Inherently there is one major difference between the DSLR and the mirrorless cameras and that is the mirror.
In DSLRs, when the light enters the lens, it hits a mirror and is reflected through the pentaprism to come out from the viewfinder through which we see the image.
When we take a photograph with the DSLR the mirror flips up allowing the light to hit the sensor directly and that is the reason why the view finder blacks out when we take a photograph.
In the mirror less on the other hand the light hits the sensor directly and is transmitted electronically to the view finder and that is the reason why it is called an electronic viewfinder .
Now let's talk about the size. Due to the absence of the mirror and the pentaprism, allows the mirrorless cameras to be much smaller than their DSLR counterparts but the DSLRs are also fast catching up in this regard.
The smaller entry-level DSLRs are almost as big as the mirrorless cameras and if you mount the professional lenses on the mirrorless then the size different does not seem so obvious.
One fall out of the small size of the mirrorless body is the battery life because the battery is actually very small when compared to a DSLR and if you are coming from a DSLR and have switched to a mirrorless recently it really sucks!
Now let's talk about the viewfinder. The view finder is one of the major differences between a DSLR and a mirrorless camera as you know in the DSLR the light enters through the lens system mirror goes through the pentaprism and is displayed in the view finder since there are no electronic components involved it is called an OV For an optical viewfinder.
On the other hand in the mirrorless the image hits the sensor directly and is transmitted electronically into the viewfinder therefore it is called an electronic viewfinder.
One of the huge advantages of the EVF or the electronic view finder is that it shows you exactly what your photograph or your video is going to look like.
It is like having a live view screen in front of your eye. Now talking about the autofocus, traditionally the DSLRs have been faster while auto focusing but with the introduction of cameras like the Sony a 9 and the Sony a6000 500 the mirrorless cameras are also fast catching up.
Most of the DSLR cameras do have a "QUIET" mode which dampens the slap and sound of the mirror but it usually does not work so well in mirrorless cameras due to the presence of an electronic shutter you can shoot absolutely silently.
This is great for people like me who shoot on film sets or other events where you cannot make a sound while shooting. Image stabilization or vibration reduction as Nikon calls it is available for DSLR users but it is usually built into the lens.
So if you want image stabilization you have to buy an image stabilized lens, whereas in mirrorless cameras most of them have image stabilization built into the camera so you can use practically any lens and your image will still be stabilized.
So DSLR or mirrorless, which one is better? Well, both technologies continue to evolve and borrow from each other at a very fast pace.
Traditional camera companies which make DSLRs like Nikon and Canon have also jumped into the mirrorless market in order to keep pace with the competition.
As far as which one to buy is concerned, you need to draw a list of features that are most important to you like - size, battery life, EVF or silent shooting.
I, for example, use a mirrorless on a daily basis because of its small size I can keep it in my camera bag, the EVF allows me to shoot video in broad daylight and I can use practically any lens with the right kind of adapter.
For my commercial and professional assignments I still tend to use my DSLR because my lenses and my flashes are compatible with that.
So while mirrorless technology might be touted as the technology of the future, the DSLR is not going anywhere anytime soon. S
0 Comments