictures | 370-390 pictures | 400-410 pictures |
| Speed | min exp : 1/4000 img/sec : 11.1 | min exp : 1/4000 img/sec : 10 | min exp : 1/16000 img/sec : 8.6 | min exp : 1/32000 img/sec : 8.2 | min exp : 1/8000 img/sec : 5 | min exp : 1/4000 img/sec : 11.1 | min exp : 1/32000 img/sec : 8.2 | min exp : 1/32000 img/sec : 20 | min exp : 1/16000 img/sec : 11.9 |
| Sensor | |||||||||
| Size | APS-C | APS-C | 4/3 | APS-C | full frame | APS-C | APS-C | APS-C | 4/3 |
| Resolution | 24.3mpx | 24.2mpx | 16mpx | 24.3mpx | 24.3mpx | 24.2mpx | 24.3mpx | 26.1mpx | 20.3mpx |
| ISO range | 100-25600 | 100-25600 | 200-25600 | 100-12800 | 100-25600 | 100-25600 | 200-12800 | 160-12800 | 200-25600 |
| Kit lens | |||||||||
| Focal range (full frame equivalent) | 24-75 | 24-72 | 28-84 | 27-84 | No kit lens | No kit lens | 27-84 | 27-84 | No kit lens |
| Max aperture | f3.5/5.6 | f3.5/6.3 | f3.5/5.6 | f2.8/4 | No kit lens | No kit lens | f2.8/4 | f2.8/4 | No kit lens |
| Lenses available for the brand | 3/5 | 1/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Additional functionalities | |||||||||
| In Body or lens stabilization | lens stabilization | lens stabilization | in body stabilization | lens stabilization | in body stabilization | in body stabilization | lens stabilization | lens stabilization | in body stabilization |
| Viewfinder | Electronic viewfinder with 1’440’000 dots | Electronic viewfinder with 2,360,000 dots | Electronic viewfinder with 2’360’000 dots | Electronic viewfinder with 2’360’000 dots | Electronic viewfinder with 2’360’000 dots | Electronic viewfinder with 2’360’000 dots | Electronic viewfinder with 3,690,000 dots | Electronic viewfinder with 3’680’000 dots | No |
| Screen | tilt screen (vertically) with 307’200 pxs | touch screen that can be rotated 180 degrees with 1,620,000 dots (540’000 pxs) | tilt and touch screen with 345’600 pxs | tilt and touch screen with 1,040,000 dots | tilt screen (vertically) with 307’200 pxs | tilt and touch screen (vertically) with 307’200 pxs | tilt screen with 1,040,000 dots | tilt screen with 1,040,000 dots | touch screen that can be rotated 180 degrees with 1,620,000 dots (405’000 pxs) |
| Video | full HD | 4k (cropped) + full HD | 4k + full HD | 4k + full HD | full HD | 4k + full HD | 4k (30p) and full HD | 4k (60p) and Full HD | 6k, 4k (60p, 10bit) and full HD |
Best mirrorless camera: my opinion
Honestly if you have a tight budget, the Sony A6000 really has an incredible price/quality ratio. For 4-500€ you have an APS-C sensor, the kit lens, excellent performance in all situations (landscapes, moving subjects, low light), a light weight (less than 500gr with the kit lens). Certainly at this price you don’t have a weather sealed body or the 4k but you can’t have everything either 😉 . A light and versatile camera that will also give you great opportunities to evolve in your photography practice.
In the category of cheap Hybrids, I also recently added the Canon EOS M50 which has a great quality/price ratio with its APS-C sensor, a screen that can be turned 180 degrees (perfect for filming or photographing) and that films in 4k (even if it’s cropped but still). An excellent choice for aspiring bloggers/vloggers who also don’t want to break the bank
If you have more budget, it is hard to decide between the Sony A6500 and the Fujifilm X T2 (and more recently its big brother the XT 3). These three Hybrids are the “ultimate” cameras of the APS-C formats. I would say that the X T2 and XT 3 may be a little more ergonomic (a little bigger so a better grip) and more weather sealed while the A6500 has a great touch screen with stabilization in the body which is ideal for video.
If you want to try the “Full Frame” format, the Sony A7 II is now available at an absolutely unbeatable price (with the release of the A7iii, A9 and competitors from Nikon and Canon). However, keep in mind that the lenses for the full frame format are larger and that your equipment will therefore be heavier (but still lighter than full frame DSLR). But the image quality will not disappoint you, believe me! It’s the camera I chose and I don’t regret it for a second. If you want to know why I chose this camera, you can read these few paragraphs. And if you want to see some pictures taken with the Sony A7II, don’t hesitate to take a look at our Instagram or our professional gallery.
And finally, for people who are particularly interested in video, the Panasonic GH5 is in a way the ultimate camera for aspiring videographers (and in addition it also makes very good pictures). This camera offers the 4K in 60p which will allow you to make “slow motion” in 4k. It also offers a 10-bit recording mode, which allows much more possibilities in post-processing.
Best Mirrorless camera 2019 : my choice
It is an extremely difficult choice because the hybrid camera market evolved a lot in 2018-2019. There is a lot of choice and all the above-mentioned devices are of very good quality. But if I didn’t have Sony lenses yet and I had to buy a hybrid camera, I think I would choose the Fujifilm XT-2. With the arrival of its big brother the XT-3, the XT2 is now available at less than 1700$ with a very good quality lens. The body is weather sealed with the possibility of making videos in 4k. I think it is the device that offers the best quality/price ratio at the moment.
P.S. This article contains affiliate links so if you buy a mirrorless camera by clicking on one of our links, we will get a small commission. Please also note that we are not sponsored by any brand and this is our sincere opinion about the best mirrorless cameras in 2019. Finally, you will not find any Amazon links in this article because we do not support the questionable ethics of this company.
Join the discussion