The best mirrorless cameras for shooting video

Panasonic mirrorless cameras have long been highly regarded among videographers. In terms of video recording capabilities, only a few competitors can compete with them on an equal footing. At the very dawn of 2023, a new video production guru appeared in the brand’s assortment - the DC-S5 IIX model.

The camera relies on a combination of a 24.2-megapixel full-frame image sensor and an L² processor, developed in collaboration with Leica. The sensor is located on a movable stabilizing platform, which provides compensation for the displacement of the mirrorless camera along 5 axes. The same number of shutter speed or exposure steps allows a matrix stub to win, and when using stabilized optics its effectiveness increases to 6.5 stops.

Panasonic has been developing its own contrast autofocus for many years, but the model under review also introduced phase detection autofocus. The hybrid focusing system operates at 779 points and works well in object tracking mode. At the same time, autofocus confidently recognizes people, animals and vehicles in the frame. By analogy with previous models, the camera has an active cooling fan, which allows you to extend the time of continuous operation. Thus, in the 4K video recording mode from the APS-C area, you can shoot for an unlimited time, even at outside temperatures up to +40 °C.

The real juice in the Panasonic DC-S5 IIX is, of course, video shooting. In Open Gate recording mode, the camera allows you to read 6K video from the entire height of the matrix with an aspect ratio of 3:2. This opens up wide scope in post-processing of footage with cropping of video sequences. 4K from the full width of the matrix is recorded on a mirrorless camera at a frame rate of 30 fps, and from the APS-C zone at 60 fps. The operator is given the opportunity to work with 4:2:2 subsampling and 10-bit color, waveform display and vectorscopes. Specifically, the IIX modification additionally has a RAW output, supports recording to a ProRes 422 and 422 HQ memory card, has a USB-SSD output, and supports direct wired and wireless streaming modes in 4K at 60 fps. The model has a double slot for memory cards, and both trays are designed for SD drives of the high-speed UHS-II class. The Panasonic DC-S5 IIX offers a wider range of video capabilities than many of its top-end counterparts, and at a lower starting price.

Despite its compact dimensions of 121x72x54 mm and weight of less than half a kilogram, the Sony ZV-E1 mirrorless camera can give odds to many larger counterparts, especially in terms of video shooting capabilities. The model was released with an eye toward the audience of bloggers and content creators.

The camera owes its full-frame sensor and advanced video capabilities to the serious Sony A7s III mirrorless camera. However, in an effort to make the model more accessible, the ZV-E1 design did not have room for a viewfinder, a mechanical shutter, or a second slot for a flash drive. The leading role in the camera is played by the Exmor R full-frame image sensor with back illumination. It provides a dynamic range of up to 15 stops of exposure and works with light sensitivity up to ISO 409600. The resolution of the matrix is relatively small - 12 MP.

The model implements five-axis stabilization based on sensor shift. The mirrorless camera is powered by a powerful Bionz XR processor, supported by a separate artificial intelligence module. Based on AI, active dynamic image stabilization, auto-framing, creative zoom control, recognition of multiple faces, animals, vehicles and aircraft are implemented; the camera also has a mode for shooting objects.

Out of the box, the Sony ZV-E1 supports 4K video recording at 60 fps in 10-bit 4:2:2 without crop. After updating the firmware, the operator is given the opportunity to shoot 4K video with a frame rate of up to 120 fps. Slow-motion videos in Full HD are recorded on camera at 240 fps. The model also has support for Cinematic Vlog, My Image Style, S-Gamut3, S-Log3 and you can work with LUTs to display color correction in the camera. Streaming video via USB is allowed in 4K resolution up to 30 fps. A built-in three-capsule microphone with an omnidirectional pattern is responsible for high-quality sound recording when filming. The potential of a mirrorless camera is truly enormous and in the right hands it can be realized 100%.

The Canon EOS R6 Mark II is equally suitable for photographers and videographers. And if externally the camera is almost no different from its predecessor R6, then inside it has been completely updated.

The key innovation in the mirrorless camera is the appearance of a new full-frame image sensor with a resolution of 24.2 MP. And even though it is not multilayer and without backlighting, the speed of reading data from the matrix has been significantly increased. Thanks to this, the camera is capable of continuous photography at speeds of up to 40 fps using an electronic shutter. Moreover, in full frame resolution and RAW format. Dual Pixel CMOS AF II autofocus has also been radically affected - in addition to the usual capabilities of focusing on eyes and faces, the functions of recognizing dogs, cats, birds, horses, cars, motorcycles, trains and airplanes in the frame have been added here.

Shooting video with the camera is possible in 4K frame resolution at 60 fps from the entire plane of the matrix. This recording is performed by resampling the video sequence from 6K. In this mode, continuous shooting is allowed for 40 minutes. The model is capable of shooting in Canon Log 3 and supports internal recording up to 4:2:2 10-bit in H.264 or H.265 formats. When connected to an external recorder, you can squeeze 6K RAW video from the camera. Photos and videos are saved to UHS-II class SD memory cards, which have two separate slots.

Separately, the model features a matrix image stabilization system with an efficiency of up to 8 stops of shutter speed or exposure. The advantages of the camera include a high-resolution OLED viewfinder with a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, a tilting 3-inch touch screen, and a dust- and water-resistant body. The only complaint about the mirrorless camera is that the actual capacity of its memory buffer may potentially be less than stated. However, there is a chance to encounter such a problem only with high-speed serial photography with an electronic shutter. Using a slower mechanical shutter avoids buffer overflow problems.

Fujifilm's mirrorless cameras typically stand out from their peers with their sleek, retro design. The X-H2S model, which focuses on video recording, was no exception to the rule.

The camera has a multi-layer X-Trans CMOS 5 HS image sensor in APS-C format with back illumination. Together with the X-Processor 5 processor, the highest data reading speed is possible. It’s no joke, when photographing with an electronic shutter, the shooting speed is up to 40 fps with autofocus working. In this case, up to 175 frames in “raw” RAW format are placed in the buffer. The autofocus system on board the mirrorless camera can recognize people, animals, birds, cars, motorcycles and airplanes in real time.

The ceiling for video recording quality on the camera is limited to 10 bits 4:2:2 with frame resolutions up to 6.2K at 30 fps. With the full width of the matrix it is possible to shoot 4K video at 60 fps, and with a 1.29x crop and without sound - slow-motion 4K at a frequency of up to 120 fps. The Fujifilm X-H2S supports 8-bit H.264, 10-bit H.265, ProRes 422HQ, 422 and 422 LT. Via the HDMI port, you can output 4K ProRes RAW or BRaw at frame rates up to 120 fps to an external recorder. In-camera storage of footage is carried out on CFexpress type B or SD cards of class UHS-II - there is a double slot for storage devices in the camera. In video shooting mode, the operator has access to the delights of an advanced autofocus system and a matrix stub, which can compensate for up to 7 stops of shutter speed or exposure.

Despite the absence of a full-frame sensor “under the hood,” the camera turned out to be rather large. It is immediately visible as a professional tool for photography and video production. The model’s equipment includes a high-resolution OLED viewfinder with a refresh rate of 120 fps, a rotating touch screen and an additional info display for visualizing shooting parameters on the upper end of the body. By the way, the body of the mirrorless camera has reliable dust and moisture protection. In Fuji's portfolio, the camera ranks at the top of the podium, especially in terms of video recording capabilities.

Full-frame cameras from the Sony A7s line have always had a pronounced focus on the professional video production segment. In 2020, the third edition of the mirrorless camera from this family was released.

The model now features a back-illuminated image sensor. Its resolution is relatively small - 12 MP. But thanks to the large size of individual pixels, the Sony A7s III can boast the highest threshold of peak light sensitivity (ISO 409600). The lower limit of the camera's ISO is set at 40 units. The mirrorless sensor is installed on a stabilizing platform - the matrix stub effectively works up to 5.5 stops of shutter speed or exposure.

The full potential of the camera lies in video shooting. The model does not provide new-fangled 8K support, but 4K videos are recorded on it with full pixel reading and without binning at 60 fps. Without overheating, recording duration can reach 1 hour. With an increase in frame rate to 120 fps, 4K video is shot with a small crop (1.1x). In-camera video recording on SD UHS-II or CFexpress type A cards is implemented with 4:2:2 subsampling and 10-bit color depth. In XAVC-SI mode, the recording bitrate reaches 500 Mbit/s, XAVC-HS with H.265 compression is about 200 Mbit/s. From the HDMI 2.1 port, the mirrorless camera produces a 4K video stream at 60 fps in the form of 16-bit ProRes Raw. The operator is also kindly provided with gamma curve profiles S-Log 2 and S-Log 3 with a dynamic range of up to 15 steps.

The mirrorless autofocus operates on a hybrid principle: it combines 759 phase detection points and 425 contrast zones. The focusing system can recognize the eyes and faces of people and the eyes of animals. Also, the camera finally debuted a rotating screen with touch control (before this, the display had position adjustment only in an inclined plane). The OLED viewfinder in the model has the highest resolution of 9.44 million pixels, being one of the best in its class. Sony A7s III is a professional camera with an emphasis on video shooting, thought out to the smallest detail.