Tom G Loc: Atlanta, GA

Would some please explain the fundamentals of the new mirrorless cameras? Or direct me to the link where this subject has already been discussed.

Thanks,

Tom G

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

Fundamentals as in pros/cons over other camera types, or just how do they work?

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

craggycrossers Loc: Robin Hood Country, UK

Tom - here's the best site I know about "mirrorless" -

http://www.sansmirror.com/

Lots to get your teeth into there !

Kuzano

Tom,

Two links, both very good. Bythom has been around and closely followed by many on his other web site for a long time.

A simpler (Way oversimplified) answer to your post may be that there have been for some time three classes of digital cameras:

1) Point and shoot
2) Bridge or Superzoom
3) DSLR with optical viewfinder, prism and mirrorbox

And now we add a 4th class:

EVIL... for Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens or Mirrorless.

DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) is the digital variation of the prior SLR (Single Lens Reflex - Reflex being Reflex Mirror) in film camera's.

A system of viewfinder that relied on a swinging mirror and a large prism on top of the camera to form the image that would be captured on the film when the mirror swung out of the way when the shutter button was pushed. SLR stood for Single Lens Reflex... the Reflex standing for reflex mirror. The image had to be tranferred to the film by the path of the mirror.

The Electronic Viewfinder in the EVIL (mirrorless) camera does away with the need to have a transfer path created by the mirror. The electronics offer a viewfinder that operates without a mirror path.

Two things, again simplified, are provided by the switch away from the mirror (optical viewing path) and the Electronic View Finder.

1) The mechanism of the swinging mirror, the prism, and the sound of the mirror slapping back and forth in the mirror box are done away with.

2) The registration distance of the lens is shortened... the distance of the rear of the lens to the sensor, because the mirror is not in the way any longer.

Now, I said this was oversimplified, and if you require more than this, I could attempt to recreate all the information you can find on the two links already offered, or suggest that you go there.

Advantages are reduction in moving parts or fail points in the analog portion of the camera.. the mirror. Another advantage is that the lenses can be made smaller, as can the whole camera. Another advantage is that the use of adaptors allows the use of a whole inventory of adapted lenses, such as old thread mount in LTM and M42 screw mount, and other old rangefinder and SLR lenses with short register flanges putting the rear of the lens closer to the sensor, is opened up to the user.

There are some complaints about the switch from users regarding the effectiveness of electronic viewing vs. optical viewfinders, but those differences are receding with improvements in electronic viewing technology.

That's as much as I am willing to put in a simple explanation...

Summary... mirrorless offers:

Potentially smaller cameras
Lighter Cameras
Less fail points mechanically
A vast array of lens choices for short register lenses, albeit manual focus for the most part.

So now we have

Point and shoot
Bridge or Superzoom (fixed lenses

both of which have no mirrors.

And:

DSLR
EVIL, not that the name denotes anything bad.
:shock:

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I found this post to be an excellent discussion: http://photographylife.com/mirrorless-vs-dslr