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Why Mirrorless Cameras Are My Go-To Option

The Benefits of Shooting With a Micro 4/3 Camera Body

By Jason APublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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It was quite a few years back when I became more serious about photography. I graduated from the basic point and shoot to what some call a bridge camera. That would be something of a hybrid between a point and shoot and a digital SLR. Basically, this is a camera with a longer zoom and lens that may or may not allow for attachments to extend or adjust the lens. But the key thing here would be that the lens is not removable. A few years later, I decided to make the big jump to a professional-grade unit with interchangeable lenses.

I had a decision to make between the traditional mirrored camera bodies or what was an almost brand new development at the time, the mirrorless unit. I went the mirrorless route purchasing my first Panasonic Lumix model and never looked back. Three cameras and more than a decade later, I have found that the benefits of working with a mirrorless model can be quite impressive.

To start, mirrorless (which can be either what are called 4/3 or micro 3/4 cameras) are smaller and have less bulk. From a practical standpoint, this makes them lighter and easier to carry and store when not being used. Sure, those are some simple benefits but still ones to consider while shooting or traveling to a shoot location.

Some have actually suggested that the smaller bodies were originally built to draw in more female photographers as they tend to fit well with smaller hands. I’m not sure if this is true but it would make sense if it is.

The second reason I personally think that my micro 4/3 camera is a better option is a basic function of the shutter itself.

With a traditional camera, every time you take a shot, there is a mirror within your system that must move to work with your unit’s sensor. If you ever look into buying a used model, the seller will generally list a shutter count. In a way, it’s kind of like an odometer on a car showing the user the amount of wear on the item. With high end cameras, you can get a few hundred thousand shots in before you might have some problems.

If you go with a mirrorless model, there is no mirror to be moved around and thus you don’t really have to worry much if at all about the number of photos you take.

While there aren’t as many lens options out there form mirrorless cameras as there are for classic SRLs, there are more than enough and more being manufactured all the time. And while it’s not a complete guarantee, generally speaking any lens designed for a 3/4 model can be used with a micro 3/4 camera using an affordable adapter.

Another nice feature of mirrorless cameras is that they generally feature a live view LCD. That has not always been the case with traditional SLRs. I know early on, classic SLR options did not allow you to get a view of the shot on your LCD until after you took it. Having the option to look though either the viewfinder or at your LDC while shooting is a big plus for a lot of users.

Quite possibly my favorite reason to go with a mirrorless camera has to do with its range. When you use a traditional DSRL, you may opt to use a long range lens like say something with a 200-600 mm range. That’s pretty cool and a great range but if you use a lens compatible with a mirrorless camera with those same numbers, you actually get a doubling effect. Instead of a range of 200-600 mm, you now have a crazy powerful 400-1,200 mm!

Summing it up, my advice to you in not to rule out mirrorless options the next time you buy.

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About the Creator

Jason A

Writer, photographer and graphic design enthusiast with a professional background in journalism, poetry, e-books, model photography, portrait photography, arts education and more.

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