Lightweight, Agile and Nimble (LAN) Mirrorless Cameras
There’s more to choosing a camera than just finding the smallest, tiniest, cheapest camera that you can. (Unless of course that’s your thing, in which case you should stop reading and just go out and buy your cheap little tiny camera already!) To find out what I think are some key features that you might want to be aware of if you’re thinking about buying a new / replacement / extra camera, read my article for more details. Below are some cameras I recommend that you take a look at and consider. Some are inexpensive, some are pricey, some are tiny, some are a bit larger, some are simple, some run very deep with features (which rival professional cameras) that will allow you to grow skills as you progress. Although there is no perfect, all in one camera, they all have a few things in common: they are all light & agile and they have all earned the respect and praise of photographers around the world. I’ll add and remove cameras to this page to keep it current and relavant.
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Fuji X-T10: About $1000 BUY IT HERE
I own this camera (along with the X-T1) and it is one of my current favorite cameras to use. It’s small, lightweight and VERY capable, making it an ideal companion for everyday photography and traveling. I use this camera and the X-T1 for my local professional photography work. The X-T10’s 16MP sensor turns out great image quality, and I love the classic styling. The manual knobs and buttons makes for a FAST, intuitive shooting experience.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mk II: About $750 BUY IT HERE
I own this camera. One of my favorites. The E-M10 II may be small, but this revamped Micro Four Thirds offering from Olympus packs big features and improved ergonomics over its predecessor. While not a first choice for dedicated videographers or action photographers, this nimble camera provides SLR options in a take-anywhere package with image quality rivaling some APS-C offerings.
Sony A6000: About $700 BUY IT HERE
The a6000 has a great interface and enhanced JPEG processing in a well-featured, competitively-priced mid-range camera. Its stand-out features are its comprehensive video controls and continuous autofocus performance unprecedented at this price. The flexible but optically average power zoom make this a highly capable and compact package.
Canon G16: About $400: BUY IT HERE
Not a mirrorless camera, but a small compact camera that I have. The Powershot “G” series from Canon has been a longstanding example of compact cameras packed with powerful features. It will allow you to grow your skills and techniques yet can be set simple enough to hand to your kid to take snapshots. The newest model boasts the following features. (again read my article if some of these terms has your head spinning) A hot shoe, Wifi, 1080p video, 28mm – 140mm lens, shoots RAW, some nice external knobs and buttons, comes from a nice pedigree, and has some nice accessories available.
Fuji X100T: About $1300: BUY IT HERE
One sweet camera. It has received raving reviews by pros. It’s compact, powerful and feature rich. Here are some of the highlights: It has large sensor (for a compact camera) which equals those in many DSLRs, a hybrid view finder (OVF and EVF), a fixed 23mm F2 lens, built in ND filter, a very nice interface and excellent image quality. I love the external dials and buttons that make it a lot easier and intuitive to change your settings. There’s also no getting around that this is one slick, retro looking camera! For some the fixed 23mm lens might be too much of a restriction, but if this camera fits the agile way that you’d like to shoot, make sure to check it out.
Panasonic Lumix FZ200: About $600: BUY IT HERE
A larger “compact” camera, but packed with some really nice features and still much smaller than an SLR. I waffled between putting this and the FZ1000
Panasonic Lumix GX8: About $1100: BUY IT HERE
The Panasonic Lumix GX8 is a mirrorless camera aimed at enthusiasts and based in the Micro Four Thirds standard. Announced in July 2015 it replaces the two year-old Lumix GX7 which was the first Lumix body to feature built-in stabilization. With a 20.1MP Four Thirds sensor inside the camera, the capability of shooting 10FPS and a tilting EVF, there is a lot to love about this camera.
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Back to Recommended GearA disclaimer: The above links to products are “affiliate” links. If you click on them and buy the product, I’ll earn a small commission. You won’t pay a penny more than you would have if you bought it on your own. I own most, but not all of the items that I recommend. I personally think they are fine products and can, in good conscience, recommend them. -Sonny
