What is a Mirrorless Camera?

The name mirrorless means that it doesn’t have the mirror you find in the DSLR structure to view and take pictures.

To understand mirrorless technology, you will have to grasp the mirrored counterpart of this product. The DSLR is also called a mirrored camera as it works through the Digital Single Lens Reflex process. There is a mirror in the structure that takes all the light from the lens and sends it to the viewfinder, which shows you the area where you have pointed your camera. The light coming from the lens is bounced to the viewfinder to show you the real-time direction and what you will get after pressing the button. Once you have chosen the location and right moment to take the picture, this very mirror will reflect the light towards the shutter, which has a digital sensor in the dark at its back. The shutter will open up the way to the sensor, and you will have a blackout in the viewfinder.

On the other hand, the mirrorless technology allows the digital sensor to get exposed directly to all the light coming through the lens. While the electronic viewfinder or the screen at the back of the camera will show you the real-time picture, you will get it after pressing the button.

The mirrorless cameras are not that much old as the first product was launched back in 2004. Since then, technological advancement has made mirrorless cameras soar higher in terms of demand and performance for photographers worldwide. These mirrorless cameras offer interchangeable lenses and provide you with robot performance in low light and high-speed photography. The chips and sensors in the mirrorless cameras offer you award-winning performance. Various big names in the photography industry believe more in their mirrorless cameras than the other famous substitutes.

 

Difference between a mirrorless Camera and DSLR

The absence of a mirror in the mirrorless camera is not the only difference you will have in the product when you compare it with the DSLR camera. Let’s have a deep insight into the two rivals’ key differences in the photography industry that is forcing the manufacturers of both products to come up with the most robust ad innovative products with higher specifications and performance levels in their every new model.

Size and Weight

The size and weight of the products is the most significant selling point. The mirrorless cameras have no mirror, which allows the manufacturer to make them in a compact structure that is lightweight and easy to use. The mirrorless cameras are the prized possessions of photographers who love to use compact and lightweight cameras in a dynamic environment.

But there are still some mirrorless cameras that are as bulky and heavyweight as their counterparts. These cameras offer you the ease to handle them with bigger and bulky lenses. If you want to s a big lens with heavy construction, the lightweight camera will make it difficult to balance the whole structure. That`s why professional photographers tend to use bigger lenses and choose DSLR cameras or mirrorless cameras with heavy structure and construction.

Price

DSLR wins the battle of price on the entry-level cameras. The features and specifications in the DSLR structure’s entry-level cameras are quite fewer than the mirrorless cameras. The features and traits you get in DSLR cameras at a lower price make them more user-friendly and let the users go for them more often in various models. Mirrorless camera manufacturers are also finding ways to reduce the price of their entry-level cameras to make them more diffused in the market.

But when it is about the professional level completion on price, both the cameras become the same regarding the price and value. You get almost the same kinds of specifications, and sensor power is almost identical. The mirrorless cameras offer the same robust performance in the price you get the DSLR camera for professional use.

Lenses

DSLR cameras have ruled the industry with the side range of lenses available for your different needs. The mirrorless cameras are not that much old, and the lens range is not that much wider and significant comparing their counterparts. The people who wanted to use various lenses loved to go for a DSLR camera.

But now, things are taking a dramatic turn. The MFT technology had made the mirrorless lenses catch up with speed and compete with the DSLR lenses. But with the help of adapters from the manufacturers’ store now, you can use any of the DSLR lenses with your mirrorless camera to compete in performance, quality, and innovation in the pictures or video captured from the mirrorless camera.

Battery Life

The smaller structure of the mirrorless cameras forces the manufacturers to make smaller batteries to accommodate the compact structure. The sensor remains active, even on standby, which is also an added burden to the battery. This is the domain where the DSLR camera leaves the mirrorless miles behind.

The mirrorless camera manufacturers offering low price extra batteries to beat the issue and heat over this feature. But the extra inconvenience of carrying this much load on some longer stretches makes photographers annoyed. If you are good with this extra battery option, you can go for the mirrorless cameras; otherwise, the DSLR camera could be your thing in terms of extended battery power.

Viewfinder

This is the most discussed feature of mirrorless cameras. When you view the scene from the eyepiece of a DSLR camera, the viewfinder shows you the picture you are getting from the lens. There is no addition of ISO or other features to make you able to see the real-time result you will witness after taking the picture.

On the other hand, the mirrorless camera doesn’t have a mirror to reflect the light to the viewfinder. Rather, it uses electronic signals to convert the light into a digital image infused with all the camera’s power and performance. The electronic viewfinder or the LCD shows you the real-time picture you will capture after pressing the button.

The electronic viewfinder helps the photographer adjust the angle and camera according to their choice and get the best picture possible.

Who can use a mirrorless camera?

Mirrorless cameras are the most worthy competitors of DSLR cameras. With advancements in technology and interchangeable lenses, mirrorless cameras have moved the way up to the ladder and become the most prized possessions of some award-winning photographers. Some might say that mirrorless cameras could replace DSLR from the competition. Following is the list of the people who could or are suing mirrorless cameras to satisfy their needs for a high-end camera:

Photography aspirants

Various entry-level mirrorless cameras offer the most robust performance at an affordable price for people who want to start a photography career or want to take their hobby to the next level.

Most of the time, you find it difficult to hold the bigger body and apprehend features. The mirrorless cameras for consumers offer you the perfect solution for such situations. These models are equipped with the basic features and specifications that would help you learn the skills and techniques and better understand the features of the products in use.

Photography students

When you are a student of photography, the entry-level camera might not be a good option. Prosumer level mirrorless cameras are the best pick for such a situation. The students who want to learn photography and want to extend their limits and possibility will do great with these models. This category’s mirrorless cameras offer the most required features, ISO, and megapixel capabilities to people.

As the students learn more about the light, ISO, and other important aspects of a photograph, these mirrorless cameras with lightweight, sturdy construction will also stay by their side in their journey.

Wildlife photographers

The slim and sturdy construction with minimal sound is the signature of the mirrorless cameras. These products don’t make much noise when comparing them with DSLR cameras of the same capabilities. The almost silent feature of the mirrorless cameras makes them an ultimate weapon for shooting in the wild.

When you want to capture images of the animals in their natural habitat, you need a lightweight and compact camera that makes almost no noise to startle the subjects. These models with interchangeable lens capability are getting more popular in wildlife photographers for their high-end performance and low-light remarkable results.

Event photographers

If you are an event photographer, you would love the lightweight camera in a compact structure that doesn’t compromise the picture quality at all. The mirrorless cameras are offering robust performance for the photographers in the dynamic environment. No matter you want to capture the moments, emotions, or faces, the mirrorless cameras are there to offer you a wide range of practical features and powerful specifications.

These products work great when you compare them with the high-end DSLR. You don’t have to worry about making a tradeoff in terms of picture quality or performance. The latest inventions and sensors have made mirrorless cameras a worthy opponent to DSLRs, forcing more and more photographers to switch to them and leave the idea of DSLR for good.

Fashion and consumer industry

The viewfinder in the DSLR doesn’t show you the real-time picture you will get after the click. The DSLR cameras only show you the scene which is in your focus. The ISO, light, and other variations that the sensors and chips will incorporate into the picture remain hidden. You only get to see the picture with full feature infusion only after you have captured it. This feature forces you to do re-takes, and in some cases, the re-takes are not real possibilities, and you miss the moment and end-up having the picture you didn’t have in mind.

On the other hand, with the mirrorless camera, you get to see the real picture you will get after the click. So you can adjust the ISO and other features according to your requirements and make the perfect click every time you press the button. This feature has made fashion photographers, and industrial photographers extend their limit and go beyond traditional photography limits.

Various other useful features in the mirrorless cameras offer the same robust performance as DSLR during industrial photography, making them increase the demand and reclaim more ground in the industry.

Is it worth it for everyday use?

When you want to use costly and high-end performing mirrorless cameras, this could not be considered a wise move in photographers’ eyes. But some inexpensive entry-level cameras offer you great performance and ease of use with preset features and control over the product.

The entry-level cameras are called consumer cameras; they come in an affordable price range and are sturdy products to be used daily. The prosumer cameras offer a higher performance level and control on the model with some extra features and capabilities. The prosumer cameras are not to be used on your daily photo sprees.

Finally, there are professional level cameras that offer you robust performance and innovative features. Their high specifications, enhanced sensors, and worthy price tag make them the most loved models for professional photographers. You won’t take the risk of using these expensive products on your daily random clicks.

History of Mirrorless Cameras

It doesn’t matter whether you like mirrorless cameras or not. The products have been leaving their mark for the past many years in the industry. And when you talk about the first mirrorless camera and how it reached the current status by taking small yet innovative steps. You must know about some of the industry’s breakthroughs how they contributed to shaping the current models as they are today.

First mirrorless camera

Epson R-D1: When you talk about the first mirrorless camera, you would be surprised to know that a printer manufacturer company introduced the first mirrorless camera. The camera was launched back in 2004. It is not that much distant time when you talk about history. But when you are talking about the latest inventions in the industry, 10 to 15 years can make a huge difference in the products and technology. The mirrorless camera came with 6.1 megapixels, and it offered interchangeable lens capability. 6000 ISO range and 1:1 optical viewfinder combined with the fixed LCD of 2.5 inches coupled with mirrorless technology made it the most innovative product of that time. And it was offered at the staggering price of $2999.

10 Megapixels and powerful shutter speed

Leica M8: Leica offered a successor in the mirrorless technology at a staggering $5,500. The all-metal body was designed to provide the retro look but the new technology and the most powerful specifications of that time made it the perfect choice for people. The camera offered 10.3 megapixels with the same 2.5-inch LCD. The camera offered 800-2,500 ISO. The most powerful feature was a shutter speed of 1/8,000 a second. The camera paved the way for advancement and allowed other manufactures to offer something more than this to make their way into the mirrorless category.

MFT and Autofocus

Panasonic Lumix G1: Micro Four Thirds (MFT) became the industry standard for mirrorless cameras after August 2008. Panasonic and Olympus created this technology which helped them reduce the size of the camera body, and it also allowed them to use various lenses. The lens’s capacity could get doubled because of the aspect ratio and the distance involved. September 2008 saw the rise of Panasonic’s Lumix G1. It was infused and incorporated with the latest Micro Four Third technology that made it compact and lightweight without compromising the image quality.

It was the first camera that had MFT at that time. 100-1,600 ISO, staggering three-inch high-resolution LCD made it the most powerful mirrorless camera at that time. Optical image stabilization made the images look stunning and marvelous. This is not all; it was also the first camera with autofocus capability, and all of that was tagged only $800. Now that was something serious; anyone could afford the high-resolution compact camera with autofocus and was first to have MFT incorporated.

This camera didn’t have much comparing today, but it was the first to offer MFT and autofocus, which changed the mirrorless camera industry forever.

720p HD video

Olympus E-P1: After that, Olympus also made the MFT camera launched at the price of $800. But it was far more advanced than the previous models. The camera only weighed 335 grams, and it was dubbed as a digital pen by the company. The product had staggering 12.3 megapixels live MOS sensor for a high-quality picture. 100-6,400 ISO range with the 11 point focus system makes it stand tall in the mirrorless camera industry. The hallmark of this product in the category was to provide 720p HD video recording capability. This revolutionized the industry and how the other manufacturers had to meet a higher standard in the mirrorless camera industry.

Ultra-compact 7fps continuous shooting

Sony NEX series: 200-12,800 ISO and 25 point autofocus with 14.2 megapixels were the specifications of both NEX-3 and NEX-5. The cameras didn’t incorporate MFT as the company offered its range of interchangeable lenses. 7fps continuous shooting with face detection was the hallmark of the cameras. Both the models were offered at a staggeringly low price, and they offered high-quality images and videos.

The main difference in both models’ video was that the Sony NEX-3 was capable of capturing videos at 720p while NEX-5 moved one step further and offered video capturing at 1080p quality. The ultra-compact NEX-3 and Nex-5 cameras were offered at the mouthwatering rice of $550 and $700, respectively. And it wasn’t much at the time when comparing the specifications and features with the other products available.

Full-frame CMOS sensors with autofocus

Sony’s Alpha 7 and 7R: APS-C and Micro Four Thirds sensors were the industry standard back in 2013. But the launch of Alpha changed the game for good. These models from Sony offered full-frame CMOS sensors with autofocus capability.

Alpha 7 featured 24.3 megapixels, while Alpha 7R came with 36.4 megapixels. ISO of 25,600 max, 5fps continuous shooting. These cameras are responsible for making Sony a giant in the mirrorless industry. These models offer more to customers in photos and video capturing. The cameras wryer launched when people need maximum out of the mirrorless cameras, and these models filled the void with their high-end performance and remarkable result.

Giant medium-format megapixel sensors

Fujifilm GFX series: from 2016 to 2019 GFX series had ruled the mirrorless industry with only a few competitors to cope with. The GFX 50S camera was not a random mirrorless camera that you could use on your daily sprees. This model offered more than extra, and it broke the norm of the mirrorless industry. The camera was launched at an enormous amount of $6500. GFX 50S made it evident that a mirrorless camera shouldn’t stick to the compact signature and full-frame design. The high-end performance of the camera changed everything in the industry.

2018 saw the rise of GFR 50R with a 51.4-megapixel medium-format sensor, along with the most loved GFX 100. The latter offered 100 megapixels which lead the GFX to a whole new level. The cameras were the most love models by the photographers, and many professional players loved to take pictures from this model. 4K video-recording at 30 fps was incorporated in 2019, and the company seems to know that there is always room for improvement.

 

Latest improvements in the mirrorless camera

Zebra Stripes

As the name suggests, this is the new feature in the mirrorless cameras that allows the photographers to view the pictures or videos’ overexposed areas during filming. This feature helps the photographer mediate the light and look for ways to mitigate the light exposure that could ruin your picture or affect the video’s quality.

Live Histogram

Most of the latest mirrorless cameras offer this feature that shows you the number of pixels in light and darkness in the picture. The live histogram presents you with the graphical representation of the light-infused pixels you will capture in the image and how they will affect the picture quality. There are three different measurements in the histogram.

First of all, the right side shows the number of bright pixels in the image you will capture. And the second thing on the right side offers you the information on the number of dark pixels in your picture. Finally, the histogram’s height will let you know about the amount of light available in the click.

Preview for Night Photography

A preview feature is a handy option you get from a mirrorless camera. The latest addition to the mirrorless cameras is the lowlight and night light image preview that incorporates the ISO and other settings and shows you the real image which you are going to get after the click.

An example will make it easy to understand how much useful this feature is. If you are outside in the open and trying to capture the picture of the Milky Way. The viewfinder will show you nothing as the pentamirror and prism will not reflect much light. After taking higher ISO infused pictures, only the results will show you the camera’s location and where you should place it. This might take hours to get the right angle ad to have a perfect click.

But with the preview from the mirrorless camera, you can get the real-time image that you will get before even taking the real picture. This feature will help you place the camera to get the right angle, and within minutes, you might get an award-winning photo of the Milky Way or, the least case, the most satisfying picture of the Milky Way to feast your eyes.

Low Light Focusing

When you have a low light setting getting a perfect focus for your pictures becomes a painstaking venture for the photographers at night. The DSLR cameras don’t offer satisfying results during the night and low light settings. On the other hand, when you have a mirrorless camera, the viewfinder allows you to place the camera at the exact location. The robust sensors and features allow you to get the right focus in the least time possible and get as many clicks as you want of the area you are interested in.

Size

The real difference between a DSLR camera and the mirrorless camera is their size. This is a myth that professionals don’t use mirrorless cameras for their professional photography. Various renowned photographers around the globe are using mirrorless cameras and are clicking award-winning photos.

No doubt, the size of mirrorless cameras is comparatively less than the DSLR cameras. The absence of a mirror to reflect the light to viewfinder makes them compact and more useful for people from all the different walks of the background. These mirrorless cameras are easy to carry and use thanks to the compact and sturdy structure that fits in backpacks more easily, and people love to use them because of easy maneuvering and less weight to hold.

High Burst Rate

There is a buffer in the camera that holds the photos before saving them in the memory. And the number of pictures that you can store in the buffer is called the burst rate. Various mirrorless cameras offer more than 10 to 15 frames per second. But the advancement in technology has made Nikon 1 V3 accommodate 20 frames per second. The higher burst rate provides you with a preview of every picture taken during the process.

Since there is no mirror to flip and provide focus, the mirrorless cameras don’t blackout while taking photos, and you get a preview of every picture during the burst shots. The higher burst rate amazes the photographers with high-quality images with robust autofocus, which doesn’t allow the speed to compromise the focus and message of the picture.

Video Autofocus

The latest cameras are coming infused with the feature of autofocus during video recording. When you compare this feature with the DSLR camera, the primary autofocus gets blocked because of the flipped mirror during the video. And the robust feature in the mirrorless cameras makes them the only choice for professional photographers who want to use them for high-quality video recording without nay focus issue.

Facial Recognition

When your camera knows where the face is, taking the face focused pictures becomes a piece of cake, even for beginners. The white balance feature works on selecting the contrast and fixing the exposure accordingly. But when there are not many color differences, this feature will do you no good, and the quality of the click will be compromised.

But when you incorporate the white balance option with facial recognition, you ensure a high-quality image with a focus on faces. The background will be of the exact contrast and color combination you want it to be.

Robust Lenses

The DSLR cameras are famous for high-quality, robust lenses that provide over the chart performance and are crucial for an award-winning photo. The mirrorless cameras didn’t have that much privilege of getting robust lenses for some technical and tricky shots in the past.

But the advancement in technology and the latest lenses offer the most robust attachments to the mirrorless cameras that make them stand side by side with the most promising DSLR cameras. Now you don’t have to worry about not finding the right type of lens for your favorite shot. This is the reason that most professional photographers are moving towards the mirrorless option and leaving DSLR behind.

Wrapping up

The first mirrorless camera was launched in 2004, and since then, every new model had offered something dramatic to the mirrorless camera line. The latest trends in mirrorless products have made them stand side by side with the DSLR cameras, which once ruled the photography industry by every means possible.

The mirrorless cameras are getting more ground in the industry, and they are becoming a popular choice for professionals and photography aspirants. You get all the features, power, and specifications you want from a high-end camera. The mirrorless cameras were lacking a wide variety of lenses. Still, the availability of lens adaptors is making them able to use all the famous and practical DSLR lenses like a piece of cake.

If you are going to purchase a new camera, whether professional or prosumer requirements, it would be great to read about mirrorless cameras. Try them to extend your limits and have fun with the most robust and breathtaking pictures you could ever imagine.