The “debate” between Mirrorless cameras And Reflexalso known as DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) has taken on growing importance, especially with the evolution of technologies in the world of photography. The Mirrorlesswhich do not employ a mirror like the “traditional” reflex, they are gradually supplanting the DSLRthanks to their compactness, focusing speed and shooting quality. The optical viewfinder of the SLR provides a direct and realistic vision, unlike the electronic viewfinder of the Mirrorless, which shows a digital image with a more precise preview. Although the SLR continues to offer appreciable advantages, such as a battery life higher than the MirrorLess and a wide range of interchangeable objectives that can be easily found also in the “Second Hand” market, the future seems to offer towards the Mirrorless format.
Because more and more professional photographers choose Mirrorless cameras
Cameras Reflex they work thanks to a complex optical systemwhich includes one 45 ° angled mirror. The light enters the goal and is reflected by the mirror towards an optical viewfinder, allowing the photographer to see exactly what is framing the goal. When yes Take a photothe mirror rises, exposing the image sensor and producing that characteristic sound that for many is synonymous with “shot”. This system, albeit very traditional and consolidated, implies some limitations, such as the aforementioned mechanical noise generated by the movement of the mirror and a greater size of the machine body.
Cameras Mirrorlessas the name suggests, they do not present a mirror (The English term “Mirrorless” means precisely “without mirror”). In these cameras, the light passes directly through the goal and affects the sensorwhich subsequently elaborates the image. This allows the camera to be more light And compactsince it is not necessary to include a mechanism for the mirror movement. There focus Mirrorless cameras also, takes place directly on the sensoran aspect that makes these cameras considerably faster than the SLR. Thanks to the lack of the mirror, the frame rate, i.e. the number of frames per second or FPS, are generally higher in Mirrorless cameras, which can reach even very high shooting speeds, such as 20-30 FPS in professional models.
Another advantage of Mirrorless cameras concerns the electronic viewfinder or EVF (Electronic View Finder) which, unlike the reflex optical mirins, displays the digital image that will be captured in real time. This, translated in poor words, allows the photographer to have a precise and immediate vision of how the final photo will appear, without surprises after the shot. Although initially the electronic myrins had a low resolution and presented a certain delay in showing the scene captured by the sensor, the technological progress made these components almost indistinguishable by traditional optical mirins, with a resolution that now reaches excellent levels and an almost absent latency.
Side videowe can say that the Mirrorless have also exceeded the SLR in this area, generally offering a higher recording quality, higher frames installments and better autofocus management in Live View mode. Generally the SLRs allow you to resume in 4K and, some top of the range models, even allow 8K recording.
As for the image qualitytwo key aspects must be considered: the sensor resolution (expressed in megapixel) and his physical dimension. Mirrorless cameras, guessing a little, hold the primacy in terms of resolution: some models (ultra-cells) even exceed the threshold of 100 MP. But since the sensor resolution is not the only factor to determine the final quality of an image, the equation must also be added the discussion relating to the sensor size. For completeness of information, we remember that the sensors full-smoke They offer the best image quality, especially in low light conditions; those APS-C They are smaller but are still very competitive, and allow you to contain the camera price; the sensors micro four thirdson the other hand, they are even smaller and reduce the size and weight of the camera and objectives, to the detriment of a slightly lower quality than the larger formats.
Both reflex and mirrorless offer options with Full-Frame sensors And APS-Ctherefore there is no real intrinsic advantage of one category compared to the other in terms of image quality. The continuous evolution of the Mirrorless, however, led to a wider range of high resolution options, consolidating their technological primacy in this area.
What happened to the SLR
Despite the numerous advantages of the Mirrorless cameras, the SLRs have not yet been definitively retired. This is because the SLRs are still playing, both for the anchor Excellent quality of shot of some models, both for theirs Excellent battery lifewhich is usually better than mirrorless and which can be decisive for long photographic sessions. Not to mention the fact that, because of their long presence on the market, the SLRs offer a wide range of objectives, both new and second -hand, Suitable for every need and budget.
The evolution of Mirrorless cameras technology has made the latter more and more attractive, not only for amateur photographers, but also for professionals. The main photographic companies, including Canon, Nikon and Sony, have concentrated their efforts on the development of Mirrorless models, making the key to the key to attract a new generation of photographers. Models such as the Sony A7R V, the Canon Eos R3 and the Nikon Z9 are examples of how the Mirrorless technology is becoming a favorite choice for professional needsoffering a high photographic quality without compromising speed and portability.
Even if it is impossible to predict with absolute certainty how the market will evolve, it is likely that the Reflexs gradually disappear and definitively give way to the MirrorLess. After all, if so important players in the digital photography sector are strongly focusing on the “mirror -free” models, photographers (amateurs and otherwise) is likely to follow the path traced by these companies.
