A full-frame mirrorless camera is not a new technology, and many photographers use it nowadays.
Granted, it still has a long way to go, and many people are still hung up on a full-frame DSLR camera but believe it or not, the mirrorless camera is the technology of the future.
Whether you buy a full-frame camera or the one that has an APS-C camera sensor, there are several perks exclusively associated with them.
But if you are still on the fence about whether to buy a one or not, have a look at a few reasons why you need to get one:
Better Performance in Low Light
One of the biggest advantages of using the full-frame camera is that it has an excellent low light performance which is way better than the crop sensor.
The larger sensor of the full-frame mirrorless camera is equipped with larger pixels which means it produces clear images in low light by capturing more light.
Furthermore, in small sensor cameras, there is going to be a point when you will not be able to increase the ISO any further as the image will become noisy.
Well in the full-frame camera, you can increase the ISO at least one or two points further and still get a clear image.
Electric Viewfinder
Full frame mirrorless cameras come with an electronic viewfinder (EVF) that is basically a game-changer in modern photography.
It allows you to look at a processed image in real-time which literally translates to ‘what you see is what you get.’ Here are a few main benefits of EVF:
You don’t have to always look at the screen after the image is captured as it shows the image fully processed before even capturing it.
You can see the exposure in real-time which means that you can precisely fine-tune the exposure of your image and get it the way you want before capturing the image.
Many full-frame mirrorless cameras allow the photographer to see the monochrome image when shooting in the black and white mode before the image is captured.
This way, the photographer can just focus on tone, light, and mood.
When you are shooting in the color mode, you will be able to see the image in its enhanced form with the contrast, saturation, sharpening and tone adjustments applied.
None of these benefits is present in the full-frame DSLR camera which means if you buy a full-frame mirrorless camera, you will leave the DSLRs way behind.
Autofocus is Significantly Improved
Autofocus is a great feature to have in cameras, and full-frame DSLR cameras have it too, but, the mirror can make the focus go in the wrong direction which usually happens with every photographer.
However, in the full-frame mirrorless camera, the accuracy of autofocus is way better than the full-frame DSLR cameras because they are not dependent on a mirror.
Furthermore, full-frame mirrorless cameras don’t depend on the separate phase-detection AF chip for focus, so their focus points are not just restricted to frame’s center.
This means the autofocus points will have more flexibility and greater coverage.
Live Histogram
The histogram is a graph that shows you how much a scene is black and how much each of the brightness levels is going all the way up and what is entirely white.
With the full-frame DSLR camera, you can see the histogram once the photo is taken, but, the full-frame camera which is mirrorless, will provide you with a live histogram.
This allows photographers to take professional black and white shots without wasting any time in capturing and then checking the images to see if they have got the right exposure.
You just need to look in the viewfinder, and you will see what the image will look like after you push that capture button.
Feature Rich Bodies
Full frame cameras come with professional price points, and that is why they come in bodies with so many professional-grade features.
The full-frame mirrorless camera will not only get you a bigger sensor; it will also get you an upgrade in many other factors.
Though it is very unlikely that you get a single body that will do everything, you will get many benefits like:
- Much faster focus tracking and auto-focus
- Higher resolution
- Greater responsiveness
- Very long battery life
- Dual slots for memory cards
- Longer burst modes that are also faster.
- Brighter and larger viewfinder
- Weatherproof body that is highly durable
Though these are the benefits that typically come with the full-frame mirrorless cameras, if you get the small APS-C camera, you may not get some of these features due to its small body.
Compact Size
One of the best parts of using a mirrorless camera is that it is smaller than the typical full-frame DSLR cameras which means you will get less weight on your hands and more grip.
Although it probably may not fit in your pocket unless you wear the old-fashioned baggy jeans, it will easily fit in your small backpack.
Furthermore, if you want a pretty small sensor camera, you can go with the APS-C which is very compact and may probably fit in your pocket as well. Or, you can also put it in your carry-on pack and not face a problem at all.
Under the Radar Photography
This point stems from the last point. A mirrorless APS-C camera is smaller than the full-frame DSLR which means they don’t look bulky and professional to the less photography-savvy people.
This means you can easily get shots in areas and situations where it is pretty hard or at least awkward to do so.
For instance, at the events that involve children, you can get photos of your kid without getting weird looks from other parents.
Also, you can just get your camera past the security as a small vintage camera because it doesn’t look professional and also has a small size.
You can also travel with it and take photographs at the locations where professional cameras are not allowed or require some kind of permit.
However, you will not be able to get this benefit if you are using a full-frame mirrorless camera because longer lenses will give away your camera’s disguise!
It’s the Future
Honestly, seven to ten years from now, DSLR camera will be ancient history and the new talk of the town will be the full-frame mirrorless cameras because of their state of the art features.
Although there are a few benefits of using the full-frame DSLR cameras, these advantages are getting eroded away as new and more advanced mirrorless cameras are hitting the markets.
This means, if you buy a full-frame mirrorless camera now and jump on this bandwagon early, you will be a total pro by the time people start to realize its advantages and start to adopt it in the next few years.
It’s Quieter
To be honest, mirrorless cameras are not completely silent. However, they are much quieter than the full-frame DSLR cameras.
So when the quiet mode is engaged on the mirrorless cameras, they can be very noiseless. This means you can capture photos without disturbing people in photographing events.
For instance, if you have the job of taking the pictures of the groom and the bride when they are speaking their vows, the CLICK noise of the camera will not be very pleasant when everyone just wants to hear the couple say their vows.
Flexible with Lenses
The best thing about the full-frame mirrorless cameras is that they are very flexible with the sensors.
If you cannot find a lens that you are looking for, you can just adopt a lens from a different system. For instance, if you have a Sony a7r ii and are not happy with the Sony 16-35, you can use the Canon wide-angle lenses.
Furthermore, the lenses of mirrorless cameras are more advanced.
Though the number of native lens mirrorless cameras have is less than the DSLR cameras, the new releasing lenses for these cameras contain the latest technology so you can have better photography.
Over to You
So by looking at the benefits of the full-frame cameras that are mirrorless, you may also want to get it now.
There is no doubt that full-frame DSLR cameras are still in the game of photography, but the game is changing rapidly, and if you don’t adapt to the changes, you might regret it in the future.
And remember, photography is never going to end unless we get holograms commercialized.
Well joking aside, there will be a need for photographers 10 or 20 years from now as well, and if you don’t buy a full-frame mirrorless camera now, you may have a hard time keeping up with the quick changes in the world of photography a few years from now.