As time goes by, newer technologies keep popping up every now and then. Same applies to photography as mirrorless cameras bring a wave of refreshment in digital cameras which was previously dominated by DSLR’s.

As of 2019, mirrorless cameras have improved a lot and are almost on par, if not ahead of their DSLR counterparts. A mirrorless camera has a lot of benefits to it.

Let’s break these down.

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Size

Mirrorless cameras as the name suggests, are much smaller in size because, unlike DSLR’s, they don’t have to house any moving mechanisms for mirrors.

Mirrorless cameras are totally electronic. This means that the camera is smaller, lighter and easier to carry around as compared to a DSLR.

Usability

Mirrorless cameras are the absolute victors here. These cameras have superior software as compared to DSLRs and tend to be very user-friendly.

Even absolute beginners feel at ease when handling mirrorless cameras. They have excellent support features built in and the in-camera AI really helps in making the most out of the camera.

Features

Mirrorless cameras offer some really useful features for all levels of photography.

The biggest feature is the electronic viewfinder. Since the camera is completely electronic, the viewfinder is electronic too. This is a big help for any photographer, beginner or advanced.

Not only framing the shot and setting the camera is easier, mirrorless cameras often have a lot of cool AI functionality built into them which makes things like autofocus work like a charm.

Battery life

A DSLR has less electronic parts and screens to power and therefore, usually lasts longer than a mirrorless camera.

The EVF (Electronic ViewFinder) on mirrorless cameras causes a huge battery drain along with all the other fancy features that run in the background.

However, mirrorless batteries are cheap and smaller as compared to DSLR batteries and hence you can always carry more of them.

Extensions/Accessories

If you’re stripped for cash, DSLRs take the win here.

DSLRs have been around for a while now and hence the technology involved with them has evolved well. Not only DSLR lens and accessories are comparatively cheaper than mirrorless cameras, but they also tend to perform better.

Mirrorless lenses are more expensive and produce marginally inferior results. However, mirrorless technology has been catching up.

Which one should you buy?

Mirrorless cameras are no doubt the direction in which cameras are headed.

While they have a bunch of features that make them a really tempting buy. However, keep in mind that DSLRs still perform really well and produce amazing quality images and videos at what sometimes is the quarter of the price of a mirrorless.

DSLRs are still good contenders and provide value for money. You need to be really picky about what mirrorless camera you choose. With DSLRs, you can work with pretty much everything.

At this point in time, either of them will fetch you great results. It comes down to personal preferences, requirements and/or budgets which camera you choose.

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