The 10 Best Retro-Styled Mirrorless Cameras Worth Buying in 2025
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You love classic cameras with timeless beauty but still want cutting-edge imaging tech. 2025 is a great year to buy one: over the past two years, a wave of retro-styled mirrorless models has landed with modern sensors, stabilization, and smart subject-detection AF. They shoot beautifully, look fantastic hanging from a strap, and—yes—feel like fashion accessories. Below is my personal top 10 for 2025, drawn from hands-on time and a sweep of trusted reviews. I’ll tell you what each one gets right, where it stumbles, what it costs, and who I think should pick it.
1) Nikon Z f — the new “film-Nikon” energy
Nikon nailed the brief: knurled dials, engraved type, and a silhouette that winks at the FM/FE era—but under the skin sits a modern 24MP full-frame sensor with excellent color and low-light performance. It’s a camera that makes you slow down just enough to enjoy the act of shooting, without ever feeling sluggish. Ergonomically, it’s happiest with small primes; hang a big zoom and the romance fades a little.
-Design & feel: Metal-dial nostalgia done right; very convincing “old-Nikon” vibe.
-Tech & image quality: 24MP full-frame, strong IBIS; image quality lives up to the looks, though some menu/handling quirks remain.
-Price & who it’s for: About $1,996.95 body-only; for style-savvy shooters who want full-frame files and tactile controls. Nikon USA+2B&H Photo Video+2
2) Fujifilm X100VI — the cult compact grows up
Fujifilm kept what makes the X100 magic—leaf shutter quietness, an aperture ring that begs to be turned, and that hybrid OVF/EVF—and added IBIS plus a superb 40MP APS-C sensor. It’s the single camera I recommend when someone says, “I want a daily carry that makes me want to shoot.”
-Design & feel: Small, elegant, rangefinder-style; the kind of camera people ask you about in cafés.
-Tech & image quality: 40MP sensor, IBIS, film sims, built-in ND; images look rich straight out of camera.
-Price & who it’s for: Typically $1,799 when in stock; for storytellers who value experience and JPEG color as much as resolution charts. DPreview+1
3) Fujifilm X-T5 — the “classic SLR” for stills nerds
The X-T5 is a sweet spot: dial-driven, weather-sealed, and now with Fuji’s 40MP sensor that punches well above its class for detailed landscapes and portraits. It’s lighter than you expect and feels like a modern take on a 35mm SLR. Video is fine; stills are its first love.
-Design & feel: Three-dial top deck, compact, purposeful—very “photographer’s camera.”
-Tech & image quality: 40MP APS-C, 7-stop IBIS, pixel shift for 160MP—class-leading stills, decent AF.
-Price & who it’s for: About $1,999.95 body-only; for travel, portrait, and landscape shooters who want a classic layout with modern files. DPreview+1
4) Leica M11 — the purist’s jewel
No camera changes your pace like a Leica M. The M11 keeps the iconic brass-and-leather minimalism and mates it to a 60MP BSI sensor with triple-resolution RAW. It’s manual-focus only, it’s expensive, and it’s intoxicating. If you want a tool that rewards patience and primes, this is the high church.
-Design & feel: Timeless rangefinder simplicity, built to outlast you.
-Tech & image quality: 60MP full-frame with gorgeous dynamic range; the files are malleable and clean.
-Price & who it’s for: $8,995 body-only; for deliberate photographers who want the most tactile shooting experience in digital. leicacamerausa.com+1
5) Leica Q3 — luxury point-and-shoot (with real teeth)
The Q3 is a fixed-lens 28mm full-frame compact that feels like a sculpted object. Autofocus is much improved over earlier Qs, the 60MP sensor sings, and the tilting screen finally makes low-angle frames painless. The lens is stellar; the crop modes are genuinely usable thanks to the resolution headroom.
-Design & feel: Minimalist slab, tactile lens rings; pocketable for a coat, not a jeans pocket.
-Tech & image quality: 60MP, leaf shutter, strong video options; luscious color and detail.
-Price & who it’s for: Listed around $6,735 at U.S. Leica dealers; for travelers and street shooters who want Leica look without the M’s learning curve. DPreview+1
6) Hasselblad 907X & CFV 100C — rolling sculpture
Nothing here looks like a “normal” mirrorless. The 907X body and CFV 100C back recreate the waist-level charm of classic V-system Hasselblads with modern medium-format color and tonality. It’s for unhurried, intentional photography; if that’s your tempo, it’s intoxicating.
-Design & feel: Ultra-thin body + digital back; shoot waist-level like it’s 1968—pure art object vibes.
-Tech & image quality: 100MP medium-format sensor with exquisite color and DR; AF and speed are not the point.
-Price & who it’s for: Officially $7,399 (often listed down from $8,199) for the kit; for landscape, portrait, and fine-art shooters who want the slow craft. Hasselblad US+1
7) Nikon Z fc — the affordable retro gateway
Think of the Z fc as the playful cousin to the Z f: APS-C, very lightweight, and drenched in classic Nikon styling. Image quality is solid, the flip screen makes vlogging easy, and paired with the little Z DX primes it’s a joy. Build is lighter than the Z f, but so is the price.
-Design & feel: Bright metal dials, pastel color options; super approachable.
-Tech & image quality: 20.9MP APS-C, reliable AF and 4K/30p; JPEG color is pleasing once tuned.
-Price & who it’s for: About $956.95 body-only; for creators and casual shooters who want style without the full-frame cost. DPreview+1
8) Panasonic Lumix S9 — full-frame minimalism for creators
The S9 strips the body down to a chic rectangle with a big sensor inside. It’s the most “designer” full-frame of the bunch, favoring compact lenses and social-first workflows. No EVF and no mechanical shutter will turn off some photographers, but for video-led creators it’s slick and capable.
-Design & feel: Clean, colorful finishes; absurdly small for full-frame.
-Tech & image quality: 24MP full-frame, strong color science, excellent phone-to-social pipeline; stills ergonomics are a compromise.
-Price & who it’s for: As low as $1,197.99 body-only; for creators who value portability and video tools over viewfinders. DPreview+1
9) Fujifilm X-T50 — compact SLR style with Fuji’s best sensor
The X-T50 brings the beloved X-T look to a smaller, easier body. You get that 40MP sensor, IBIS, and a new Film Simulation dial that nudges you to play with color. AF isn’t class-leading for fast action, but for everyday shooting it’s more than good enough—and the files are gorgeous.
-Design & feel: Classic dials, smaller handgrip; easy to carry, fun to shoot.
-Tech & image quality: 40MP APS-C with IBIS; “Fuji color” on tap via sims; AF is fine but not a sports camera.
-Price & who it’s for: $1,599 body-only (kits from $1,799); for travelers and hobbyists who want X-T vibes without X-T5 bulk. DPreview+1
10) Ricoh GR IIIx HDF — the pocket classic for street
The GR remains the camera you can always have on you. The IIIx version swaps the usual 28mm for a 40mm-equivalent lens and adds the new Highlight Diffusion Filter (HDF) for instant dreamy glow when you want it. No EVF, battery life is modest—but the images are honest and the handling vanishes in your hands.
-Design & feel: Truly pocketable, single-hand operation; the perfect “shoot your commute” companion.
-Tech & image quality: 24MP APS-C, 3-axis stabilization; HDF gives you a softer, film-like bloom at the tap of a button.
-Price & who it’s for: Around $1,226.95; for street shooters and daily documentarians who value stealth and speed. Ricoh+1