Reading mode: Light Dark

News Reviews Articles Buying Guides Sample Images Videos Cameras Lenses Phones Printers Forums Galleries Challenges

Now reading: Mid-range Mirrorless camera roundup (2014) 30 comments

Mid-range Mirrorless camera roundup (2014)

Published Dec 16, 2014 | Jeff Keller, Dan Bracaglia

1 Mid-range Mirrorless camera roundup (2014)

One of the most significant developments in digital photography has been the introduction of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. By removing the mirror and optical viewfinder, manufacturers are able to make their cameras smaller, without compromising ergonomics, performance and, in most cases, image quality.

Over the past year we’ve seen more growth in the consumer/mid-level mirrorless category than nearly any other camera class. These cameras are a step up from their entry-level counterparts and generally sell for between $500 and $1000 body only, or between $600 and $1100 with a kit lens. The following cameras are included in this roundup:

Since the range in pricing is so great, we believe there are two groups of people who may be considering cameras in this class. One group wants a more compact, secondary camera in addition to their DSLR, something that still offers ample controls. The other is the photographer for whom this will be their only camera - someone who wants DSLR image quality and control without the additional size or weight.

On the following pages you'll get a quick summary of each camera, and what we liked (or didn't like) about them.

Tags: camera-roundup, cameras, mirrorless, roundup

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Mid-range Mirrorless camera roundup (2014)
2 Fujifilm X-E2
3 Sony a6000
4 Sony a5100

View Comments (30)

Comments

All (30)

Most popular (1)

Editors' picks (0)

DPR staff (0)

Oldest first

Theronias

I own a GF-1, a GX-1, and the GM-5. I like them all very much. I bought the GM-5 because it was small enough to stick in a jacket pocket, or hiking vest pocket. It's well made and everything feels "solid". I usually keep the 20mm pancake lens on the GM-5, making it compact. I own several of the lenses, including the 7-14 mm wide angle. I love the 4/3 system. If you stay way from the German lenses, you can buy the entire system for about the price you would pay for the Sony a 9 body. Same camera as the Sony, or a top of the line Nikon or Canon? No. But these cameras produce excellent pictures that won't bankrupt you. Moreover, you won't wear yourself out dragging around all the gear of a full-frame outfit. If you have to have 20+ megapixels or shoot 20 frames per second, these Lumix cameras aren't for you. But if you want excellent image quality, very good video, comfortable portability, and modest price, then these cameras are indeed worth consideration.

Jun 23, 2017permalink

jmatacola

I really like this camera. The pics you see while looking at them on the camera are not nearly as good as when they go to PhotoShp. The only real drawback is the limited number of lenses available and the expense of the adapter to use the lenses for the a mount camera. The ability to program the buttons and the view thru the viewfinder and the LCD allow for quick changes to the set-up and you can program settings for recall, of course. It is just the lack of lenses. (the 50mm is almost as good if not equal to a Z lens though.
excellent value.
4K pic viewing too.

Nov 23, 2015permalink

orey10m

On the "Which camera should I buy Page" I noted that you mention the following with regards to the price of the E-M10:
"Though for $150 less, you could get the a6000."

To me, it seems that the Olympus is now actually LESS expensive than the a6000.
Does this make the Olympus really the better buy then?
Thanks!

Oct 22, 2015permalink

ericdc3365

Sony's lenses had been developing like crazy for the past three years... Olympus, on the other hand, is being weakened by the disadvantage from its M43 sensor. This explains why sony holds its value while Olympus decreased.

Mar 18, 2017permalink

ericdc3365

Really if you think about it, it's only panasonic and Olympus in the game of M43 sensors, while not being admitted by professional photographer, they're being dragged down.
But on the other hand, I do find M43 cameras fun to shoot with. But it limits your ability to produce amazing photos at some point in your career.
Hope this helps!

Mar 18, 2017permalink

ThomK

Hello, Im an architect and have sony alpha nex 7, and looking for the lens for an architect, please give me recommendation. thank you

Aug 18, 2015permalink

Photo Ranger

"I purchased a Sony a5000 camera with accessories from 6th Avenue Express. I thought it was unusual that there were certain product elements missing like a plastic film on the glass LCD screen and a sealed label over the lip of the camera box. On testing the camera it became instantly defective because the seller included an aftermarket filter set that upon attachment could not be removed (unscrewed) from the lens. After numerous attempts to coordinate the refund on this camera with the seller, I was forced to file with the Better Business Bureau. The lesson here is not about a poor seller but about taking caution about using aftermarket accessories even if the seller bundled it with their seemingly new (grey) product.

Jul 12, 2015permalink

Bo3bg

Doesn't it make sense that the company who made the best film makes the best digital cameras in the X-E/X-T series? They even brought out their film engineers to provide color algorithms for their color settings.

No yellow green crossover like one brand, no cyan bias like another top brand and no magenta cast another brand provides.

Amazing

Apr 29, 2015permalink

Troubleshooter

So happy to own a X-E1!!! It was used, so 500€ was the prize (Body + 18-55 Lens)... No better deal around to buy!!!

Mar 12, 2015permalink

BGD300V1

I would have thought the Nikon J or S series might fit here if the V series was deemed too expensive.

Mar 7, 2015permalink

lawamainn

When it comes to value for money, this camera is unbeatable! The resolution power alone makes it a winner. And the feature set is pretty awesome as well. I love it!

Feb 7, 2015permalink

tony brown

To which camera are you referring?

Feb 18, 2015permalink

Graham Austin

I held the A6000 in a store and I have to say I was really disappointed, the XE2 feels so much more robust and well made. The kit lens on the Sony is really not good enough compared to the XE2. I know what I would buy for my money.

Jan 20, 2015permalink

OldPaint

I know your pain! When looking at the price between the two and how the $448 A6000 destroyed the XE2 on this sites comparator shot, I quickly put the $1100 XE2 back on the counter. Look at the pencil drawing, particularly the line strokes on the back corner in the comparator shot..or is this site rigged?

Feb 2, 2015permalink

captura

I also played with an A6000 in a store, for quite a long while, and didn't like it's cheap plastic feel. So I will continue to use my NEX5R, NEX-6 and NEX-7.
I own a good copy of the 16-50 kit lens and I must report that it works very well. I blame these differences on production sample variation.

Feb 3, 2015permalink

OldPaint

I like the feel of cheap plastic! I have a box of old expensive cameras that don't have the cheap plastic feel. I will continue to use my A6000 until something better comes along.

Agree, kit lenses are hit or miss. My older gear faired much better than my newer gear depending on price paid.

Feb 3, 2015*permalink

Kawika Nui

So the a6000 and GX7 are in this category and the Nikon1V3 is in the "enthusiast" category with the GH4 and the EM1.
Can you do us a favor and explain how these categories are determined?

Jan 19, 2015permalink

jwkphoto

I bought a Sony A6000 five weeks ago to photograph houses for real estate listings and for the past year I've been using a Sony A65. Two weeks ago I started using the 6000 to see how it would work in my job. One thing I thought I would miss is the built in level. Well, I don't, the 6000 is so easy to lineup it's not needed. The 16-50 kit lens works perfectly for this kind of work. The camera automatically adjusts for color and lens distortions making it very easy to line up the vertical lines in the image. The image noise has been greatly reduced and the 6000's color engine has been improved to the point where what I see on the LCD matches what I see in real life. By using the 6000 I've cut my in house photo time by 33% and the post processing time by 33%.

I love this camera, the best I've ever used by far!

Jan 17, 2015permalink

Naveed Akhtar

The best thing about GX7 is the top notch handling and IQ at base ISOs with those light, cheap and amazing lenses. and the (only) worst thing is that tilting evf, it's too tiny!!

Jan 15, 2015permalink

jefrs

The E-M10 is an "enthusiast camera" is these reviews but surprised the E-PL7 is not here in this section as it is an updated E-M10 without the EVF with bits of the new E-M5.ii and E-M1 thrown in for luck. Does not do everything but excellent little pocket camera.
And yes the wobbly sensor will muck up the noise above ISO3200 although the E-PL7 is decent enough (acceptable) to ISO8000 like G5 whereas the later Pannies will run right through to ISO25,600 if needs must with their bolted down sensors.
And that is the big difference, the heat sink, O-MD get noise speckling, GH4 gets interesting grainy film look. No biggie, the simple solution is to use more light.

Dec 28, 2014permalink

jefrs

GX7 Review (What We Don't Like) says, "Sensor shift image stabilisation cannot be used during video capture".
In fact no camera can use sensor shift stabilisation during video capture because it makes the sensor overheat.
Olympus use what they call "Movie-IS" during video capture which is digital not sensor shift. They also point out that long video clips will suffer from noise and gradual increase of red colouration to the image.
Other Panasonic cameras firmly bolt the sensor to a heat sink and don't overheat, so no noise or funny colours.
Reviewers should know this stuff.

Dec 28, 2014permalink

Jean Ulrich Brer

i dont think this is true, IBIS works mechanical for video, I did read that the e-m10 uses a bit digital IS in video mode. I also dont think that the sensor overheats during IBIS, because the sensor itself is not busy with the stabilisation rather then the mechanics around it. the digital IS in moviemode was used with the earlier EP series.

Jan 4, 2015permalink

jefrs

1. As fas as I have been able to find out from the manuals and using the E-PL7 and the E-M5ii: The E-PL7 M-IS is all digital. The E-M5ii M-IS1 is part sensor part digital whilst M-IS2 is all sensor but note bene it does not say all 5 axes and the japanese do have a way of saying something else (that we might prefer to hear) when they do not want to say something: S-IS is all 5 axes, so I seriously do not believe M-IS2 uses the full 5-axis S-IS (no, they've stopped calling it IBIS, they now like "VCM")
2. The manual says the sensor overheats and will cut out. I confirm that the sensor on the E-M5ii and the E-PL7 do both overheat and shut the camera down as stated in their manuals. The E-M5ii cannot record more than 4Gb of movie, the image also gets a reddish tinge. The record time goes down to less than 5-6 minutes as the sensor heats up.
My statement above was written before the E-M5ii was released, and as far as I'm aware it is now the first to use sensor shift at all during movie

Mar 29, 2015permalink

PentaxNick

Why does the Review link for the Olympus EPL7 end up here?

Dec 25, 2014permalink

Yog kr

I use a canon 5d mark ii and have series of 6 canon lenses. I'm into wedding and product photography. Just have a feeling if I have to start with a Sony a600 in the mirrorless technology as they are compact and might be the future. I jus wonder how it wud be to handle Sony a6000 with canon ef mount on and a series of lenses like canon 70-200 2.8 , 24-105 and the 85mm 1.8. Considering using them for weddings...

Dec 24, 2014permalink

mpgxsvcd

@dpreview

This article is not on the homepage so it isn't being seen by anyone who doesn't get the emails. You guys might want to fix that.

Dec 17, 2014permalink

Antonio Mario Magalhaes

Mmmm... Where is the Nikon 1 V3 in your list??...

Dec 17, 2014permalink

BarnET

Getting it's ass kicked in the higher up category.
Where it was placed due to it's ridiculous price-point.

Dec 30, 2014permalink

mpgxsvcd

The Sony A6000 is a very impressive camera.

Dec 17, 2014*permalink

captura

Some of us felt short-changed with this camera because it could have been so much more. Like a true pro-level NEX-7 replacement costing a little bit more. A metal body, with some missing features added in like a level gauge, and improved ratio of in-focus images from continuous fast shooting with tracking.
Maybe next year, an A7000 model please, Sony?

Dec 25, 2014permalink

Latest sample galleries

Leica APO-Summicron-SL 90mm F2 ASPH sample gallery

Fujifilm X-T100 sample gallery

Canon EOS Rebel T7 sample gallery

Sony FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS sample gallery

See more galleries »

Latest in-depth reviews

The Sony RX100 VI is a spectacularly capable travel camera, combining a flexible zoom range with impressive autofocus. But there's no getting around the fact that it's an expensive camera, and a longer lens comes with certain trade-offs. Read on for our full analysis.

The Tamron 70-210mm F4 Di VC USD is a lightweight telephoto zoom lens for DSLR cameras that comes in at an MSRP of $799. How does it perform? Find out in our full review.

Samsung's flagship Galaxy S9+ comes with comprehensive photography features like dual optically stabilized rear cameras, smooth 4K video and of course, beauty filters for your selfies. But is it the best smartphone camera for you? Find out how it compares against the likes of Apple's iPhone X and Google's Pixel 2 in our full review.

Long-term test: Domke F6 'Little Bit Smaller' shoulder bag

The Domke F-6, also known as the 'Little Bit Smaller' bag shares a lot of characteristics with the venerable (and a Little Bit Bigger) F-2. Senior Editor Barnaby Britton has been using one for several years.

Peak Design's Capture Clip takes the pain out of carrying your camera – and the latest version is an improvement on an already popular design.

Latest buying guides

The instant camera market is heating up, and with four formats and 15+ cameras to choose from, we felt it was high time to examine them all and pick our favorite.

Buying Guide: The best waterproof cameras

Whether you're hitting the beach in the Northern Hemisphere or the ski slopes in the Southern, a rugged compact camera makes a great companion. In this buying guide we've taken a look at seven current models and chosen our favorites.

Buying Guide: The best cameras for parents

What's the best camera for a parent? The best cameras for shooting kids and family must have fast autofocus, good low-light image quality and great video. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for parents, and recommended the best.

Buying Guide: The best cameras for landscapes

What's the best camera for shooting landscapes? High resolution, weather-sealed bodies and wide dynamic range are all important. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting landscapes, and recommended the best.

Buying Guide: The best cameras over $2000

What’s the best camera costing over $2000? The best high-end camera costing more than $2000 should have plenty of resolution, exceptional build quality, good 4K video capture and top-notch autofocus for advanced and professional users. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing over $2000 and recommended the best.

Check out more buying guides »

Latest articles

DPReview TV: 70-200mm F4 lens shootout

70-200mm F4 zoom lenses may not get as much attention as their faster F2.8 siblings, but for many photographers these lenses hit the perfect sweet spot of price, performance, and weight. This week, we go to the Calgary Stampede with the Canon 70-200mm F4, Nikon 70-200mm F4, and Tamron 70-210mm F4.

Jul 15, 201842

Blackmagic external GPU for MacBook Pro now available from Apple

Blackmagic recently worked with Apple to develop Blackmagic eGPU, an external GPU that brings "desktop-class graphics performance" to the new MacBook Pro laptops with Thunderbolt 3 ports.

Jul 14, 2018171

Skylum Luminar 2018 1.3.0 update brings many improvements, new camera support

Lightroom alternative Luminar has received numerous updates across both its Mac and Windows versions, primarily improvements to existing features, as well as support for additional cameras from Fujifilm, Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, Canon, and Pentax.

Jul 14, 201834

Sony replaces RX100 V with RX100 VA, bringing RX100 VI processor and firmware

Sony has quietly updated its RX100 V, bringing a couple of the goodies from the RX100 VI travel zoom. The updated RX100 VA gains a new processor and various firmware tweaks but misses out on the VI's other hardware improvements.

Jul 13, 2018233 camera news

More powerful notebooks from Apple in the MacBook Pro line

Apple has updated its MacBook Pro series of notebooks with 15in and 13in models that are claimed to be better for intense image and video editing. The company says the new models are the most advanced ever, and that they feature 8th generation Intel Core processors for faster performance.

Jul 13, 2018295

Adobe reportedly working on full Photoshop version for iPad

According to sources familiar with the matter, Adobe will announce a full-fledged Photoshop version for the iPad at its annual conference in October.

Jul 13, 2018152 mobile

Apple ceases Photo Print Products, recommends third-party apps

The last day to place an order for Apple photo prints and related products is September 30th.

Jul 13, 201839

Manfrotto Noreg series launches with Backpack-30 and Messenger-30 bags

Manfrotto has launched its new Noreg camera bag series with the Backpack-30 and Messenger-30 models. Both bags are designed for premium mirrorless camera systems, each featuring internal camera units that can be removed and used independently of the larger bags.

Jul 12, 201859

The Kanton DX35 concept is an all-in-one film development machine the size of a coffee maker

Industrial designer Thomas Müller has created a concept device that attempts to democratize film development using an all-in-one device that sits on your countertop.

Jul 12, 2018208

Sony Cyber-shot DSC RX100 VI review

Jul 12, 2018411 review

Mastin Labs' new 'Kodak Everyday' preset pack includes Ektar 100, Gold 200 & Tri-X 400

Mastin Labs has released its latest set of presets titled 'Kodak Everyday.' The pack includes film emulation presets for iconic Kodak films, including Ektar, Gold and Tri-X.

Jul 11, 2018216

Canon EOS 6D Mark II firmware 1.0.4 update fixes 'rare' operational bugs

Canon has released firmware update 1.0.4 for the EOS 6D Mark II, adding important bug fixes for "rare instances" of issues with the touch panel and operation buttons.

Jul 11, 201872

Nikon Inc confirms the Nikon 1 system is officially discontinued

In an email to DPReview, Nikon Inc. has confirmed ''The Nikon 1 series cameras, lenses and accessories are no longer in production'.

Jul 11, 2018501

Nikon Coolpix P1000: what you need to know

Nikon's new Coolpix P1000 boasts an extraordinary zoom range and a suite of powerful stills and video features in a (relatively) compact body. We're taking a detailed look at this powerful compact's key features.

Jul 11, 2018418

PhotoMirage software creates moving photos from a single image

PhotoMirage, a new Windows application from software company Corel, transforms images into "mirages" by adding movement to elements like water or clouds. Unlike a cinemagraph, it does not require video footage – instead animating a single static image.

Jul 10, 201888

Tamron releases updated firmware for 28-75mm F2.8 for Sony E-Mount

Tamron's version 2.0 firmware update for its 28-75mm F2.8 Di III RXD claims to have addressed reported issues with autofocus during video shooting.

Jul 10, 201830

Moment launches camera app with focus on manual control

Lens maker Moment is leaning into the software sector, launching a newly-revamped smartphone camera app targeted at enthusiast photographers.

Jul 10, 201836 mobile

NVIDIA researchers develop AI that removes noise from images with incredible accuracy

A groups of researchers from NVIDIA, MIT, and Aalto University have developed an AI capable of removing noise and grain from images with incredible accuracy.

Jul 10, 2018167

Nikon Coolpix P1000 shoots for the moon with 3000mm equiv. zoom

If the 24-2000mm equiv. zoom range on Nikon's Coolpix P900 just wasn't enough then you'll be excited about today's announcement of the Coolpix P1000. This camera has a once unthinkable 24-3000mm equivalent F2.8-F8 lens, though it's anything but light and will set you back $999.

Jul 10, 2018674 camera news

Cactus releases firmware to add TTL control for Canon flashes

Hong Kong flash system manufacturer Cactus has released new firmware for its V6 II Transceiver that will allow it to wirelessly communicate TTL information between a Canon or Cactus flash and a Canon camera. The X-TTL update makes it possible to trigger Canon flashes and retain full TTL control with that flash either on or off camera.

Jul 9, 20187

Video: Pro lighting at hardware store prices

Want to create pro quality lighting for your videos, but don't have thousands of dollars to spend on expensive video lights? In this video, our friends over at ShareGrid demonstrate how to professionally light a model with some work lights, a bit of poster board and even a shower curtain.

Jul 9, 201825 video

Capture One Latitude style packs bring warm and cold color presets

Phase One has launched its new Latitude processing presets series, the latest addition to the company's Capture One Style Packs product launched last year. Both Latitude style packs contain eight presets, each with original, bright, and dark variations, for a total of 24 styles per pack.

Jul 9, 201841

Godox announces AD400Pro strobe, due out in August

Godox has announced the impending launch of its upcoming AD400Pro, a 400WS monolight with wireless shooting capabilities and a battery life of 390 full-powered flashes.

Jul 9, 201884

Buying Guide: The best instant cameras

The instant camera market is heating up, and with four formats and 15+ cameras to choose from, we felt it was high time to examine them all and pick our favorite.

Jul 9, 201855

DPReview TV: where to place a microphone to record great audio

There's an old axiom in filmmaking which states that an audience will forgive a poor quality picture, but not poor quality sound. This week, Chris and Jordan bring in an audio pro to demonstrate why a cheap microphone positioned correctly will outperform an expensive model placed incorrectly.

Jul 8, 2018106 video

Sony Cyber-shot RX100 VI sample gallery updated

With enough reach to land itself in 'travel zoom' territory, the Sony RX100 VI is well suited for a wide range of shooting situations. We've made a significant update to our initial sample gallery with plenty of samples from the past few weeks.

Jul 7, 2018172 sample gallery

PinBox is a DIY 120 format pinhole camera made from cardboard and an acid-etched aperture

Hamm Camera Company has launched its second crowdfunding campaign to bring a fun, affordable pinhole camera to life.

Jul 7, 2018114

Rumor: Samsung Galaxy S10 triple-cam to offer super-wide-angle and 3x tele

Samsung's upcoming flagship smartphone could offer a significantly wider zoom range than current high-end models.

Jul 6, 2018157 mobile

US Postal Service ordered to pay $3.5m after using photo of Statue of Liberty replica

According to the lawsuit, the US Postal Service issued a new Forever Stamp design in December 2010 that mistakenly features the Statue of Liberty replica in Las Vegas created by Davidson rather than the original statue in New York.

Jul 6, 2018290

Video: 6 in-camera video transitions in 120 seconds

Rachel and Daniel of Mango street share six video transitions you can do in-camera to make your footage stand out.

Jul 6, 201829 video

Tips or suggestions? Contact us!

www.dpreview.com

Mobile site

About

Editorial content

Cameras & Lenses

Community

All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998 - 2018 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.


Fujifilm X-E3 Review Oct 24, 2017	Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III Review Sep 6, 2017	Canon EOS M6 Review May 16, 2017	Canon EOS Rebel T7i / 800D review May 3, 2017


Plastic by Aziz Ali from Plastic	Canada Day Fireworks by Darren Langdon from national holiday	Tree Swallow hunting by iamdlewis from A big year - birds 2018	Father and daughter by Jill Hancock from - Being 'Dad' - ( Portrait in Full colours only)

Mid-range Mirrorless camera roundup (2014)

Comments

You may also like

More about gear in this article

Latest sample galleries

Latest in-depth reviews

Latest buying guides