DSLR vs Mirrorless: Which Camera Is Right for You?

These daysmirrorless cameras are all the rage – but what do they offer over a trustydependable DSLR? If you’re a photography beginnershould you buy a DSLR or a mirrorless camera? And if you’re already a DSLR useris it worth upgrading to mirrorless?

In this articleI’ll break it all down for you. I’ll share the pros and cons of DSLRs vs mirrorless camerasand I’ll also include plenty of practical examples so you can evaluate how mirrorless and DSLR cameras fare when shooting landscapessportsportraitsand more. By the time you’re doneyou’ll know which camera type is right for you.

Let’s dive right in.

Mirrorless cameras vs DSLRs: What’s the big difference?

On the surfacemirrorless cameras and DSLRs look remarkably similar – but open them upand you’ll find some major differences. In this sectionI’ll get you up to speed on basic mirrorless and DSLR technology.

What is a DSLR camera?

DSLRsalso known as digital single-lens reflex camerasall share a similar design:

Light enters through the lensbounces off a mirrorgoes through a special prismand beams through the viewfinder into your eye.

Thenwhen you press the shutter buttonthe mirror flips up to expose the camera sensor to light. Immediatelythe viewfinder blackens (no mirror means no lightright?)the shutter moves out of the way of the sensorand – voila! – your photograph is taken.

Here’s a neat diagram that displays the process:

NowDSLR cameras work smoothlybut they come with a fundamental problem:

Mirrors take up a lot of space. If you’ve ever held a DSLRyou’ve undoubtedly noticed the significant size and weight; that’s courtesy of these unique DSLR componentswhich require a largeheavy housing. For some photographersthis isn’t an issuebut for others – those who shoot all daytravel frequentlycarry a camera nonstopor simply prefer a smalllightweight package – DSLRs are just too big and bulky.

And that’s where mirrorless cameras come in.

What is a mirrorless camera?

Mirrorless cameras are like DSLRsbut with one fundamental difference:

They don’t include a mirror. Light enters the lens and never bounces off a mirror to beam through a viewfinder; insteadthe light goes straight to the sensor. The sensor is then digitally projected onto the camera’s rear LCDand (sometimes) through an electronic viewfinder.

When you hit the shutter button on a mirrorless camerathe sensor simply starts recording dataand you get a photo. (Often a mechanical shutter is involvedbut that’s beyond the scope of this article.)

Thanks to the absence of a mirrormirrorless cameras are generally much smaller than their DSLR counterpartsespecially when compared to cameras of an equivalent sensor size – though the removal of mirror technology has led to a number of additional benefits and drawbacksas I discuss below.

By the wayit’s important to note that there are actually many different types of mirrorless cameras on the market. Some have interchangeable lensesand others offer a singlebuilt-in lens. In factif you own a smartphonethen you already have a mirrorless camerabecause all smartphone cameras lack a mirror (imagine trying to fit a mirror mechanism inside one of those tiny lens holes!).

Mirrorless cameras: the benefits

Now that you’re familiar with the basic mirrorless vs DSLR differenceslet’s take a closer look at the pros of mirrorless technologystarting with:

Mirrorless cameras are smaller and lighter than DSLRs

I mentioned it abovebut it’s such a big deal that it bears repeating:

Thanks to the loss of the mirror mechanism and the viewfinder prismmirrorless cameras are significantly smaller than DSLRs. Full-frame mirrorless models compare favorably to full-frame DSLRsAPS-C mirrorless models are the size of compact point-and-shoot camerasand Micro Four Thirds mirrorless models are generally tiny.

If you like to take your camera with you wherever you goyou’ll have a much easier time with a mirrorless camera. And they’re pretty lighttooso you can shoot all day without feeling fatigued (assuming your lens is on the smaller side!).

Mirrorless cameras offer feature-rich electronic viewfinders and LCDs

Pretty much all enthusiast and professional mirrorless models feature an electronic viewfinderwhich gives you a continuous live feed to the sensor. And if your camera doesn’t feature an electronic viewfinderit still offers an LCD display that includes the same features (albeit without the convenience of a light-shaded viewfinder).

Benefits vary from camera to camerabut may include:

• An accurate preview of image exposure before you ever press the shutter button
• Focus peakingwhich lets you identify in-focus and out-of-focus areas in the viewfinder
• Manual focusing aidsso you can consistently nail manual focus
• A live histogramso you can accurately check exposure as you adjust your settings

Mirorrless cameras offer silent shooting modes

If you’ve ever fired a DSLRyou’ll know that it is loudwhich can be a problem when you’re trying to shoot surreptitiously (during a weddingfor instanceor when capturing candid shots on the street).

But many mirrorless cameras feature some form of silent shootingand it’s literally silent. This is perfect for event photographers looking to keep their presence as unobtrusive as possibleas well as street photographers and even wildlife photographers hoping to remain unnoticed by their subjects.

Nowsome DSLRs do feature silent-shooting modesbut (in my experience) these aren’t really silent. Surethey’re quieter than the standard clunk of a DSLR shotbut in a quiet roomthe noise from a silent-shooting DSLR will still be audible.

Mirrorless cameras feature superior autofocus

Until recentlyDSLRs were undoubtedly faster (and better) at focusing – but thanks to recent improvements in fundamental AF technologyalong with various additions made possible by on-sensor mirrorless AFtoday’s best mirrorless cameras areon averagespeedier and more accurate focusers than DSLRs.

Why? For onetop-notch mirrorless cameras offer far more focusing points than their DSLR counterpartswhich means more focusing flexibilityimproved precisionand better tracking.

And mirrorless cameras allow for high-level focusing technologyincluding Eye AF (where the AF mechanism focuses on the eye of human subjectswhich is helpful for portraits and events)Animal Eye AF (where the AF mechanism focuses on the eyes of animalssuch as wildlife and pets)and Vehicle AF (where the AF mechanism focuses on cars and motorcycles).

Not all mirrorless cameras offer these class-leading autofocus featuresand some DSLRs can still trounce many mirrorless cameras when photographing sports and other action scenes. But mirrorless autofocus technology has started to pull ahead of DSLRs (plusmanufacturers are adding new updates all the time).

DSLR cameras: the benefits

Mirrorless cameras are impressivebut there are plenty of reasons to stick with a reliable DSLR. Here are the key items to consider:

DSLRs offer better battery life

DSLRs are mostly mechanicalwhereas mirrorless cameras rely heavily on LCDs and electronic viewfinders. Consequentlywhile most DSLRs are rated at 800 shots per charge or moremany mirrorless cameras sit in the 300-400 shots range.

Nowthe figures above are based on CIPA ratingswhich don’t mimic real-life use. A standard mirrorless user may capture more than 400 shots on a single battery – but you’ll still need to carry a handful of extra batteries for day-long shoots and when travelingwhich can get inconvenient (and rather priceytoo).

On the other handyou can expect your DSLR to perform well on one or two batteriesso if you’d prefer to work without the need for plenty of sparesa DSLR may be the better buy.

DSLRs feature optical viewfinders

When you look through a mirrorless viewfinderyou see a digital image – but when you look through a DSLR viewfinderyou see exactly what the lens sees.

In other wordsDSLR viewfinders (called optical viewfinders) show you the world as it iswhile mirrorless viewfinders (electronic viewfinders) show how the world looks to your camera sensor.

While electronic viewfinders have their advantagessome photographers simply like seeing the real worldnot a digital display. Pluselectronic viewfinders come with a couple of issues. They get very noisy and low quality at nightand they don’t work well with strobes – so if you’re an astrophotographera studio portrait photographeror a product photographeryou’ll likely appreciate the true-to-life viewfinder of a DSLR.

DSLRs vs mirrorless cameras: which should you buy?

Here’s the truth about DSLRs and mirrorless models:

Neither is fundamentally better than the other.

Insteadmirrorless cameras offer several key advantagessuch as live exposure simulationa smaller sizeand silent shooting – while DSLRs counter with a few advantages of their ownincluding outstanding battery life and optical viewfinders.

So which should you buy? It depends on your shooting needs. If you like to travel with your camerayou appreciate silent shootingand you like the idea of a helpful exposure previewthen I’d recommend purchasing a mirrorless camera.

But if you prefer the clarity of an optical viewfinder or you hate the idea of short battery lifego with a DSLR.

Now over to you:

Which do you plan to geta DSLR or a mirrorless camera? Why? Share your thoughts in the comments below!