Photography
What is a DSLR camera and how is it different from mirrorless?
Everything you need to know to decide if a DSLR is right for you
By Alina Bradford
July 10, 2019
There are many types of cameras out there, but when it comes to advanced, interchangeable lens models, nothing is more iconic than the DSLR. The name is practically synonymous with “professional camera,” but a wide variety of DSLRs exist, covering a broad spectrum of users from amateur to advanced. The popularity of the DSLR has waned in recent years with the rise of smaller mirrorless cameras, but it’s still a beloved format by many for a few key reasons. Here’s everything you need to know in order to understand what a DSLR is, how it works, and what sets it apart from the likes of mirrorless and point-and-shoot cameras.
Defining a DSLR
A cut away view of Nikon’s D800 camera.
In the most literal sense, a DSLR camera is a digital single-lens reflex camera. Inside the camera body is a mirror that reflects the light coming from the lens up into an optical viewfinder, by way of either a prism (in higher-end DSLRs) or a series of additional mirrors (usually in lower-end models). This is how you can see what you’re shooting, right through the lens, and is where the term “reflex” comes from — referring to mirror’s reflection.
When the shutter is pressed, that mirror flips up out of the way, the shutter slides open, and light coming from the lens takes a straight shot to the imaging sensor where a photograph is made.
The advantage of this design, compared to that of a mirrorless or point-and-shoot camera, is that you can see, in real-time, the exact scene you’re going to capture via the optical viewfinder. There’s no lag, as there can be with point-and-shoots and mirrorless cameras as the sensor has to transfer what it is seeing to a separate digital display elsewhere on the camera. On the downside, you can’t preview your exposure settings through the optical viewfinder the way you can on a mirrorless camera. (If you haven’t gathered by now, mirrorless cameras are so named because they don’t have a DSLR’s reflexing mirror.)
Another less talked about advantage is that DSLRs have exceptional battery life because the optical viewfinder draws very little power. Beginner models, like Canon’s EOS Rebel T7i, are usually good for at least 600 shots, while professional models, like Nikon’s 45-megapixel D850, have batteries that can last for well over 1,000.
Crop versus full-frame
Gunnar Pippel
One of the more confusing elements of DSLRs is the sensor. While we tend to talk most often about megapixels, it is the physical size of the sensor, rather than its megapixel count, that gives DSLR cameras an image quality advantage over your smartphone or point-and-shoot. There are two main sensor types offered by DSLR manufacturers: Full-frame and APS-C (often called “crop-frame”).
Photography
What is a DSLR camera and how is it different from mirrorless?
Everything you need to know to decide if a DSLR is right for you
By Alina Bradford
July 10, 2019
There are many types of cameras out there, but when it comes to advanced, interchangeable lens models, nothing is more iconic than the DSLR. The name is practically synonymous with “professional camera,” but a wide variety of DSLRs exist, covering a broad spectrum of users from amateur to advanced. The popularity of the DSLR has waned in recent years with the rise of smaller mirrorless cameras, but it’s still a beloved format by many for a few key reasons. Here’s everything you need to know in order to understand what a DSLR is, how it works, and what sets it apart from the likes of mirrorless and point-and-shoot cameras.
Defining a DSLR
A cut away view of Nikon’s D800 camera.
In the most literal sense, a DSLR camera is a digital single-lens reflex camera. Inside the camera body is a mirror that reflects the light coming from the lens up into an optical viewfinder, by way of either a prism (in higher-end DSLRs) or a series of additional mirrors (usually in lower-end models). This is how you can see what you’re shooting, right through the lens, and is where the term “reflex” comes from — referring to mirror’s reflection.
When the shutter is pressed, that mirror flips up out of the way, the shutter slides open, and light coming from the lens takes a straight shot to the imaging sensor where a photograph is made.
The advantage of this design, compared to that of a mirrorless or point-and-shoot camera, is that you can see, in real-time, the exact scene you’re going to capture via the optical viewfinder. There’s no lag, as there can be with point-and-shoots and mirrorless cameras as the sensor has to transfer what it is seeing to a separate digital display elsewhere on the camera. On the downside, you can’t preview your exposure settings through the optical viewfinder the way you can on a mirrorless camera. (If you haven’t gathered by now, mirrorless cameras are so named because they don’t have a DSLR’s reflexing mirror.)
Another less talked about advantage is that DSLRs have exceptional battery life because the optical viewfinder draws very little power. Beginner models, like Canon’s EOS Rebel T7i, are usually good for at least 600 shots, while professional models, like Nikon’s 45-megapixel D850, have batteries that can last for well over 1,000.
Crop versus full-frame
Gunnar Pippel
One of the more confusing elements of DSLRs is the sensor. While we tend to talk most often about megapixels, it is the physical size of the sensor, rather than its megapixel count, that gives DSLR cameras an image quality advantage over your smartphone or point-and-shoot. There are two main sensor types offered by DSLR manufacturers: Full-frame and APS-C (often called “crop-frame”).
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