In the past few years’ mirrorless camera technology has advanced significantly. Mirrorless cameras such as the Sony A7s and A7r are providing fierce competition for DSLRs. It has come so far that there have been talks of mirrorless cameras replacing DSLRs. Though not to say mirrorless cameras are flawless, there are still some issues that are stopping mirrorless cameras from completely replacing DSLRs.
- Size and weight
The size of mirrorless cameras is smaller when compared with DSLRs. This is due to the lack of a mirror, hence the name mirrorless. With the smaller size comes a lighter camera. This is one of the appeals of mirrorless cameras, being able to carry a small camera that can fit in your pocket with the quality of a DSLR. Although DSLRs are not too far behind, entry level DSLRs such as the D3300 have roughly the same size and weight, just slightly larger and heavier.
- Lenses
Due to the fact that mirrorless cameras are so new to the world of photography and video, there are still not many choices for lenses. Some mirrorless cameras even include lenses attached to the body that can’t be removed. SLRs on the other hand have been around for longer and therefore have more lenses to choose from. But, keep in mind that SLR lenses tend to be bigger, and slightly heavier.
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- Battery
Here lies one of the biggest issues that plague mirrorless cameras. Battery life on mirrorless cameras still requires some catching up. Some mirrorless cameras such as the Sony A7rii barely get a third of the amount of shots to an equivalent Canon 5dmkiii. So in terms of reliability, DSLRs are still a better option.
- Viewfinder
A DSLR’s viewfinder shows the user the actual light bouncing off of the mirror. Whereas with mirrorless cameras some don’t even have viewfinders and force the user to use the live view. The ones that do however, have digital viewfinders where the camera shows a preview of the image, so what you see is what you get. This can be helpful when you want to see the exposure first without having to take test shots, or relying on the light meter.
- Sensor
Previously, before Sony announced the A7R, mirrorless didn’t have a full frame option. Now both have full frame options. In terms of choices for full frame options, DSLRs have a bigger variety of cameras to choose from, whereas mirrorless cameras have only a handful of options, such as the Sony A7s, or Leica M.
- Price
The cost of mirrorless and DSLRs are relatively similar. At the time of writing this there are a lot of DSLR options that are cheaper that offer the same features as their mirrorless counterparts. For example the D3300 offers a lot for its price and mirrorless cameras just don’t have an answer for it at this point in time.
- Video
Both DSLRs and mirrorless have great video options. Nikon just announced their D500 and D5 both are capable of capturing in 4k video, as well as 1080p in 24,30, and 60 fps. Mirrorless cameras were ahead of the industry when it came to 4k video recording for consumers, providing great quality as well as great low light performance. Canon had released the Canon 1dc in 2012 but the $12000 price tag that came along with it was out of the budget for many consumers. The GH4 is a mirrorless camera that is equally good at video as it is at taking stills. Mirrorless cameras have much better live view auto focus compared to DSLRs, this is useful for when you are trying to capture moving subjects.
Although there are still many issues that currently plague mirrorless cameras, it seems to be quickly catching up to DSLRs and seems to be where the future of video and photography is headed.