What’s the Best Mirrorless Camera for Landscape Photography?
It’s probably fair to say that the mirrorless revolution is almost complete, and with that, many of us what to know what the best mirrorless camera is for landscape photography.
Although there are still plenty of SLR users out there, few of the major manufacturers are developing new models; pretty much every new release that we’ll see from now on will be mirrorless.
Worldwide, mirrorless camera sales are four times those of DSLRs, and this certainly seems to be backed up by what I see in the workshops I run, with the majority of clients now using mirrorless.
So with that in mind, which mirrorless systems are best suited to landscape photography?
Well, that depends on your priorities:
For example, is ultimate image quality more important to you than portability and flexibility, or is it the other way around?
There are four broad choices, relating to sensor size:
- Micro four-thirds
- APS-C
- Full-frame
- Medium format
Micro four-thirds mirrorless cameras
If you’re looking for ultimate portability, then a micro four-thirds system, such as the OM cameras, is the smallest and lightest.
However, while I may be a bit controversial in this opinion, I personally wouldn’t consider micro four-thirds for landscape photography.
Yes, Olympus and Panasonic produce some excellent cameras with truly innovative features, and of course, some photographers produce really good landscape work with them.
Still, for me there are too many limitations resulting from the smaller sensor size, with lower resolution, less dynamic range, and increased noise being the main ones.
Many of the landscape photographers I know who’ve shot with micro four-thirds have ultimately traded up to a larger sensor. So while they’re still great cameras, I’d say they’re better suited to wildlife or general photographers than landscape specialists.
APS-C mirrorless cameras
If you’re looking to save weight, I’d say go for APS-C. The cameras are still light, but the sensor is 1.6 times larger, and that makes a difference when it comes to resolution, dynamic range, and noise levels.
And unless you’re committed to another system, go with the Fuji X-T5. It’s actually slightly lighter than the OM1 Mark II (although lenses are slightly bulkier) and packs 40 megapixels onto the sensor—the highest of any crop sensor camera.
You’ll need Fuji’s best lenses to get the most out of it, but you’ll have a really good balance between image quality and portability.
Full frame mirrorless cameras
The next sensor size up from APS-C is, of course, full frame. And many photographers, myself included, feel this is the sweet spot in the tradeoff between image quality, flexibility, and portability.
It’s therefore the most competitive segment of the mirrorless market, with several offerings from Canon, Nikon, and Sony.
They’re all good cameras, but let’s narrow it down a little by excluding the lower resolution options – anything less than 40 megapixels. Resolution is a key factor in landscape photography, as the rendering of fine detail and texture is so important.
So unless the number of megapixels has a serious impact on other aspects of image quality, I’d say more is always better – up to a certain point, anyway.
This leaves us with:
That’s quite a lot of cameras, so let’s drill down a little deeper.
First, I’m not going to recommend one manufacturer over the other; they’re all excellent cameras, backed up by a good range of high-quality lenses. Choosing one make over the others really comes down to how they handle and how good a deal you can get.
Handling is a very personal thing, so I’d always recommend trying different cameras out before committing. Some will fit better in large hands, some better in small hands, and the different control layouts and menus will appeal to different people.
What I find logical and intuitive, you may think is an arcane nightmare.
That said, I would go so far as to say that there seems to be a general agreement that Sony’s menus take a little getting used to.
So, if you like Canon’s ergonomics, it’s easy – get the R5.
If you find yourself drawn to Nikon, then I’d discount the Z9, unless you do a lot of wildlife or action photography as well as landscapes. The extra features don’t give any advantage to landscape photographers, and the additional bulk is a downside for most.
That leaves a choice between the Z7 II and the Z8.
Personally, I’d go with the Z8 – the ergonomics, in my opinion, are quite a bit better, but it is a larger and heavier camera, so if you need to save weight, then the Z7 II is the one for you. When it comes to image quality, there’s nothing to separate them.
The Sony options are a little bit more complicated, but it basically comes down to a choice between the A7R IV and V.
For the extra money that you’d pay for the A1, you’re getting features that aren’t going to benefit landscape photographers, and while the A7CR is an affordable way into the system, it has too many handling compromises for my liking.
The A7R V is obviously a more recent release than the IV, with improvements to processing and autofocus.
Apart from the addition of lossless compressed raw files, there’s probably not too much to tempt landscape photographers, though, so you may find your best option is the slightly older and less expensive A7R IV. Image quality is essentially identical, as they both use the same sensor.
Medium format mirrorless cameras
If size and weight don’t bother you and your priority is ultimate image quality, then you should be looking at medium format.
There are three choices here:
Let’s rule out Phase One; their mirrorless XT150 has the largest and highest resolution sensor available, but the camera with back and lenses will set you back many tens of thousands of pounds.
So the realistic choice is between Hasselblad’s X cameras and Fuji’s GFX system.
They’re both great systems in terms of handling and quality of results, but I’d probably go with the Fuji GFX (there are currently 4 cameras in the lineup – one 50MP and the others 100MP).
It’s a more affordable system, and slightly more flexible from a landscape photographer’s point of view, with more zooms in the lens lineup. Keep an eye out for Fuji’s frequent offers – as I write this, the GFX 100s is currently on offer with a £2,000 discount.
I shot with Fuji’s GFX system for a few years and I can confirm that the image quality is outstanding – you’ll see detail in the files that you just won’t see from even the best full-frame cameras and lenses.
If you’re considering this system, though, I’d recommend having a really good think about how much kit you’re prepared to lug around and if you’re prepared to make compromises in flexibility.
For example, with my full-frame kit, if I want to travel light, I can get coverage from 14mm to 200mm with 2 lenses; I’d need 4 to achieve something similar with the GFX, and this is ultimately why I went back to full frame.
In conclusion
There’s obviously no single right answer to the question ‘Which is the best mirrorless camera for landscape photography?’ It really depends on your individual needs and priorities.
For portability, go with an APS-C camera – I’d strongly recommend the Fuji X-T5.
If image quality trumps all other considerations, then choose medium format – the Fuji GFX system would be my choice; in particular, the GFX 100s seems great value for landscape specialists.
What most people want, though, is the best image quality without breaking their back on long hikes – and that is best served by full frame.
