Buying a camera is a little like dating. Every camera has its annoyances — you just have to choose the one whose weird quirks are either endearing or ignorable. As the Reviews Editor at The Phoblographer, I test cameras for a living. Yet, when I decided I was done with my DSLR, I wasn’t quite sure in which direction I wanted to head next. To continue the dating analogy, I hadn’t had the this-is-the-one moment. I hadn’t yet fallen in love. I hadn’t found the top mirrorless camera for me.

This test was made possible by the folks over at Lensrentals. Can’t find the gear you want? You should take a look at the Lensrentals Keeper Test-Drive Program. You can rent it and then if you want to purchase it, they’ll give you a price quote. Go take a look! This is not a sponsored post, but if you click the links and make a purchase, we may receive affiliate revenue to help keep the staff paid and the server running.

I decided to take my own advice: try before you buy. I tested five cameras, all from different manufacturers, paired with their best portrait lens. I rented gear from Lensrentals, which offers a Keeper Test Drive program that allows you to buy your rental. With Lens Keeper, what you already paid for the rental is subtracted from the final price. (I also rented some of this gear from their respective companies.)

The camera is only half the equation, and while I had used these cameras in the past, most of the lenses I haven’t tried. I wanted to compare each one side-by-side. I tested the following combinations to see which is the top mirrorless camera:

Canon EOS R6 with the RF 85mm f1.2L USM

Nikon Z6 II with the Nikkor Z 50mm f1.2 S

Panasonic S5 with the Lumix S 85mm f1.8

Sony a7 III with the FE 85mm f1.2 GM

Why I Ditched the DSLR — and What I Want in My Next Camera

My current — err, previous — camera is the Nikon D850. To be clear, I still like my D850. But, I needed to upgrade some of my lenses, and it didn’t make much sense for me to invest in DSLR glass. I want the in-body stabilization of mirrorless. I want an electronic viewfinder with autofocus points that go all the way to the edge of the frame. I want eye AF.

As a wedding and portrait photographer, I don’t need the fastest camera out there. I need great image quality and good low-light autofocus. Weddings involve editing a few hundred photos, so great images right out of the camera is a plus. And, with many of my weddings being a 10- to 12-hour day, I wanted something lighter than my D850 with a comfortable grip. Switching to an entirely new system isn’t cheap, so cost was also a big consideration.

My clients have no idea what bokeh even is. But, they’ll notice when their skin looks seasickness green, washed-out pale, or tomato red.

I could have successfully shot weddings with any of the five cameras I tested. But, I found one option that hit the most things on my wish list. One whose quirks mesh well with my own. Here’s how each system compared.

Nikon Z6 II with the Z 50mm f1.2 S

The lenses are super sharp.

The grip and controls are ergonomic, and easy for me to transition to from the D850.

I already own Nikon flashes, batteries, and QXD cards.

The low light autofocus is behind the others.

The colors are a bit too green.

The Z system doesn’t have an 85mm f1.2 yet.

Read the full Nikon Z6 II Review

Z lenses are what sparked my search for the next camera system in the first place. The lenses are very sharp; there’s no need to stop down. There isn’t even a need to keep the subject towards the center of the frame. But, the best thing about the Z6 II is the lenses, which means I would still be updating my lenses. And I would save some money by reusing my current flashes, batteries, and XQD cards.

Coming from the D850, the Z6 II is comfortable. I have Nikon ingrained into my muscle memory. The Z6 II requires the least amount of practice to get familiar with. The grip was also one of my favorites. It’s comfortable, yet the camera is smaller than my D850 and also smaller than...