Basics: Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) vs. Digital Single Lens Mirrorless (DSLM)

Hi friends of photography,

although there have been DSLMs on the market for some years now, I am often asked at weddings whether DSLRs are not better. From my point of view this cannot be answered in general, because it depends on what is photographed and for what purpose. Therefore I don't want to give you a general recommendation to buy one or the other, but only my personal opinion on this question.

Viewfinder
The biggest difference between a DSLM and a DSLR is that the former no longer have a mirror. This means that with DSLMs you always look through a digital viewfinder and therefore always see a digital image, while with DSLRs you see through an optical viewfinder. Since this can take some getting used to, you should be aware of this in advance. I personally prefer digital viewfinders, because they always display the finished image and you can adjust the settings if necessary before shooting. This is especially advantageous in low light conditions, as you may not see enough with a DSLR. On the other hand, digital viewfinders also have the disadvantage that more power is consumed and the battery life thus decreases.

Handling
Another big advantage of DSLMs is their form factor and weight. Especially when travelling, this is an enormous advantage and even in difficult shooting situations, e.g. overhead or close to the ground, DSLMs make things much easier. On the other hand, when taking photographs in the studio, e.g. for advertising and fashion shots, it can make sense to use a 35mm or even medium format DSLR with a correspondingly high resolution, whereby one has to say that meanwhile there are also very good 35mm and medium format DSLMs on the market.

Lens selection
The manufacturers of DSLRs have developed their lens selection over decades and have refined it more and more, whereby the selection is additionally supplemented by third party providers. With DSLMs the lens selection is meanwhile also very good but still not on the same level as with DSLRs, so that adapters still have to be used to some extent.

When the first system cameras came onto the market about 5 years ago, there were even more differences compared to the models available today. DSLMs were clearly inferior to DSLRs in terms of autofocus, continuous shooting speed and video recording. However, technology has made enormous progress here, so these differences are less relevant today.

Which DSLMs and DSLRs I use or have used and which experiences I made with it you can find out in my following contributions.

If you have questions or suggestions, please write them in the comments. I will gladly try to answer all of them.

Wish you great shots! Smash the votes!