Over the past few years I've been evaluating as many cameras as I could get my hands on, in the hope of finding the perfect replacement for my ageing Canon 550d. The 550d was an entry-level DSLR when I bought it. It's still a great camera, but after 10 years' service, I could justify replacing it, and there are were a few compelling reasons to do so.

The most obvious is just how good autofocus has become in recent years. Even on budget DSLRs like Nikon's D3400 — around $400 including lens kit — it is almost impossible to take a bad picture. Sony cameras have phenomenal, lightning-fast autofocus, which is important when capturing images at press events, and just as handy when trying to focus on a fast-moving toddler.

Before I go any further I should answer one question that I'd been asking myself: does anyone really need a stand-alone camera in 2017? I'd say yes, if your budget allows. Sure, the camera in your phone is amazing, but it still can't compete with the image quality you'll get from a mirrorless or DSLR camera. It's a simple matter of physics: a smartphone cannot house a large image processor, or large, interchangeable lenses. And in years to come, when you're looking back at your photos on high resolution screens, you'll be thankful for the images you took with a real camera.

I was leaning toward a mirrorless model , something smaller than a traditional DSLR, but with a wide range of interchangeable lenses, and the ability to shoot 4K. This sadly ruled out my long-time favourite maker, Canon, which seems to keep 4K video to their high-end shooters.

If still images were my only priority, something from Sony's mirrorless range would have done the job. Images from the Sony A6000 are fantastic, and this pocket machine can be found for less than $700, with lenses. But I wanted 4K.  It was possible with the equally compact A6300, but I found the button placement, lack of image stabilisation or mic input just too a little too frustrating. The Sony A7R II fixed the video issues, but at a price way out of my league.

To be fair, I also checked out the hipster mirrorless cameras from Olympus and Fujifilm, but found them overpriced compared to the workhorses from Sony and Panasonic.

The camera I settled on was the Panasonic G85. Overall, it was the best performing in both stills and video, at a price that wouldn't send me bankrupt: around $1200, including a lens kit.

What swayed my decision was the incredible 4K video it produced. In my testing Panasonic is head and shoulders above the competition when it comes to this. The G85 also has optical image stabilisation in body and lenses, making for the smoothest handheld video possible.

Sony's mirrorless range shot a mean 4K, but overall the footage from the Panasonic looked sharper, and the unit was a little more comfortable to hold.

If money was no object, or if I shot video professionally, I would've purchased Panasonic's GH5, but I just didn't need all the pro-video features that came with the GH5's higher price.

The G85 shoots some great stills, too. I loved the post-focus feature, allowing you to pull focus on an image after you've taken the photo. It sounds like a gimmick, but it works.

The only downside to the Panasonic is its truly awful iOS companion app, but then every camera-maker seems incapable of making a decent mobile app. After testing them all, I feel we need Apple or Android to build a simple interface that works with all cameras. Camera manufacturers just can't be trusted.

Many thanks to the camera forums and camera stores I've lurked in over the last year, and the countless photographers I've emailed, tweeted and generally harassed in that time.