Most lens options for Nikon and Canon, allows maximum creativity and choice Good autofocus for but a notch below DSLR Purity/clarity of optical viewfinder, but you can't see the final resultĮlectronic viewfinder or rear display only, less clarity but what you see is what you getįastest, most accurate autofocus for photos For instance, recent DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have improved live-view autofocus, vastly closing the AF performance gap. Bear in mind that the points apply in most but not all cases. Let's break these things down with some nice charts. So should you get a DSLR, mirrorless or high-end compact camera? And do you need a one-inch, Micro Four Thirds, APS-C or full-frame sensor? How many megapixels? What about the low-light sensitivity? Sony's RX100 V has a 24-70mm zoom, but it's slower at the telephoto end (f/2.8) and less sharp than a prime lens. Fujifilm's X100F, for instance, has a fast but fixed 35mm-equivalent f/2.0 lens and no zoom. While that's great for portability, a single lens means you're going to sacrifice something. There is no disadvantage, however, in autofocus performance when shooting video.ĭSLRs and mirrorless cameras let you change lenses, but you're stuck with what's built into a compact camera. (Some modern cameras, like Sony's A7R III, also have phase-detection AF built directly into the sensor.) That means mirrorless cameras generally have slower AF performance than DSLRs when taking photos. On the other hand, unlike an optical viewfinder, an EVF shows exactly what the final image will look like.įor autofocus, most mirrorless cameras have contrast-detect autofocus that must hunt for proper focus via a sort of trial-and-error method. Many EVFs also have a touch of lag, so the scene you see may be a few milliseconds behind reality. EVF quality has improved a lot over the past few years but still lacks the clarity of a DSLR's optical display. Mirrorless and compact cameras rely on electronic viewfinders (EVFs) or, in many cases, just a rear display. You lose that advantage, however, when you shoot videos or photos in live-view mode with the mirror up. Those measure the distance to your subject before you even take the picture, making autofocus nearly instantaneous. All of that adds bulk and, for most models, means you can't see the decisive moment when you take a photo.Īt the same time, the mirror allows DSLR makers to put autofocus phase-detect sensors directly into the light path via a secondary mirror. When you take a shot, the mirror jumps out of the way to expose the sensor. Not now Turn on Turned on Turn onĭSLRs have a reflex mirror that lets you look directly through the lens at your subject with no electronics in between. You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu.

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