Mirrorless vs DSLR

Today more and more people are asking myself and others, what’s the difference between Mirrorless and DSLR cameras? Which one is better than the other, and why do both exist?

Well, let’s start with a DSLR as most people know what they are. A DSLR is a Digital Single Lens Reflex camera system. This means there is one lens on the camera and a mirror that reflects what the lens sees and feeds that data into the pentaprism so that we can see what the shot will look like through an optical viewfinder. When the photo is snapped, the mirror flips up out of the way so the light and image hits the sensor directly and the photo is taken. DSLRs are the workhorse of modern photography, but they are heavy and can be more expensive than Mirrorless cameras.

                                         Sony NEX 6 Mirrorless camera 16-50mm F/3.5-5.6

A Mirrorless camera is one that has no mirror assembly, the light and image pass directly through the lens onto the sensor and mirrorless cameras have either an LCD to look at and compose the image with or an electronic viewfinder which feeds the image from the sensor directly to your viewfinder and eye and you see exactly what the sensor sees. This is nice because as you adjust your settings, your eye sees a more accurate rendition of what the final image will look like, but the downside is battery life and speed. My DSLR can shoot up to 1,000 images on a battery charge, where my Sony NEX 6 can only last for around 300-400 shots.

                                        Canon 5D Classic Full frame camera 17-40mm F/4 L

DSLRs have a wider range of lenses to choose from and a much faster Auto Focus system then Mirrorless cameras too, so most any serious photographer is going to shoot with a DSLR. But Mirrorless cameras do have their place and they keep getting better and better all the time. If you shoot nothing but landscapes and portraits, you can get by with just a Mirrorless camera and they do come in both crop sensor models like my NEX 6 as well as full frame models like the Sony A7 series and the Fuji X100 series.

So, which platform is right for you? Only you can decide that. Like I said, if you need fast AF and a wide selection of lenses and want to shoot sports you will want to go with a DSLR, but if you shoot non-action like landscapes and portraits only, certainly give a Mirrorless a try. Mirrorless cameras do also tend to cost less, you can get a new Sony A7 series for a little over $1,000 for a brand new full frame model, where a DSLR full frame will run you $1,800 to $7,000. You can even go to a company like Lumoid and rent a Mirrorless for 3 dys and try it out for yourself. How is the image quality? Check out the two images I post here. One is shot with my Sony NEX 6 Mirrorless and the other with my Canon 5D Classic using the same scene for both images. Which one looks better to you if either?

Now get out there and make some great images!

Comments/Questions

Should I Upgrade My Gear?

So many times I get questions on whether or not a student should upgrade their gear. “Should I go buy the latest body or lens or upgrade my entire camera platform with a new brand?” If you are asking these questions then the answer is NO.

The T3i (now T5i) camera that students get through the Art Institute is an awesome camera and the 18-55mm lens that comes with it although one of Canon’s inexpensive lenses, takes awesome photos. When it comes to gear if you need a fast 70-200mm F/2.8 to shoot sports of your kids then you will buy it, providing you can afford it and the spouse doesn’t say No.

One of the greatest hangs up that photographers have is always wanting to upgrade their gear when it’s not necessary. They think they need to have the latest and greatest at all times but if you play that game you will be broke and spend less time taking photos and more time learning your new gear.

Now, if you are rich and want to always have the latest gear then by all means, go for it, there’s an old saying, “A fool and his money are soon parted.” But if you are asking me or anyone else if you need to upgrade your gear than you are just looking for an excuse to buy something that is not needed and trying to justify the expense with your significant other.

I personally shoot with older gear myself. Why, because I love to shoot full frame and they are the most expensive bodies. I currently use 2 Canon 5D classics, a 1D Mark II, a 50D and a Sony NEX 6. All of my cameras are older, the 5D classic came out in like 2007, the 1D Mark II came out in 2005, the 50D was new in 2009 and the Sony NEX 6 was new in 2012 I believe.

                                          Female Bald Eagle, shot with Canon 50D and 70-200mm F/4 L

A lot of people have the newer 5D Mark IIs and Mark IIIs but they have more money to burn than I do. I make awesome money at my day job but, I figure, until my photography gets to the point where it pays for the newer gear, I will stick to what I have. The 5D classic, if you read up on it, in comparison, takes better landscapes than the Mark II or Mark III. The newer bodies have more bells and whistles and high megapixels, but if you know anything about photography, megapixels means nothing once you get past 6 anyways.

So, in conclusion, if you are asking “Should I upgrade?” the answer is No. Spend more time shooting, less time worrying about what the next photographer has or the hype of sales people and learn to use what you have. The quality of your images has less to do with your gear, and more to do with whether or not you know how to use it. Remember this quote by the great Ansel Adams, “The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it!”

Now, as my mentor and friend Professor Jill P Mott says, “get out there and make some great images”!

Comments/Questions

Fill Flash

    Fill flash is using your flash to fill in darker parts of your image already lit by other light. I like to use it for all my people photos outdoors as it makes for better, stronger images.

    Adding fill flash to your images is easy, just turn on your camera’s flash and automatically get the results shown here. You don’t need to fiddle with any settings; just press the Flash (bolt) icon button and your camera does all the rest of the work, no camera pops up the flash by itself, so you have to turn it on by yourself and the camera does the rest.

    When shooting outdoors, fill-flash lights up people’s faces so they aren’t drowned in shadows and also puts highlights in their eyes so they look alive. Additionally, fill-flash lightens shadows and adds details to darker areas, while preserving the highlights. When shooting in direct sunlight, fill flash helps to make your images better, especially when the subject is back lit.

                                                            No Fill

    Using an external Speedlight is better than using the pop up flash built into your camera, mostly because the add-on flash has more power, which means greater distance and more fill light for your images. I recommend the 430 EXII if you are a Canon user and the SB-400 if you are shooting Nikon as these are two of the best units for fill-flash and these units are less expensive than the SB-500 or 580EX II which generally run around $500-$600.

                                                          Fill-Flash

    Fill-flash also helps with making your colors render more vivid and natural. When shooting with the flash alone I often feel that the shots seem to have a blue tone to them, which is why I use either a slight orange gel or an orange flash diffuser to make the light warmer and the colors stand out better. To have more or less fill flash, use the +/- to increase or decrease the power output of the flash and alter the overall light, which in turn changes the way the image looks.

    One last thing to remember is when using fill flash, make sure you take your ISO off auto, especially if using the pop up flash as the camera will set the ISO to the lowest setting, which means if you are shooting indoors, it will be too low.
Comments/Questions