Shopping for a new mirrorless camera can be fairly complicated, depending on how much you know about cameras themselves, and what level of expertise you're seeking to use when shooting.
However, there are a few brands out there that have spent literally decades building up superb reputations to ensure that you don't accidentally buy a dud.
One of our favourites is Fujifilm, which has been making superb, gorgeous cameras for as long as we've been testing them. One of its latest and greatest is the superb X-S10, a relatively compact but extremely powerful mirrorless camera. If you're looking for a new mirrorless device, though, what points should you be looking for it to address?
1. Great viewfinding
One key fact about mirrorless cameras is that they have digital viewfinders, which have sometimes been less than ideal. However, in recent years they've improved massively as makers like Fujifilm have invested in them. You can see in using the X-S10 that they're now pretty much on a par with their optical equivalents.
They can let you clearly and accurately see not only what you're pointing the camera at, but also how your photo will come out. Of course, pairing that with a high-quality larger display on the back of the camera means that you have plenty of ways to shoot your material.
2. Stabilization
Another big factor that modern mirrorless cameras can bring to the table is stabilization, in a range of ways depending on the model. In the case of the X-S10 you get a stabilization system at the sensor level, which helps massively with issues around blurring.
It means that you don't necessarily need to take a big tripod or rig with you when you shoot - you can get clear, crisp shots even without equipment. For those of us who just want good holiday snaps, meanwhile, this is also great news, meaning that we can rely on the camera to perform even in challenging circumstances.
3. Sharp autofocus
When it comes to that everyday performance, a huge element is also down to auto-focus. Very few people can be bothered with tweaking their focus entirely manually, so the quality of a camera's autofocus system is one of the biggest factors affecting how it feels to actually use.
The quicker, and the more accurate, that autofocus, the better shots you'll get, and the more quickly you'll be able to react to things happening around you to capture those impromptu magic moments. The X-S10, for example, has a sensor with 2.16-million phase-detection pixels embedded into it, making for bleeding-edge autofocus speeds, which can be as low as 0.02 seconds in some situations. That's so fast you won't even notice it happening.
4. Vari-angle screen
Another big part of the user experience for any mirrorless camera comes down to the display - the screen on the back of the camera. In the best cases, like the X-S10, this is a vari-angle display that you can pull out and view from practically any direction. That means that you can shoot in weird arrangements and poses without worrying that you're not sure what you're actually photographing.
It's a great help pretty much every time you use it, which is the hallmark of a well-designed feature. We've run through just a quick selection of some of the things you should bear in mind when buying a mirrorless camera, but if one thing should be clear it's that the Fujifilm X-S10 is a prime example of things going right. It's got a range of superb features and a beautiful, timeless design that makes it a great pick in this sector.