Best Mirrorless Cameras for Travel Photography

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While travelling many of us want to shoot photos or videos of our precious moments. That’s why we should have a good camera with us while travelling. Mirrorless cameras are considered by many to be the perfect cameras for travel blogging, as they offer great image quality and functionality. Moreover, they come in a lighter and more portable form factor than DSLR cameras. There are a lot of mirrorless cameras on the market that offer many unique features and functionalities than the conventional DSLR cameras. And thus, the most common question that readers/friends/family ask us is which are the top Mirrorless cameras for Travel Photography?

But the answer to that is not so straight forward.

Thus, we have sorted out the aspects that you should look for while deciding on your cameras and categorised them with respect to price. Because let’s face it. one of the most important aspects is the budget, in other words – value for money!

On a personal note, we use a DSLR camera (Nikon D7000) for all the photos that you see on this blog. But all the videos on our YouTube Channel (and a few short clips here), are taken with a mirrorless camera – Nikon 1 J 1.

Check out our list of Best DSLR Cameras for Travel Photography

Our Recommendation – Top 3 Mirrorless Cameras for travel

If you are in a hurry, here are 3 of our top picks –

CAMERA MODEL	KEY SPECIFICATIONS	WHY DO WE RECOMMEND	PRICE
Nikon 1 J 1	10.1 megapixels, AF: 73-point focal plane, awesome videos (including slo-mo)	Many of the beautiful videos on this blog are taken using this – Arnab has been using it since Jan’14	CHECK AVAILABILITY of Nikon 1 camera
Sony A7 III	Full-frame, 24 megapixels, ISO Expandable to 51200, 4K HRD video (10 fps).	Widely regarded as the best mirrorless camera	CHECK PRICE
Fujifilm XT 100	24 megapixels, 4K video, 3 inch LCD	Best for beginners	CHECK PRICE

This past year, Sony became the biggest seller of full-frame cameras entirely on the strength of its mirrorless designs. This spurred Canon and Nikon to jump into the mirrorless ring. Mirrorless cameras have become a big part of the market but they haven’t replaced SLRs, the camera style that’s been king for nearly a hundred years. So what exactly makes a camera mirrorless? and which is the best mirrorless camera for video? So, before presenting the list of the best mirrorless camera for travel photography and videography, it’s important to know what mirrorless cameras are and how they work.

What are Mirrorless Cameras and How do they work?

A mirrorless camera is quite similar in different ways to large SLR or DSLR cameras. But as the name suggests, it doesn’t have any mirror. Both SLRs and DSLRs contain a mirror inside them, that reflects the light coming in through the lens and up to the camera’s optical viewfinder, which is the part on the body of the camera, through which you look through to compose the image. While you press the shutter button to capture the image the mirror flips up and the light passes through the shutter curtain and onto the sensor. A mirrorless camera as the name suggests doesn’t have the reflex mirror. The imaging sensor is exposed to light directly when the shutter is open, this allows you to have a digital preview of your image to an electronic viewfinder. That allows you to see on the screen exactly, what the image you capture will look like. When you are shopping for a mirrorless camera it’s easy to get lost in the world of technical jargon and features. So, below is the list of the best mirrorless camera for travel photography that will help you make your purchasing decision.

ALSO READ:
DSLRs vs Mirrorless Cameras: The 11 Crucial Things You Need to Understand

8 Best Mirrorless Camera For Travel Photography

To simplify your shopping and guide you about the best mirrorless camera 2020, the list of 8 best mirrorless camera for travel photography is further divided into two categories:

• Best Mirrorless Camera for Beginners ( List of Cameras below Rs. 70,000)
• Best Mirrorless Camera for Professionals ( List of Cameras above Rs. 70,000)

Best Mirrorless Camera for Beginners

The mirrorless revolution is in full swing. However just because you’re a beginner that lacks the budget to fork over $1000, to get your first camera, that doesn’t mean you’re forced to take the short stick and start your journey at a disadvantage. Thankfully there are plenty of best mirrorless camera for beginners in the market, which are budget-friendly. Here’s a list of the top 4 mirrorless cameras for beginners to get you started, with confidence.

Fujifilm X-T100

The Fujifilm X-T100 is the best-seller in the entry-level mirrorless camera category. The imaging quality of the X-T100 is outstanding. It’s a small-sized camera a bit smaller than the X-T20, similar in size to the XA 5. It’s an entry-level camera, aimed at people who want a good quality, interchangeable lens camera.

Features that it has, that many lower-cost cameras don’t have is a viewfinder and it is a good quality viewfinder as well, it’s 2.36 million dots resolution. It’s good for both travel photography and videography. It has a 24.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, a built-in flash a, USB charging, microphone port, touch screen LCD, 4k video full HD up to 60 frames per second, 11 frame simulation modes, Bluetooth.

Panasonic LUMIX G7

Lumix G7 is a very familiar name when it comes to the list of cameras that provide you with the best value for your money. This is the most feature-rich camera if you’re looking for travelling. It has a very nice form factor with a design similar to the traditional DSLR camera bodies. The camera is very lightweight weighing at about just 410 grams. It has got six customizable buttons which can easily be configured to your desired placement. The Wi-Fi capabilities of this camera allow you to control, monitor and transfer files wirelessly just by using your smartphone. This camera has amazing features like stop motion and time-lapse video. You can instantly process these files inside the camera. It delivers amazing image quality and has a 16-megapixel sensor that is good enough. The camera produces nice, sharp images with very good ISO performance. It is the most budget-friendly camera in the market. With amazing video capturing qualities, this camera is also considered as one of the best mirrorless cameras for video and travel blogging.

Canon EOS M50

The Canon EOS M50 packs a lot of tech into its compact body, and the fact it has a viewfinder – when so many similarly priced mirrorless cameras don’t – is a big selling point. The retracting 15-45mm kit lens, however, is a little awkward to use, and the 4K video mode has some unexpected limitations. Nevertheless, this is a big step in the right direction for Canon’s EOS M series.

It might now be slightly old, but the Canon EOS M50 remains a popular mid-range mirrorless camera for travel photography, especially those who want something that’s fun, approachable and versatile enough for video shooting. With the release of the impressive new EOS M6 Mark II, though, it’s arguably no longer the sweet spot in Canon’s EOS M line.

Sony Alpha 5100

Sony Alpha 5100 is an impressive compact camera, featuring a 24.3 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, BIONZ X image processor, 3-inch LED touchscreen and 6 fps continuous shooting, all wrapped up in a lightweight body. You can shoot up to 75 JPEGS, 23 RAWS, or 22 simultaneous JPEG + RAWS before the buffer slows. The a5100 is affordable and excellent. It comes with built-in Wi-Fi, and NFC, to allow it to connect to devices such as smartphones or tablets. The BIONZ X image processor designed to produce clear, detailed, low noise images shooting up to ISO 25,600. The camera benefits from 179-point phase-detection focus built into the sensor, and uses the same sensor as the Sony Alpha A6000.

Top Mirrorless Cameras for Travel Photography Professionals

Nikon Z6

Nikon is one of the best known and highly regarded brand names when it comes to travel cameras. The Nikon Z6 is a mirrorless camera that provides all-around performance to allow you to shoot breathtaking shots while travelling. It comes with a 24.5 megapixel CMOS sensor that has an ISO range of up to 2048 and provides 12 frames per second continuous stable shooting. It comes with 273 on-sensor autofocus points, optimized for its fx-format sensor allowing you to keep track of moving objects easily, which makes this camera one of the best mirrorless cameras for video. The camera features an ultra-high-resolution quad VGA viewfinder with Nikon objects for magnification. It also has a 3.2 inches tilt table display for efficient interaction with a camera. With a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, it provides a better life up to 310 shots and features a USB type-c, HDMI connector accessory terminal and audio input-output jack. Its single card slot supports a variety of file systems and has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity allowing you to transfer files wirelessly.

It’s ultra-strong magnesium alloy body provides extreme durability and incredible strength to weight ratio while weighing around 1.2 pounds so that you can easily keep it with you on any trip. If you are looking for a mirrorless camera that can record and shoot outstanding images on your trip then the Nikon Z6 is the right choice for you.

Fujiflim X-T3

Fujifilm creates innovative products and delivers effective solutions in a wide variety of fields to enhance sustainability. Fujifilm X-T3 comes with 26.1 megapixels with APS-C sensor which is capable of recording 4k videos at 60 frames per second. You can also get blackout-free continuous shooting at up to 30 frames per second. This camera uses the CMOS force sensor that uses an image processing engine that boosts advanced processing capabilities. This sensor also improves the colour reproducibility. This mirrorless camera offers 16 film simulation modes so that you can match your true photographic intention. It also features a 3.69 million dot high-resolution electronic viewfinder which allows you to precisely identify subject movements and focus positions.

The X-T3 comes with a substantially improved autofocus that allows you to capture fast and erratic movements effortlessly. It features a USB terminal that supports USB type-c and a 3.5 mm headphone jack which allows better mobility during video recording. Weighing around three pounds, the Fujifilm X-T3’s body has a resistant structure which makes sure that it can survive the toughest conditions and allow you to carry it with you wherever you go.

Sony A7 III

(Considered as Best Mirrorless Camera for Professionals)

Sony is one of the most prominent names when it counts on powerful camera technology and the Sony Alpha A7III is an all-rounder camera that lets you shoot photos and videos in razor-sharp clarity on your trip. It features a 24.2 megapixel full-frame Exmor R sensor combined with a wide standard of ISO range from up to 2048 and with five-axis optical in-body image stabilization. With 693 phase-detection autofocus points, it covers the full area and provides you continuous shooting of up to 10 frames per second with autofocus tracking. Equipped with a high resolution, XGA OLED Tru-finder, this camera provides functional advantages of an electronic viewfinder while retaining natural and accurate image. It’s 3 inches TFT touchscreen display allows convenient interaction with the camera.

The Sony A7 has two media slots including a UHS-2 compatible for faster data writing. Powered by an MP FZ 100 lithium-ion rechargeable battery the camera provides a better life up to 710 shots. With USB type-c and micro USB ports you can connect external batteries for extended shooting. Weighing in around two pounds, its lightweight magnesium body provides durability and its watertight seal makes it waterproof. If you are looking for a lightweight and powerful mirrorless camera that allows you to take breathtaking shots on your trip then the Sony Alpha 7 III is the right choice for you.

REF: product image source – Amazon

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