When mirrorless cameras first came out, the initial premise was DSLR-like quality in a smaller package. While that has largely fallen by the wayside with cameras like the Canon EOS R1 and other such beastly mirrorless cameras coming out, there are still plenty of gems from those early days when size trumped most other considerations.
I've written plenty about how I think the Panasonic GM1 was one of the almost-perfect executions of the Micro Four Thirds concept: the size of a deck of cards with a great sensor that could plug into the very best of mirrorless lenses.
UK-based photographer and videographer Tom Calton seems to agree with the sentiment, as he has put together a list of the 8 best mini interchangeable lens cameras that you can find for under $250 (which means it is the one mini camera list you will not find the GM1 or GM5 on, because those cameras never go for that cheap on the used market).
The price cap makes for an interesting list, to say the least, with many cameras coming from dead but still interesting systems. That is not really a huge impediment; I always say that a camera never takes pictures worse than the day you bought it, so if it was a decent camera 10 years ago, that is still the case today, even if it lacks creature comforts or does not have all the dynamic range of a newer camera.
I won't spoil the whole list here (check out the video above to see all of Calton's picks), but I will say that I was happy to see one of my favorites, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 on the list. I owned the Mark II version of the camera for years, and it was hands down my favorite camera to shoot. It was packed with a viewfinder, a tilting screen, and all the controls one could want in a premium-feeling body. The images out of that camera always had character in a way my other cameras do not, and it is totally worth the entry on Calton's list.
If you are in the market for a cheap, small mirrorless camera, check out the video from Calton. There is probably something you have not thought of in there. And if you have your own mini camera recommendations, post about them in the comments below.
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