What is mirrorless?

[Tom_N]

As digital cameras are by design mirrorless

Digital cameras are not "by design mirrorless".

why is it necessary to specify that digital interchangeable lens cameras are mirrorless?

Digital interchangeable lens cameras are not "by definition" mirrorless.

 

[PhotoTeach2]

What part of "MIRROR"-less is so hard to understand ???

Is the word "lens" in that at all ???

This is simple ... MirrorLess is "MIRROR"-less.

Interchangeable Lens Camera (ILC) vs FIXED-lens is a separate issue, (just as different sensor-sizes is also a separate issue).

It's not hard to understand at all. Richard Butler made the editorial position of this website clear in a post above when he wrote, "When we use the term 'Mirrorless' we're using it as a more convenient contraction of Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera (MILC)." He also said the term was introduced at the time the micro four thirds system was announced, which was about 2008, so that has been its meaning here for about 10 years.

When I read the word mirrorless in an article or post here at DPReview, my assumption is that it refers to a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. What introduces confusion is when people apply the term mirrorless to cameras that do not use interchangeable lenses. There are other category names to use. Canon, for example, refers to their fixed-lens cameras with 1" or larger sensors as "large sensor compacts," and they, too, define mirrorless as having interchangeable lenses. Looking at their product line-up, Panasonic also appears to reserve the word mirrorless for cameras with interchangeable lenses.

Yes - if we extend the term 'mirrorless' to any camera without a mirror, while it may be technically correct, it becomes completely meaningless.

WHY .... when it is the "mirror" that is the limiting factor.

It is the "mirror" that prevents light from reaching the sensor prior to exposure, and thus REQUIRES separate focus/exposure detectors, (to make "guesses" for focus/exposure -- and NO WAY to pre-judge WB).

Thus the "mirror" prevents "live-histograms/zebras" or "PRE-Capture".

It is the "mirror" that makes the noise and DELAY.

It is the "mirror/OVF" that limits to "larger" (FF & DX/APS-C) sensors and inhibits after exposure "Image-Review".

Thus "mirror/OVF -- larger sensors" limit SIZE-of-CAMERA/lens, (not "pocketable").

W/Out "mirror", allows an "un-limited" CHOICE of sensor & lens sizes.

A CHOICE of Interchangeable vs Fixed lens is a totally separate issue.

MirrorLESS allows an un-limited choices w/out "limits", (of "mirror").

 

[adk38]

Bad bad mirror. No zebras. Teach me more Phototeacher. Like here https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/60307887

 

[jrtrent]

Since most of the cameras that were ever made are without a mirror maybe we should backtrack and just name the ones with mirrors "Mirrored" and do away with the SLR and DSLR names.

I still need some way of distinguishing between my SLR and my TLR--they're both mirrored.

 

[mamallama]

Since most of the cameras that were ever made are without a mirror maybe we should backtrack and just name the ones with mirrors "Mirrored" and do away with the SLR and DSLR names.

I still need some way of distinguishing between my SLR and my TLR--they're both mirrored.

Why? There is only one mirror in both types. If you want to name cameras by the number of lens they have, that's another story.

 

[PhotoTeach2]

Since most of the cameras that were ever made are without a mirror maybe we should backtrack and just name the ones with mirrors "Mirrored" and do away with the SLR and DSLR names.

I still need some way of distinguishing between my SLR and my TLR--they're both mirrored.

Why? There is only one mirror in both types. If you want to name cameras by the number of lens they have, that's another story.

Yep ... he has a "1"LR and a "2"LR.

 

[mamallama]

Since most of the cameras that were ever made are without a mirror maybe we should backtrack and just name the ones with mirrors "Mirrored" and do away with the SLR and DSLR names.

I still need some way of distinguishing between my SLR and my TLR--they're both mirrored.

Why? There is only one mirror in both types. If you want to name cameras by the number of lens they have, that's another story.

Yep ... he has a "1"LR and a "2"LR.

Yes, that is just the current name with "1" substituted for S and "2" for T.

Actually only one lens is involved in the picture taking. The second lens is just part of an elaborate viewfinder. Actually there are a lot of cameras with two lens where the second lens is just part of the viewfinder. Most old rangefinder cameras are like that.

 

[PhotoTeach2]

Since most of the cameras that were ever made are without a mirror maybe we should backtrack and just name the ones with mirrors "Mirrored" and do away with the SLR and DSLR names.

I still need some way of distinguishing between my SLR and my TLR--they're both mirrored.

Why? There is only one mirror in both types. If you want to name cameras by the number of lens they have, that's another story.

Yep ... he has a "1"LR and a "2"LR.

Yes, that is just the current name with "1" substituted for S and "2" for T.

Actually only one lens is involved in the picture taking. The second lens is just part of an elaborate viewfinder. Actually there are a lot of cameras with two lens where the second lens is just part of the viewfinder. Most old rangefinder cameras are like that.

Ah ... but rangefinders had "MIRRORS" .... LOL

 

[Fogel70]

Since most of the cameras that were ever made are without a mirror maybe we should backtrack and just name the ones with mirrors "Mirrored" and do away with the SLR and DSLR names.

I still need some way of distinguishing between my SLR and my TLR--they're both mirrored.

Why? There is only one mirror in both types. If you want to name cameras by the number of lens they have, that's another story.

AF SLR has a second mirror for AF, but that is nothing that has to be mentioned.

 

[Fogel70]

Since most of the cameras that were ever made are without a mirror maybe we should backtrack and just name the ones with mirrors "Mirrored" and do away with the SLR and DSLR names.

I still need some way of distinguishing between my SLR and my TLR--they're both mirrored.

Why? There is only one mirror in both types. If you want to name cameras by the number of lens they have, that's another story.

Yep ... he has a "1"LR and a "2"LR.

My smartphone is a twin lens camera, so think I need to call it twin lens mirrorless so people do not mix it up with twin lens reflex cameras