In the photographic community, there has been a hassle recently regarding mirrorless cameras and DSLR cameras; and also many questions are asked “which is better?” “is it the same specifications and price?” “what is the right camera for me”, “DSLR Camera 2018” etc.



In this article, we will have a small showdown between the two types of cameras, and eventually, let you be the judge to what camera suits you best.

What is a mirrorless camera?

To understand the word mirrorless, we have to mention how about the way most DSLR cameras are built. Almost all Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Pentax interchangeable lens cameras share a similar industrial design: light enters through the lens and gets withdrawn off a mirror, through a special prism, to end up at the viewfinder.

When you click the shutter button, the mirror flips up, which allows light to hit the actual image sensor on the camera, and with that your photograph is taken and ready. This process might seem like a high-tech solution, but it is quite a bit of a chronological error. Long before digital cameras existed, most of their film based counterparts employed this same method to get light to the viewfinder, because it was a useful way to compose your photo before clicking the shutter. But thanks to the advances in modern technology, this flip-up mirror method is no longer necessary, and a whole new breed of cameras is beginning to build its roads into modern digital photography. These new models have no flip-up mirror, and thus the term “mirrorless” was born.



There are many different types of mirrorless cameras in the market: some have interchangeable lenses, others offer a single built-in lens, and some with their own types of image sensors and other characteristics that are suited to more niche markets. But the one thing they all have in common is the absence of a flip-up mirror.

All smartphone cameras are mirrorless, as are most point-and-shoot models. Instead of obtaining a little viewfinder that you hold up to your eye, you can see a preview of your image right on the phone or on the back of the camera itself. And if you like shooting your DSLR in “Live View” mode, where you look at the rear LCD screen to compose your shots instead of the viewfinder, you are essentially using it as a mirrorless camera already.

What is a DSLR camera?



DSLR is an abbreviation: it stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex.

To properly answer “what is a digital SLR?” you have to understand a bit about its mechanics.

At first light passes through the lens and strikes a mirror, the mirror reflects the light up to a focusing screen, then the light passes through the focusing screen and enters a block of glass called a pentaprism; where the pentaprism reflects the image so that you can see it in the viewfinder, when you take a photo, the mirror flips up and a shutter opens that exposes the digital sensor to light.

Which is best for you?



Will mirrorless cameras ever reach full parity with DSLRs? Some think so, but others are not fully convinced. The important thing to remember is it’s not about what other people think; it’s about what matters to you. If you find a camera you like, and it serves your purposes as a photographer, then it really doesn’t matter whether it’s a DSLR, micro four thirds, full frame, medium format, or plain old 35mm film camera. If it can take the pictures you want to take, then it’s probably the right camera for you.