When it comes to astrophotography DSLR & mirrorless cameras are very commonly used. DSLR cameras are considered very reliable. They were the top choice for astrophotography until they were challenged by mirrorless cameras. So, in this article we will see, what DSLR vs Mirrorless camera has to offer.
Mirrorless cameras are lighter than a DSLR. DSLR and mirrorless are both good for astrophotography. But they do have some advantages and disadvantages over each other. So today in this video, we will see how exactly these two types of cameras are different from each other. We will also see which type of camera you should prefer if you want to start your astrophotography journey.
How do DSLR vs Mirrorless cameras work?
The basic working of these two types of cameras differs in the path of light from the lens to the sensor. A DSLR camera uses a mirror mechanism to either reflect light into an optical viewfinder or pass it directly to the camera sensor. However, a mirrorless camera completely lacks such a mirror mechanism, which means that the light passing through the lens always ends up on the imaging sensor.
How does the DSLR camera work?
The light enters through the lens. It is then reflected in the mirror on the focusing screen. From the focusing screen through the condensed lens it passes through pentaprism and then finally to the optical viewfinder.
How does a Mirrorless camera work?
In comparison to the DSLR, mirrorless cameras are simple to work with. Light passes through the lens directly onto the image sensor and the optical viewfinder is replaced with an electronic viewfinder that replicates the image sensor. In normal operation, the mechanical camera shutter stays open and is only typically utilized at the end of the exposure.
DSLR camera Advantages
1. Battery life
The DSLR camera has a better & longer battery life compared to the mirrorless camera. During long sessions of your photography, the mirrorless camera will drain your battery faster than the DSLR one.
2. Lenses
DSLRs offer very well-developed lens systems that include numerous professional prime and zoom lenses that deliver spectacular imaging performance.
Advantages of mirrorless camera
1. As you can see in the working design there is no mirror & pentaprism system in mirrorless cameras. So, the distance between the lens and image sensor is very short. Because of this mirrorless cameras are thinner and lighter.
2. The electronic viewfinder has lots of advantages over a normal DSLR camera. Everything is duplicated from the lens sensor to the electronic viewfinder. All the settings such as white balance, contrast balance, and saturation can be seen directly through the viewfinder.
You can also overlay live histograms, because of this you can directly see how the photo will look. This also helps in zooming in, verifying focus & auto-focus.
3. The mirrorless cameras are very easy to clean as there are very few parts when you compare with the DSLR.
4. As the demand for 8k video is increasing day by day. The DSLR cannot match the 6k or 8k video with keeping the cost down. However, the mirrorless camera can easily achieve the 6k or 8k video recording.
5. The mirrorless camera has lesser components, so it is cheaper to produce them. So, from the price point of view mirrorless cameras are cheaper than the DSLR camera.
DSLR camera disadvantages
1. It has many components so the DSLRs are heavier and bulkier compared to mirrorless cameras.
2. There are physical mirrors in the camera. So, there is a limitation to the frame speed.
3. As there is no electronic viewfinder. So you cannot see a live preview of a photo.
4. The mirror system needs calibration once in a while. It might be a time-consuming process.
5. Because of the many physical components the manufacturing cost of DSLR is higher so you will find DSLR more expensive than a mirrorless camera.
Disadvantages of mirrorless camera
Just because it has many advantages doesn’t mean it is a perfect system. There are some disadvantages of mirrorless cameras.
1. Battery life
The camera is totally electronic. So it consumes a lot of battery. You can’t see the image on the electronic viewfinder without turning on the camera which needs a battery. So you need to carry a secondary battery or a charger if you are out there for a long session of Astro-imaging.
2. Lag on the Electronic viewfinder
There might feel a lag on the electronic viewfinder. If that happens then you will not be seeing anything live & looking at things through a laggy and buggy viewfinder is not a good experience.
The camera’s viewfinder has limitations in low-light environments but this one is for the entry-level mirrorless camera. If you go with high-end models manufactured by Nikon & Cannon, you will not find this problem with these cameras.
DSLR vs Mirrorless Camera for Astrophotography?
Though, so far DSLRs are known for their reliability in astrophotography.
So, is mirrorless camera better than DSLR?
The mirrorless cameras which come nowadays are very high quality and you will not find any difference between the photos taken by these two cameras.
You should prefer to buy a mirrorless camera. They are lightweight so they will not add any additional weight to the mount of your telescope.
The mirrorless camera does not have a mirror flip, so during long exposure photography, you will not face any vibrations.
One of the biggest advantages of the mirrorless camera is that you can use various lenses of DSLR with the help of an adapter. So, you will have a wide variety of options of lenses to choose from.
The mirrorless cameras are the future & it seems like DSLR cameras are slowly becoming old & outdated technology.
So this is how these two types of cameras are different from each other.
If you are looking for a telescope specifically for astrophotography then you need to check this article. You can also find the best suitable telescope for you with our telescope suggestion tool.
