Which is the best mirrorless camera? I’ve been very disappointed with my Nikon 1 and have been looking for a really good replacement. The new Nikon Z6 and Z7 have caught my eye. But...

drewmendelson

I’ve been very disappointed with my Nikon 1 and have been looking for a really good replacement. The new Nikon Z6 and Z7 have caught my eye. But they are terribly expensive. So I am wondering if they are worth the money or if there are other great mirrorless cameras I should look at? Your thoughts.

Festus Loc: North Dakota

drewmendelson wrote:

I’ve been very disappointed with my Nikon 1 and have been looking for a really good replacement. The new Nikon Z6 and Z7 have caught my eye. But they are terribly expensive. So I am wondering if they are worth the money or if there are other great mirrorless cameras I should look at? Your thoughts.

Fuji X-T3

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

drewmendelson wrote:

I’ve been very disappointed with my Nikon 1 and have been looking for a really good replacement. The new Nikon Z6 and Z7 have caught my eye. But they are terribly expensive. So I am wondering if they are worth the money or if there are other great mirrorless cameras I should look at? Your thoughts.

What are your needs? Best for what purposes?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Depends on what you want to accomplish and how much you have invested already in lenses for the candidate model.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

In addition to what burkphoto and Chg_Canon said, how much of the disappointment is you? Are you confident you know everything there is to know about composition, exposure, depth of field and focus?

Bob Smith Loc: Banjarmasin

No contest Fuji xt3

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

You will get lots of answers!! I just upgraded to a Fuji X-T3 (from the X-T2) and it has been my camera of choice since I got it. It has fast focus, video continuous focus has been improved, fabulous color, fun film simulations, relatively easy to use, perfect size and weight. I have my Fuji X-T2 for sale if interested.

drewmendelson

Linda, I don’t claim to be a world class photographer and admit that this may be part of my problem. But I do generally understand areas like composition, depth of field, etc. I find the J5 to be ok but hardly exceptional. Color sense is mediocre, the small sensor leaves image quality wanting. There is no viewfinder, only a large screen on the back that is difficult to use in most lighting. The fact that Nikon has apparently discontinued the Nikon 1 line seems indicative of the problems. I like the full frame sensor on the Z6 (and Z7). I like its other features. But nearly $2,000 for body only is a big expense for me. I’d like to know how it compares to similar cameras before buying.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

If you do not want to go brand new with cameras sporting bells and whistles that most probably you will never use there are many second hand and refurbished cameras for sale right now. Cameta is a very reputable dealer offering a whole year warranty on refurb cameras.
The Olympus EM-10 Mk II sells refurb for around $300-350. It is an excellent mirrorless camera (I use one) capable of amazing results. There is the professional EM-1 MkII that could be bought second hand for around $1000 if so you prefer to go that way.
Other mirrorless slightly older but of excellent quality made by Olympus can be bought at very reasonable prices. Other manufacturers of mirrorless cameras offer similar deals.

pecohen Loc: Central Maine

drewmendelson wrote:

I’ve been very disappointed with my Nikon 1 and have been looking for a really good replacement. The new Nikon Z6 and Z7 have caught my eye. But they are terribly expensive. So I am wondering if they are worth the money or if there are other great mirrorless cameras I should look at? Your thoughts.

I'm sure that there will be a variety of opinions about this but keep in mind that few have worked with very many different mirrorless cameras and we tend to like the one we are used to. That being said, several years ago I upgraded from a Nikon 1 to a Sony A6000 and have never regretted it. If I were faced with that situation today I would consult my wallet and consider an A6300 or an A6500 instead since I'm sure they are significant improvements over the A6000.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

We see this question often. The mirrorless interchangeable lens camera market has four veterans — Panasonic, Olympus, Sony, and Fujifilm, plus relative newcomers *at the high end*, Canon and Nikon.

With all those players, there is something for everyone. There is no one best mirrorless camera... just the one that meets your needs.

The paradox of knowing what you need is that it requires knowledge, experience, and market education.

Read camera reviews. Watch reviews on YouTube. Go to a real camera store in a large urban area and try what appeals to you. RENT one from lensrentals.com or borrowlenses.com.

That’s important — you’re buying into a SYSTEM. It’s hard to switch tracks once you have a moving train of cars (lenses). I did switch; it was totally worth it, but I had very well-defined, specific needs. I don’t like to say, “Ready? Fire!! Aim??? What’s aim?”

repleo Loc: Boston

drewmendelson wrote:

Linda, I don’t claim to be a world class photograp... (show quote)

If you are looking for a Full Frame Mirrorless, Sony has a five year head start on the competition with both bodies and dedicated lenses. The A7Rii is a great value at the moment at $890 new and has in-body stabilization and nearly everything you could want. Sony has been cranking out a steady stream of great lenses at several price points over the last five years and are now being joined by several third party lens manufacturers. Also there are quite a few of the dedicated FF mirrorless lenses available on the used market.

If APS-C would meet your needs (and talent), the venerable Sony A6000 is a bargain at under $500 with the kit lens.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

In no particular order...the best (since that's what you've requested) are:
Fuji XT-3, Panasonic G9, Olympus EM1ii, Sony A6500, Sony A7iii.

Note the purposeful omission of Nikon and Canon. Perhaps on the next iteration of their mirrorless cameras will they make the cut.

It just depends on what you want feature/size-wise.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

drewmendelson wrote:

Linda... But nearly $2,000 for body only is a big expense for me. I’d like to know how it compares to similar cameras before buying.

Since your reply to me, several folks have offered great advice about how to go about comparing and testing. I have the Panasonic G7, which is very comfortable because its weight and shape are so similar to a bridge camera I used extensively (Canon sx50). I also have the Olympus EM10, a cute little "rectangle" that would feel too small and awkward to me, if not for the relatively bulky 75-300 mm lens I use with it.

Don't underestimate the importance of handling the camera prior to purchase, including seeing where buttons and knobs are located. My two have knobs on top for changing aperture and shutter speed, and I often hit them inadvertently. If pixel peeping is your thing, then buy the best you can afford or you'll always second-guess your decision.

On the other hand, the below is with the G7 and a 14-140 mm lens, heavily cropped