ILC is Interchangeable Lens Camera, basically meaning that you are able to shift between different lenses. The opposite to an ILC is a camera that comes with the lens fixed – as you know it from your smartphone or a point and shoot camera like the Sony RX100.
Although ILC judging from the name should cover all types of cameras with interchangeable lenses, the term ILC for reasons beyond me often is used to describe mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses. If the camera has a mirror built into it, the term DSLR is more frequently used.
To mitigate this confusion, some use the term MILC instead of ILC to underline that it is a Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera they are talking about.
SLR is an abbreviation for Single Lens Reflex. It simply means that there is only one lens and that you via a mirror look through the lens that sit on front of your camera. This is as opposed to a rangefinder camera, where the viewfinder gives you a preview of the scene based on another lens that what the camera will be using to capture the image. Hence only a single lens in a DSLR.
The mirror flicks away when you take the shot (and it makes a noticeable noise). This is why you will see the viewfinder go black during the exposure – the light is sent to the sensor rather than the viewfinder.
The D in DSLR is Digital, as your camera has a digital sensor rather than a piece of film. So it is Digital Single Lens Reflex camera or DSLR.
A mirrorless camera (ML) has no mirror and simply sends the light directly to the sensor, that then via a small electronic viewfinder (a small TV!) presents the preview for the photographer in real time.
I shoot both mirrorless and DSLRs and enjoy both of them. But there are differences, and in this post I want to share how I see them, and give you advantages of both types of cameras. My DSLRs are the Nikon D750, D700 and D5600, whereas my mirrorless are the Sony A7Rii, Fuji X-T3 and X-T20.
Nikon D700 in the background, Fuji X-T3 in front
Where mirrorless is better
Viewfinder options. The electronic viewfinder (EVF) gives some options for combining camera metrics and the traditional viewfinder in one screen, where the DSLR primarily gives the view through the lens, and allows a bit of data to be displayed beneath. The EVF can show you what hits the sensor alongside with vital metrics like the histogram , just to give one example, and the DSLR has no chance to do so, other than in live view mode.
Autofocus. The autofocus capabilities of a modern mirrorless are nothing but astonishing. It is probably debatable if the software in the camera is artificial intelligence or just very powerful software, but the result it delivers cannot be disputed. With continuous software updates the manufacturers can push new and better software to do face recognition and eye detection, and the recent Fuji X-T3 software update is a brilliant example of the progress made. Also, there is typically no limitation to where you can put the focus point for single point focus – on a DSLR that is more or less limited to the center of the frame.
Exposure preview. If you, like me, shoot at lot in manual mode, the exposure preview in the EVF is a huge help. What you see in the viewfinder emulates exactly the picture you will take when you hit the shutter, so if your settings underexpose the picture, your viewfinder shows a dark picture. I know that a DSLR has a metering scale that says the same, but I am often so occupied with looking at the subject, framing, etc that I forget to look at the meter. The “warning” that you get from the EVF has saved me some frustrations more than once.
Shooting with old manual focus lenses. The fact that the EVF allows you to zoom what you see in the viewfinder, is a huge benefit to manual focus, and this in combination with focus peak points makes manual focus on a mirrorless so much easier than a DSLR. In fact, these features in combination with a dumb adaptors, makes it possible to use vintage lenses from various brands on any mirrorless camera. So the huge amount of cheap but high quality vintage glass available has suddenly been brought to new life due to the features of the mirrorless camera bodies.
Silence. Maybe a specialized feature, but you can shoot absolutely silent with a mirrorless camera. No moving parts when you hit the shutter, if you switch on the electronic “curtain”. It is a very strange feeling when you try it first time, and I have my camera simulate the sound of a DSLR to give me feedback that a picture was taken. But I can see that wedding photographers taking the “I do” picture or the discrete street photographer enjoying the stealth mode of their mirrorless cameras.
Video capabilities. The mirrorless cameras get more and more computing power and this also makes it possible to process more and more resolution and frames per second. We have seen 1080p grow to 4K and 8K, the bit depth increases and the max frames per second also seems to double every second year. And this technology is primarily available in mirrorless, with the Nikon D780 being the exception to this rule. So demanding hybrid shooters probably only look towards mirrorless when choosing a camera these days.
Where DSLRs are better
The optical viewfinder (OVF). No matter how good they make the electronic viewfinder (EVF), it will never be as good and as fast as the optical one. There is no lag at all, and what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG). On the EVF, you are watching TV. Modern EVFs are fast and have a lot of resolution, but it will never be as fast and as high resolution as the real deal.
The battery life. Provided you don’t shoot in live view, the advantage of the DSRL is that it doesn’t have to fire up and power a TV screen (the EVF) that drains a lot of power. So the battery life of a DSLR is much longer than the mirrorless. You probably want to get a vertical grip for your mirrorless alone for the reason that it holds one or more extra batteries to compensate for the fact that a mirrorless chews your batteries like packman chews coins.
Ergonomics. I am of the opinion that a camera should either be so small you can carry and operate it with 3 fingers (like the Sony RX100) or so big and bulky that it fills your hand and has a good grip, like the Nikon D700. Anything in between is a mistake. Both Fuji X-T20, X-T3 and Sony A7Rii are unfortunately in the “in between” zone, and for all I have had to buy battery grips, not for the sake of more battery power, but to give me just decent ergonomics. I think it is fine that the body is more slim and the weight is a bit lower than on a DSLR, but please give me ergonomics like the good old DSLRs!
Price. DSLRs have been around for many years, and a good guesstimate is that more than 95% of the cameras out there today (October 2020) are DSLRs. And many cameras produced today are still DSLRs. So if you want to buy used or make a good deal on a black Friday, you will get much more camera for your money when it comes to DSLRs than a mirrorless. I am a big advocate for the Nikon D700, and although dated and only a 12MP camera, it produces absolutely amazing pictures and can be found for 400 EUR (used of course). And with a bit of luck, your copy will not be too beaten up and has a shutter count with plenty actuations left still. Be aware that the camera manufacturers stop producing spare parts after some years (how many varies) so eventually it will be difficult to have your trusty DSLR repaired.
What should you choose?
Camera choice comes down to personal preferences. You need a shoe that fits your foot. You cannot assume that because I like a certain shoe, that it will suit you. Feet and preferences are different. And so are photographers.
That said, I think that photographers shooting things that move fast like sports and wildlife will enjoy the AF features a mirrorless provides. But on the other hand the Nikon D500 (a DSLR) still has one of the best and fastest AF systems any camera can offer.
People photographers (wedding, portrait, friends/family) may enjoy the AF capabilities of the mirrorless, especially face detection and eye detection, to maximize the number of pictures in focus. It is a big relief that you can focus on other things than obtaining focus, and once you have gotten used to this comfort, I think it is hard to turn back.
Hybrid shooters will enjoy the evolution of the video capabilities in the mirrorless cameras. But a Go-Pro camera can also do astonishing things if your zoom/lens requirements are not too advanced, so a better option could be a cheap DSLR with a Go-Pro on the side.
And just to round off with a bit of perspective: Many of the pictures that are classic and that you probably have seen and admired many times, were made with technology far less advanced than the camera in your smartphone! Choosing a good camera body is vital, but subject, scene, colors, light, timing and composition are even more important. So maybe your good old DSLR is not so bad after all.
Anyone who spends 2 minutes studying global sales of photo cameras will quickly notice 2 trends:
The total sale of camera systems with interchangeable lenses is dropping like a stone
The sale of camera systems is switching from DSLR to mirrorless
So is this important to you and what you decide to buy as a consumer here in 2020? Well, yes and no.
The dramatic drop in sales of camera systems is mirrored by a equally dramatic increase in the sale of smartphones with better and better cameras. Some smartphones today come with sensors that have more megapixels than entry level system cameras, and with added clip on lenses from Ollo-clip and Moments, the smartphones pose a serious alternative to many entry level system cameras. And I guess that no-one wants to invest in yesterdays technology unless it is done very deliberately – like buying a LP player these days. My guess is that within a few years, the DSLRs will be viewed somewhat like the same way a LP record and a film camera is seen today – there is definitely a market, but more niche than mainstream. But, please remember, that the stock of DSLRs out there is huge, and that the mirror-less only have 1-2% of the total stock of cameras out there. That is also why you continue to see companies like Nikon pushing out new DSLRs like the D780, simply because it still has some advantages over mirror-less (battery life, ruggedness, OVF).
Why is your smartphone your camera?
There are probably a number of reasons why so many of us have the smartphone as the main camera:
Most consumers do not have a need for a better camera than what the smartphone offers
The cameras in smartphones get better and better, not only in terms of specs like megapixels, but also low light performance, electronic zoom, stabilization, panorama, SOME integration, etc
The camera is always with you as your smartphone is also your:
newspaper,
game machine,
alarm clock,
watch,
wallet,
notebook,
bank, etc. In other words, you do not leave home without your smartphone
Your smartphone is small and compact
It is difficult to get a smartphone without a camera these days; it is part of the package deal
So even if you are consider to go very serious with your photography and you are willing to invest in your hobby, you may find that a very good starting point is your smartphone – especially in combination with click on lenses. However, be aware that the lenses may not be transferable should you later upgrade your phone. I switched from iPhone 7 to X, and my Ollo-clip lenses could not follow.
What if you want to go further?
If you decide that you want to go for a system camera, then there are two main paths you can follow: DSLR or mirror-less.
A DSLR camera has a mechanical viewfinder, where a mirror shows you what will be in the frame when you hit the shutter release, and when you do, the mirror flicks away to lead the light to the sensor. A mirror-less camera has no mirror, and is typically much more compact than a DSLR as the room for the mirror is no longer necessary. The DSLR to a large extend works the same way as the old film cameras, where the light hit a roll of film rather than a sensor. So first when the mirror-less camera came around, the moving parts in the inside of the camera were no longer necessary.
Camera manufacturers have spotted that the market is moving away from DSLRs to mirror less, so they try to get the best out of the DSLR lineup they have without investing too much. Recently the two big old players Nikon and Cannon have released mirror-less cameras, and it is difficult to assess how much they will continue to invest in the DSLR product lineup. However, this means that you today can get a DSLR camera for a fraction of what it was some years back. In other words, you can make a great deal if you are willing to invest in a receding technology. A good DSLR will give you 500t actuation’s or more, and that will cover most consumers needs for a considerable number of years.
The mirror-less camera has some advantages over DSLRs, as it can give you much more precise feedback in the viewfinder as to what the picture will look like, i.e. exposed correctly, in level, etc. It also gives you some aid for manual focus lenses (focus peak) that the DSLR cannot offer unless you shoot using the back screen LCD only. So if you use lenses with manual focus on a mirror-less, then it is much easier to get sharp pictures than with a DSLR.
Why should you care for manual focus? Well, wise men say that the quality of the pictures first and foremost is dictated by the quality of the glass in the lens. The large players like Nikon, Pentax and Canon have produced lenses for 60+ years, so there is plenty of vintage lenses to choose from. These vintage lenses can often be found at a fraction of the cost of a new lens. But of course without the comfort of auto focus and good coating to keep flare at bay. But if you shoot subjects where auto focus is not an issue, then you can get super glass at a bargain. And you are no longer tied to a specific producer – you can put Nikon glass on a Sony body, etc. It now gives you a lot of freedom, where you previously were locked in – Nikon body = Nikon glass. This is no longer the case.
So what should you do?
I would suggest that you first and foremost try to see how you like photography, using your smartphone only. If you find you don’t care for photography, then all you have wasted is your time and not your budget. If you still insist to invest, I would give a clip on lens a try and see how that works for you.
Should you still have appetite for a system camera, I would serious consider starting with a mirror-less. Only if you don’t mind the more bulky, loud and heavy DSLRs, then this could be right for you in order to save money. Buy used if you don’t mind – even if you buy from your local photo shop you can save a lot of money. Further, the advantage of an “authorized” dealer is that you know where to go back and complaint if not all is to your liking. That is more cumbersome if bought on the net.
Finally, irrespective of your choice of DSLR or mirror-less, the next question that comes up is the size of the sensor: APS-C or Full frame (FF). That is a good question. In my own experience, the APS-C cameras have come very close to the FF cameras so I would not put too much emphasis on this part. However, if you have always wanted to go for full frame, give it a try with a borrowed camera and see if you notice the difference. It would be silly to go for a FF camera and invest in heavier glass etc, only to find that the difference is negligible. My own experience is that only for landscape photography I have noticed a difference between APS-C and FF – for product shoots and portraits I see no difference at all. But don’t take my words for it – I recommend that you try to borrow or rent a FF and see what you make of it.
Questions and comments
Hope you found this useful. Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below. All the best.
