Updated: 08/03/2016 Oleg Lazhechnikov

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Those who follow me in social networks, they could already see that I had some kind of revolution in consciousness and I switched to a mirrorless camera. It became the Sony Alpha a6000. Unfortunately, the post was not paid for, since they did not respond to my letter about cooperation, so I had to buy it with my own money. But now the post is not about the camera, but about the sensations after the transition, so Sony still has time to come to its senses :)

Also, the post will not contain test comparison shots, because I don’t have a DSLR with me now, I didn’t take it to Warsaw. After all, initially everything was started to reduce weight, otherwise nothing fits into my hand luggage. In short, a mirrorless camera is a simple salvation!

Previously, I was completely skeptical about mirrorless cameras; they did not suit me in various respects. But time has passed, and now mirrorless cameras are no longer technically inferior to their mirrored counterparts. It seems to me that a little more and there may be nothing left of the class of amateur DSLRs at all, there will be no point in them. Although for now they are a good alternative simply because of the price, since mirrorless cameras are more expensive. Actually, that’s why I would still advise beginners, just because of the savings. But, if price is not an issue, then you can safely take something Nex-o-like from Sony or other brands.

After I realized that technically I was getting almost the same camera (meeting my needs), the minus came to the fore as ergonomics. Although I’m not a reporter, you get used to the ease of control very quickly. Looking through the viewfinder, you can change settings in a split second by blindly turning the various wheels. Also, the Canon 7d camera focuses very quickly (and almost no blurring), and is instantly ready for use after turning it on. It seems like, just think, a fraction of a second, but it’s difficult to give up what you’re used to, especially since the new camera is in a similar price category. It's like a phone, if it starts to slow down and you wait for a few seconds for the application to load, then such a phone quickly begins to irritate. This is what I feared here.

About six months ago I twirled the Nex-5 and Nex-6 (previous models) in my hands and liked everything. Lightweight, compact, the pictures are also good. The A6000 is even better, it has faster focus, more convenient controls and menus. Therefore, before my next trip, I made a sharp decision (one day) and bought it, having received the box the day before departure. In fact, it was only at the airport that I used the camera for the first time.

Reasons for the transition

The main reason for the transition was that I was tired of carrying heavy things with me, and it was no longer possible to take something large with me. Even though I only have a Canon 7d body and two lenses for it, 24-105 and 11-16, it still came out to 2 kg. Plus additional batteries, chargers, remote control, filters, tripod (1kg), that is, a total of about 3-4 kg minimum. My hand luggage on the plane usually weighed under 10 kg, including the laptop and other things. In general, all this no longer fits normally in the car with which I usually travel.

In the end, I just faced the truth and realized that I haven’t taken the whole set with me for a long time, since most often we go somewhere together, and in my backpack I also have Egor’s toys, some food, his clothes and etc. Or even if I take a DSLR with me, then it’s inconvenient for me to dig it out of my backpack, and I take pictures with my phone. This is no good.

The second reason for the switch is that I mostly have photographs for the blog, and the width is only 900px, sometimes more. I also printed it a couple of times in two years, and the 15x20 size doesn’t require much. Thus, it is quite possible to reduce your requirements for a camera for every day (for a travel camera), not a wedding owner.

What did I get

The weight of the Sony a6000 camera with an 18-105 lens is about 0.9 kg. It seems to be quite a lot, but it’s still unusually easy. In addition, you can put a smaller lens, down to a small pancake, and you can even put the camera in your pocket. But for now I don’t plan anything else, one lens will suffice as a universal one. In fact, it covers almost all the focal lengths I need when traveling, but sometimes the width of 10-18 is not enough. Also, I won’t buy any additional filters or remote controls for now, and I’ll change my tripod to something very miniature and light. In general, it turned out very compactly, I am satisfied, the main task was completed. All that remains is to sell the DSLR with accessories and all purchases will pay off.

The camera is crop 1.5, that is, the matrix is ​​the same size as I had. It shoots in RAW, then everything lends itself well to processing in Lightroom. The dynamic range seems to be good too, I won’t say that I see a noticeable difference, to be honest, I don’t see it at all. ISO is working up to 1600-3200, but 3200 is already a bit noisy for me. The picture is nice, but different, the color rendition is different. The bokeh has changed.

In general, if it were not for speed, then there are no complaints at all, even about ergonomics, because after all, it is rarely necessary. But speed is also a problem, you just have to remember to set the burst mode, like a machine gun then.

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On currently Sigma offers just one system DSLR camera, the SD1 Merrill, with a SIGMA SA mount and an APS-C sensor. This year, two mirrorless cameras were announced, compatible with the SIGMA SA mount, equipped with electronic viewfinders: sd Quattro (APS-C matrix) and sd Quattro H (APS-H matrix). Cameras differ in matrix size and resolution.

System and intersystem compatibility

As a rule, lenses from “senior” photo systems from one company can be successfully used with cameras from “junior” systems from the same company, but backward compatibility is always problematic. In order to reflex camera with an APS-C matrix, install a full-frame lens; no additional devices are required. The lens will work great, and its focal length will increase by the crop factor value (1.6). Installing a lens with a smaller image field (designed for cameras with APS-C sensors) on cameras with a full-frame sensor is usually also possible, but the photo may show strong vignetting and deterioration of the image, even completely disappearing towards the edge of the frame. Automatic or manual cropping, which cuts off the edges of the frame and reduces the resolution of the image, helps improve the result.

Installing a lens from an SLR system on a mirrorless camera with a matrix of any size is a little more difficult. The working distance of mirrorless cameras is smaller than that of SLR systems, so for correct operation of the lens you will need a special adapter ring, an adapter that increases the distance between the lens and the light-sensitive matrix.

So, in order to install a lens from DSLR systems on a Canon mirrorless camera of the EOS-M system, the MOUNT ADAPTER EF-EOS-M adapter is suitable.
Mount Adapter FT 1 performs a similar function for the Nikon One system.

Sony's range of adapters is somewhat wider, since the company decided to equip its adapters with an additional fast autofocus sensor with a translucent mirror. Sony LA-EA4 is an adapter with fast autofocus for full-frame mirrorless cameras, and LA-EA2 is suitable for cameras with APS-C matrices. Sony also has regular adapters without a mirror: owners of full-frame SLR cameras need the LA-EA3, and for cameras with an APS-C matrix, the LA-EA1 is suitable.

The Olympus MMF-3 Four Thirds and Panasonic DMW-MA1 adapters will help you pair the optics from DSLR cameras of the 4/3 system with mirrorless cameras of the Micro 4/3 system. In addition, Olympus produces adapters that allow the use of OM system optics with 4/3 (MF-1) and Micro 4/3 (MF-2) cameras.
The result of the collaboration between Panasonic and Leica are adapters that allow the use of Leica optics with Micro 4/3 cameras. The Panasonic DMW-MA2 adapter will allow you to mount Leica M lenses, and the DMW-MA3 will allow you to mount Leica R lenses.

The case when a company produces “native” adapters for using optics from other companies with its cameras is the exception rather than the rule. But independent manufacturers offer a lot of different adapters that allow you to install a wide variety of optics on cameras of all systems - albeit with certain functional limitations.

Reference article based on the expert opinion of the author.

The history of photography goes back more than one and a half hundred years. However, the development of photography technology was uneven. Thus, the Kodak company of George Eastman took a leap forward. Then, at the end of the nineteenth century, it gave the world the ease of processing photographic material (roll films appeared) and the simplest cameras that did not require professional knowledge.

The second significant event can be considered the emergence of SLR cameras - truly universal and fast photographic tools. The combination of the ability to change optics, sight literally through the lens and high speed of operation made this class of devices so popular that half a century later DSLRs came into the digital era in almost their original form, only replacing photographic film in their design with a matrix. Oh yes, did you understand that the digital era has become another important stage in the history of photographic equipment? From that moment on, development proceeded at a colossal pace: new technologies and solutions appeared every year. In particular, contrary to the popularity of traditional SLR cameras, so-called mirrorless models were born. It is this branch of the evolution of the photo world that we will talk about today.

We are doing this project about photography with mirrorless cameras in collaboration with Olympus. It is noteworthy that this company was the first to abandon the production of SLR photographic equipment in favor of new technologies.

No need for a mirror anymore?

To understand whether a mirror is needed in a camera, let's talk about what functions it performs. In ancient times, when there was no autofocus yet, and cameras had film instead of matrices, the task of the mirror was only to redirect light from the lens into the pentaprism of the optical viewfinder. The photographer could literally look at the world through the lens. But in order to take a picture, the mirror had to be removed - at the moment the shutter button was pressed, it rose and did not participate in the formation of the image in any way. So we draw the first conclusion: the mirror does not affect the quality of the picture in any way!





As photography entered the era of autofocus in the 1980s, camera designs became significantly more complex. Since then, the camera has not one, but several mirrors. Moreover, the largest one (the one that redirects light into the viewfinder) has a translucent window. Some of the light passes through it, is reflected from the auxiliary mirror and hits the autofocus sensor. And at the time of shooting, this entire structure rises and folds.



Agree, this is not a very elegant technical solution - a constantly jumping system of mirrors. Its obvious advantages are only the ability to work with an optical viewfinder and very fast autofocus using a separate phase detection module. But in reality, such a complex mechanism only works in the top models of DSLRs, comparable in price to a new car.



In mirrorless cameras, the functions of the mirror were redistributed between other camera systems, and the mirror itself was sent not even on an indefinite vacation, but “in the trash.” Why look at the future frame through an optical viewfinder and lens, if you can see it already on the screen, with the exposure, white balance and other parameters set? It's more logical! This is exactly how mirrorless cameras work, showing the image directly from the matrix on the display or in the electronic viewfinder using all shooting settings.



Skeptics may notice that no matter how perfect the electronic components of the camera are, there is always a delay in displaying the image on the display. And they will be right, but only partly. Viewfinder lag is reduced from model to model. So, for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 it was only 16 ms, and in newer models it became even less. The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II has a virtually inertia-free viewfinder.



In early models of mirrorless cameras, difficulties could arise with focusing, which here is carried out exclusively by the matrix. But ultimately, autofocus speed is largely dependent on the processor. Over time, we see that the actual speed of focusing is not inferior to many DSLRs, and often exceeds them. The advantage of DSLRs here, if not completely disappeared, then, like a popsicle on a summer day, is melting before our eyes.

What in return?

We found out that eliminating the mirror did not fundamentally “ruin” the cameras. But there must be some advantages that the developers were trying to achieve? They exist, and there are many of them!

The most obvious thing is size. Rejection of the mirror block with various motors that raise it freed up a lot of space inside the camera. The massive optical viewfinder has also been replaced by a more compact electronic viewfinder (and some models do not even have it). The dimensions of the camera have decreased quite significantly: excess weight reset.



A less obvious advantage is reducing the distance from the matrix to the lens (working distance). Using an adapter, you can install almost any optics on such a camera, including those from DSLRs. By the way, Olympus and Panasonic lenses with a Micro 4/3 mount, as well as lenses with a 4/3 mount installed through an adapter, will work perfectly on Olympus cameras. For example, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 will provide very fast and confident autofocus. With other models, autofocus with DSLR lenses will be less confident.

The abandonment of the optical viewfinder and mirror made it possible to keep the camera shutter open constantly and frame the frame using the display or electronic viewfinder. This is called Live View mode. Its main advantage is control of exposure, white balance and other settings during the shooting process. You see on the screen a picture that will become the future frame. And you can add all the service information you need to it - this is an additional plus.

It should be noted that modern DSLRs also implement Live View mode, but it is not very fast and is very limited in capabilities.





For example, the histogram and electronic level are a great help when shooting. You can correct keystone (perspective) distortions of the future frame right in the viewfinder if you are shooting architecture.











When shooting frames at extremely long shutter speeds, you can see on the screen or in the viewfinder how the exposure of the image “accumulates” (this function is called Live Time). Even spectacular color filters can be applied to a future frame before shooting, seeing the result in advance.



Let's not forget that a number of Olympus models have a folding display. This is very convenient when shooting from awkward positions: from the ground or from outstretched arms. Many models have a touch screen display. This allows you to tap to select the desired focus point. Agree, this is a little more convenient than using the buttons to select the autofocus sensor without looking up from the optical viewfinder.

Autofocus in mirrorless cameras

Since we started talking about autofocus, it’s time to figure out how it is done in mirrorless cameras and whether there are advantages over DSLRs in this matter. Let us remind you that there is no separate autofocus module traditional for DSLRs. And since it is not there, then there are no problems with its adjustment (front and back focus problems). That's a plus.

Focusing occurs directly on the matrix. IN this moment Depending on the camera model, contrast, phase or hybrid autofocus can be used. In the first case, focusing occurs like this: the automation rotates the focusing ring step by step and evaluates the image from the matrix. When the sharpness reaches its maximum at the desired point and begins to decrease, the automation returns the ring to the position of maximum sharpness. Voila! Focusing is complete. This method is the most accurate. But since the camera doesn't know the correct initial focusing direction, speed sometimes suffers.

The second method is through phase detection sensors located on the matrix. For example, it works in the Olympus OM-D E-M1 camera when installing 4/3 mount lenses. The sensors are able to calculate the required direction of lens displacement and its magnitude. This autofocus may be a little faster, but less accurate. But it is indispensable when shooting with continuous autofocus on the subject.

Most often, the two methods are used simultaneously. The final focusing naturally occurs according to the contrast principle, since this increases the accuracy.

But if during the focusing process the camera “sees” the future frame, why not use additional information to make the photographer’s life easier? For example, Olympus cameras not only have facial recognition, but also eye recognition of the model. When taking a portrait, the camera can find an eye in the frame and automatically focus on it. Can DSLRs do this? Not all, but only a couple of models, the price of which can shock even a trained person. In most DSLRs, this function can only work in Live View mode. At the same time, due to the low speed of DSLRs in Live View mode, face recognition is most often useless.







The constantly “seeing” matrix also comes in handy for manual focusing. To quickly achieve focus, you can use focus peaking. In this case, the fragments that are in sharpness will be marked with a contrasting color. This helps the photographer or videographer (and this function is very convenient for video shooting!) to clearly control the focus.





A few words about the matrix

Finally, for dessert, we left questions related to mirrorless matrices. Let's start with size. Today, mirrorless cameras are produced with matrices of different sizes: from tiny 1/2.3″ to giant full-frame ones. Olympus cameras occupy the golden mean here, having 4/3″ format matrices (x2 crop factor relative to the full frame).



On the one hand, the area of ​​such a matrix is ​​sufficient to obtain high-quality images. In low light conditions the noise level will be acceptable. With a fast lens, beautiful and quite strong background blur is possible.

On the other hand, the reduced area compared to a full frame allows you to reduce the weight, size, and most importantly - the cost of cameras and lenses.

Separately, it is necessary to say about the macro photography capabilities. The Olympus system has a lens that provides 1:1 macro zoom. That is, the minimum size of the object being photographed will be equal to the size of the matrix. So an object with approximate dimensions of 18x13.5 mm (these are the exact dimensions of the matrix) can be photographed in the entire frame.

The company's latest models also feature an electronic shutter function, which allows you to take pictures absolutely silently and without creating vibration from the clap of the mechanical shutter. In this case, shooting with ultra-short shutter speeds of about 1/16000 s is possible. This greatly simplifies working with high-aperture optics in bright lighting. Also, if you are into time-lapses (time-lapse video shooting), then using an electronic shutter you can greatly save the resource of a mechanical shutter.

The use of a not too large image sensor allowed Olympus developers to implement an optical image stabilizer based on matrix shift in the camera body. And this did not lead to an increase in the dimensions of the camera. But in the latest models of the company, the so-called five-axis stabilization is widely used.



Such a stabilizer is capable of compensating for camera displacement in five degrees of freedom out of six possible. And it really works! When shooting handheld, the photographer has access to shutter speeds that were previously only possible when using a tripod. And videographers, due to the use of a stabilizer, in some cases can abandon various gimbals such as Steadicam - the picture will be quite smooth.

Finally, with a similar stabilizer and 16-megapixel resolution, some Olympus cameras can produce 40-megapixel images with incredible detail. How? To do this, you will need a stationary subject and a tripod. By incrementally shifting the matrix by an insignificant amount of half a pixel and taking a series of images, the camera is able to automatically stitch them together into one frame of increased resolution. An excellent solution for product photography!



This is not the only useful "software" feature of Olympus cameras. When taking macro photography, there is also a focus stacking function, when the camera itself takes a series of images, changing the focus by a small amount and collecting frames into one with an increased depth of field. Thanks to the five-axis stabilizer, such shooting is possible even handheld without using a tripod.



However, we will talk about the different functions of Olympus cameras in our subsequent articles, which will be helped by professional photographers who have been shooting with similar cameras in various genres for many years. Stay tuned!

" But somehow they avoided the question of what is better, a DSLR or a mirrorless camera? Today we’ll catch up and talk about the differences between the two types of photographic equipment – ​​mirrorless and DSLR cameras. Go.

What is a SLR camera?

Reflex camera is a camera whose viewfinder is based on a mirror. In general, there are single-lens and double-lens SLR cameras. But since in the world of digital photography there is only room left for the first type, it will be discussed further.

The first single-lens reflex camera appeared in 1861. Yes, while in Russia they just canceled serfdom, the camera has already been invented in England. That is, the history of the SLR camera began in century before last, more than 150 years ago.

Of course, the first SLR cameras were very different from what we have now. One of the differences is the use of film. Today, film, as you all know very well, is practically extinct and exists only thanks to enthusiasts who fell in love film photography once upon a time. Digital technology has made it possible to replace the film in the camera with a matrix.

Let's return to the design of a SLR camera. Every DSLR has a mirror-based viewfinder. The mirror stands at an angle of 45 degrees and allows you to see a real non-digitized image through the viewfinder. The mechanism, in general, is quite simple from the point of view of understanding. Through the lens, light (and the image, respectively) enters the camera body, where a mirror is installed at an angle of 45 degrees. The light reflected by the mirror rushes upward, where it enters a pentaprism (or pentamirror), which wraps around the image, giving it its normal orientation. Simply put, if there were no pentaprism, the image in the viewfinder would appear upside down. That's all. This is the optical viewfinder - distinctive feature any DSLR.

What is a mirrorless camera?

Mirrorless Just like a SLR camera, it has interchangeable lenses. But, as you understand from the name, it does not have a mirror viewfinder. Inexpensive cameras use a screen instead of a viewfinder, while more expensive cameras use an electronic viewfinder. In fact, unlike an optical viewfinder, such a viewfinder shows us a digitized image. We can say that this is a small screen. It has a certain resolution, which is indicated in the camera specification. Naturally, as with a monitor, the higher the resolution, the better.

Why is a DSLR camera better than a mirrorless camera?

Let's first talk about why a DSLR is better than a mirrorless one.

• Optical viewfinder- not only a feature of a DSLR camera, but also its advantage over a mirrorless one. There are several reasons for this. First, the optical viewfinder shows the image in real time, raw and undigitized. That is, as your eye would see it without a viewfinder. Secondly, when using an electronic viewfinder there is a slight delay in the image, which is not present with an optical viewfinder. Those. with the latter you always see the picture in real time.
• Phase detection autofocus– it is typical only for SLR cameras. The latest models of mirrorless cameras have learned to use phase sensors on the matrix, thereby giving birth to a hybrid focusing system, but today it still does not reach the focusing speed of a SLR camera.
• Ergonomics DSLRs are better. This is due, among other things, to the fact that the mirror itself with the pentaprism takes up quite a lot of space in the carcass. Because of this, in fact, these cameras are so large. But this minus turns into a plus when you need to control the camera: especially professional cameras have excellent access to all important functions using buttons, wheels and other controls located on the carcass. Special attention deserves an additional monochrome display, which is found in large SLR cameras, and never found in mirrorless cameras. This display is very helpful in professional photography, and it is never superfluous for amateur photography.
• Huge optics park. Remember when we said that SLR cameras have been produced for a century and a half? Nikon began producing cameras in the 50s of the twentieth century. Today, Nikon's optics fleet is huge and continues to grow. Of course, mirrorless cameras are still far from achieving such richness.
• Price DSLR cameras are generally lower. Specific example. There is a Nikon D5100 with a Nikon 35mm 1.8G DX lens. This is a very inexpensive kit, costing less than 20 thousand. To get similar quality with a mirrorless camera you need to spend a lot more money.
• DSLR camera turns on much faster than mirrorless. In a split second, while mirrorless cameras can turn on in 3 seconds.
• Working hours DSLR cameras' battery life is significantly higher than that of mirrorless cameras. And the batteries themselves are usually more capacious. Thus, amateur cameras like the Nikon D7100 can shoot one and a half thousand frames on a single charge. Professional equipment, like the Nikon D4, can take more than 3 thousand pictures with a single battery charge.
• DSLR cameras more reliable. Some of them have dust and moisture protection. This is why you are unlikely to see a photographer with a Sony A7 in the savannah. But with Canon 1Dx there is nothing to do. There are more of them there than lions and bison...

So, the main thing: for today professional photography almost impossible with a mirrorless camera. A DSLR camera is preferable for commercial photography. And the amateur must decide for himself whether the advantages of a DSLR are important to him, or whether what a mirrorless camera offers is enough. More on this below.

Why is a mirrorless camera better than a DSLR?

Yes, but are there any advantages to a mirrorless camera that a DSLR camera doesn’t have? Eat. And now we will talk about them.



Olympus technology is one of the most popular mirrorless cameras on the market

• Size. This is the most obvious. Mirrorless cameras are smaller. The optics for such cameras are also more compact. As a result, you can get a mirrorless system that will be smaller than a DSLR, but will allow you to get the same high-quality images.
• Electronic viewfinder. Electronic viewfinders also have their advantages. Firstly, they can display various additional information. Secondly, such viewfinders will be more convenient for nearsighted people. You need to use the optical viewfinder with glasses or use the diopter correction function, which is enough for vision of -2.5, but if the minus is greater, then alas. The electronic viewfinder, as we said above, is a screen. And, of course, when used by a myopic person, there are no problems with it.
• Big choice manufacturers. Mirrorless cameras are now produced by the following companies: Nikon, Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Olympus, Fujifilm, Samsung. But affordable DSLRs are produced only by the first 3 companies plus Pentax.

What do DSLR and mirrorless cameras have in common?

There is also something that unites these cameras.

• Matrix. The most important part of a digital camera. Just a couple of years ago, I would have said that mirrorless cameras do not have a full-frame sensor. But Sony corrected this by releasing the A7 series cameras. They have matrices that are not inferior to those used in SLR cameras. We have already talked about matrices more than once; there is no need to repeat ourselves.
• Systematicity. For some reason, many people call mirrorless cameras system cameras, forgetting that DSLR cameras also belong to this class. This is the similarity between DSLRs and mirrorless cameras - these are system cameras that feature interchangeable optics.

What's better? DSLR or mirrorless?

There is no clear answer to this question. Everyone must make their choice based on their needs. My opinion is that DSLR cameras today are still too much superior to mirrorless cameras. For me personally, when choosing a camera, the most important criteria are speed (focusing, switching on), a wide selection of optics and price (both for the camera and lenses). Yes, you don’t always want to take a huge mirror set with you. It's better to have a choice. For example, for large (long, important, etc.) filming, have a DSLR, but for the soul - something small, maybe not even a mirrorless camera, but a compact camera like Fuji x100s or the like. But if you choose one single camera, then again, I would choose a DSLR. But that's just my opinion. What would you choose?

Articles

Not long ago, 2 types of cameras were presented on the market: DSLRs and point-and-shoot cameras. The first - SLR cameras - were aimed at professionals. Point-and-shoot cameras - ordinary digital cameras - were suitable for the amateur part of buyers; they were distinguished by an automatic shooting mode and did not allow owners to realize " creative potential"(actually, even with a cheap point-and-shoot camera you can take beautiful creative pictures, that's why this phrase is in quotes).

Recently, the afterbirth appeared on the market new class devices are intermediate cameras between point-and-shoot cameras and DSLRs. They are called mirrorless cameras and have detachable lenses. If we compare their technical parameters and image quality, they can easily compete with well-known semi-professional and certainly amateur-level DSLRs. With all this, they are much cheaper, which caused a great stir in the market and increased their popularity. And even today, when buying a camera, users ask the question: what is better: a DSLR or a mirrorless camera.

SLR camera design

The difference between a DSLR and a mirrorless camera is primarily the use of a mirror and pentaprism system (3). Here the mirror (1) is needed to direct light into the viewfinder (2). As soon as the user presses the button, the shutter is released and the mirror rises. Next, the light flux changes its direction - instead of the viewfinder, it hits the surface of the matrix (4). Numbered (5) are phase sensors necessary for focusing the optics.

The advantage of this design is obvious - the picture that the user sees in the viewfinder is transferred to the matrix without distortion, and the picture is obtained exactly as in the viewfinder. Plus, the SLR camera has a huge number of settings, which, in turn, provides creative opportunities for the user. It is also possible to use fast phase detection autofocus, which, along with the optical viewfinder, will allow you to capture the right moment.




In principle, it’s clear with a DSLR camera: this is primarily a professional device, although Lately models for beginners have appeared on the market. They are cheaper, but they do not have the best optics, and the functionality is a little limited. First of all, they are equipped with convenient controls and, most importantly, an automatic shooting mode.

Mirrorless camera design

It is easy to guess that the idea that underlies this technology involves the abandonment of the mirror. Olympus and Panasonic are the first manufacturers of these hybrid cameras. Although recently a lot of them have appeared on the market, and they have successfully proven that they are capable of providing healthy competition to DSLRs.




The main difference is in the design: in a SLR camera, the light flux is directed to a mirror with a pentaprism, then to the viewfinder; when the shutter is released, the direction changes and the flux hits the light-sensitive matrix. In the mirrorless version, the light flux immediately hits the matrix (1). Here, preview is possible thanks to the processor (2) reading the image directly from the matrix. The image read by the processor is displayed on the electronic viewfinder, which is a simple LCD display (3).




Advantages and disadvantages

First of all, I would like to note: the idea of ​​removing the mirror viewfinder from the design and replacing it with a processor with an electronic viewfinder looks good, and it even has its advantages. First of all, the advantages relate to the dimensions: mirrorless cameras are more compact, so their owners can take these devices with them for a walk. DSLRs lose in this regard - they are large, and it is not always convenient to carry this device with you, even in a special bag.

However, compactness is not always good. DSLRs are very comfortable to hold due to their large size, but the grip of a mirrorless camera is not always comfortable.

About matrices

Soap dishes often use light-sensitive matrices, which in terms of characteristics are much inferior to the sensors used in DSLRs. Mirrorless devices also use sensors, just like DSLRs. This allows you to take pictures of excellent quality. However, mirrorless cameras cannot use full-frame matrices, but they are often not needed. Full frame sensors are required for exceptional shooting situations, therefore, this is a very dubious plus in favor of SLR cameras.

Viewfinder

The matrix does not have the advantages of any camera... well, almost none. But the viewfinder is a big plus for a SLR camera. The optical viewfinder allows you to observe the picture as it is in any lighting conditions, without distortion, which ultimately allows you to get the “right shot.”

Mirrorless cameras use an electronic viewfinder, or display. It often displays images with delays.

And the resolution of this display is much lower than the resolution of the human eye. And in general, limited illumination is a big problem with the electronic viewfinder - the picture is clogged with noise and grain appears. In short, according to this criterion, DSLRs have no competition, because it is much easier to catch the right moment with the eye than with an electronic display.

Auto Focus Autofocus in mirrorless cameras is a problem.

Partly thanks to the enormous efforts of manufacturers, the problem of autofocus in mirrorless cameras has been resolved, but it is still not completely solved. The fact is that mirrorless cameras use contrast autofocus (these are the design features), while SLR cameras use phase autofocus. That is, focusing here is carried out by the processor when the image hits the matrix and its subsequent analysis.

Studies have shown that phase focusing used in DSLRs is much superior in accuracy and speed to contrast focusing, therefore, the DSLR greatly benefits in this parameter.

Optics

Both cameras have interchangeable optics, but DSLRs have a much wider range of interchangeable optics in their arsenal. Mirrorless cameras are limited in this regard, but it’s worth understanding that they have recently appeared on the market and the range of lenses for mirrorless cameras is growing. It is likely that in 2-3 years the range of optics for these devices will be as huge as for DSLRs. So, although this is an advantage in favor of SLR cameras, it is temporary.

Autonomy and power consumption

Mirrorless cameras “eat” battery energy quite quickly: there is an LCD display (electronic viewfinder), a processor, an image analyzer, and a light-sensitive matrix. As a result, the battery drains quickly, and this is where a mirrorless camera loses to a DSLR camera.

Moreover, DSLR cameras have a larger design, which allows them to use a battery with more power. In fact, one SLR camera can last longer than 2 mirrorless cameras.

It’s difficult to give preference to one or another device, but it’s worth a try. Technically, a DSLR is still superior to a mirrorless camera, but the latter is cheaper. If you need a good camera for amateur photography, then you can easily limit yourself to a mirrorless camera. If you plan to learn the art of photography, then in any case, sooner or later you will need a SLR camera with good optics, and the capabilities of a mirrorless camera will not be enough. In this case, you will need a DSLR camera.