What Makes a Good Mirrorless Camera? - Hungry Geeks

Nowadays, mirrorless cameras have been taking over the photography world — slowly overtaking the DLSRs from non-professional photographers and some professionals. Most serious photographers are still using DSLRs but they’re also packed with some mirrorless to take some surprising moments. With bulky and noisy cameras, street photographers and aspiring bloggers can now shoot without any hassle.

With so many mirrorless cameras popping out in the market, choosing one can be a daunting task. Let’s take a look at Sony’s A5000 mirrorless camera and see if it’s a good choice to get one.

Lenses

On the other side of the spectrum, what differentiates mirrorless cameras from point-and-shoot one is the fact that they have interchangeable lenses. Having a camera where you can change lenses can make a huge difference on a photo.

Also, point-and-shoots may have optical zoom that you’re able to shoot both wide and telephoto zoom, you won’t have much control compared to a camera that has a specific lens for that certain moment. You’re still better off if you have lenses like zoom, telephoto, prime, macro and wide angle options at your disposal.

Fortunately, the Sony A5000 has a wide option for lenses. I checked out their website to find some cool options:

E PZ 18-110 mm F4 G OSS
FE 24-70 mm F2.8 GM
Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA
FE 50 mm F2.8 Macro
FE 70-200 mm F.2 GM OSS
FE 70-300 mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS
FE 85 mm F1.4 GM

Sensor Size

All cameras have their own sensors and this is a category where things can get a little complicated. To shorten, you may say that a full-frame DSLR will have the largest sized sensor, a point-and-shoot camera will have the smallest, making the mirrorless in between albeit there are some who do have a full-frame sensor.

For the Sony A5000 you’ll get a 20.1MP Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor. With this kind of sensor, it mostly overpowers most DSLRs with a price tag under Php65,000. It provides fast auto-focus and excellent noise reduction that is not overly destructive to fine detail.

Performance-wise, the A5000 has a better sensor than some mirrorless cameras with the same price tag. It also produces higher resolution images with better color more dynamic range than others. Most in-depth reviews applaud the A5000 for the quality of photos even though they set it at high ISO. Noise from ISO 100-800 is hardly noticeable-even without the noise reduction feature active.

Autofocus

DSLR cameras use a method called as phase detection to focus an object while most of mirrorless cameras use contrast detection. Phase detection takes advantage of the mirror in a DSLR (which the mirrorless doesn’t have) to divide the incoming light into pairs of images, compares them, and then quickly focuses the lens on the subject.

Mirrorless cameras use contrast detection to measure the contrast between pixels on the sensor until it detects enough contrast to find that the image is in focus which typically results to a slower shot and more difficulty on low-light environment.

Good thing for this is like the Sony A5000, other mirrorless shooters are now using hybrid focusing method that combines phase and contrast detection methods. Therefore, you’ll have no problem here because you’ll still have the same speedy autofocus and better performance on low-light.

Video performance

This is where mirrorless cameras blur the lines when being compared to DSLRs. Because of the contrast-detection found in mirrorless cameras, you’ll be able to focus more easily.

And with the smaller and more compact size of the mirrorless camera, it will allow vloggers longer shooting with less fatigue than shooting video handheld with a bulky DSLR camera.

The A5000 features a dedicated movie button that outputs Fulld HD video in both MP4 and AVCHD format with stereo sound. It’s good for filming casual occasions, summer getaways and video blogging. The SteadyShot feature adds smooth filming capabilities, while maintaining good colors and highlight details.

Wireless capabilities

The wireless capabilities that have been included in many of the current mirrorless cameras on the market is one their main selling point. Most of them that includes Wi-Fi have a corresponding app for both Android and iOS that allow you to control the camera using a smartphone or tablet.

They also enable you to transfer images directly to a smart device from you camera, some even directly to social media. Plus, these cameras also features NFC which allows them to tap-to-connect with one another, or a smartphone to share photos.

With the A5000 packing both WiFi and NFC capabilities, you can instantly view both photos and videos on your smartphone. Perfect for Instagrammers and vloggers.

Conclusion

To summarize the categories mentioned above, mirrorless cameras have the advantage of being lighter, more compact, faster and better for video. Mirrorless cameras are best for beginners since you can easily pack it in your bag and you’ll have the perks of simpler controls. With the Sony A5000, the features that include a speedy processor and a price tag that is a lot cheaper than other choices, it offers a great value for money. It definitely is a sensible buy.