fbpx
Features

6 Luxury Mirrorless Cameras for Photographers Who Demand the Best

Brett Day
No Comments
03/09/2020
5 Mins read
Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Leica M10D review product images 1

If you want the best of the best, and you have deep enough pockets, these are the luxury Mirrorless cameras that should be on your radar.

We do a lot of roundups that focus on affordable, feature-packed cameras that are more than enough for 99% of photographers out there. But what if money was no problem, and you wanted to get your hands on some of the best cameras out there? In this roundup, we will take a quick look at six of the best luxury Mirrorless cameras that money can buy right now.

Sure, these luxury Mirrorless cameras are expensive, and yes, there are cheaper cameras on the market that can do what these cameras can do, but if money wasn’t an issue, why not splurge on a camera that’s handcrafted, meticulously designed, and solidly built? There are also luxury Mirrorless cameras here that are packed with tech that you won’t find in some cheaper options. All of these luxury Mirrorless cameras are fantastic at what they do, and there is nothing wrong with splurging on a luxury camera. If we had deep pockets, these are the six luxury Mirrorless cameras that would be high on our list of wants.

For the Street Photographer – Leica Q2

dxomark

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

  • Good image quality
  • Weather sealed
  • Feels nice in the hands
  • Beautiful
  • The lens is exceptional

Cons

  • The Leica Q2 could have really used a joystick
  • High ISO output is a bit under par
  • The LCD screen is pretty low resolution
  • Autofocus in very low light isn’t great
  • Could have used a few more function buttons

Buy now: $4,985.01

For the Studio Portrait Photographer – Hasselblad X1D II

luxury mirrorless cameras

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

  • It has a gorgeous design
  • The touchscreen is the best in the business
  • The user interface is, again, the best in the business
  • Image quality is simply stunning
  • Incredible build quality second to none
  • The resolution of the EVF and rear LCD are excellent
  • Great weather sealing

Cons

  • Only contrast detection for autofocus
  • Autofocusing in low light is not a thing
  • The autofocus on this camera is incredibly slow by modern standards
  • No eye or face detect, and no continuous focus modes
  • No rear joystick or thumbpad to choose focus points
  • It’s pricey at $5,750

Buy now: $5,750

Pro Tip: One thing for sure is that if you plan on owning one of these luxury Mirrorless cameras, you’re going to need a bag to make sure it is protected while you are on the move or while the camera is not in use. We have reviewed dozens and dozens of camera bags over the years, like the ONA Street Prince pictured above. If you need to grab a new bag, be sure to head to our review section before you buy a bag.

For the Wildlife and Sports Photographer – Sony A9 II

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

  • The insanely fast and accurate autofocus system
  • Seriously impressive battery life
  • The best Sony camera from an ergonomics standpoint to date
  • Silent shooting is truly silent
  • Great overall image quality
  • Blackout free shooting
  • Weather sealing
  • The EVF and LCD are both great
  • Effective 5-Axis Image Stabilization
  • Eye AF is on a completely different level than the competition
  • It’s very well priced considering just how much tech you’re getting

Cons

  • Images at ISO 6400 are a little muddy and lose a little detail which is a problem for sports shooters who spend a lot of time in poorly lit venues
  • The menu system. Come on Sony, it’s time to rework it
  • The build quality, while good, could be so much better

Buy now: $4,498

For the All-Rounder – Leica SL2

luxury mirrorless cameras

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

  • It’s built like a tank
  • Once you get the philosophy behind its creation, you stand to understand the things that set it apart
  • You can hammer nails in with it. Well, not really.
  • Very well weather sealed
  • Fantastic image quality
  • Pretty good battery life
  • Access to a lot of great lenses
  • Image stabilization is very good
  • The most finely detailed high ISO files that we’ve seen when printing.

Cons

  • Autofocus isn’t that of a nearly $6,000 camera
  • The menu system and interface is something you need to wrap your head around
  • No multiple exposure mode
  • The sensor is bound to get dirty
  • It’s big and heavy
  • The big size makes it a pain on trips
  • No flip or tilt screen

Buy now: $5,995

Pro Tip: Any of these luxury Mirrorless cameras (and the lenses they use) will represent a huge investment on your part, so you’re going to want to make sure you take care of the camera properly so that it lasts and performs like it’s supposed to for many years. Make sure you have a great camera cleaning kit so that you can clean the body, screen, and contacts often. This way, your camera will stay in tip-top shape and will perform at its peak for years to come.

For the Landscape Photographer – Fujifilm GFX 100

luxury mirrorless cameras

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

  • 102 amazing Megapixels
  • Under $10,000 for one of the most powerful Medium Format cameras on the market
  • It uses the same autofocus system as the X-T3
  • A gorgeous electronic viewfinder
  • The menu system is laid out well
  • The image quality is simply jaw-dropping
  • Fantastic high ISO capabilities
  • Very good battery life
  • The top and rear LCD and OLED panels are easy to see and read in bright conditions

Cons

  • Quite possibly the worst ergonomics of any camera we’ve used
  • The thumb rest on the back is poorly designed
  • The body of the Fujifilm GFX 100 feels incredibly cheap
  • The buttons are mushy and have hardly any tactile feel
  • AF tracking was hit or miss, as was the eye AF
  • The touchscreen cannot be used to navigate the menu system
  • The grip is too shallow and does not provide a comfortable way to hold this 3lb camera
  • The vertical grip is untextured and incredibly slippery

Buy now: $9,999

For the Documentarian – Leica M10-D

luxury mirrorless cameras

Here are the pros and cons from our full review:

Pros

  • Quiet shutter
  • A bit of an improvement in battery life
  • Leica Fotos integration is very nice
  • Same great image quality as the Leica M10
  • Looks and feels like a film camera
  • Very low profile

Cons

  • Pricey
  • We really, really wish that this were a true mechanical shutter

Buy now: $8,795

You might also like
Screen Shot 2017-08-28 at 12.07.13 PM
Features

Opinion: Please Stop Wearing a Photo Vest if You Don’t Need to Be Wearing a Photo Vest

4 Mins read
07/09/2018

When I got into this industry years ago, one thing really confused me almost as much as how much certain older photographers tend to treat the younger generation of us: photo vests. I’m completely positive that you’ve all seen them: a photographer of a certain distinguishment (or trying to show off without having said distinguishment) wearing their vests that look a lot like safari vests. You know, almost as if they’re going to go out on an African safari at all times without being anywhere near something like a safari. Walking down the streets doing street photography? You’ll see a photo vest. In the studio? Photo vest! Hiking? Yup, A Photo vest!

Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Canon RF 24-105mm f4 L IS USM review product images Canon EOS R
Features

Did Canon Miss the Memo That Says Mirrorless Lenses Are Meant to Be Smaller?

3 Mins read
12/26/2018

When Canon introduced their new Mirrorless cameras earlier on this year (The EOS R) one of the stand out features was that the lens mount was so huge. While other manufacturers like Sony have made all things Mirrorless smaller, the late comer to the Mirrorless party seems to have decided that bigger is better. In a recently released interview, Canon engineers seem to be having a sly dig at Sony by saying that lenses with smaller mounts are far less capable than those with larger mounts. Read on after the break to find out more about what the Canon engineers are wafting on about.

5.01
Features

What is Kodak Aerochrome? A Beginner’s Guide to The Confusion of Lomochrome Purple

3 Mins read
01/30/2013

Today’s exciting announcement from Lomography about Lomochrome Purple is bound to get some people excited and others totally confused. First off, know that it is based off of Kodak Aerochrome–an old infrared film developed for government surveillance. Since it is infrared, that means that there are no real purple fields in the Congo. So we’re here to answer a couple of big questions that you may have about the new film. Check out more information after the jump.