Photography is ever-evolving, and mirrorless cameras are becoming a go-to choice for professionals and enthusiasts alike, with big names like Nikon, Canon, Sony, and Fujifilm consistently unveiling advanced mirrorless models.

Whether you're considering making the switch from DSLR or simply curious about the buzz, we'll break down what a mirrorless camera is, how it works, and highlight the benefits. We'll also offer the best mirrorless camera recommendations with help from our Product Specialist, Lizzie James, at Jessops.

Contents

What is a mirrorless camera?

What is the difference between mirrorless and DSLR cameras?

What are the benefits of using a mirrorless camera?

The best mirrorless camera recommendations

Best budget-friendly mirrorless camera

Best mirrorless camera for beginners

Best mirrorless camera for video

Best mirrorless camera for sports, wildlife or action photography

Best mirrorless camera for landscape photography

Best mirrorless camera for street photography

Best mirrorless camera for low-light

Best mirrorless camera for lens options

Best compact mirrorless camera for travel

Best full-frame mirrorless camera

Best mirrorless camera for professionals

A mirrorless camera is a type of digital camera that works without a mirror inside the camera body — as you may have guessed!

Instead of using a mirror to bounce the image into your viewfinder, as a Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera does, a mirrorless camera sends the image straight to a digital screen or electronic viewfinder. This lets you adjust your settings and preview the image before you take your shot.

Many mirrorless cameras also offer features such as silent shooting, fast burst speeds, enhanced autofocus (AF), and excellent video performance, making them a brilliant choice for everyone from beginners and travel photographers to content creators and professionals.

A DSLR camera uses a mirror inside the camera body to reflect light from the lens up into an optical viewfinder. This lets you see what the lens is capturing in real time, even when the camera is turned off.

In a mirrorless camera, there’s no mirror mechanism. Instead, light passes directly through the lens to a digital image sensor, which then displays a live preview on the rear screen or through an electronic viewfinder.

Because mirrorless cameras don’t need space for a mirror and optical viewfinder system, they’re often lighter, slimmer, and easier to carry than their hefty DSLR counterparts.

See the image change in real-time

One of the biggest benefits of a mirrorless camera is its electronic viewfinder (EVF). Unlike an optical viewfinder, an EVF shows a digital preview of what your camera sees, so you can see how your shot will look before you press the shutter.

As you adjust settings like shutter speed, aperture, ISO, or white balance, the preview updates in real time. This makes it much easier to judge exposure, depth of field, and colour, helping you feel more confident that you’ve got the shot you want.

It’s especially useful in tricky lighting conditions. If you’re shooting somewhere dark, you can increase the brightness of the display to see your subject more clearly. Or, if you’re shooting in black and white, you can set the viewfinder to show your scene in monochrome, helping you focus on light, shadow, and composition without the distraction of colour.

In short, the EVF helps take some of the guesswork out of photography, showing you what you’re likely to capture before you actually take the photo.

Silent shooting

With fewer moving parts, many mirrorless cameras offer a silent shooting mode, letting you capture images with little to no shutter sound.

This is especially useful when you need to stay discreet. If you’re photographing wildlife, for example, silent shooting can help you avoid startling your subject. It’s also great for street photography, weddings, or quiet settings where you want to capture natural moments without drawing attention to yourself.

By removing the sound of the mirror mechanism, mirrorless cameras make it easier to shoot quietly, confidently and unobtrusively.

Augmented reality

Another benefit of viewing your shot on a digital screen or electronic viewfinder is that you can display helpful shooting information over the top of your image.

This could include grid lines to help you line up your composition, a live histogram to check exposure, or focus peaking to highlight the areas that are sharp. These tools make it easier to fine-tune your shot as you’re taking it, rather than having to review and adjust afterwards.

Some mirrorless cameras also let you preview creative effects in the EVF, such as black-and-white modes or multiple-exposure shots. With multiple exposure, each frame can be added to the view as you shoot, helping you see how the images are coming together and giving you a better idea of what the final combined photo will look like.

Improved autofocus (manual focusing is easier, too)

Autofocus points are specific spots in the camera's viewfinder that it can use to focus on a subject. And, since there's no mirror in the way, mirrorless cameras offer many more focus points than a DSLR, running closer to the edges of the digital screen. 

This makes tracking easier, too; with more focus points, your camera can follow moving people or animals, keeping them sharp. 

Even if your subject is briefly obscured (for example, if it walks behind a tree), the camera's focus system is smart enough to predict where it will reappear, maintaining focus. This gives you a clearer shot of fast-moving subjects, capturing the action without a blur.

Manual focusing is also easier. To check you've got it spot on, you can increase the magnification in the EVF and zoom right into your scene, guaranteeing pin-sharp focusing exactly where you want it.

Faster burst speeds

Mirrorless cameras are brilliant for capturing fast-moving action, thanks to their impressive continuous shooting speeds, also known as burst mode.

Because there’s no physical mirror flipping up and down between each shot, mirrorless cameras can often shoot at faster frame rates than DSLRs. This makes them ideal for moments that happen in a split second, whether you’re photographing sports, birds in flight, pets, wildlife or energetic children.

By taking a rapid sequence of images, burst mode gives you more chances to capture the perfect moment, from a footballer mid-kick to a bird with its wings fully outstretched.

Some mirrorless cameras, like the Sony a9 III, can fire off shots at 120 frames per second (fps) with continuous burst shooting.

Lightweight and compact design

Mirrorless cameras don’t need the mirror box and optical viewfinder system found in DSLRs, which means they can often be made smaller, slimmer and lighter.

That makes them a great choice for photography on the go, whether you’re travelling, hiking, heading out for the day or simply want a camera that’s easier to carry around. You still get excellent image quality, but in a more portable body that takes up less space in your bag.

And because there’s less weight to hold, mirrorless cameras can feel more comfortable to use for longer periods, helping you focus on framing the perfect shot, rather than feeling weighed down by your kit.

Video capabilities 

Mirrorless cameras have swiftly become the top pick for videographers, boasting features that outclass many DSLRs. The absence of a mirror mechanism means faster readout speeds, paving the way for high-resolution video, such as 4K and even 8K in some newer models, like the Sony a7R VI. This translates to smoother, crisper footage.

They also benefit from advanced autofocus systems that are well-suited to video. Features such as on-sensor phase detection and subject tracking help keep your subject sharp, even when they’re moving through the frame, or you’re filming handheld.

Their compact design is another big plus for videographers. Whether you’re shooting on the move, building a lightweight filming setup, or vlogging, mirrorless cameras are easy to carry and use in a wide range of shooting situations.

At Jessops, we have a wide range of mirrorless cameras from leading brands like Sony, Canon and Nikon. 

If you're new to photography, check out our beginner's guide to choosing the best digital camera, or if you're looking for more advice and inspiration, discover our blog. If you have any questions or you're unsure about which product is right for you, contact us today.