Which beginner mirrorless camera system is the best value around €600, and how do lens mounts affect compatibility?

Question

My wife and I are starting photography as a hobby and want a camera system that’s light enough to carry with two small children, but still lets us change lenses and use a viewfinder. Our budget is about €600 for the camera and lenses, with only a little flexibility.

We’ve been considering these mirrorless models:
- Olympus OM-D E-M10 II
- Panasonic Lumix G7
- Fujifilm X-T10
- Samsung NX30

We’re mainly interested in general photography while learning: street, landscapes, nature, concerts/low light, environmental portraits, and portraits with blurred backgrounds. We’re not focused on sports, wildlife, or fashion.

We’d also like to understand lens compatibility between brands. Is it better to choose based on the camera body, or the lens system available for it? And would a small DSLR be worth considering instead, given that some are close in size to mirrorless cameras?

user1620 · Answer

Every single of these cameras is sufficiently good for the needs of a beginner. I actually have extensively tested all those except for the Samsung which is no longer in production, so do not expect the lens range to be available either, so I would avoid that given the system is dead.

There is one model than really stands out on that list and that is the Fujifilm X-T10. It's image quality is ahead of the others and it has really great ergonomics. The viewfinder is really and its built-in Phase-Detection AF system means it is also incredibly fast. You can read my full review of the X-T10 here. This is one of a handful cameras that scored the highest rating which you can also compare to the E-M10 Mark II reviewed here and the G7 reviewed here. Again these are my reviews so they are written with the same perspective and benchmarks.

Olympus and Panasonic share the same lens mount, so you will find that lenses from either brand work on either camera. Also third-party Micro Four-Thirds lenses work on both, so this will give you the widest selection of lenses.

Fujifilm uses their own X-mount. They have a nice lineup of lenses but not as extensive as Micro Four-Thirds ones and there is also less third-party support given the system is newer. However, you will find things from ultra-wide to telephoto lenses, prime lenses, although just one native macro lens and no native fisheye yet.

While the M50 could have image quality between that of the Olympus/Panasonic and the Fujifilm, if you are concerned about lenses, the M-mount lineup is one of the smallest in the industry with very little third-party support.

Among entry-level offerings, mirrorless cameras are really advantageous compared to DSLRs with the exception of battery-life which is much much longer for a DSLR. A mirrorless on the other hand like some you listed with have a much larger 100% coverage viewfinder and dual control-dials, plus they have plenty of more advanced functions. So unless you plan on growing into a larger system soon, I would remain on the mirrorless side.

Which beginner mirrorless camera system is the best value around €600, and how do lens mounts affect compatibility?

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