LEXAR PROFESSIONAL 2000X SDXC UHS-II 64GB CARD

Most mirrorless cameras use SD memory cards. This great option is the fast UHS- II format, great for keeping up with cameras that offer super-fast shooting speeds. A little pricey, but comes with a lifetime warranty. £100, wexphotovideo.com

On the flip side, one of the worst things about early mirrorless models was their electronic viewfinders. Slow, lacking in clarity and low in resolution, using them was often an uncomfortable experience that nowhere near matched what an optical viewfinder was capable of. In the past few years, manufacturers have paid special attention to improving the usability of EVFs, so much so, that for many, they’ve actually become preferable.

With an EVF, you see a real-time preview of any settings changes you make, so you can be confident that you’re getting the shot you want with every hit of the shutter release – that’s something an optical finder just can’t do. Speed, resolution and clarity have all been addressed with the latest viewfinders offering a great experience that should win over even the most determined of naysayers.

Since there’s no mirror to move out of the way, frame rates (how many shots per second the camera can fire) can be extraordinary. Some models allow bursts of up to 30fps (frames per second), making it almost impossible to miss that key moment for sports, wildlife and action photography.

In-body image stabilisation systems found in mirrorless cameras are another advantage. They help you to get the sharpest shots possible, as well as making some shots possible without the need for tripods, too.

Of course, there are still some issues to consider too. Battery life is a problem for mirrorless cameras; since, by their nature, they’re always outputting a live view to either a screen or a viewfinder, they’re incredibly power-hungry. Significant battery life improvements have been made over the years, but nothing comes close to the several-thousand shot life that you can expect from most modern DSLRs. Whether that’s a big deal or not largely depends on the type of snapper you are – but it’s always worth considering investing in a second battery if you’re going to go down the mirrorless route.

Another downside – although this is becoming less and less problematic as the years go by – is the size of the surrounding ecosystem for mirrorless cameras. Having been around for decades, SLR lenses and accessories are abundant. There are literally dozens of different compatible lenses available for DSLRs, while newer mirrorless systems give you a little less choice. Most systems have enough lenses to cover most bases now though, so it’s only those with specialist needs that might struggle to get what they want with mirrorless.

The sector was also perhaps a little slow to take hold because it was missing major input from the two main camera players for several years. While Panasonic, Olympus, Sony and Fujifilm were all key exponents of this new type of device, Canon and Nikon held back – perhaps worried about cannibalising their own DSLR sales. Nikon tentatively entered the market with its doomed ‘Nikon 1’ series, which used a tiny one-inch sensor and has since gone the way of the dodo. Canon was equally cautious, with its M series of cameras initially failing to win many plaudits.

With Sony completely owning the full-frame mirrorless market since it launched the A7 back in 2013, Canon and

As there’s no mirror to move out of the way, frame rates can be extraordinary