Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I have a camera.

Two as a matter of fact.

leftj Loc: Texas

Show us the results of your study that led to: "so many who scoff at the widespread shift to fully live view cameras will tend to point out that they haven’t yet seen any significant gains in image quality from live view systems as compared to SLRs." I'd love to see that data. Or are you just making an off the cuff observation without any data to back it up. The march of technology from DSLRs to Mirrorless is no different than moving from film to DSLRs, or horse drawn carriages to gasoline powered vehicles, or reading hardback books to reading digital books and on and on.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Has anyone ever seen a mirrorless camera on the road to failure?

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

Haven't been on that road yet, Paul. As for Mirrorless vs DSLR, I guess I'm just an old dog. Never had a problem with SLRs once I got one with a 100% viewfinder.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

I'm a bird photography shooting for my own pleasure, although I have shot weddings and many special events for relatives and friends.

I began my switch to mirrorless three years ago from high end Nikons to comparable Sony cameras...it was a process. I did gain some IQ but attribute it mostly to lens quality. I did not have top quality Nikon lenses but IQ was not lacking.

I switched for other reasons, including digital view finder and the obvious advantages associated with them. "Real" silent shutter, no more lens calibration, better focus accuracy and speed, size and weight, more flexibility in camera set up. Also knowing that electronics allow for more display information, protentional software upgrades, and fewer mechanical parts to wear or fail.

Would I do it again...yes but only sooner. Did it make me a better photography?...in a way it did. It made some things easier and motivated me to shoot more.

Do I recommend DSLR shooters switch?...not at all. This is my story...you have your own.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Mirrorless cameras have existed since the dawn of photography. It was the time when Leica was king. It was not till the Germans manufacturers turned their eyes toward SLR bodies that the mirrorless cameras of that time began to fade. It was in 1936 that the Germans began to manufacture SLR cameras. We all know of the success of Nikon with their Nikon F of 1959. Eventually the market was dominated by the 35 mm SLR. Leica embraced the new technologies but kept on making mirrorless cameras.

I am not 100% sure if it was Olympus that started along with Panasonic the new mirrorless trend. Immediately other manufacturers like Sony and Fuji began manufacturing mirrorless cameras while Canon and Nikon were late arrival. We all know what happened when Olympus introduced the OM-D EM-5. Perhaps it was that camera that started it all. Soon, as new models with more capabilities were introduced professionals began to use those cameras and ever since many consumers have switched from dSLR to mirrorless. Today sales of cameras is down for all manufacturers but there was a time when mirrorless sold better than dSLR bodies. It all seems to tell me that not only mirrorless is here to stay but also that manufacturers will concentrate their attention more on mirrorless than dSLR cameras.

Do not get me wrong, dSLR cameras are still preferred by many photographers so there is a market for them. Mirrorless bodies have more technologies built in, are in general smaller, have smaller lenses and are not only very competent in image quality but are lighter and easier to carry.
I cannot predict the future but looks like mirrorless will have a large share of the market if it does not have it already. I guess it was Paul who said that "the grass is greener when shot with a mirrorless camera."

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

One can always justify anything if one wants it bad enough.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

We imagine improving our photography, but we cling to our old DSLRs.

pendennis

I've always used the camera which got the job done. Whether that was a (D)SLR, rangefinder, medium format, large format, etc. The old time term is "horses for courses".

I was never enamored with chasing improvements just because they were "improvements".

I have noted, although this is limited anecdotal, that sports photographers still seem to be using Nikon or Canon DSLR's. An article, and I don't remember the source, stated that there is some resistance to the digital viewfinder, and its "lag". I've only tried out the Nikon Z7, but was impressed with its images. However, I have a lot of investment in (D)SLR's and the associated lenses.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. Make today the first day of the rest of your mirrorless life.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

That's why my cameras are over 10 years old.
One is mirrorless, so I'm halfway there.

johngault007 Loc: Florida Panhandle

Only two pages so far, I'm a little disappointed.

OP probably should have added the great "protection filter" debate to the MILC vs. DSLR discussion.

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

LOL, that's the idea I try to live with but its a hard game to play I have plenty of gears I don't need, mostly camping stuffs, weird tools and knives. Just the other week I got myself an air quality tester ha ha ha.


I guess we are on the same boat on some matters
If its something I don't need, it would be something for fun & curiosity. (like the jackhammer on the way LOL)

Regarding photography, I'm pretty much at ease with my two DSLR. Not top of the line by todays standard and not about affordability either but really practical usefulness. I do graphic design and I take or work pictures and images every day so cameras are everyday tools for me. I really could not see the the reason to change when what I have is sufficient. If there is anything I'm going to buy tomorrow it would be a fast computer.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

When I consider changing camera makes, types or even just an upgrade to a different model of or within my present system, the first thing I do is separate the "wheat from the chaff". A little introspective question I ask is "am I responding to the advertising hype, a widespread GAS epidemic, OR will this change or transition provide specific benefits"? My criteria are simple, will this newfangled gear improve the quality of the IQ, DR, and all that good stuff and will it provide more efficient, ergonomic, and cost-efficient operation- or NOT?

Sometimes it tasks a little research and a serious visit to the dealer's shop to get past the technobabble and unnecessary features, and just see how the darn thing fits in my hands and works and how a resulting image holds up on a very large screen or print.

I am not stingy, fragile, or ultra-conservative when it comes to good reliable gear- just ask my wife and my accountant! It's just that I don't use many of the "advanced features" in my cameras and don't like to pay for stuff I don't need. In fact, I find some of it distracting. I don't need "blinkies" because I know how to control my DR and I don't like the viewfinder looking like the instrumentation on the flight deck of a jet aircraft. I can work faster with dials and click-stops than digital readouts on LCD screens. More bells and whistles-more breakdown potential!

As I read many posts, here on the forum, there are lots of questions where folks are spending lots of time working around automation and having to fiddle with it way too much.

I could understand switching to a mirrorless system for lighter weight, perhaps quieter operation, OR if the manufacturers begin to put all their technological improvements that will improve image quality and efficiency into mirrorless and ignore or entirely discontinue their DSLR lines. I think that is a long time coming.

If I were a dealer or a distributor, I would be far more interested in what's hot and what's not and all the buying trends. As a commercial photographer, my present DSLR gear will continue to do the job for me and if a significant body of work comes in that requires whatever improvements a mirrorless camera has to offer- I'll buy one!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The greatest mistake you can make in life is continually fearing that you're not ready to go mirrorless.