Mirrorless cameras gives you professional image quality, but they are not as bulky and heavy as DSLR cameras.  Basically, a mirrorless camera doesn't have the mechanical optical system that directs light from the camera’s lens to an optical viewfinder, thus reducing the camera’s size.

Lack of mechanical optical system means no “shutter blackout”, that pause when a DSLR camera's mirror flips up, blocking your view of your subject at the critical moment you’re capturing your image.

Mirrorless cameras in the low price range are a great buy for you if you want to go alevel up from your smartphone or an inexpensive compact camera.

The best midrange mirrorless camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10 II (fast focus, built-in image stabilization, access to a wide range of quality lenses)

The best midrange mirrorless camera with great images: Fujifilm X-T10 (bulky, expensive, higher-end 18-to-55-mm kit lens, great low-light image quality)

The best midrange mirrorless stills camera: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 (4K video capture, an articulated screen, and an external microphone input for movie shooting)