A modernization of the DSLR was to remove the mirror and its components (optical viewfinder, separate phase detect autofocus system, etc.) and perform the functions those components provided using the just imaging sensor and an LCD (either the Rear LCD or a built-in electronic viewfinder, which is basically as small LCD with optics).
Removing the mirror box allows you to put the lens mount closer to the sensor (requires redesigning lenses, though), making for a smaller camera in depth. Quite a few other components that need critical alignment in manufacturing for DSLRs are also removed, making assembly or mirrorless cameras less complicated, quicker, and less expensive.
The down side to a mirrorless camera is that using the image sensor to perform exposure and focus and using the LCD or EVF to display what the camera is seeing consumes more power, produces more heat, and can be lower in some aspects of performance, such as focus speed. These trade offs make mirrorless cameras better at competing with entry-level DSLRs, but sometimes not as capable as high-end DSLRs. (Over time, this has been addressed, but that generally has meant higher priced mirrorless cameras.)
Here’s the short version of what’s currently available:
- Canon EOS RF — Full frame 20/26/30/45mp sensors, EVF, uses EOS RF mount; also RF-S is APS-C 24/32mp sensors, EVF, uses EOS RF mount
- Fujifilm XF — APS-sized X-Trans 24mp, 26mp, and 40mp sensors, OVF, EVF, and no EVF options, uses Fujifilm XF mount
- Fujifilm GFX — Small Medium Format 50mp and 100mp sensors, EVF, uses Fujifilm GFX mount
- Hasselblad XD — Small Medium Format 50mp or 100mp sensor, EVF, uses Hasselblad XD mount
- Leica M — Full frame 18-60mp color and monochrome sensors, OVF, uses Leica M-mount
- Leica SL — Full frame 24 and 60mp sensors, EVF, uses Leica L mount
- Leica TL — APS-C sized 24mp sensor, EVF option, uses Leica L mount
- Nikon Z — APS-C sized 20mp, Full frame 24/45mp sensors, EVF, uses Nikon Z mount
- OM Digital Solutions— m4/3 16mp and 20mp sensors, EVF and no EVF options, uses m4/3 mount (Originally: Olympus)
- Panasonic G — m4/3 10mp, 16mp and 20mp sensors, EVF and no EVF options, uses m4/3 mount
- Panasonic S — Full frame 24 and 47mp sensors, EVF, uses L-mount
- Sigma sd — APS-C or APS-H sized sensor, EVF, uses Sigma SA mount
- Sony Alpha E — APS-C sized 24mp sensors, EVF and no EVF options, uses E-mount
- Sony Alpha FE — Full frame 12mp, 24mp, 33mp 42mp, 50mp, and 61mp sensors, EVF, uses FE-mount
Formerly available cameras no longer made or supported: Canon M, Nikon 1 (CX), Samsung NX.
The Mirrorless Camera Timeline (links are to this site's reviews)
- 2006 (1 cameras)
- September: Leica M8
- 2008 (2 cameras)
- September: Leica M8.2, Panasonic G1
- 2009 (6 cameras)
- March: Panasonic GH-1
- June: Olympus E-P1
- September: Panasonic GF-1, Leica M9
- November: Olympus E-P2, Ricoh GXR
- 2010 (11 cameras)
- January: Samsung NX10
- February: Olympus E-PL1
- March: Panasonic G10, Panasonic G2
- May: Sony NEX-3, Sony NEX-5
- June: Samsung NX5
- September: Panasonic GH-2, Samsung NX100
- November: Panasonic GF-2
- December: Samsung NX11
- 2011 (15 cameras)
- January: Olympus E-PL2
- May: Panasonic G3
- June: Olympus E-PM1, Olympus E-PL3, Olympus E-P3, Panasonic GF-3, Pentax Q, Sony NEX-3C, Leica M9P
- August: Sony NEX-5N, Sony NEX-7
- September: Nikon J1, V1, Samsung NX200
- November: Panasonic GX1
- 2012 (19 cameras)
- January: Fujifilm X-Pro1
- February: Olympus OM-D E-M5
- April: Panasonic GF5, Samsung NX-20, Samsung NX-210, Samsung NX-1000
- May: Sony NEX-F3, Leica M-Monchorom
- July: Canon EOS M
- August: Nikon J2, Sony NEX-5R
- September: Fujifilm X-E1, Leica M10, Olympus E-PM2, Olympus E-PL5, Panasonic GH3, Pentax Q10, Sony NEX-6
- October: Nikon V2
- 2013 (20 cameras)
- January: Nikon S1, J3
- April: Panasonic GF6, G6
- May: Samsung NX2000, Olympus E-P5, Olympus E-PL6
- June: Pentax Q7, Samsung Galaxy NX, Fujifilm X-M1, Fujifilm X-A1
- August: Panasonic GX7, Sony A3000, Sony NEX-5T
- September: Olympus OM-D E-M1, Nikon AW1
- October: Sony A7, A7r, Fujifilm X-E2, Panasonic GM1
- 2014 (19 cameras)
- January: Fujifilm X-T1, Olympus OM-D E-M10, Sony A5000, Samsung NX30
- February: Panasonic GH4
- March: Nikon V3, Samsung NX mini Smart, Sony A6000
- April: Sony A7s, Nikon J4, Leica T (Type 701)
- May: Samsung NX3000, Nikon S2
- August: Pentax Q-S1, Olympus E-PL7, Sony A5100, Leica M-P Type 240
- September: Samsung NX-1, Panasonic GM5
- 2015 (17 cameras)
- January: Fujifilm X-A2, Olympus E-M5II, Panasonic GF7
- February: Canon EOS M3, EOS M10
- March: Samsung NX500
- April: Nikon 1 J5
- May: Fujifilm X-T10, Panasonic G7
- June: Sony A7rII
- July: Panasonic GX8
- August: Fujifilm X-T1 IR, Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II, Panasonic GH4R
- September: DJI Zenmuse (drone), Sony A7sII
- October: Leica SL
- November: Leica M (Type 262)
- 2016 (17 cameras)
- January: Fujifilm X-Pro2, Fujifilm X-E2s
- February: Olympus Pen-F, Sigma sd Quattro, sd Quattro H, Sony A6300
- April: Panasonic GX80, Panasonic GX85, Leica M-D
- July: Fujifilm X-T2
- August: Fujifilm X-A3
- September: Canon EOS M5, Panasonic G80/85, Olympus E-PL8, YI M1 (also development announcements: Panasonic GH5, Olympus E-M1 II, and Fujifilm GXF medium format)
- October: Sony A6500
- December: Fujifilm X-A10
- 2017 (15 cameras)
- January: Fujifilm X-T20, Leica M10, Panasonic GX850
- February: Canon EOS M6
- April: Sony A9
- July: Leica TL2
- August: Canon EOS M100, Olympus E-M10 Mark III
- September: Fujifilm X-E3
- November: Panasonic G9, Leica CL, Sony A7R Mark III
- 2018 (19 cameras)
- January: Panasonic GH5s
- February: Canon EOS M50, Fujifilm X-A5, X-A20, X-H1, Olympus PL-9, Panasonic GX9, Panasonic GF10, Sony A7 Mark III
- May: Fujifilm X-T100
- August: Leica M10-P, Nikon Z6, Nikon Z7
- September: Canon R, Fujifilm X-T3, Fujifilm GXR50, development announcements: Fujifilm GFX100, Panasonic S1, S1R
- October: Leica M10-D
- 2019 (24 cameras)
- January: Olympus E-M1X, Sony A6400
- February: Canon RP, Fujifilm X-T30, Panasonic S1, Panasonic S1R
- April: Panasonic G90/G95
- May: Fujifilm GFX 100, Panasonic S1H
- June: Hasselblad X1D II 50C
- July: Sigma fp development announcement, Sony A7R Mark IV
- August: Canon EOS M6 Mark II, Sony A6100, Sony A6600
- September: Fujifilm X-A7, Canon M200
- October: Fujifilm X-Pro3, Nikon Z50, Olympus E-M5 Mark III, Olympus E-PL10, Sony A9 Mark II
- 2020 (22 cameras)
- January: Leica M10 Monochrom, Fujifilm X-T200
- February: Fujifilm X-T4, Olympus E-M1 Mark III
- June: Panasonic G100
- July: Canon R5, R6, Leica M10-R, Nikon Z5, Olympus E-M10 Mark IV
- August: Panasonic S5, Sony A7C, A7S Mark III
- October: Canon EOS M50 Mark II, Fujifilm X-S10, Nikon Z6 II, Nikon Z7 II, Panasonic BGH1
- November: Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IIIs, Leica Q2 Monochrom
- December: Leica SL2-S
- 2021 (14 cameras)
- January: Fujifilm X-E4, Fujifilm GFX100S, Sony A1
- March: Nikon Z9 development announcement, Sigma fp L
- April: Canon R3 development announcement
- May: Panasonic GH5 II, Panasonic GH6 development announcement
- June: OM Digital Solutions E-P7, Nikon Zfc
- August: Fujifilm X-T30 II, GFX50S
- September: Canon R3
- October: Sony A7 Mark IV, Nikon Z9, Panasonic BS1H
- 2022 (16 cameras)
- January: Canon R5C (video), Leica M11
- February: OMDS OM-1, Panasonic GH6
- May: Canon R7, Canon R10, Fujifilm X-H2S
- June: Nikon Z30
- September: Fujifilm X-H2, Hasselblad X2D 100c, Sony FX30
- October: OMDS OM-5, Sony ZV-1F, Sony A7R Mark V
- November: Fujifilm X-T5, Canon R6 Mark II
- 2023 (17 cameras)
- January: Panasonic S5II, Panasonic S5IIX
- February: Canon R8, Canon R50
- March: Sony ZV-E1
- April: Leica M11 Monochrom
- May: Nikon Z8, Fujifilm X-S20, Canon R100
- July: Sony A6700
- August: Sony A7C Mark II, A7CR
- September: Fujifilm GFX 100 II, Panasonic G9 II, Nikon Zf
- October: Leica M11-P
- November: Sony A9 Mark III
- 2024 (14 cameras)
- January: OM Digital Systems OM-1 Mark II
- May: Leica SL3
- June: Fujifilm X-T50, GFX 100SII, Panasonic S9
- July: Nikon Z6III, Panasonic GH7
- August: Canon R1 development announcement, R5 Mark II, Sony ZV-E10 II, Pixii Max
- November: Fujifilm X-M5, Nikon Z50II, Sony A1 II
In addition to the still cameras, seven companies have made video cousins to the mirrorless cameras (i.e. video cameras that use specific mirrorless lens mounts; mostly m4/3 but some Sony E):
- Blackmagic Cinema Camera MFT (2012), Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera (2013), Blackmagic Micro Cinema Camera (2015), Blackmagic Ursa (2015), Blackmagic Studio (2015), Blackmagic 4K Pocket Cinema (2018), Blackmagic 6K Pocket Cinema (2019)
- Canon Cinema (e.g. C80)
- DJI Zenmuse (drone) (2015)
- JVC GY-LSX2 (2014), GW-SPLS1 (2014), GY-LS300 (2014)
- Panasonic BGR1 (2020), AG-AF100/101 (2010)
- Sony NEX-VG10 (2010), NEX-VG20 (2011), NEX-VG30 (2012), NEX-VG900 (2012), EA50EH (2012), FS100U (2010), FS700 (2012), FS700R (2014), PXW-FS5 Mark II (2018), PXW-FS7 (2014), 4K XDCAM Super 35 (2014), FX9 (2019)
- Z-Cam E1 (2015), C1 (2016), E2 (2018)
Sub-sections in the Camera section:
