DSLRs and Mirrorless Cameras: How to Choose, What to Look for, and More- A Beginner’s Guide

The beauty of taking up photography as a hobby is that there is no age limit to start. If you find yourself with the shutter bug and are looking to choose your first camera, zeroing in on the right one can be daunting when there are so many options on the market. You will hear many mixed reviews from professional users, claiming that brand X is better than Y and vice versa. The trick is to decide for yourself what you feel comfortable with before committing to a brand’s ecosystem. Before going out and buying a camera, there are a lot of things you should keep in mind before making the investment.

DSLR vs mirrorless

The first hurdle will be choosing between a DSLR or mirrorless camera. In the past, DSLR cameras were popular among beginners due to their low cost, while mirrorless cameras were often a bit more expensive. The price gap has narrowed significantly today as the mirrorless camera market has grown significantly, while the DSLR market has shrunk. Canon and Nikon are the only companies that still make low-end DSLR cameras, but the price difference between them and low-end mirrorless cameras is not much. Don’t get me wrong, DSLR cameras are still great for learning the basics of photography, and if you can get your hands on one without having to buy one, there’s nothing like it. But you won’t forever be a beginner and will eventually want advanced features like higher burst shooting or faster autofocus, both of which most mirrorless cameras offer. can be provided.

Lens range

No matter what type of camera you choose, all platforms should have a variety of lenses for the camera body. If you can’t find good first-party lenses, there are always companies like Sigma and Tamron that make lenses for popular camera brands like Nikon and Sony. However, for starters, the set of lenses you equip your camera with should be good enough for most purposes. These lenses typically have a zoom range of 18-55mm and are suitable for landscape and portrait photography.

Fixed lenses versus interchangeable lenses

The point-and-shoot camera category is almost dead, so you shouldn’t even bother with those cameras. However, there are some exceptions worth considering, such as Sony’s ZV line of vlogging cameras. Some of them, such as the ZV-1, are technically point-and-shoots because it has a fixed lens with zoom capability, but the camera body is like a mirrorless camera and the sensor is 1 inches will provide plenty of space for experimentation. On the other hand, the Sony ZV-E10 offers similar functions but has a larger APS-C sensor and interchangeable lenses. If you are serious about pursuing photography, I recommend choosing a camera with an interchangeable lens. This gives you plenty of room in the future to upgrade lenses to suit situations. For example, you can use a fast prime lens for portraits and switch to a nice telephoto lens when on vacation or hunting.

Price

This will be an important factor when choosing a camera. As I mentioned before, entry-level DSLRs will be cheaper but may not be as adaptable in the long run as your skills improve. Mirrorless cameras tend to have a higher initial cost, but they also have a longer shelf life due to compatibility with more lenses and advanced features you won’t find in cameras. DSLR.

Consider buying a used camera

Because camera technology isn’t evolving as quickly as our laptops or phones, buying a top-of-the-line mirrorless camera that’s two to three years old will still be better than a brand new DSLR. equivalent price. The used camera market is huge, so find stores near you that sell used equipment and check it out for yourself. I advise against buying a used camera online as it will be difficult to assess the condition of the camera body and any damage it may have suffered.

Form factor and size

Mirrorless camera bodies will be significantly thinner and lighter than DSLRs, and that’s largely due to the way these cameras are built. DSLR cameras are based on older SLR technology that uses physical mirrors and pentaprism to redirect light to the sensor and viewfinder. A mirrorless camera, as the name suggests, does not have these two components, which is why the body can be made a lot thinner. One advantage of a DSLR camera body is its comfortable grip, which gives you more confidence when using larger lenses. High-end mirrorless cameras also have sturdy handles, but many low-end cameras do not. This can make them less convenient to use, especially with large lenses or when shooting at off angles.

Battery life

DSLR cameras typically allow you to take more photos on a full charge than mirrorless cameras. That’s mainly because mirrorless cameras have to power the screen and electronic viewfinder (if there is one), which drains the battery. At larger sizes, most mirrorless cameras today have USB-C for charging, so they can be powered by a power bank while you use them. Most DSLR cameras’ batteries need to be removed and charged separately.

Features and performance

Mirrorless cameras have the advantage of offering features like 4K video recording, phase detection autofocus, and built-in Wi-Fi from the same base models priced under Rs. 60,000. Looking for similar features in a DSLR camera often means spending lakhs of Rupees. If you are looking for high burst rate photography, video recording in LOG format, good touchscreen functionality for autofocus operation then a mirrorless camera will give you outstanding performance.

Storage slot

SD card slots are the preferred choice here, and most DSLRs and mirrorless cameras support them. SD cards are inexpensive and high capacity cards are available. If you buy an old camera from the used market, make sure to check if it supports SD cards. Some cameras even have two SD card slots, which is great if you need more storage without having to swap cards frequently. You can also set the camera to use the second card as a backup and copy all the photos, in the rare case your main card fails.

Try before you buy

If you are still hesitant about buying a camera, renting one would be the best option. There are many places that rent all types of camera bodies and lenses, by the hour or by the day. This is a good way to use and test how different cameras work, menus and user interfaces, image quality, etc. You’ll get a realistic idea of ​​what life with that camera will be like. and in doing so, you will be able to eliminate the things you don’t like.