which camera – The Lens Lounge

When talking about the camera pros and cons of mirrorless vs DSLR for beginners, I don’t see any point in getting into details on the technical stuff. You just want to know which type of digital camera will give you the best results for your money, right? PS - if you really want to know the beginner cameras I recommend, keep reading to the end. Or scroll down. BUT first, you should know why… DSLR vs mirrorless - the difference So, here’s the only technical information you need to know about the difference between mirrorless and DSLR cameras. Now, this might sound a bit obvious, but a DSLR camera has a mirror and a mirrorless camera doesn’t. Why should that matter to you as a beginner photographer? When you look through the viewfinder of a DSLR camera you see what’s in front of you. To be exact, the image you see is actually a reflection on a mirror of the scene in front of you. When you click the shutter button to take a photo the mirror flips up, the shutter lifts, light enters the lens and hits the sensor to record the image. The optics are bit more complicated than that, but that’s what it amounts to. That’s why what you see goes black for a moment. The longer your shutter is open, the longer the mirror stays up and the more obvious this is. So the mirror’s sole purpose on a DSLR is to reflect the scene in front of you through the lens and into the viewfinder so that you’re not shooting blind. You won’t know what the image looks like until you take the shot. Experience teaches us how camera settings affect an image and over time you’ll be able to dial in the correct settings to create a particular look. A mirrorless camera doesn’t need that, because the image you see on the back of the camera or in the electronic viewfinder is a digital depiction of the scene in front of you. So what you see is how the image will appear when you take the shot. As a beginner photographer it might seem that there’s no contest then between DSLR vs mirrorless. I’d be inclined to agree, but ….there are always buts! BUT you also need to know the disadvantages of a mirrorless camera for a balanced decision on which one is right for you - mirrorless or DSLR? Running children are hard to focus on, especially for beginner photographers. What are the disadvantages of a mirrorless camera? Price! They're not cheap Ergonomics - many with big hands find them too small Battery doesn't last as long as DSLR camera batteries Electronic viewfinder can be a bit limited in low light Not as many lenses to choose from Those are the usual disadvantages of mirrorless cameras. Here’s another really important one that I think is worth considering, regardless of whether you choose DSLR or mirrorless. It’s the same reason I recommend learning how to shoot in manual or at the very least shutter priority or aperture priority, rather than doing everything in auto. With a DSLR camera you’re forced to learn about camera settings, because you can’t see what the image looks like before you take the shot. So you have to think before you click. So, if you go mirrorless, do yourself a favor and don’t just flick the dials until the image in the electronic viewfinder looks good. To be a better photographer, take the time to learn: How the exposure triangle works What makes a blurry background How to freeze motion with shutter speed This is a great time to use a mirrorless camera, because the eye autofocus is so helpful on moving subjects - humans and animals. Disadvantages of DSLR No eye autofocus Video not as good on entry level cameras Weight - they can be quite heavy and bulky One last point on mirrorless vs DSLR for beginners... Because DSLR cameras have been around a lot longer than mirrorless cameras, there are more DSLR camera options, especially at the beginner level. Now that you know the differences, you can decide which is best for you and start looking at the individual cameras that camera manufacturers make. Did you know the lens is more important than the camera? Cameras are so good these days that as a beginner photographer I’d advise you to start with what fits your budget. Don’t be tempted to think that an expensive camera will produce better images. [click_to_tweet tweet="If you don’t know how to use a camera, it does’t matter how fancy it is. The results will be the same. Not good." quote="If you don’t know how to use a camera, it does’t matter how fancy it is. The results will be the same. Not good."] You also don’t need the very latest camera on the market. A few decades ago professional photographers were producing great photos for billboards with digital cameras that weren’t nearly as good as our smartphones. In time you’ll come to realise that your choice of lens is far more important than the camera body you use. Further reading: Expensive lens or expensive camera - which is better? Beginner camera and kit lens deals Beginner cameras can often be bought with a kit lens as a package deal. My advice is that if you have the budget, buy just the camera body, whether it’s DSLR or mirrorless, and get a better lens than the kit lens recommended. You’ll replace your camera body long before you replace your lenses, if you buy quality lenses. If you're serious about improving your photography, you’ll outgrow a kit lens quite quickly and want to replace it sooner than you realize. So, it’s worth noting that Nikon and Canon offer a much bigger range of quality lenses for their digital cameras than Sony. Nikon has the largest range. In time that no doubt will change and they’ll all offer more lens choices, but it’s good to go in with your eyes wide open. That said, you don’t have to use own brand lenses. There are some really good Sigma lenses for example. For a still subject in normal daylight, the only advantage of a mirrorless camera is that it's lighter, but a beginner mirrorless camera might be too small for you if you have big hands. The ergonomics of a beginner DSLR camera make it much easier to handle with big hands. Best beginner cameras for mirrorless and DSLR As this article isn’t about which camera is the best to buy as a beginner, I’ve included just a few suggestions from top brands, rather than an exhaustive list of cameras. Best beginner DSLR cameras I’d recommend going with Canon or Nikon. They make the best DSLR cameras and offer a huge range of accessories to go with them. If someone tells you one is better than the other, it’s probably because they have the one that they say is best. Seriously. Both are fantastic. Especially at beginner level. I use Nikon purely because that’s what I started with in film cameras in the 90’s. Yep - all that time ago back in the dark ages. When I switched to digital I felt no need to change manufacturers. In no particular order the best DSLR cameras for beginners are: Nikon - D3500 Canon - EOS M50 (especially popular with vloggers) Best beginner mirrorless cameras The top three mirrorless camera brands are undoubtedly: Nikon Canon Sony There was a time when Sony was way ahead of the pack, but Nikon and Canon have caught up fast in the higher level mirrorless cameras. So, in no particular order, the best mirrorless cameras for beginners are: Nikon - Z50 Canon - EOS M6 Mark II Sony - A6100 Final word on mirrorless vs DSLR for beginners Just in case you want me to commit to choosing either mirrorless or DSLR, my next camera will be mirrorless, because that’s the future. And eye autofocus is a dream come true. Unless anything major happens in the industry, I’ll stay with Nikon, so will buy either the Z6II or the Z7II. Not the absolute top of the range Z9 when it comes out. I’m undecided, because I really don’t want to clog up my computer with photos that are massive in memory from all the megapixels - 24.5mp vs 45.7mp. That’s a HUGE difference and I really don’t need all those megapixels. Nobody does, unless you regularly crop in really tight in post production and then print really big. In which case, why not just compose the image the way you want it before you take the shot? But that’s a whole other discussion (some might say argument). Further reading: How important are camera megapixels – printing and posting images online Leave a comment If you have any questions about mirrorless vs DSLR for beginners, let us know in the comments. Also, we love good news, so if our beginner camera tips have helped you, share that too.