Best mirrorless full-frame camera for €2,000
In the movement from chunky DSLRs, towards the thinner mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses, Sony has been in the forefront. Panasonic was first out on the commercial market with the Micro Four Thirds system, already in 2008, but when it comes to mirrorless full-frame cameras, Sony has really paved the way, ever since the release of the original Sony Alpha 7 (or, more commonly "a7"), back in 2013.
Both the original a7 and its Mk ii revision suffered from some quite considerable growing pains, however. And it wasn't until the third iteration; the Sony a7 iii they truly got it right, in 2018, five years after the original came out.
While Sony keeps upping the prices in the premium segment with the latest a7R, a7S and a9 iterations going for as much as four grand and above, let's take a look at Sony's new baseline when it comes to full-frames, sitting at a more reasonable €2,000, and see which one may suit you the best.
Sony a7C - smaller and better than the a7 iii (in some aspects)
Given how popular the Sony a7iii still is, they felt the urge to release it in a slightly different flavour in the form of the Sony a7C in 2020. The main differences being a slightly smaller, rangefinder type body with a fully articulating screen. The processing also appears to have been updated, offering slightly different colour science, improved auto-focusing, and a bit snappier bootup time. It now also has a dedicated video record button. So far so good, right?
You win some, you lose some
What they took away from the a7iii however, was the 2nd memory card slot, only leaving a single SD card slot. The electronic viewfinder (EVF) is also significantly smaller and harder to work with. The a7C also lacks some buttons and dials from the a7iii, making it less convenient to customise for different shooting scenarios. It also has a shallower grip than the a7iii, with no additional battery grips available, which could make it less comfortable to use with bigger lenses.
All these things are major drawbacks to many working photographers, especially regarding the EVF and single card slot. Also, note that I refrain from using the term "professional" photographers here since there are many extremely talented shooters out there who don't make a dime on their work. But while the risk of losing a day's work on a memory card gone corrupt can be devastating for a hobbyist, it can mean bankruptcy and having both their reputation and career ruined, to a hired photographer.
Overview of the differences between a7C vs. a7iii
Apart from what's already mentioned above, the two cameras are so similar, that the list of advantages of picking one or the other can be summed up briefly as follows (courtesy of cameradecision.com):
Also note that the fully articulated screen on the a7C vs. the tilting one that the older a7iii offers isn't even listed here, as it is mainly subjective which of the two you prefer.
The video below also describes the differences between the two cameras in minute detail.
Target audience
So who is the a7C for, really? The combination of a single card slot, a screen that flips forward, like a typical camcorder of the early 2000s, and a dedicated video record button, tends to make it feel like it's geared more towards hobby videographers and parents who want to film their kids' birthday parties and football games, more than it would appeal to something like a freelancing wedding photographer.
But then there's the price, with the a7C sitting at the same price bracket as the arguably more "professional" a7iii, at around €2,000. Here in Sweden, it's currently €200 pricier than the a7iii, even. But that is the bitter pill you have to swallow if you want a solid full-frame performer, in a compact range-finder type of form factor.
While we all would like to see full-frame cameras at a more accessible price point that would appeal to a broader audience, we need to keep in mind what Sony is doing with their mirrorless cameras is quite revolutionary, cramming some really high-end optics into relatively small packages. As usual with new technology, prices will eventually go down as new models arrive, and hopefully, we will start seeing fully capable full-frame mirrorless cameras around €1,000 in a year or two. Until then, most casual shooters might want to look elsewhere.
But, if we were to conclude that the a7C isn't mainly for the working photographers, that begs the question: how many hobby photographers (or perhaps mobile shooters looking for an entry into the world of proper cameras), are actually willing to spend that kind of money on what could potentially be their first body?
Verdict
At €2,000 where it currently sits, I think the Sony a7C mainly attracts the tech enthusiasts with a lot of cash to burn on new gear. I would assume that somewhat successful vloggers and content creators on YouTube etc, could warrant a purchase. And of course, the a7C could be a nice backup camera for photographers already invested in the Sony ecosystem of lenses. After all, it can be used for pretty much anything the a7iii can, unless absolutely critical work, where you would want to record on two card slots just to be safe.
So, the main thing to consider choosing between the a7C and a7iii is whether you prefer a smaller, range-finder design with a flippy screen, or an SLR type design with a better EVF and dual card slots. If neither is a determining factor for you, I would just say pick the one that is cheapest in your region.
Cheaper alternatives
If you that hobbyist / semi-professional type of user mentioned above, not willing to fork out €2,000 or more on a camera body, there are of course other routes to go.
Product links to all these cameras follow at the very end!
Other mirrorless full-frame cameras
If all you want is a modern mirrorless full-frame camera the cheapest way possible, then look no further than the Canon RP. The image quality in terms of ISO performance and dynamic range is not up to speed with Sony's recent full-frame offerings, but compared to the a6600, it's a good value proposition at a similar price, or even cheaper.
Panasonic's recent entry into the full-frame market could also be worth considering. The Panasonic S5 is a bit smaller and more affordable than its big brother, the S1. Still wouldn't quite call it a budget camera, though, at around €1,800 at the time of writing.
Crop sensor cameras
If you're into Sony and you can accept a smaller crop sensor camera instead of full-frame, Sony has a boatload of mirrorless APS-C to offer at literally any price level, from the early NEX cameras you can find used for a couple of hundred bucks, to the latest and greatest Sony a6600, at a price point not too far off from the full-frame alternatives. In between there is the excellent a6400, which to be honest is almost as good as the a6600, at a significantly lower price. The a6600 offers in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) and a larger battery, however.
Apart from Sony, Fujifilm has some of the best mirrorless APS-C cameras available. The latest and greatest, the X-T4 comes with a full-framey kind of price tag, but the Fujifilm X-T3 of yesteryear is quite a compelling offer. They also make a cheaper, slimmed-down version, in form of the Fujifilm X-T30. That model comes in at around €800, making it a very strong Sony a6400 competitor.
However, if you're looking for ultimate portability, you should also consider Micro Four Thirds an option. Panasonic's offerings are quite affordable and many of them offer image stabilisation far better than anything Sony has to offer. The Lumix G100 is a great option, it has a small SLR type body with a stabilised 20MP sensor and a fully articulating screen, like on the a7C. The GX9 is a 20MP range-finder with a tiltable EVF, tilting screen and IBIS. It looks pretty similar to the Sony a6000 series and is about as big, but since the sensor is smaller, so are the lenses. The GX800 is a smaller body though. That model also has a flip-up screen but lacks IBIS. The Olympus PEN series are also very small M4/3 cameras offering great image quality for their humble size.
Old school DSLRs
A third option sacrifices some portability, but not much in terms of image quality. If you can deal with a bulkier DSL, there are plenty of options. One of the better budget options is the Nikon D750. While its age shows when it comes to video, it's very solid for stills and a strong competitor to the a7C and a7iii. Some retailers still have it brand new, but shouldn't be too hard to find on the used market otherwise.
Cameras mentioned in this article
Full-frame
APS-C
Fujifilm X-T3: US | UK | DE/EU
Fujifilm X-T30: US | UK | DE/EU
Micro Four Thirds
Panasonic G100: US | UK | DE/EU
Panasonic GX9: US | UK | DE/EU
Panasonic GX800 series: US | UK | DE/EU
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