Lance Pearson Loc: Viriginia

p.s. the last image is the summit of mt rainier as I worked my way up in the rental car.

stevebein

The M4/3s, Olympus and Panasonic are very light and have wonderful lens selections. Not the best in low light situations due to the small sensor, but I have made 30x45" prints from mine. If you want low light performance in mirrorless, then the APSC or full frame sensors will be better.
They all work very well with quality lenses. Check them out, you will find a lot of people with brand loyalties, just like the never ending Nikon vs Canon posts. If you have access, go to a camera store with a large selection and look at them. Their IQ results are comparable to DSLR's, so it becomes an individual choice regarding menus, feel in your hands, not someone elses, the availability of lens selections, size and weight. What your goals are, what your finances are, etc. Enjoy whatever you finally chose.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

After an exhaustive search that took me four years, I bought a Panasonic LUMIX GH4 about 18 months ago.

There are four outstanding mirrorless providers: Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic, and Sony. Canon and Nikon are generally behind the others, for various reasons.

Fujifilm uses an APS-C size X-Trans sensor (1.5x crop factor). They have around 20 mostly phenomenal lenses. Their claim to fame is excellent straight-out-of-camera JPEG files that simulate Fujifilm films. Their latest models are excellent, with fine performance, image quality, and very easy to use menus and bodies. They have both rangefinder style and SLR style bodies. MetaBones SpeedBoosters for Fuji are adapters that reduce focal length and improve performance, while adding a full stop or more of effective maximum aperture. So those with lots of dSLR lenses, particularly Canon EF, should look at them.

Olympus and Panasonic share the Micro Four Thirds (Micro 4/3, m43, M4/3) format (2x crop factor). They share the same lens mount, with over 90 native lenses available, and hundreds more that can be adapted (with varying degrees of automation). The native lenses can be 2/3 to 1/4 the weight and bulk of full frame lenses. THAT is what makes the format so appealing. You can stuff a LOT of gear in a small space, which makes travel and nature photography much easier. Lenses are available in a wide array of features and performance, with fast, weather-sealed pro lenses to light, compact travel lenses that work best on the smaller bodies. Voigtlander, Samyang, and Tamron make lenses for M4/3, too. Canon EF lenses can be adapted to Micro 4/3 cameras and retain IS, AF, and auto-aperture control. MetaBones SpeedBoosters for M4/3 are adapters that reduce focal length and improve performance while adding a full stop or more of effective maximum aperture. They are particularly useful for videographers and cinematographers using GH series cameras.

Olympus is known for excellent JPEGs, retro styling, great performance, and in a few models, a mode that makes super high-resolution files from multiple exposures (great for landscapes, products, copying artwork, and other still-life work). They are highly customizable, so the menus can be a bear to navigate. They feature the best IBIS (in-body image stabilization) on the planet, and it works with all lenses. They make a few lenses that have IS in them, and their latest model can use IBIS and lens IS at the same time. They have both rangefinder style and SLR style bodies. The OM-D EM-1 Mark II is their flagship rugged, freeze-proof to -10°C, splash-proof, dust-proof, and fast as a rabbit.

Panasonic is known for excellent raw files, modern styling, great performance, and fantastic video performance. I got the GH4 because I put equal emphasis on stills and video in the work I do (documentation and training). The latest models feature Dual IS (in-body and in-lens stabilizers working in tandem). Panasonic lenses and bodies work together to reduce or eliminate chromatic aberrations. Panasonic has partnered with Leica on a number of their lens designs. Those lenses are outstanding. The Panasonic GH series and some Panasonic lenses are splash-proof and dust-proof. The GH5, due in late March/early April, is freeze-proof to -10°C also. Panasonic makes one notable retro design, the GX8 and GX85. Their G85 and GH5 are really advanced. Panasonic's menus are also extremely well laid-out. Their electronic viewfinders and OLED screens are among the best in class. The G85 and GH4 controls are the easiest to use of any camera I've ever had in my hand, and I've used Canons, Nikons, Pentax, Bronica, Mamiya, Yashica, Beattie, Camerz, Calumet, Hasselblad, and more. Panasonic has worked with a lot of pros over the past few years to help design their flagship.

Sony makes both Full Frame and APS-C mirrorless designs. Their full frame cameras are known for low noise, best low light performance, decent video, and a comparatively few, heavy, and expensive (but excellent!) lenses. Their APS-C cameras are light, excellent performers, too, although the lens weight is still a consideration. The A7 series is full frame, with both high resolution and low light models available. The 6xxx series is APS-C, and the a6500 is their latest. The a6300 is probably the better value. Reviewers tend to score them about the same. Configuring Sony cameras can be a confusing challenge, due to a complicated menu structure. One GREAT feature of the Sony cameras is that most Canon EF series lenses can be adapted to the Sony bodies and retain IS, auto aperture, and slow autofocus (using the correct adapter). MetaBones SpeedBoosters for Sony are adapters that reduce focal length and improve performance, while adding a full stop or more of effective maximum aperture.

Canon's new M5, its third generation mirrorless camera, is getting good, if not great reviews. Canon has been late to the mirrorless game, and has fewer than ten native lenses for their M, M3, and M5 bodies. They do have an adapter for their dSLR lenses, but it has been panned as slow to focus, and inaccurate in its focus. Personally, I'd rather adapt Canon lenses to Fujifilm, Panasonic, or Sony cameras...

Nikon's 1 system has been out for awhile. It is a small, compact, lightweight travel camera that features a CX sensor, about half the size of Micro 4/3. The format has 12 of its own lenses, and an adapter for certain specific Nikkor lenses. I will simply point you elsewhere for commentary on the format, because I've never been a fan. There are some rabid fans out there, however. More power to 'em...

I think you can see that there is something for everyone in the mirrorless camp.

The major complaint about mirrorless from the start was performance. The very latest from Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic, and Sony have drastically narrowed the performance gap between high end dSLRs and mirrorless. Electronic viewfinders and processors have improved tremendously in the last few years. That has received plenty of attention. The GH5 will be able to take 6K (18MP) photos at 30 frames per second, at full 4/3 aspect ratio, so you can grab the peak of most any action. It gets faster than that with 4K (8.2MP) photos.

There are many here who pooh-pooh the notion that mirrorless cameras are good for anything. I was once in that crowd — about 2012. No more. My GH4 does what I need done. Most of my work is an even split of video and stills for training documentation, and the vast majority of that is either 1080P video or letter-size documents and PDFs with smaller images in them. Once in a while, I send an image out for a 40x30. I have yet to be disappointed, and I'm picky! Over a decade ago, I set up and ran the digital printing and color correction areas of a large pro lab.

I would encourage anyone interested to go online and watch reviews of all the mirrorless camera lines. Go to http://www.dpreview.com and look up reviews of the various models and their lenses. They arrange their site by brand and date released, so it's easy to view the most recently reviewed models.

Bill1967 Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado now Wilmington NC

I agree, witch is why I chose Fuji. No need of full frame

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

Full-frame is over rated, unless you're a pro.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

A lie? Maybe if you want full frame. I never saw the point of full frame mirrorless gear, OVER full frame dSLR... Not yet, anyway. A few more years and processor upgrades, sensor upgrades, and EVF upgrades, and mirrors will be history, however.

I left Nikon and Canon behind, and I'm not sorry I did. I used SLR and dSLR cameras from 1969 until about 18 months ago. I'm happier with my LUMIX GH4 than with any Canikon gear I ever had. My kit is at least a two thirds lighter than it was before, and far easier to use. And it eliminates my bulky video case, since I no longer need to use a separate video camera.

The whole point of mirrorless, for me, was two-fold: the size, bulk, and weight savings, and the hybrid, stills-plus-video nature of the GH4.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Kissel vonKeister Loc: Georgia

I'll second that. And I own Nikon, Olympus, and Panasonic gear plus the one Fuji.. They're all mirrorless except the Nikon. Fuji has a dynamite camera body due out soon, so I'm told.

Kissel vonKeister Loc: Georgia

Time to go do some real research. You'll need your two hands, a scale, and an open mind. I know where to buy a scale. . . . . . .

tdekany Loc: Oregon

Mark is one of the best landscape photographers on this site. However he goes through phases of negativity. Hopefully he will start posting his more appreciated "it's the person behind the camera" replies.

laf Loc: Nordland

There is a reason Olympus is known as the "Apple" in the camera world: a very innovative company. The sleeper now is the EM10mkII on sale. The only thing lacking is WR. I put the 17 1.8mm on body and drop 45 1.8mm in pocket; good for the day.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

WR?

cucharared Loc: Texas, Colorado

Sony A6000. It took me awhile to learn to use it properly but I love it totally. I've tried a bunch of lenses in my search for what suits me and my amateur style of shooting and I've settled on the Sony 16-50, Sony 55-210, Tamron 70-300, and Tamron 200-500 as my go-to lenses. The Tamron 200-500 may be the sharpest lense I have. I've also got adapters for Nikon, Pentax, and a couple more lenses that I picked up to try out. Need to get rid of all those I don't use. I'd love to get the A6500 but at 3x the price of my A6000 it's a little rich for my pocketbook.

ron

RandyDandy

I am using Panasonic GH4... $1500 and gathering lenses that will last me the rest of my life.
This format has multiple lenses from several manufacturers, all compatible with the MFT format.
I will probably get a GH5 in a year or so.
These Panasonic machines are EXCELLENT shooting video, which was my main reason to select over Olympus.
As you build your collection of lenses you can always go for a smaller, less expensive body, like the Olympus Pen if you don't want to shoot up-end video.
I developed my first photos from my Brownie Box camera in the family darkroom in 1945 and have owned 25+ different cameras.
Recently traded with our hairdresser my two Canon film SLR's with 15 lenses for a year's worth of hair care.
Now I am building my system for the rest of my life (80 this year) based on the micro 4/3rds format.
Think about it... we don't need all the mirror clap-trap any more because we can display the through-the-lens image directly from the sensor. That's what you have to do anyway to shoot video with an SLR, so why not put it in the eye level finder the same way? My prediction is that when Canon or Nikon come out with an up-end mirrorless we will be 30 months away from no new SLR's being developed.
My walk-around lens is Panasonic 14-140 zoom.
I have Olympus 70mm macro and focusing rail.
Will get $1K 50mm from Olympus or Panasonic soon, Plus a 14-40 zoom AND a pancake lens. These shorter lenses are good for inside while the 14-140 is great out on the street.
Hope this is helpful. Let us know what you do.

RobertW Loc: Breezy Point, New York

Olympus OMD EM1---(or the new EMi Mark II if you can afford it) with a Leica/Panasonic 25mmf1.4{"NIFTY FIFTY] + the twp basic pro Zooms----Does ALL my former weighty bulky Nikon Kit did---