Let me blow my Trumpet first, that I said some years back "The world of photography will be taken over by Mirrorless cameras from SLR cameras".
Where did I say that? To my friends, in our website "photos2net.com", does not work now and we have lost so many photos there (Adi/Sukhendu, are you reading?).
This Trumpet is not like of those politicians, here is how. I shall be explaining the reasons of me favouring Mirrorless cameras over SLR cameras. So that it helps others to in their camera selection process.
One more point to make before I delve in to the core topic, I have written the word digital in bracket in the subject just to highlight a fact that film cameras also have the same difference in design between SLR and mirrorless cameras. But mirrorless film cameras (serious ones) lost to SLR for various other reason which is not part of this post
Mirrorless cameras - MC
SLR - Single Lens Reflex (cameras that have a mirror and a pentamirror/prism mechanism)
SOF - Septh Of Field
BenefitS -
1) Size -
a) Just because MCs do not have to have the housing for prism and the mirror, they have the flexibility to lean the body depth as long as optical physics say YES. So one of three dimension (length/breadth/width) are reduced.
b) If the camera does not need to have an EVF (electronic view finder), the depth can be even lesser.
c) Since optical design restriction of a prism, mirror in relation to the image circle size is not coming in the design consideration, EVF can be smaller.
With the mirror gone, MC bodies have shrunk their body height and width as well. Cameras like Sony NEX3 series, Alpha 6K series are so small that normal human being can't hold them like the way they used to hold SLRs. Is too small good, I think yes as being small they become go everywhere camera. What is the point of having a camera if I can't carry it everywhere. NEX3 is about the size of a pack of cards. That beuty is still with me for last 7 years. It is performing superb!
Nobody think this camera has an APS sensor inside it, so mobody bother about me on the street even when the body is of colour of Aluminium.
The biggest benefit of size is enjoyed by those medium format MC cameras like Fujis and Hassleblads. Aha, what a joy they are to use.
2) Weight - This is easy, less size end up in less weight. And who won't accept a lighter camera to do the same job. A Sony alpha 6000 weighs
3) EVF -
q) Yes, it is a benefit. Now. Today's EVFs are so good that you can have the feel of looking through a top class full frame SLR camera with pentaprism. I believe all current EVFs are much more pleasure to look at than the current pentamirror tunnel vision that APS dSLRs are offering.
I recently used a Pentax K1 and I know my Alpha 7 RII is far better in the low light.
b) EVFs give real time preview of the output. Even a DOF preview in optical viewfinder can't match that.
c) EVFs boost low light situation in the view finder, so that the photographer can see comfortably. The low light situations where earlier we used to shoot by meter scale on lens can now actually focus manually (if we want to).
4) Less mechanical movement -
a) Less moving item, the mirror, the biggest mass of inertia that a photographer worry which causes shake in photos. Omitting this has enabled photographer to shoot in much lower shutter speeds than we used to dare.
b) Cameras have become more discreet as they sound less now with lesser moving mechanical items.. This is not universally true but mostly so. With first curtain as electronic shutter, sounds have reduced and cameras are more unobtrusive. Some cameras have option of shooting in electronic shutter mode only which means those cameras are absolutely silent.
c) With lesser moving objects, cameras have more life assurance than it used to be. Which helps me suggesting you all to buy used cameras with less worries. I have so far bought just four new camera in my lifetime of photography, rest 20+ of mine are bought from somebody else and sold to some one else as well. All we users of those cameras are still happy. Well, by logic, I buy used cameras anyway even in those film days.
Dis-advantages -
They are reducing as I write but still are there...some.
1) Battery life - to make MC bodies small, the battery takes the hit. So, MC cameras can not shoot as long as an SLR can. It is getting better now and at the same time MC cameras that are trying to catch SLRs in their field of speed and battery life are getting bigger and heavier as well. Saying that, these full frame MCs are still lighter, smaller than SLRs, yet they still have the form factors considered for a human hand to operate them.
2) Focusing speed - It used to be slow, it still is slow in small APS size sensor MC bodies. But Sony Alpha 9 has broken the barrier and is challenging the beast of SLRs nowadays in the field of sports, bird and wildlife photography.
Gist -
Go ahead, buy and use MC cameras. They are the next generation of advancement in photography. SLRs have the fate of diminishing existence. Exactly what they did to medium and large format cameras in the last century.
Tips - Sell off your SLRs before their price reduce to bottom low.
Where did I say that? To my friends, in our website "photos2net.com", does not work now and we have lost so many photos there (Adi/Sukhendu, are you reading?).
This Trumpet is not like of those politicians, here is how. I shall be explaining the reasons of me favouring Mirrorless cameras over SLR cameras. So that it helps others to in their camera selection process.
One more point to make before I delve in to the core topic, I have written the word digital in bracket in the subject just to highlight a fact that film cameras also have the same difference in design between SLR and mirrorless cameras. But mirrorless film cameras (serious ones) lost to SLR for various other reason which is not part of this post
Mirrorless cameras - MC
SLR - Single Lens Reflex (cameras that have a mirror and a pentamirror/prism mechanism)
SOF - Septh Of Field
BenefitS -
1) Size -
a) Just because MCs do not have to have the housing for prism and the mirror, they have the flexibility to lean the body depth as long as optical physics say YES. So one of three dimension (length/breadth/width) are reduced.
b) If the camera does not need to have an EVF (electronic view finder), the depth can be even lesser.
c) Since optical design restriction of a prism, mirror in relation to the image circle size is not coming in the design consideration, EVF can be smaller.
With the mirror gone, MC bodies have shrunk their body height and width as well. Cameras like Sony NEX3 series, Alpha 6K series are so small that normal human being can't hold them like the way they used to hold SLRs. Is too small good, I think yes as being small they become go everywhere camera. What is the point of having a camera if I can't carry it everywhere. NEX3 is about the size of a pack of cards. That beuty is still with me for last 7 years. It is performing superb!
Nobody think this camera has an APS sensor inside it, so mobody bother about me on the street even when the body is of colour of Aluminium.
The biggest benefit of size is enjoyed by those medium format MC cameras like Fujis and Hassleblads. Aha, what a joy they are to use.
2) Weight - This is easy, less size end up in less weight. And who won't accept a lighter camera to do the same job. A Sony alpha 6000 weighs
3) EVF -
q) Yes, it is a benefit. Now. Today's EVFs are so good that you can have the feel of looking through a top class full frame SLR camera with pentaprism. I believe all current EVFs are much more pleasure to look at than the current pentamirror tunnel vision that APS dSLRs are offering.
I recently used a Pentax K1 and I know my Alpha 7 RII is far better in the low light.
b) EVFs give real time preview of the output. Even a DOF preview in optical viewfinder can't match that.
c) EVFs boost low light situation in the view finder, so that the photographer can see comfortably. The low light situations where earlier we used to shoot by meter scale on lens can now actually focus manually (if we want to).
4) Less mechanical movement -
a) Less moving item, the mirror, the biggest mass of inertia that a photographer worry which causes shake in photos. Omitting this has enabled photographer to shoot in much lower shutter speeds than we used to dare.
b) Cameras have become more discreet as they sound less now with lesser moving mechanical items.. This is not universally true but mostly so. With first curtain as electronic shutter, sounds have reduced and cameras are more unobtrusive. Some cameras have option of shooting in electronic shutter mode only which means those cameras are absolutely silent.
c) With lesser moving objects, cameras have more life assurance than it used to be. Which helps me suggesting you all to buy used cameras with less worries. I have so far bought just four new camera in my lifetime of photography, rest 20+ of mine are bought from somebody else and sold to some one else as well. All we users of those cameras are still happy. Well, by logic, I buy used cameras anyway even in those film days.
Dis-advantages -
They are reducing as I write but still are there...some.
1) Battery life - to make MC bodies small, the battery takes the hit. So, MC cameras can not shoot as long as an SLR can. It is getting better now and at the same time MC cameras that are trying to catch SLRs in their field of speed and battery life are getting bigger and heavier as well. Saying that, these full frame MCs are still lighter, smaller than SLRs, yet they still have the form factors considered for a human hand to operate them.
2) Focusing speed - It used to be slow, it still is slow in small APS size sensor MC bodies. But Sony Alpha 9 has broken the barrier and is challenging the beast of SLRs nowadays in the field of sports, bird and wildlife photography.
Gist -
Go ahead, buy and use MC cameras. They are the next generation of advancement in photography. SLRs have the fate of diminishing existence. Exactly what they did to medium and large format cameras in the last century.
Tips - Sell off your SLRs before their price reduce to bottom low.
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