Thinking of switching from DSLR to mirrorless? The mount is the real decision: what changes (viewfinder, autofocus, lenses via adapter), what you gain, what you lose, and how to move without replacing everything at once.
Mirrorless cameras have well and truly pushed DSLRs aside in terms of new cameras being developed and sold. To put a number on it, as of May 2024, 83.7% of new cameras shipped were mirrorless cameras. Just 16.3% were DSLRs.1
Put another way, for every 5 interchangeable lens cameras being shipped and sold now, 4 of them are mirrorless cameras.
There’s a lot of overlap between DSLR and mirrorless cameras. Deliberately so, because manufacturers want to make a smooth upgrade path from DSLRs. They’re betting their businesses on mirrorless being the future, and they want to be sure that their customers (and hopefully some new ones) come along for the ride.
Despite that overlap, shooting with a mirrorless camera is not exactly the same as shooting with a DSLR. From a shooting perspective, there are some things worth knowing if you’re considering trading in your DSLR for a mirrorless camera.
I want to be clear up front that I am not arguing here that DSLRs are better than mirrorless. Or that mirrorless are better than DSLRs, for that matter. I’m not saying these are disadvantages or negatives. But they might be things to consider because they might require adjustments in how you shoot, sometimes subtle, sometime more substantial.
I shoot with both DSLRs and mirrorless. And as much overlap as there is in the overall concept of what they can accomplish, and you can get excellent end results from both, there are still differences that can make a difference in certain situations.
So these are some factors I would consider before trading in your DSLR gear for mirrorless. These are admittedly subjective — some things will matter to some photographers more than others.
Battery life isn’t as good
This, to me, is a big one. And it’s something you’re likely to notice pretty quickly and regularly.
Mirrorless cameras tend to devour battery power. Everything is electronic, after all. Most importantly, that includes the things you’re going to use to compose and focus the shot: the electronic viewfinder or the back screen. And those are notorious for consuming a lot of power. There’s a reason, after all, that one of the best battery-saving tips is not to crimp, because that reduces the amount of time that the back screen is in use.
In addition to the viewfinder and back screen, there are other technologies that are consuming more and more battery power. A big one is the in-camera stabilization, or IBIS, something that isn’t so much due to it being mirrorless but more to do with newer cameras leaning more heavily on it.
Overall, you’re likely to find that you simply don’t get as much mileage from a single battery charge in a mirrorless camera compared with a DSLR.
Of course, that’s by no means a dealbreaker. The simplest solution is to carry a spare battery or two. But just expect to have to swap batteries a bit sooner than you might be used to.
Electronic viewfinder vs optical viewfinder
There’s a lot to like about newer electronic viewfinders (or EVFs). You can get a live view of exposure changes and any number of overlays, including more sophisticated ones like focus peaking and highlight peaking.
But I don’t like them much. The overlay tools are handy, and the EVFs on high-end mirrorless cameras today are light years better than the earliest generations. But there are some distinctive characteristics of electronic viewfinders that I just don’t like.
- They’re not as sharp and clear as optical viewfinders. Yes, they’re now much better than the early generations of electronic viewfinders, but it’s hard to beat a real optical view for clarity and accurate real-time representation of the scene.
- They tend to be overly contrasty. When you’re looking at subtle lighting, I find that a bit sub-optimal. They’re good for framing the elements in the shot, but they’re not as good for working with subtle lighting.
- They’re slow. When you’re not using it, the EVF goes to sleep. That’s good for saving battery life, but it’s annoying when you go to shoot the next shot. I still get annoyed by this.
There’s not really a good workaround for this for the simple reason that the lack of a mirror makes a through-the-lens optical viewfinder a non-starter on a mirrorless camera. So we’re reliant on the quality of the electronic viewfinder that the camera has. They’ll get better, but even on the highest-end cameras, for now they still can’t compete with the speed, clarity, and always-oneness of an actual optical viewfinder.
Used lens market
If you’re inclined to buy your lenses used, you’ll find that the availability of dedicated mirrorless lenses is much, much smaller than that for DSLR/SLR lenses.
Of course, there is again a pretty simple workaround, and that is to use one of the lens adapters that the major manufacturers have developed that lets you use some older lenses on the newer mirrorless bodies. They work well.
But you’ll want to check compatibility, first, because not all combinations of lens and bodies will work.
Tactile-less shutter
This really isn’t a big deal most of the time, but it is something that I miss: there’s no tactile feedback when you press the shutter.
Of course, that’s mostly a good thing in a technical sense. It means that there’s no mechanical movement that could potentially detract from image sharpness. And it wouldn’t make much sense for camera manufacturers to add haptic shutters for that same reason. But if you’re used to not just the sound of a shutter but its feel, then this might be something that you miss. It probably won’t impact how you shoot, but it might impact how much you enjoy it.
Most cameras let you adjust the volume of the shutter sound–and many even let you choose the type of sound. That’s a useful workaround. But it’s not a direct replacement for that tactile feel of a shutter actuation.
But there are some areas where mirrorless cameras lead the way
There are, of course, some areas where mirrorless cameras have clear advantages. For example:
- An obvious one is that they tend to be smaller and lighter. There’s no mirror chamber, after all, so it cuts down a little on bulk.
- They can have faster shutter speeds and faster burst modes. Again, there’s no mirror that has to be physically moved out of the way. A fast shutter speed for a mechanical shutter is 1/8000; on a mirrorless with an electronic shutter, that can go to at least 1/32000 with the current generation of cameras.2
- Mirrorless lenses can take advantage of a shorter flange focal distance between the lens and the sensor, meaning new avenues for innovation in lens design. (Which also means the lens manufacturers can sell you new lenses!)
- They’re quieter. That’s a big win for anyone shooting performances or wildlife. Many of the latest DSLRs also include an electronic shutter, so you can get this with those. But it’s a core feature of mirrorless cameras, and the absence of a mirror slapping around is a big win for quiet shooting.
- There’s no mirror vibration. Of course, better DSLRs have a mirror lock-up feature to solve this, but that comes with inconvenience. With mirrorless cameras it’s a core feature of their design.
- Electronic viewfinders offer more opportunities for live exposure displays and any number of tool overlays. They also display 100% of the image area (most DSLRs actually display slightly less than 100%).
A good way to try before you buy
If you’re thinking of switching from DSLRs to mirrorless but haven’t used mirrorless cameras intensively, I’d recommend renting one for a week or two to try out.
If you don’t have one you can borrow, a good option is to rent one. And here are good options for renting cameras these days. My usual go-to is LensProToGo. LensRentals.com is another very good option.
Some local brick-and-mortar camera shops — if you can still find one near you — also offer rentals, although they’re often for older gear, and it might not be the breadth of selection of the bigger online outlets.
Notes & References:
- Date Source: Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA), “Production, Shipment of Digital Still Camera May, January-May in 2024.” CIPA does not include every camera manufacturer, but it includes enough of the big players to provide a useful representation, including Canon, Nikon, Sony, OM System, Ricoh, and Fujifilm. [↩︎]
- Technically, this is more about the distinction between a mechanical shutter and an electronic shutter rather than DSLR vs mirrorless. And some DSLRs have both. But mirrorless cameras are increasingly moving towards only electronic shutters, which tips it to being more of a distinctive feature with them. [↩︎]
