SLRs still have better battery life and an optical viewfinder

CydeWeys · on April 8, 2018

The optical viewfinder is the main negative of the SLR, and what is motivating the shift to mirrorless. It often doesn't give a great representation of the actual digital image that will be captured, it requires bulk for the mirror, and you can't overlay nearly asuch information on the viewfinder. Plus the mirror itself is loud and doesn't permit using the viewfinder while taking video.

The battery life problem is being solved. The Sony A7 III, which just came out, does much better on battery life. And personally I have an Olympus OM-D E-M5 II, use the viewfinder almost exclusively, and have never run out of battery, even after a full day of touristing. I have four spares I've never had to swap in. I'm not a professional though.

rangibaby · on April 9, 2018

> The optical viewfinder is the main negative of the SLR

I'm going to have to disagree with you there. A 0 latency view of exactly what your composition will look like is what I need.

> It often doesn't give a great representation of the actual digital image

In auto modes your camera is clever enough to take a "good" exposure. In manual mode you should know how to expose a photo properly.

> requires bulk for the mirror

The mirror is a small part of the weight / size of a camera. The main disadvantage of an SLR always has been and always will be the flange focal distance.

> the mirror itself is loud and doesn't permit using the viewfinder while taking video.

Agreed

> you can't overlay nearly asuch information on the viewfinder.

Good! I want less information in my way, not more.

> The battery life problem is being solved.

Maybe, but the reality is still that even the A7 III has only half the battery life of a comparable DSLR. That is a problem for heavy shooting.

glenneroo · on April 10, 2018

"The a7 III uses the Z battery, introduced in the a9 and also used by the a7R III. It's good for 710 shot per CIPA ratings with the a7 III, as its power requirements are less than the a9 or a7R III, both rated for 650 images per charge."

All of my Nikon DSLRs (D5000, D7000, D750) can shoot between 2-4k images on a charge, and I use a mix of official Nikon batteries and cheap eBay knock-offs. In general the cheap knock-offs perform better. If I had to change batteries every 500-600 photos, I would be constantly stressed during a job and probably flip batteries every time I had a minute free. If that's not enough juice for a photographer, the battery grip will get that number much higher (and provide stability when using heavier lenses).