The biggest news in the camera industry this month is that Nikon is ceasing development of new SLR cameras, marking the end of a 63-year streak. From now on, it will focus exclusively on Z-mount mirrorless models such as the Z6, Z50 and the recently launched flagship Z9.
This is a seismic shift in the industry, as Nikon has a storied history with SLRs dating back to the iconic Nikon F launched in 1959. But it’s not the only company going in this direction: Canon has already confirmed that the EOS-1DX The Mark III will be its last flagship DSLR, and Sony switched to selling only mirrorless cameras last year.
Until recently, reflex cameras were considered a better option than mirrorless for action photography, so what happened? Simply put, mirrorless models have improved so dramatically over the past few years that they’ve made DSLRs moot.
Many professional photographers hold on to their DSLRs and the main reason is speed. As we explained a few years ago in our Upscaled series, reflex cameras have special autofocus sensors under the mirror. They are extremely fast, so they allow high speed bursts with accurate focus on each frame. Canon’s 1DX III, for example, can shoot at up to 16 frames per second with AF and auto exposure engaged.
Many serious shooters still prefer an optical viewfinder. They want an object view they can trust, and they believe that a physical view through a prism and mirror is better than an artificial electronic display. The downside, of course, is that you can’t see the image when you’re shooting it because the mirror lifts up to block the display.
The last big thing is battery life and handling: flagship DSLRs have heavy bodies and large handles that make stable platforms for shooting, especially with the massive telephoto lenses used by sports and wildlife photographers. They are also covered with dials and buttons for easier handling. And the optical viewfinder apparently doesn’t drain the battery, so DSLRs can take many more photos on a single charge.
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This was true even until recently, but the latest mirrorless cameras have dispelled most of these concerns. The most important change is the introduction of stacked sensors. They have much higher read speeds that allow for fast burst shooting and more accurate autofocus. They also produce less roll shutter in electronic mode, reducing photo distortion and video jitter.
Canon’s EOS R3 is a great example of this. It is slightly slower than the 1DX Mark III DSLR in mechanical shutter mode, but much faster with the electronic shutter and provides greater resolution. Sony’s A1 is even more impressive, letting you shoot 50-megapixel RAW stills at 30fps.
Perhaps the most striking display of stacked sensor power is Nikon’s new Z9 flagship. It lets you shoot RAW 46-megapixel images at 20 fps with the electronic shutter, and it doesn’t even have a mechanical shutter. By comparison, Nikon’s flagship D6 DSLR can handle 14 RAW images per second, but at 21 megapixels, that’s less than half the resolution.
The viewfinder issue is also largely resolved. Not long ago, mirrorless EVFs were slow, low-resolution and choppy, while also sharing a troublesome problem with DSLRS – the viewfinder disappeared when you took a photo. Now, all three of the above models have sharp and fast OLED display switching with smooth refresh rates of at least 120Hz and up to 240Hz. And all offer blur-free shooting in most conditions. All this can give professionals a view better than an optical viewfinder.
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Finally, cameras like Nikon’s Z9 and Canon’s R3 are just as substantial as their analog DSLR counterparts and allow them control for control. And if you want a professional camera that isn’t huge, Sony offers small cameras with great handling like the A1 and A9.
However, battery life is still an issue for mirrorless cameras compared to DSLRs. The Nikon D6 can shoot a whopping 3580 photos on a single charge, while the Z9 is rated by CIPA for just 770 – and that’s very high for a mirrorless camera. For now, mirrorless will always be at a disadvantage, but the situation is improving.
Overall, with these key improvements in stacked sensors, improved EVFs and better handling, mirrorless models can now keep up with DSLRs. In almost every other category, however, they actually excel.
Get autofocus. Although DSLRs have fast dedicated phase-detection AF sensors, mirrorless models have many more phase-detection pixels directly on the main sensor. In Canon’s case, every single pixel is used for AF. This in theory allows for faster and more accurate autofocus.
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With their hybrid phase and contrast detection pixels directly on the sensor, modern mirrorless cameras also benefit from AI intelligence. Most can recognize objects, faces and eyes with people, birds, animals, cars and more. This is especially useful for action photography for tracking fast-moving subjects, an area that has traditionally been dominated by reflex cameras. And with the latest processors and stacked sensors, these features are finally good enough to be used in real-world pro photography.
As mentioned, some of the best mirrorless cameras already eliminate the viewfinder blur that plagues DSLRs. And the stacked sensors also greatly reduce shutter movement, which can lead to shaky, distorted photos. They are already good enough to allow shooting of fast moving subjects, with the advantage of being silent if you are working on a golf tournament for example.
Perhaps the biggest benefit is the video. Photographers in many different fields are asked to do this on their shoots, whether they are shooting weddings or working for major news and sports agencies.
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DSLRs, such as Canon’s 5D, have helped spur the trend for high-quality video capture with consumer cameras, and recent models such as the 1DX III can handle video well. However, mirrorless models are generally better. Nikon’s Z9, Canon R3 and Sony A1 can hold their own against most cinema cameras, making them a real double threat. This is thanks to amazing video autofocus systems, resolutions up to 8K, RAW video capture, premium audio capabilities and more.
On top of all that, most mirrorless cameras (unlike DSLRs) have in-body stabilization, so you don’t have to worry about having this feature on the lens. And speaking of lenses, those designed for mirrorless cameras tend to be smaller, lighter and optically better because the back is closer to the sensor.
Then comes the question of price and cost. Mirrorless cameras are less complicated than DSLRs, so they tend to be cheaper. Nikon’s Z9, for example, costs $1,000 less than the D6, and the Canon EOS R3 is $500 cheaper than the 1DX Mark III.
Finally, with the decline of the camera market started by smartphones, it doesn’t make much sense for manufacturers to create DSLRs and mirrorless cameras at the same time. Now they seem to be concentrating on one technology in the interest of profit.
Summary
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Photographers may feel sad that DSLRs seem to be at the end of the road, especially if they have just bought one. Don’t panic just yet though – while Nikon and Canon seem to have stopped designing new DSLRs and lenses, they will continue to make and sell existing models.
The key thing driving this is that mirrorless technology has not just caught up, but will soon surpass mirror mirror technology. For example, Sony recently introduced new sensors that can collect twice as much light as current stacked sensors, paving the way for fast shooting, even in low light. And you can expect much faster image processors, better EVFs and smarter AF systems in the near future.
In other words, future mirrorless technology may make you forget that digital cameras ever had mirrors inside. Then we can only see them in their original glory – with a roll of film inside.
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