The best DSLR cameras are still going very strong indeed, according to a Digital Camera World poll, in which nearly 1,200 of you had your say, and the results were very interesting. You were asked to divulge your main camera by choosing one of five categories: mirrorless, DSLR, compact, film camera, or mobile phone. Most of you – nearly 40% – are still using a DSLR camera as your main body.
This surprising figure, which totalled 458 votes, led the next most popular option, camera phones, by nearly 100 votes. But perhaps the most surprising figure was that only 20% of voters are using a mirrorless camera as their main body.
And despite a surge in compact camera sales, this in vogue class could only garner 6% of the votes, almost equalling the film camera category.
Now, this information certainly shouldn’t be applied industry wide. For starters, Digital Camera World’s target demographic will have, of course, skew the results. I dare say a similar poll from a more casual Gen Z TikToker would place compact cameras higher. But I do know one thing for certain, there is still an exceedingly loyal DSLR contingent out there.
Whenever I write an article about DSLR cameras, it tends to do relatively well. And whenever DSLRs are mentioned, across the Internet, I’ve noticed that a vocal support tends to follow, with plenty of positive DSLR chatter in comment sections, on social media, and in forums.
In fact, such is the enduring legacy of the DSLR, the latest Digital Camera World podcast episode centered around rising DSLR lens sales. And I myself am still a strong proponent of both DSLR cameras and DSLR lenses.
If you’re primarily a photographer and have little to no interest in video, it's my opinion that a quality DSLR will not put you at a disadvantage. In some cases, it may even put you at an advantage. I’ve talked extensively about the value of DSLR kit on the used market and if you’re looking to get into photography, or upgrade your gear on a very tight budget, you can buy DSLR camera kit, used, for a fraction of the price of mirrorless camera kit.
While a brand-new full-frame mirrorless camera with a ‘holy trinity’ of f/2.8 zooms might be way out of your budget, you may find that a secondhand full-frame DSLR with a ‘holy trinity’ of f/2.8 zooms is, for example. What I’m not trying to do, though, is dissuade anyone from buying a mirrorless camera.
I have upgraded to a mirrorless camera and I certainly don’t regret it. When compared like for like, mirrorless cameras tend to be smaller and lighter, boast faster autofocus, better video features, and open you up to the practicality of having an EVF (although I still love optical viewfinders). Lenses also tend to be smaller, lighter, sharper, and more detail rich.
But the key takeaway here is ‘like for like’. In a straight head-to-head bout, most mirrorless cameras would beat a comparable DSLR, but the difference in price means that those on a budget can often afford a more premium camera if they opt to go down the DSLR route, without spending any more money. Such premium features could include a full-frame sensor, higher resolution, or weather sealing.
And while there will come a time when DSLR cameras may start to become reliably dubious, due to their age, DSLR optics will enjoy a much longer lifespan. And, with Canon and Nikon allowing for mirrorless users to adapt DSLR lenses, if you decide to go the DSLR route now, your collection of DSLR glass won’t necessarily become redundant if you make the move to mirrorless later down the line.
The question on my mind now, is how long do we have to wait before DSLR cameras inevitably make a comeback like film and compact cameras? Pentax aside, surely we’ll see a new DSLR released by one of the big camera companies within the next 10 years, it’s a matter of when, not if.
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I'm a bit of a DSLR fan myself. I say the Nikon D800 is old, cheap and still takes gorgeous photos! Rumors suggest Nikon could bring the last DSLR lens it ever released to Z-mount cameras. But do we really need an upgrade? Plus, it's compact, it's sharp, it's long: It’s time Nikon brought my favorite DSLR lens to mirrorless.
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