Best mirrorless cameras under INR 3 lakhs in India (with reviews)

There’s no question really that talent is the most important ingredient for capturing great photographs. However, good equipment can make a difference between a good shot and a great shot. If you’re a professional or take your hobby seriously enough to consider it a secondary profession, great gear in your camera bag can help differentiate your work from others. You also need a high-resolution camera if you’re working with large prints that demand at least 40-megapixel shots ideally.

The last couple of months have seen leading manufacturers release mirrorless flagships that are filled with the latest technology to the brim. While the debate around mirrorless vs. DSLRs is still active in some communities, the fact remains that mirrorless cameras have successfully bridged the gap with DSLRs and are as good, if not better, in most aspects.

We believe that 3 lakhs is a fairly good budget to get a premium mirrorless from the stables of any manufacturer. However, you might have to stretch your budget even further if you’re eyeing on the recent flagships such as the Canon R5. That said, you can get really good cameras with a decent lens combo in this budget. Those looking for more affordable options can instead look at the best mirrorless cameras under Rs 2 lakhs.

Before we jump on to the part where we look at the best mirrorless cameras under Rs 3 lakhs from the top brands, some tips in the preread that we think might come in handy.

PREREAD

A fresh start vs. continuing within the ecosystem: This question is relevant to customers who already have a decent lineup of camera equipment including lenses and flashes. Now, these things don’t particularly come in cheap and most of them are compatible with the new mirrorless solutions. So does it make sense to stay invested in your current ecosystem?

Well, there’s no easy answer to it. To put it simply, if you have some entry-level glass, we recommend a fresh start. Sooner or later, you would want to update from those entry-level lenses to something that does your camera more justice and they would end up eating dust in your cupboard anyway.

Another issue that comes with using lenses made for DSLRs is that they only fit on the mirrorless cameras using an adapter, thus making the whole system bulkier and closer to the weight and size of a DSLR.

In case, you do have some high-end lenses though, it would not be unwise to stay in the current ecosystem given how expensive some of these new lenses can get, especially those made for DSLRs.

Mirrorless cameras above Rs 2 lakhs or those under this price: It is a common understanding that if you’re buying a higher-priced gadget, it has to be better. That is kind of true, and kind of not. When we compare cameras like the Z7 and the Z6 or the A7R series against the A7 series, there’s usually more tech packed in the more expensive models. However, the additional tech may not justify the huge price difference between the two models. For instance, given the lower megapixel count on the less expensive siblings in the Nikon and Sony stables usually result in better low-light shots, a higher buffer, and in some cases even better video capabilities.

If you absolutely don’t make large prints from your photographs, trust us, 45 megapixels is an overkill. Anything between 20-25 megapixels should still be able to produce stunning results. However, a larger pixel count allows you to crop in your photos without sacrificing quality.

That said, you do get the benefit from picking the more expensive models in most cases and the pros outweigh the cons. All you need to consider is whether the additional price justifies the incremental gains. If not, you can find some excellent mirrorless cameras under Rs 2 lakhs as well.

That’s all we had. Now on to the cameras.

SONY α7R IV/ SONY α7RM IV

It can be hard to outdo yourself. Sony had a winner with the A7R III but it managed to bring out an even better camera to the market. The Sony A7R IV has a 60-megapixel sensor that makes 45-megapixel cameras from the competition sound underwhelming. With that resolution, we are talking about creating billboards. Luckily, cramming those extra pixels didn’t lead to compromises in other areas. The A7R 4 feels like a solid upgrade over its predecessor in more than one way.

Key specs: The A7R IV has been equipped with a 35 mm full-frame 60 megapixels sensor with a backside-illuminated (BSI) structure for better lowlight performance. Another big change over the R III is the improved autofocus over the already class-leading system seen in the predecessor. It can also shoot in aspect ratios such as 3:2 or 1:1 along with the traditional ones.

The ISO range goes from 100-32,000 natively and can be extended up to 50-102,000. Other notable features include 10fps with AF / AE tracking, 14-bit RAW, 4K 30FPS video, and a battery that can last up to 670 shots.

The camera comes equipped with a 3-inch touchscreen and a 5.7 million dot OLED electronic viewfinder. Unfortunately, there’s no top-plate display. Other features include a 5-axis in-body for 5.5 EV stabilization. The AF now covers 567 points (phase-detection AF), 325 points (contrast-detection AF) that cover 74 percent of the sensor area. The dual card slots come with support for UHS-II cards.

• 61.2MP BSI full-frame CMOS sensor
• 100-32,000 ISO (50-102,000 extended)
• 5-axis in-body image stabilization
• 10 fps (12-bit, compressed Raw), 6 fps (14-bit uncompressed Raw)
• 14-bit uncompressed RAW
• Hybrid AF, 567 phase detection, 325 contrast AF points
• 4K 30FPS video, 1080p 120FPS
• 5.76M-dot OLED viewfinder
• 670 shots battery
• Dual SD card slots

How well does it perform

Features: There’s not much missing on this camera that might want to make you look elsewhere. As we said, the 60 megapixel sensor is ahead of the competition in the mirrorless game.

There have been changes made to the body along with the internals compared to the A7R III. While the construction is still top-notch using aluminum-magnesium alloy, the camera comes with bigger buttons, including a dedicated AF-On on the back. The body is also weather-sealed which allows it to be taken in a number of scenarios and environments. It also gets a larger grip which helps maintain the balance to an extent when using bulky G series lenses.

The 5.7 million viewfinder is as good as EVFs can get and allows you to alter settings like refresh rate and resolution to save battery. Speaking about the battery, it’s rated for 670 shots using the rear LCD and close to 500 if you want to work with the EVF.

The camera also gets 11 customizable buttons with 100s of combinations that you can store on an SD card. When it comes to lens selection, Sony seems to be doing a great job. There’s a wide range of E mount lenses offered by Sony as well as third-party manufactures, which just makes it so much more versatile.

Annoyingly, the camera doesn’t offer the feature to delete multiple photos at once and requires users to delete each photograph individually.

Image quality: The A7R 4 improves on the winning formula and manages to impress with its image quality. Real-time Tracking AF allows to seamlessly move between subject tracking and face-and-eye-detection. The eye AF is precise and allows you to switch between the left and the right eye. The autofocus does well in most situations, even in burst mode for the most part.

Sony’s pixel shift technology that captures different images of the same scene allows for a great level of detail. You can create 240-megapixel shots using 16 images to create extremely detailed photographs. However, this is something you need to do on your PC and is not available on the camera. Additionally, it can be only used for still objects.

The A7R IV can capture up to 68 full-resolution images at up to 10 frames per second with continuous autofocus and auto-exposure. However, these are what Sony calls compressed Raws at 12- bit. Shooting with 14-bit uncompressed Raw drops the burst rate to 6fps.

The contrast range again impresses. The 15 EV dynamic range allows it to capture great detail in high contrast scenarios. The low light performance has been also called out as a strong suit for the camera and it can capture great details in very limited light as well. However, the performance at higher ISOs has slightly deteriorated compared to the R III and it is best advised to use this camera below ISO 1600 for best results.

Video: The A7R III can shoot up to 4K 30FPS or 1080p 120FPS. You get the option of both the full width of the sensor and with a Super 35 (basically APS-C) crop which captures slightly more detail by oversampling from 6K footage. All internally recorded footage is 8-bit 4:2:0, with the option to output an 8-bit 4:2:2 stream to an external recorder. We wish it offered 10-bit output over an external recorder.

Real-time AF works in videos on this camera, which is an improvement over the A7R III.

Nikon Z7

The Z7 has been in the market for two years now but continues to be the best Nikon has to offer in mirrorless. With a new Z mount for lenses, the Nikon has been designed to convince long-time Nikon users to switch from heavier DSLRs to the mirrorless camera format without losing out on any capability. Over the years, Nikon has made the Z7 better with firmware updates, with the last major update allowing Eye AF and Animal Detection AF features.

Key specs: The Nikon Z7 offers a 45.7-megapixel 35 mm full-frame sensor with a backside-illuminated (BSI) and on-sensor phase-detection. The native ISO range lies between 64-25,600 and can be boosted up to 102,000. It also features a 5-axis in-body stabilization similar to the Sony cameras. The mechanical shutter can last up to 200,000 cycles.

Other notable features include 9fps burst (12-bit raw, 9fps on 14-bit) without AF / AE tracking (5.5fps with AE), 14-bit RAW, and 4K 30FPS video. The camera features a 3.7 million dot OLED viewfinder along with a 2.1 million dot display. For autofocus, Z7 features a Hybrid PDAF, 493 focus points autofocus system covering 90% of the frame. Recent firmware update also allows animal eye tracking. Unfortunately, there’s only a single XQD slot for the photo storage, and for professionals seeking a backup slot, this might not be the answer. The battery life is rated at 330 shots.

• 45.7MP BSI full-frame CMOS sensor
• 64-25,600 (102,400 extended)
• 5-axis in-body image stabilization
• 9 FPS (only 12-bit RAW, no AE), 8 FPS (14-bit RAW, no AE), 5.5 FPS (14-bit RAW and AE)
• 493 PDAF points with 90% horizontal and vertical coverage of the frame
• 4K 30FPS 8-bit video, 1080p 120FPS
• 3.69M-dot OLED viewfinder
• 330 shots battery (EVF)/ 400 shots (LCD)
• Single XQD card slot

How well does it perform

Features: The controls are well laid out and the camera has a solid grip. The magnesium alloy body feels solidly built and offers weather sealing. The dials have been placed to help existing Nikon users feel familiar with the design. Z7 also allows you to customize the lens ring for a host of functions such as aperture and speed.

Unlike the Sony cameras, the touchscreen is much more versatile and can be used for menu options and other functions as well.

However, there are some areas of concern with this Nikon. The battery is rated only for 330 shots on EVF, which is nowhere near what the competition offers. Then, the camera supports only one card, which while pretty fast, is a let down for people used to the reliability of having two cards.

While we love the new Z series lenses, there are only a handful of these, and compared to what Canon and Sony offer for their mirrorless cameras, Nikon is nowhere close. This, even two years after the camera was released.

With the new Z mount, Nikon was able to incorporate in-body image stabilization rated up to 5 stops of correction. The buffer though is small. It peaks at 25 fine quality JPEGs, 23 12-bit raws, or 18 14-bit raws at its top burst rate.

Image quality: The Z7 works well across both low and high ISOs. The lack of an anti-aliasing filter ensures higher sharpness, although at expense of increased moire.

At ISO 100, the camera offers a dynamic range of 10.98EV which is slightly behind Sony. The peak dynamic range is reported at 14.6EV. While still excellent, there is slightly higher banding in dark regions of the photographs on the Z7 compared to the D850 due to the on-sensor phase detection autofocus (PDAF).

With the recent 3.0 firmware, the autofocus has been also improved considerably and now offers eye and animal tracking similar to the competition. The autofocus does well with static objects but can be a hit or miss when tracking with AF-C. Face detection does need some work though and ends up focusing on objects other than faces, especially in moving scenarios. Nikon has rated the on-sensor AF system down to -1EV with an F2 lens attached which means it might struggle in dark environments.

Video: Similar to the competition, you can shoot 4K 30FPS or 1080p 120FPS. The 4K video is sampled from the entire width of the sensor and then downsized. You can also shoot 4K in Super 35 crop mode. The on-sensor phase-detection allows the camera to track subject distance while shooting video.

The camera can also output 10-bit Log footage over HDMI to an external recorder. For an additional $200 and a trip to Nikon center, you can even shoot videos in raw.

Canon R6

The Canon R6 is the most recent launch from Canon alongside the more powerful R5. While R5 stole the spotlight with its 8K video capabilities, the R6 is an equally impressive offering that borrows a lot of great features from the R5. It sits in parallel with the EOS 6D Mark II but has a lot more in common with the 1D X Mark III instead.

Key specs: The R6 features a 20MP sensor seen on the 1D X Mark III but without the ’16-point’ anti-aliasing filter seen on the latter.

This along with a fast processor allows the camera to deliver 20 fps with full autofocus in electronic shutter and 12fps in mechanical shutter mode. The in-body stabilization offers a reduction of 5.5 stops which goes up to 8 stops when using a stabilized lens and is among the best in the industry.

Other specifications include 102,400 (204,800 extended) ISO range, a 3.7 million dot OLED viewfinder, and a 1.7 million dot 3-inch display. The camera supports dual UHS-II SD card slots and the battery life is rated at 380 shots. All of this weights 680 grams with the battery and the cards.

• 20MP full-frame CMOS sensor
• 100-102,400 (204,800 extended)
• 5-axis in-body image stabilization system rated at up to 8EV of correction
• 20 fps shooting with e-shutter, 12 fps mechanical
• 6,072 Dual Pixel CMOS AF II
• UHD 4K/60p video, 1080p 120FPS
• 3.68M-dot electronic viewfinder with 120fps refresh rate
• 380 shots battery (EVF), 500 shots (LCD)
• Dual UHS-II SD card slots

How well does it perform

Features: Unlike most cameras on the list, the R6 is made of a polycarbonate body instead of magnesium alloy. It’s weather-sealed, of course, just to a lesser extent than the R5. The design takes a lot of inspiration from both the EOS R and 6D. While you get three dials, there’s no top-plate LCD. Canon DSLR users might find the presence of a joystick on the back a welcome change.

It gets a 3.7 million dot viewfinder that refreshes at 120Hz. The fully articulating 3-inch touch screen on the back is pretty versatile and bright enough for outdoor use.

The dual card setup is also customizable with multiple roles being assignable to the secondary card. The camera supports a large buffer of 240 raw shots or 1000 JPEGs.

The new battery on the R6 is 14% larger than the existing LP-E6N. Although, the camera is compatible with the older battery. CIPA rating for the battery is close to 400 shots on the EVF at the lower refresh rate.

Image quality: The 20-megapixel sensor does decently well as far as sharpness, color reproduction, and noise suppression is concerned. Fewer megapixels definitely give it an advantage over the R5 in low light and ISO performance. The speed of the shutter and the large buffer make it ideal for animal photography and sports photography. However, the camera does some aggressive noise suppression even at lower ISOs at the cost of detail.

The wide dynamic range of around 13EV at base ISO also gives plenty of room to play, although, the competitors do a better job at holding the dynamic range at higher ISOs.

Autofocus is where the Canon R6 shines along with the R6 and is truly class-leading. It features Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus system with 100% AF coverage and is capable of tracking human and animal eyes. The camera can even track eyes on moving birds, which is a laudable feat. Even at 20fps, the autofocus does a good job of tracking the subject, which makes it suitable for fast action paced events.

Video: While not having the capabilities of R5 when it comes to video recording, there’s plenty that the R6 has to offer. The greatest strength perhaps for the R6 is that the excellent Dual Pixel autofocus system works in all modes.

The camera can shoot up to 4K 60p with a minor 1.07x crop. It can shoot 8-bit 4: 2: 0 UHD and 10-bit 4: 2: 2 Canon Log or 10-bit HDR PQ internally.

The rolling shutter is significant in 24p and 30p mode when using the full sensor area. The biggest issue with video recording is that the camera overheats after shooting in 4K for over 40 minutes and requires significant cooldown time before it is ready to be used again.

TL;DR The R6 is a formidable camera thanks to its great autofocus system and fast shutter, making it ideal for sports or animal photography. It also offers 8 stops of stabilization with a compatible lens, which is class-leading. The images capture plenty of detail and sharpness. It’s great for video enthusiasts as well with 4K 60p video recording capabilities. However, the camera tends to overheat after 40 minutes of shooting. Also, the 20MP sensor might not be ideal for wedding or landscape photography for professionals.

SONY α7R III/ SONY α7RM III

Nobody expected a third player, least of all Sony, to challenge the duopoly of Nikon and Canon until a few years back. But it has been a few years since Sony has been churning out some great equipment that gives a solid competition to Nikon and Canon. The Sony A7R III is one of the many great mirrorless cameras that Sony has to offer and it has been impressing professional photographers and critics alike, three years after its launch. The camera takes much inspiration from its elder sibling the A9, which is a much more expensive offering.

Key specs: The A7R III comes with a 35 mm full-frame 42 megapixels sensor with a backside-illuminated (BSI) structure for better lowlight performance. The ISO range goes from 100-32,000 natively and can be extended up to 50-102,000. Other notable features include 10fps with AF / AE tracking (8fps with live view/blackouts), 14-bit RAW, 4K 30FPS video, and a battery that can last up to 600 shots.

The camera comes equipped with a 3-inch touchscreen and a 1.4 million dot OLED electronic viewfinder. It also features a 5-axis in-body stabilization. Regarding the AF performance, it covers 399 points (phase-detection AF), 425 points (contrast-detection AF) that cover 68 percent of the sensor area. On the storage front, you get twin SD card slots.

• 42MP BSI full-frame CMOS sensor
• 100-32,000 ISO (50-102,000 extended)
• 5-axis in-body image stabilization
• 10fps continuous shooting
• 14-bit uncompressed RAW
• 399 points (phase-detection AF), 425 points (contrast-detection AF)
• 4K 30FPS video, 1080p 120FPS
• 3.69M-dot OLED viewfinder
• 650 shots battery
• Dual SD card slots

How well does it perform

Features: Sony seems to have listened to customer feedback it got for the A7R II and has incorporated these changes into this model. The battery life is vastly superior and even as good as DSLRs. The controls have been reworked and are much more ergonomic than before. Having dual card slots also makes it a much more handy tool in the hands of professionals.

The camera is made of aluminum-magnesium alloy which gives it a solid build quality and a premium feel. The body is also weather-sealed which allows it to be taken in a number of scenarios and environments.

When it comes to lens selection, Sony seems to be doing a great job compared to its peers. There’s a wide range of E mount lenses offered by Sony as well as third-party manufactures, which just makes it so much more versatile.

However, the backscreen is not the brightest and the touchscreen can only be used for autofocus, which is a bit of a letdown.

Image quality: This is one area where we didn’t hear any complaints from any of the critics. Most reviewers have lauded the A7R III’s superior performance when it comes to capturing details. The autofocus on the A7R III is something that has got this amazing capability to accurately track even fast-moving objects even when shooting in burst mode. The eye AF is still great and among the best in the industry, three years after the launch.
Sony’s pixel shift technology that captures 4 different images of the same scene allows for a great level of detail. However, this is something you need to do on your PC and is not available on the camera and only can be used for still objects.

The 15 EV dynamic range allows it to capture great detail in high contrast scenarios and can capture great detail with limited noise even at higher ISO. The low light performance has been also called out as a strong suit for the camera given its ability to capture great details in very limited light.

Video: The A7R III can shoot up to 4K 30FPS or 1080p 120FPS. You get the option of both the full width of the sensor and with a Super 35 (basically APS-C) crop which captures slightly more detail by oversampling from 5K footage. The in-body image stabilization is decent but the competition has since caught on and even exceeded the A7R3’s capability in this department. The bitrate for 4K maxes out at 100mbps and all internally recorded footage is 8-bit 4:2:0, with the option to output an 8-bit 4:2:2 stream to an external recorder.

While you don’t get subject tracking while shooting videos, the Wide AF does a decent job of tracking and keeping the subject in focus.

Panasonic Lumix S DC-S1M

While you don’t hear Panasonic’s name quite often, the fact is that the brand makes some of the best mirrorless cameras out there that can compete with the big boys.  The S1 may not be comparable to the other cameras on the list in terms of resolution alone,  but Panasonic has built-in loads of neat features that make this camera worthy of considerations.

Key specs: The S1 is built around the L-mount that has been developed by Leica. It features a new 24MP full-frame sensor without an anti-aliasing filter. The L mount on the camera supports Panasonic’s own lenses along with eight full-frame Leica lenses. Panasonic has promised to release up to 10 of its own lenses in the coming months.

The in-body stabilization offers a reduction of 5.5 stops which goes up to 6 stops when using a stabilized lens.

Other features of the camera include 100 – 51,200 (204,800 extended) ISO range, a 5.76 million dot OLED viewfinder, and a 2.1 million dot display. It relies on contrast detection autofocus system, using proprietary ‘Depth from Defocus’ technology. For storage, you get both an XQD slot and an SD card slot. The battery life is rated at 380 shots.

• 24MP full-frame BSI-type CMOS sensor
• 100 – 51,200 (204,800 extended)
• 5-axis in-body image stabilization
• 6 fps bursts with continuous AF
• Depth-From-Defocus AF
• UHD 4K/60p video (1.5x crop); Oversampled 4K/30p with no crop, 1080p 120FPS
• 5.76M-dot electronic viewfinder
• 380 shots battery (LCD)
• Dual XQD + SD card slot

How well does it perform

Features: Like many other cameras in this range, the S1 features a magnesium alloy body that is properly weather sealed. The camera is advertised to have a class-leading shutter that should last really long.

The S1 also excels with its 5.8 million dot viewfinder that refreshes at 120Hz. This results in a minimal lag of 0.005 sec, making it one of the best EVF out there. Meanwhile, the double hinge design on the LCD allows it to be used really well for both landscape and portrait shots. The 8-way joystick allows you to quickly move the AF point with ease and the buttons on the back are illuminated, making it one of a kind camera to offer this feature.

The dual card setup is also customizable with multiple roles being assignable to the secondary card. While the battery is rated for 400 shots, real-life usage should be much better, as with most other cameras.

Although, at approximately 1kg, it isn’t the lightest mirrorless on the block.

Image quality: The 24-megapixel sensor does well in both high ISO and low ISO. The photos are sharp with accurate color reproduction and high levels of details. There’s a high-resolution mode that uses sensor-shift stabilization technology and allows capturing detailed 96MP shots with improved noise performance. Although, you require a tripod and still environment to get the desired results. Above ISO 800 the camera becomes ISO invariant.

There’s a 6K Photo mode that creates sequences of 18MP images, either in the 4:3 or 3:2 aspect ratio at 30 fps, allowing you to choose the best frame. In addition, HLG Photo mode allows you to capture HDR photos in HSP format that can be them streamed on an HDR display.

At base ISO 100, the camera offers a dynamic range of 14.5 stops, which is among the best. The dynamic range holds much better than Sony or Canon shooters between ISO 400 and 800.

The S1 uses contrast-detection autofocus. It offers a face/eye detection mode which works well but requires the face to occupy a large part of the frame for lock-on. A Low Light AF feature enables accurate AF performance down to -6 EV. The autofocus system also does well in continuous tracking mode. However, compared to the phase-detect autofocus systems seen in the competition, the performance leaves a lot of room for improvement.

Video: The S1 really shines when it comes to its video performance. It allows shooting 4K/60p from an APS-C crop of its sensor or oversampled 4K/30p from its full width. You can also shoot 1080p from APS-C region (cropped) at up to 180fps. The 30p 4K mode doesn’t come with the usual 30 minute time restriction either.

A Hybrid Log Gamma mode allows capturing 10-bit 4:2:0 in the H.265/HEVC format at 72Mbps.T he on-sensor phase-detection allows the camera to track subject distance while shooting video.

While the video quality is good, the Z6 and A7 III both offer better sharpness. The autofocus does well in video both for subject tracking and face detection. Although, the pulse or hunt back focus can render some videos unusable.

The $200 SFU2 upgrade unlocks the ability to capture or output 10-bit 4:2:2 footage in both 4K and 1080 resolution.