Should you buy a DSLR in 2024 (dslr vs mirrorless)

Gerard: @gerardneedham

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[MrDwightsimon]

I love mirrorless cameras because they have made DSLRs and their accessories much cheaper 😂

[audigex]

DSLRs have two advantages - one currently, one always

Currently: You can get a bargain as people switch to Mirrorless

Always: You get the "I'm a photographer" clicky shutter sound

[bd]

I'm a retired professional photographer from 1976-2007. Obviously all film. Near the end of that run I was doing some shooting for a website with early digital so I did use that a lot near the end of that professional photography (paid full time). I did get an early DSLR in 2008. It exceeded my expectations. My career shifted to I.T. in 2007 so I made the transition. This past year I updated my 6 megapixel DSLR to 24.2. Doing a 4x resolution upgrade was nice. The camera was from 2012 so I get it for $150. I had all the tools to refurbish it myself and I did. Mirrorless wasn't what I wanted because I had an 18-200mm lens I wanted to keep using. Were there drawbacks? Not for an old retired photographer (2018). Funny thing is the old camera still can be used for stuff online, so I probably didn''t need it but at least I can do a decent enlargement now.

[hughwolfe]

I’ve owned a D700 since 2010. It’s reliable, I understand it’s workings and it produces great images. More recently I supplemented the D700 with a D850. Very similar button layout, wonderful images, plus I already own a very nice compliment of lenses…
With the hype of mirrorless some photographers are jumping ship on their completely usable DSLR’s and lenses thus a good selection of used equipment is available to those that could probably never afford as new. Some people just have to own the latest technology to be happy…
Just remember, images are created by the person behind the camera, not the camera alone.

[augustosanchezcisneros]

I use a DSLR since it was a cheaper option and I just started my photography journey a year ago. When I used my friends mirrorless camera, it wasn’t as overwhelming as it probably would have been if I just started on it immediately. Definitely shooting in Manuel mode on the dslr, has helped me improve within a year since I have to adjust things constantly for landscapes.

[Bujia.]

DSLR is my choice from 2001 I lived this change already from SLR to DSLR back in the day. Love my D850 and will keep it for ever. Use a Fuji XT3 for video but my photo work is reserved to my beloved Nikon D850, 750, 700, 600 through the years.

[robertvarner]

I gave up photography all together. Boy did save a lot of money. 📷📷📷

[walterhaines]

I think about some of the greatest photos ever taken by photographers who knew how to setup the camera to get the proper exposure without all things a camera has today.

[mondujar]

I have been a photographer since 2011, and have owned many different cameras. The latest are Canon R5 R6 and R10. Although the latest and greatest cameras are good and have extra features many of my favorite shots were taken with anything from micro four thirds to Sony rx100. When I look over the years there’s not a big difference in the real world between cameras. It’s more about the subject, lighting, and the emotion involved.

[markgoostree]

Dead? Well, no. I'll still shoot my DSLR as long as it keeps working. Not against mirrorless it's just that they are out of my price range. At 73, I really do not need to upgrade.... I won't live long enough to justify it.

[reynaldohernandez]

I shoot weddings with mirrorless. Canon r6, Nikon Z6ii and Sony A7iv. I just bought a 5D classic and it’s a joy to use since I have to do all the work. That thing doesn’t even have auto iso, the screen sucks and pretty much you have to wait to see the results in your computer. One thing for sure is No canon camera offers the look like the 5D classic jpg straight out of camera. Now I’m looking for a Nikon d200 with ccd sensor.
End of story is you don’t need the latest camera to take great pictures dslrs do that very well.

[landocycle]

Yes you should. I bought a 5D MK1 with a 50mm F1.4 for $150USD! In fact, I have used it for a couple paid gigs despite having a whole kit of pro mirrorless at home 😂

[truthseeker]

For shooting stills, a DSLR is a more enjoyable experience for me as ergonomics is very important.
Mirrorless cameras excel at video recording.

[jjfecik]

What an awesome video!! Great to hear you don't think DSLRs are totally dead! I shoot on both but have been thinking about upgrading my daily shooter from a DSLR to a mirrorless so this was super helpful! Thank you.

[charlotteice]

I am a photography beginner and I've been using a point and shoot (Canon PowerShot S110) for half a year now. I'm honestly fine with it. The resolution is quite limited at 3000×4000 but I don't make money off those photos. What's far more valuable to me is the compact form factor and the fact that I got it used for 80€. I think that if you're a beginner, having a camera be cheap and portable so you'll always have it with you (while it still allows you to learn all the important things) is the most important thing. If you have a really good phone, a camera like the S110 might not make sense to you but I don't care about spending more than 150€ on a phone so I wanted to have a camera in order to be able to capture dark stuff. Because it is so cheap and portable, I've been able to capture many things in situations where I would have never had an expensive, heavy camera on me.

[evrythingilike]

The man said the 5D3’s screen is trash yes. Wow. Funny cause I had a Sony A7iii and when doing engagement shoots I was always ashamed to show my clients the back of that camera. I once showed a couple the a7iii and the 5D 3 during a session and they instantly gravitated towards the photo on the 5D. Literally the first time I’ve heard someone trash the 5D3’s screen.

[xrayxxx]

I shoot what works for me. No controversies, no preferences or bias. Mirrorless, MFT, DSLR, I have had many cameras in my journey. All great in their own way. Last of the cameras till I die. Canon 1DX, 1D mk.4, and Sony a7iii, a7rii. All running mostly Canon lenses. I landed on these as my system one and done. I grew up with SLRs. But the appeal of Mirrorless is size, and ease. The Canons are beasts. The 1DX especially. It doesn't care where, what, when, how long, it just goes like clock work. Everything here is used. Nothing bought new. The 1D mk.4 with the 1.3 crop and 10 frames a second, my plane spotter king. I use my 1DX for church social postings for them, also the a7rii has been for that too. My a7iii is the All arounder with excellent 4K UHD video, and speed demon AF, and great battery life. All my Sonys have battery grips. So shooting all day is easy with them. Just like the Canon's never die battery life. I think the Canons will out live me. They are just never quitters. My 1DX and L Lens 70-200mm for my church social gathering gets the most positive feedback from the production team, and congregation. My Sony also is winning friends. It isn't for me whether one is better DSLR, or Mirrorless it is a tool box and my purpose of use scenario. I am doing a museum shoot, and need to go smaller and fast. The a7iii is my go too in this case with a Canon mild zoom adapted. A nifty fifty, and a fast wide angle call it a day.

[snrl]

Nikon D700 used, 7 out of 10, low shutter count can be had for $400 or less. Then you can pickup a sigma 35mm 1.4 Art for $300 maybe a 85mm 1.8g for $300. You have a event or wedding starter FX setup for $1k. Throw in a few CF cards a decent camera bag to carry it all around, you are still $1200 in and a killer setup for being a savvy buyer.

Ok so you don't like the D700 because 12MP feels like not enough, well the Nikon D800 used is going for around $500 in 8 out of 10 condition again low shutter count. So we are still around the $1200 mark for a 36MP FX pro level camera and two fast primes.

For a beginner there couldn't be a better time to grab a good used pro level DSLR and a few fast primes and start making some amazing photos. Mirrorless is great, but you don't have to go $4k into this hobby to get a great setup.

[rustysickle]

I use my gear extensively for casual shoots, so the biggest plus of mirrorless to me is the small size and weight of the body and lenses. My Fuji XT30 is about ½ the size and weight of a DSLR with similar capabilities, and so I bring out very often, pairing it with the 18-55 kit or the 27 f2.8. It allows me to capture many memories with splendid photographic quality which no smartphone can match. When I go to event shoots, I pair it with a telephoto or a 16-55 f2.8 as well. Used Fuji lenses are quite affordable but their popular bodies unfortunately do not go down much in price.

[alansach]

Pros, surprisingly and for the most part, don't tend to change gear as often as they change their underwear, like many hobbiests. Hobbiests often crave the latest and the greatest, some thinking that new gear will breathe new life into their photography, while others crave bragging rights. Pros, on the other hand, constantly have the bottom line in mind. Constantly buying new gear cuts into that dramatically. DSLR or mirrorless will each produce fantastic results in the right hands.