I recently read an article on Medium about how a mirrorless camera should not be your next upgrade after having owned DSLRs. Now, I’m not sure whether this author has ever shot on mirrorless, but I’ve never disagreed with an author more. If you ever have the opportunity to shoot and experience a mirrorless camera for an extended period of time, you will almost never want to go back to shooting on a DSLR. For professional work, especially, mirrorless is definitely here to stay, and I have little to no reason to look backward.
And an upgrade to mirrorless is evitable after all. Given many camera brands are only now releasing mirrorless bodies, the end of the DSLR from a manufacturer’s standpoint is very much looming if not already happening. But the future is now, and if you need a new camera, it should be mirrorless. Here’s why:
The Beauty of an Electronic Viewfinder
Some photographers like the romantic notion of looking through the viewfinder and seeing what the lens sees, thanks to the usage of mirrors reflecting the light into your eyes. But once you use an electric viewfinder, you’ll quickly realize the utility of it.
The electronic viewfinder sees exactly what lands on the sensor because it is, after all, a direct projection of what the sensor sees. The great benefit of this is that you basically get all the pleasures of using “live-view,” meaning that you get to see your exposure in real-time. For me, I now never use the exposure meter to judge my settings because I can, for the most part, see how these settings are directly affecting the final image. On mirrorless, you will hardly ever get your exposure wrong because you can see it before you even take a picture.
Having an electric viewfinder also means that you can overlay whatever you want. If you need histograms or a level in your viewfinder, you’ve got that. No more having to see the back of your screen. You can look into the EVF and see everything you could possibly need. In some modes, there is also no longer a viewfinder blackout.
One complaint people might have, however, is that the EVF can be choppy because some of them only project at 60fps or so. I’ve never really felt odd looking at a 60fps image through the viewfinder, and many new mirrorless cameras are actually projecting at 120fps through the EVF. So any kind of “motion sickness” with the EVF is not too much of a problem, and you get used to it very quickly.
Smaller Construction
Mirrorless cameras are naturally smaller since they don’t have a big bulky mirror in the middle. This makes traveling and moving about with a mirrorless camera a lot easier than a DSLR.
Especially with a light lens, going about your street or vacation photography is simply a breeze with something much lighter. Even in an event, a lighter camera makes you far more agile and makes you fatigue a lot less. A lot of people are also a lot less timid when they see your mirrorless camera instead of a big DSLR, so they are more inclined to be more candid and natural.
There are some photographers, however, that are scared of not looking professional with a mirrorless camera. If you think like this, you’re probably more insecure about your work than your camera if I’m honest. If you’re providing a solid end product in an efficient manner, it doesn’t matter what the gear you use looks like. It’s about what the final delivery of your content looks like. That’s what your clients are paying for.
If you want to make your mirrorless camera look more professional, there are grips and expensive lenses you can slap onto it that’ll make absolutely no one question your prowess as a photographer. But seriously, if looking un-professional is your concern with a mirrorless camera, you need to re-evaluate. If you have a solid portfolio that your potential clients like, and a mirrorless camera produced or could have produced that content, what does it matter?
Of course, if you need a heavyweight construction for intense action sports like the Canon 1DX line or you happen to drop your camera every once in a while, then sure, get a DSLR as your next upgrade. However, the construction of mirrorless cameras is just as good as DSLRs are. Build quality is hardly an issue, and many brands have also taken the time to ensure nice, deep grips for handling. But in all honestly, does size really matter?
The Autofocus is Superb
A mirrorless camera does not miss. It might have missed autofocus a few years ago, but today, they do not miss. After having used the Canon eye-autofocus for the past few months, it is the best thing that has ever happened to my photo-taking process.
The autofocus points on mirrorless take up the whole frame, so you don’t need to compose around your autofocus points. Also, say goodbye to focus-recompose too. Mirrorless cameras also have the ability to track subjects, so sometimes you don’t even need a joystick because the autofocusing points will automatically lock onto your target.
With a mirrorless camera, the EVF will also make it very apparent that you’re out of focus. And when those little green boxes are around your subject, you can guarantee your subject is indeed in focus. It’s like out-of-focus images with a camera are almost a problem of the past in decent light.
And since the focusing is done on the sensor and not through the mirror, back or front focusing issues are also a problem of the past. Now your pesky Sigma lenses will hit focus without you having to worry.
The Shutter (and the Lack of a Mirror)
The shutter of a mirrorless camera is a superb feature. What I mean by this is two-fold.
First, there is no mirror, which I’m sure we both knew. But without a mirror, the only sound in taking a photo is the shutter itself. I cannot tell you how many times no one has noticed I took a picture because the shutter was the only component making a noise. No clunky mirror flipping up and down anymore.
Second, mirrorless cameras are also equipped with electronic shutters that are completely quiet. Some of these shutters are also capable of going to like 1/32000s, which is crazy! And some cameras can even do like 20-something fps as well with this type of shutter. I will admit that banding in a lot of cameras is still an issue with an electronic shutter, but I’m confident the technology is getting there. Imagine shooting a wedding and having your camera never make a sound.
The Best Lenses are on Mirrorless
The new Sony G-Master, Canon RF, and Nikon Z lenses are the best lenses ever made. All the new and best glass is made for mirrorless cameras. It’s a little pricey, but if you need the best tool for the job, the latest and greatest lenses are made for mirrorless.
And if you cannot afford the mirrorless lenses, at least on Canon and Nikon, there are mount adapters that take your DSLR lenses. In many cases, they actually make your lenses better thanks to the autofocus. With mount adapters, transferring to mirrorless is seamless. Some mount adapters like on Canon even come with extra functions like a control ring and the ability to slot in filters behind the lens.
The Old Lenses are on Mirrorless
Because the flange distance on mirrorless cameras is much shorter than on digital, adapting your old vintage film glass is now the simplest thing in the world. Of course, you have to manually focus, but all those FD lenses collecting dust in your closet now have a new life on your mirrorless camera. There is no need for corrective glass on your mirrorless camera, and so you don’t need to worry about compromised image quality. And if you don’t already own film glass, you now have a pathway for a wealth of inexpensive lenses.
A Few Extra Concerns
Now, mirrorless is not perfect. I’m never going to go back to a DSLR for my professional work now that I shoot mirrorless, but mirrorless does have some issues to workaround.
First, battery life is not as great. My Canon 5D can literally go like a whole day without changing a battery. The EVF on a mirrorless camera is a really battery drainer. You’ll definitely find yourself switching out batteries more often, but the efficiency and battery capacity of mirrorless is getting better with each successive generation.
Overheating is another issue. No mirrorless camera will overheat in stills, so no worries with photos. But some Sony and the latest Canon R cameras do overheat in intense video modes. A lot of this blame can be on the smaller size of the bodies, which are worse at dissipating heat in comparison to DSLRs. It really sucks, but I also have no doubt such an issue will be ironed out as mirrorless cameras improve. So for video, there is some merit in maybe choosing in a DSLR like a 1DX-III or maybe even a cinema camera for shooting some footage. However, if you’re a stills photographer, I see almost no reason to upgrade to anything but mirrorless unless you absolutely need a tank for a camera.
So in summary, if you’re going to drop some money on a new camera, buy a mirrorless. With the introduction of the Canon RP and Nikon Z5, even getting into full-frame mirrorless photography has become a lot cheaper than getting into full-frame DSLRs has traditionally been. If you’re serious about having the best gear for the best results, especially in photography, I cannot fathom why someone would not choose mirrorless.