Is mirrorless worth it?
Yes: every new Canon and Nikon body since 2020 is mirrorless. A beginner kit with a 50 mm prime costs £913.00 to £1,249.99 on Amazon UK. Costs and mounts.
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Yes, a mirrorless camera is worth it for anyone buying a new camera in 2026, because DSLRs are a finished line: Canon and Nikon have launched no new DSLR since 2020, and every new body from both uses a mirrorless mount. A complete beginner system with a kit zoom and a 50 mm prime costs £913.00 to £1,249.99 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026).
The bodies below match Best camera for beginners UK 2026 and Best vlogging camera UK 2026. A buyer still deciding whether a phone is enough should start with Is my phone camera good enough?.
| Situation | Verdict | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| First camera, any budget | Buy mirrorless | Sony Alpha 6400 kit, £782.02 |
| Owns Canon EF or Nikon F lenses | Mirrorless body plus the maker's adapter | Canon EF-EOS R or Nikon FTZ II |
| Wants an optical viewfinder | A DSLR still works; buy used | Canon UK still lists five DSLRs |
| Mostly films video or vlogs | Buy mirrorless | Sony ZV-E10 II kit, £949.00 |
| Phone photos are good enough | Keep the phone | See the phone camera question |
Do Canon and Nikon still make new DSLRs?
Both still sell DSLRs, but neither has launched a new one since 2020. Canon UK's DSLR range page lists five models: the EOS 2000D, EOS 4000D, EOS 250D, EOS 5D Mark IV and EOS-1D X Mark III, the newest of which was announced in January 2020. Nikon released its D6 flagship DSLR in February 2020, according to Nikon's own news release, and still lists the D6 and D850 on its global site.
| Maker | Mirrorless mount | DSLRs still listed | Path for older or third-party lenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canon | RF and RF-S (EOS R50) | EOS 2000D, 4000D, 250D, 5D Mark IV, EOS-1D X Mark III | EF and EF-S via Mount Adapter EF-EOS R |
| Nikon | Z and Z DX (Z50II) | D6 is the last flagship, released February 2020 | F-mount via FTZ II |
| Sony | E-mount (Alpha 6400, ZV-E10 II) | Not applicable: E-mount bodies only | Third-party autofocus lenses from Sigma, Viltrox, 7artisans |
The mount decides more than the body, because lenses outlast cameras. Canon RF and Nikon Z are where both makers now put their new lenses, and each sells an adapter so DSLR lenses keep working: the Mount Adapter EF-EOS R for Canon EF and EF-S lenses, and the FTZ II for Nikon F-mount lenses. Sony E-mount has the deepest third-party shelf on Amazon UK, where the 7artisans AutoFocus 50mm F1.8 costs £216.00 and the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN £458.68 next to Sony's own lenses.
A DSLR still makes sense in one case: a buyer who wants an optical viewfinder and finds a used body cheaply. For everyone else, mirrorless shows the exposure before the shot, tracks eyes across the frame and weighs less: Canon lists the EOS R50 at 375 g with battery and card.
How much does a beginner mirrorless kit cost?
A body, kit zoom and 50 mm prime costs £913.00 for the Canon EOS R50 system and £1,249.99 for the Nikon Z50II, a £336.99 gap. Compare Electronic added each maker's own 50 mm autofocus prime, at its Amazon UK price, to the single-lens kit, since a 50 mm f/1.8 is the lens most beginners buy second, for portraits and dim rooms.
| Kit | Body and kit lens | 50 mm prime | Total | vs cheapest | 50 mm acts like |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon EOS R50 + RF-S 18-45mm | £719.00 | RF 50mm F1.8 STM, £194.00 | £913.00 | Cheapest | 80 mm |
| Sony Alpha 6400 + 16-50mm | £782.02 | FE 50mm F1.8, £139.00 | £921.02 | +£8.02 | 75 mm |
| Sony ZV-E10 II + 16-50mm | £949.00 | FE 50mm F1.8, £139.00 | £1,088.00 | +£175.00 | 75 mm |
| Nikon Z50II + 16-50mm | £799.99 | NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S, £450.00 | £1,249.99 | +£336.99 | 75 mm |
Canon and Sony finish within £8.02 of each other, so the choice between them comes down to handling, not price. Nikon's total is high because its cheapest Z-mount 50 mm prime on Amazon UK is the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S at £450.00, a full-frame S-line lens; Sony's FE 50mm F1.8 costs £139.00. On APS-C a 50 mm lens frames like 75 mm on Nikon and Sony and 80 mm on Canon, given Canon's 1.6x crop against 1.5x, which suits head-and-shoulders portraits.
The table also shows where each system sends a buyer next. A buyer who wants the lowest entry price and a vari-angle screen for selfies and family video fits the Canon EOS R50. A buyer who expects to add second-hand and third-party lenses over years fits Sony E-mount, where the Alpha 6400 and ZV-E10 II share every lens. A buyer who values a deep grip and plans to move to full frame later fits the Nikon Z50II, because Z-mount full-frame lenses such as the NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S carry straight across to a bigger body. A buyer who mainly films sport, surfing or cycling from a helmet needs a different tool altogether, covered in Do I need an action camera?.
Which mirrorless camera should a beginner buy?
The Sony Alpha 6400 is the best-value beginner mirrorless camera, at £782.02 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026) with the 16-50mm power zoom. Sony lists a 24.2 MP APS-C sensor of 23.5 x 15.6 mm, 425 phase-detection autofocus points with Real-time Eye AF, 11 fps bursts and a 180-degree tilting screen, and with the £139.00 FE 50mm F1.8 the full system costs £921.02.
Sony Alpha 6400 specifications (Sony)
- Sensor: 24.2 MP APS-C, 23.5 x 15.6 mm
- Mount: Sony E
- Autofocus: 425 phase-detection points, Real-time Eye AF
- Burst: up to 11 fps
- Video: 4K at 30 fps
- Viewfinder: Yes
- Battery: about 410 shots (screen), 360 (viewfinder), CIPA
- Weight: 403 g
- In-body stabilisation: none; stabilisation in the lens
The Alpha 6400 has the viewfinder the ZV-E10 II lacks and costs £166.98 less. The compromises are age and stamina: it is a 2019 design with no in-body stabiliser, and the small NP-FW50 battery gives about 410 shots on Sony's CIPA figure.
Sony Alpha 6400 - pros and cons
Where to buy
Check price
Also consider
Radar · 0-100 scores
- Alpha 6400
- EOS R50
- Z50II
- ZV-E10 II
Verdict
A mirrorless camera is worth it, because DSLRs stopped getting new models in 2020 and Canon and Nikon now put their new lenses on mirrorless mounts. The Sony Alpha 6400 at £782.02 makes a £921.02 system with a 50 mm prime, £8.02 more than the Canon EOS R50 system. The full shortlists are in Best camera for beginners UK 2026 and Best vlogging camera UK 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth buying a DSLR in 2026?
Only second-hand and only for a buyer who already owns DSLR lenses. Canon UK still lists five DSLRs, but the newest, the EOS-1D X Mark III, dates from 2020, and Nikon's last flagship DSLR, the D6, was released in 2020. A new beginner should buy mirrorless, such as the Sony Alpha 6400 kit at £782.02 on Amazon UK in October 2026.
Do Canon and Nikon still make DSLRs?
Both still sell DSLRs, but neither has launched a new one since 2020. Canon UK's DSLR range lists the EOS 2000D, EOS 4000D, EOS 250D, EOS 5D Mark IV and EOS-1D X Mark III. Nikon announced its D6 flagship in February 2020. Every new body both makers have released since uses a mirrorless mount: Canon RF and Nikon Z.
Can I use DSLR lenses on a mirrorless camera?
Yes, with the maker's adapter. Canon's Mount Adapter EF-EOS R fits EF and EF-S lenses to RF bodies such as the Canon EOS R50, and Nikon's FTZ II fits F-mount lenses to Z bodies such as the Nikon Z50II. A buyer with a bag of DSLR lenses can switch body first and replace lenses later.
How much does a beginner mirrorless camera kit cost?
A body, kit zoom and 50 mm prime costs £913.00 to £1,249.99 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026). The Canon EOS R50 system is cheapest at £913.00, the Sony Alpha 6400 costs £921.02, the Sony ZV-E10 II £1,088.00 and the Nikon Z50II £1,249.99, because Nikon's NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S costs £450.00.
Is mirrorless better than DSLR for beginners?
Yes. A mirrorless camera shows the exposure in the viewfinder or screen before the shot, so beginners see mistakes before they press the button. Mirrorless bodies are also lighter: Canon lists the EOS R50 at 375 g with battery and card. Autofocus that tracks eyes across the frame, as on the Sony Alpha 6400's 425-point system, also suits beginners.
Which mirrorless lens mount has the most lenses?
Sony E-mount has the deepest choice for an APS-C beginner, because Sony's own lenses sit alongside third-party autofocus lenses from Sigma, Viltrox and 7artisans on Amazon UK. The Sony FE 50mm F1.8 costs £139.00 at the time of writing (October 2026), the cheapest 50 mm prime of the four systems compared here.