For almost two decades, digital single lens reflex or a DSLR camera has been extremely popular as one of the photo technologies. But a more modern type of photo gadget tries to beat a DSLR position as the leader: mirrorless cameras!
The difference between a DSLR and a mirrorless camera
Some people still might not know what mirrorless camera exactly is, even though they are familiar with it. This newer gadget is becoming a hot trending topic among photographers around the world right now. Whether you want to buy it or not, types of mirrorless camera have its own function to deliver the best performance either for a videographer or photographer.
There are two major things that differentiate a DSLR and a mirrorless camera: how the viewfinders and the image sensors work. Viewfinders are some of the camera’s part which you can see through in order to take a shot. They usually contain a small lens of optical that can be seen in the top of the camera. Meanwhile, the image sensors are the chips that are placed inside the cameras. The function is to capture the picture by detecting then recording the coming light into the camera.
DSLR camera uses a system called mirror that bounces the coming light into the major lens of the camera until the viewfinders. Once the shutter button is pressed, the camera will flip out the mirror and let the light to expose the image sensor. The benefit of that mirror is to give you permission to frame a picture exactly the way the recording works by the image sensor.
The way you compose a picture using a mirrorless camera
A lot of mirrorless cameras have a digital viewfinder feature to let you know what the image sensor sees. The way a mirrorless camera works is same as an optical viewfinder on every a DSLR camera. But the only difference between those two is that instead of looking at a reflected image, you only look at a small screen.
The way the digital viewfinder works is the same to the feature of live-view in many contemporary DSLR cameras. That feature combines with a rear LCD screen in order to show what the sensor sees in real time. Same as DSLR cameras, a lot of mirrorless cameras have a big large LCD screen as the addition of their viewfinders features. So, when you want to compose a picture, you have the choices shown on the screen.
The benefit of a mirrorless camera
One of the benefits of digital viewfinders than the optical viewfinders on DSLR cameras is that the digital ones will provide you a quite good idea of your final shot will be like before you shoot it. It also takes into your consideration of the exposure in real time. By contrast, an optical viewfinder is only going to show you what the shot will look like to your eye.
The disadvantage of the mirrorless system
Like in every single thing, the mirrorless camera also has its own disadvantage. The highlight downside of a digital viewfinder in a mirrorless camera is the heavyweight that affects the battery life. It is something you worry about to consider the significant total of power energy of the viewfinder display. Meanwhile, you don’t need to think about the battery life in a DSLR with its optical viewfinder. So, the result will make the mirrorless system battery drain quicker most of the time compares to DSLR counterparts, especially when you want to take a picture of a still image.
Despite that big downside of a digital viewfinder, it is extremely good when you want to shoot a video. So, if you have a plan to shoot many videos, a mirrorless camera can be your best choice, especially in its battery life.
Different from a mirrorless camera, a DSLR is restricted for you to use the mode of live view on the rear screen. It can chew away easily in the battery life if you are sloppy using it. Meanwhile, you don’t need to eat your battery life away in a mirrorless camera since it uses digital viewfinders by giving power a big screen on the device’s back part (even though many mirrorless cameras have the feature of a rear screen that everyone can use to take any video).
That’s the recent popular thing in a photography world: a mirrorless camera. So, if you have a plan to shoot a video, buy yourself a mirrorless camera to have longer lasting battery life. Another advantage of it is the size that tends to be smaller than DSLR which means lighter too to carry on!