This is a seismic shift in the industry, as Nikon has a storied history with SLRs going back to the iconic Nikon F launched in 1959. But it’s not the only company going in this direction: Canon has already confirmed that the EOS-1DX Mark III will be the EOS-1DX Mark III. the latest flagship DSLR and Sony moved to selling only mirrorless cameras last year. Until recently, reflex cameras were considered a better choice than mirrorless for action photography, so what happened? Simply put, mirrorless models have improved so dramatically in the past couple of years that they’ve rendered DSLRs moot. Many professional photographers keep their DSLRs and the main reason is speed. As we explained several years ago in the Upscaled series, reflex cameras have special autofocus sensors under the mirror. They are extremely fast, so they allow high burst speeds with precise focus on each shot. Canon’s 1DX III, for example, can shoot up to 16 fps with autofocus and auto exposure enabled. Many serious shooters still prefer an optical scope as well. They want a view of a subject they can trust and believe that a natural view through a prism and mirror is superior to an artificial electronic screen. The downside, of course, is that you can’t see the image when you’re shooting it because the mirror lifts up to block the screen. The last important thing is battery life and handling: Flagship DSLRs have heavy bodies and large grips that make for stable shooting platforms, especially with the huge telephoto lenses used by sports and wildlife photographers. They are also covered with dials and buttons for easier operation. And the optical viewfinder apparently doesn’t drain the battery, so DSLRs can take many more photos on a charge. Engadget This was even true until recently, but the latest mirrorless cameras have put most of these concerns to rest. The most significant change was the introduction of stacked sensors. They have much faster readout speeds that allow for fast bursting and more accurate autofocus. They also produce less roll in electronic mode, reducing tilt in photos and wobble in video. Canon’s EOS R3 is a great example of this. It’s a bit slower than the 1DX Mark III DSLR in mechanical shutter mode, but much faster with the electronic shutter and offers more resolution. Sony’s A1 is even more impressive, allowing you to shoot 50-megapixel RAW at 30 frames per second. Perhaps the most vivid illustration of the power of stacked sensors is Nikon’s new Z9 flagship. It lets you shoot 46-megapixel RAW images at 20 fps with the electronic shutter, and it doesn’t even have a mechanical shutter. By comparison, Nikon’s flagship D6 DSLR can handle 14 RAW images per second, but at 21 megapixels, it’s less than half the resolution. The viewfinder issue has also been largely resolved. Not long ago, mirrorless EVFs tended to be laggy, low-resolution and unstable, and they shared a nagging problem with DSLRS – the viewfinder would be dark when you took the shot. Now, all three models above have sharp and fast OLED display switches smooth refresh rates of at least 120Hz and up to 240Hz. And all offer blur-free reception in most conditions. All of these undoubtedly offer professionals a view superior to an optical viewfinder. Engadget Finally, cameras like Nikon’s Z9 and Canon R3 are just as important as their DSLR counterparts and match up review for review. And if you want a professional camera that’s not huge, Sony offers small cameras with great handling like the A1 and A9. However, battery life is still an issue for mirrorless cameras next to DSLRs. The Nikon D6 can take a whopping 3,580 shots on a charge, while the Z9 is CIPA rated for just 770 – and that’s pretty high for a mirrorless camera. For now, mirrorless will always be at a disadvantage, but the situation is improving. All in all, with these key improvements in stacked sensors, improved EVFs and better handling, mirrorless models can now match DSLRs. In almost every other category, however, they are truly superior. Get autofocus. Although DSLRs have fast dedicated phase detection autofocus sensors, mirrorless models have many more phase detection pixels directly on the main sensor. In Canon’s case, every pixel is used for AF. This allows for faster and more accurate autofocus, in theory. Engadget With hybrid phase and contrast detection pixels directly on the sensor, modern mirrorless cameras also win over smart AI devices. Most can do subject, face and eye detection with people, birds, animals, cars and more. This is especially useful for action photography for tracking fast-moving subjects – an area traditionally dominated by reflex cameras. And with the latest processors and stacked sensors, these features are finally good enough to be used in real professional shooting. As mentioned, some of the best mirrorless cameras now eliminate the viewfinder blur that plagues DSLRs. And stacked sensors also greatly reduce roll that can result in shaky, distorted photos. They are now good enough to allow shooting of fast-moving subjects, with the benefit of being quiet if you’re working on a golf tournament, for example. Perhaps the biggest benefit is video. Photographers in many different fields are required to do this on top of photos, whether they are shooting weddings or working for major news and sports agencies. Engadget DSLRs like Canon’s 5D helped drive the trend for high-quality video capture with consumer cameras, and recent models like the 1DX III can handle good video. However, in general, mirrorless models are superior. Nikon’s Z9, Canon R3 and Sony A1 can handle most film cameras, making them real double threats. That’s thanks to incredible video autofocus systems, up to 8K resolutions, RAW video capture, top-notch audio capabilities and more. In addition to all this, most mirrorless cameras (unlike DSLRs) have in-body stabilization, so you don’t have to worry about having this feature on the lens. And talking lenses, those designed for mirrorless cameras tend to be smaller, lighter and optically superior because the back is closer to the sensor. Then there is the matter of price and cost. Mirrorless cameras are less complicated than DSLRs, so they tend to be cheaper. Nikon’s Z9, for example, costs $1,000 less than the D6, and the Canon EOS R3 is $500 cheaper than the 1DX Mark III. Finally, with the decline of the camera market started by smartphones, it doesn’t make much sense for manufacturers to make both DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. Now, they seem to be focusing on one technology for the benefit of profitability. Wrap up Engadget Photographers may feel sad that DSLRs seem to be reaching the end of their life, especially if they just bought one. But don’t panic just yet – while Nikon and Canon seem to have stopped designing new DSLRs and lenses, they will continue to build and sell existing models. The key to this is that mirrorless has not only overtaken, but will soon overtake reflex mirror technology. For example, Sony recently introduced new sensors that can gather twice as much light as current stacked sensors, paving the way for fast shooting, even in low light. And you can expect much faster image processors, better EVFs and smarter autofocus systems in the near future. In other words, future mirrorless technology could make you forget that digital cameras ever had mirrors inside. Then, we might only see them in their original glory – with a roll of film inside. All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. 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