Camera Tech Wars. DSLR-Vs- Mirrorless System Cameras

I am very new to photography. I only became interested in cameras and lenses because I wanted better photographs of coins. I started out with a flat bed scanner and migrated through point & shoot, DSLR, SLT ( A weird sony version of DSLR) and am now using a mirror-less system camera. I know whenever coins and cameras are discussed the conversation always moves to DSLR's. Its only natural as DSLR's have been the main stay of the photographic industry for years but.....If you check the stats DSLR sales have been dropping for years. The first cut back in the market was when point & shoots were introduced. The next Shrinking moment was when cell phones started to replace point and shoots in the market. This has had some interesting effects on the market. I have read reports suggesting Nikon is in a weak position ( regarding the market and future survival), and surprisingly that companies like Sony( due to their much wider earnings base) are more survivable than either canon or Nikon.
So what am I trying to highlight?

With the decreasing size of the DSLR market there is more competition between the standard players( Nikon and Canon) and there is new competing technology be produced by relative new comers ( Sony etc) I think in a forum like this beginner photographers need to be aware of the tech war that is going on in the market so they are better placed to make decisions about the equipment they buy. The tech war that is currently being waged is between the traditional DSLR and the relative newcomer the Mirror-less system camera. when I say tech war I am meaning competition such as that between Pal- Betamax or Blue ray and what was it's competing system? Currently it seems Canon has decided to stay with DSLRs ( they produced one mirror-less but indications are that canon does not see their future in such technology).

The two competing technologies:

DSLR: Digital Single Lens Reflex: in the dark ages of film photography the first cameras had a problem you had a view finder to look through at at times there was a problem: pictures didn't line up with what was seen through the separate view finder. The solution was the SLR ( Single lens reflex. The camera user looked through the same lens that was to take the picture. This was enabled by introducing a mirror into the light path. When a picture is taken the mirror swings out of the way.

Mirror system camera's: effectively a development from point and shoots. with a digital sensor you don't need a mechanically operated mirror to see the same scene as the lens. You just provide a screen to electronically show what image is on the sensor just before you click the shutter. the difference from a point and shoot is that you can mount different lenses. Effectively a mirror less system camera gets rid of an old technology: the mechanical mirror box.


Initially mirror-less cameras suffered in one area...the electronic view finder wasn't as good as seeing the real image! simple put the display screens just were too noisy/grainy. However in the last 18 months or so electronic view finders are equaling or exceeding the performance of the "real thing".


I don't know which technology will prevail but I do see real advantages for the coin photographer with Mirror-less system cameras. From the middle of last year I had decided I wanted to move to a full frame sensor camera( most DSLRs on the market have a sensor that is smaller than the original 35mm film picture size). As I was deciding what to buy someone on this forum highlighted Sony's new beast, a full frame mirror-less. I jumped at the chance..through this forum I had discovered the advantages of using old lenses ( cost savings and often very good optics). However I also wanted to take non-macro photographs. With DSLRs you can get adapters that allow you to use old lenses but unless its just for macro work those adapters must include an extra lens to enable you to take "normal" (non macro photos) those extra lenses are invariably cheap and the result is you can mount an old lens that has the potential to perform like a $1000 plus modern lens, but it doesn't perform to that level the adapters lens is a sub US$20.00 picture destroying hunk of junk.

Mirror-less system camera, by advantage of design, don't have a mirror box as a result the lens mounting point is much closer to the sensor than has ever been seen in a DSLR. Accordingly the adapters needed to mount old lenses are just tubes "cut to the necessary distance" As a result it is theoretically possible to use any 35mm lens of any make on a Mirror-less system camera.

Mirror-less system Cameras have been around long enough for them to be cheaply available second hand. ( I am not recommending any make). However in this forum I see the most often recommended camera is a 10MP canon(a DSLR that was first produced in 2008) Its a good camera.....but from my experience buying a DSLR will generally lock you into that make for a number of years( as you by lenses for that make it becomes expensive to make a switch to another make). So for any beginners out there do think about the mirror less options you have. The key advantage I see is you can try out different lens makes and later if you wish you could switch to a DSLR.


I have no idea which technology will prevail...but I for one will never go back to what I now regard as antique tehnology: the DSLR.