Should You Buy DSLR or Mirrorless?

The decision to purchase a DSLR or mirrorless for new users, or the decision to switch from one to the other, is one that can be difficult to make. In this video, Engadget explore the key differences with a couple of discussions that will interest even photographers with advanced knowledge. 

In the last few years, we've seen mirrorless cameras take off in popularity as their features equal or even outpace their DSLR counterparts. Cameras have begun to add features we never even knew we needed, like Sony's almost magic-like eye-detect autofocus and Olympus' Live Time function. While some of this technology may be possible with DSLR systems, the computational aspects these types of features are better suited to the way mirrorless cameras function. DSLRs still have a few tricks up their sleeves though and are certainly not going away any time soon. 

In this video from Engadget, the main differentiating factors between the two types of systems are explored. Although the language is reasonably simple and the target audience is those with only a basic understanding of camera systems, there are some excellent descriptions and explanations to be had. This is one of the videos I wish had been made years ago when I was just getting into photography and trying to understand the hundreds, if not thousands, of options that I had. 

As a beginner, this video will give you much of the information needed to make a decision about which type of system to go for. As a working professional, the section on autofocus, which starts around the five-minute mark, is still well-and-truly worth watching for the descriptions of just how everything works under the surface. This is quite a long video, so if you're short on time, definitely speed it up to 2x and enjoy the Chipmunk show for a time.