DSLR cameras seem to be on the way out. Like the dodo bird and the whip of the cart. Will he really leave? Will it be cool to have a legacy DSLR one day?

How did SLRs evolve?

Single-lens reflex cameras – film or digital – have been the favorite choice of photographers for over a hundred years. The first was made in 1861 by the British photographer Thomas Sutton. Patents for SLRs were granted in 1893.

One of the first had a folding design. It was developed under the name Spiegel-Reflex-Klappcamera” (German for mirror-reflex-folding camera. The patent was filed in 1910.

Finally, in 1936 Ihagee of Dresden, Germany invented the first 35mm single lens reflex camera. China Exakta’s inventor, Karl Nüchterlein, saw it become an instant sensation. The rest of the world adopted the design for 35mm, medium format and even large format cameras.

The single-lens reflex camera has become the style most used by professional and hobbyist photographers around the world.

Why are DSLRs unpopular now?

Electronic viewfinders went from black and white to full color. Then the electronic viewfinder increased in resolution and became smaller. EVFs were also lighter. They replaced the heavy, noisy and mechanical mirror box assembly. Without the mirror box, the distance from the lens to the sensor has decreased. As well as the weight and size of the new mirrorless cameras.

DSLR camera lenses were larger to focus further away from the sensor. This also made them heavier.

Smaller and lighter mirrorless lenses and more compact mirrorless cameras have become popular.

Photographers want smaller, lighter cameras that are easier to use. Mirrorless cameras can be hand-held when shooting with a monitor on the back. That shooting style evolved from shooting with a mirrorless camera that everyone has in their pocket or purse: the smartphone. DSLRs are too heavy to hold steady using their monitors.

Camera manufacturers are shifting focus

At a recent photo exhibition in New York I spoke with several representatives of camera manufacturers. I was told that the company is quietly withdrawing from DSLR development. One individual mentioned that the company has pulled all DSLR camera samples from the sales and technical teams.

Is this change terrible?

Of course not. Change is inevitable. That is the only constant in life.

Film became a rarely used alternative process, all but disappearing once the 11 megapixel DSLR hit the shelves. A DSLR can fade into the background. Some will continue to use them for a variety of reasons, from wanting to look different from other photographers to simply wanting to maintain their investment in bodies and lenses.

Change is good

My mantle has eight Nikon F-series single-lens reflex cameras that I’ve used and loved since the early 1970s. One of them is a 6 megapixel DSLR from 2001.

Canon has been my camera of choice for several decades. I added their mirrorless EOS R5 right after it was introduced. He was with me everywhere for several reasons. First, it was much lighter and smaller than my 1DX Mark III. Second, it has a 45-megapixel sensor. That’s twice as much as the 1Dx III.

The more I used the R5, the more I carried it around, and the more I realized it could do everything the 1Dx III could do. I had to disable the EVF exposure simulation in the studio using the flash. Nothing special.

I noticed that the EVF didn’t show the colors of the scene as well as the optical viewfinder. On several occasions I saw color in the RAW file that didn’t show up in the viewfinder. Well, again, no big deal.

I recently sold both of my DSLR bodies and bought an EOS R5C, an R5 with a fully built-in video camera. Now I’m out of the digital single lens reflex camera style. What is important is that I continue to make photographs that satisfy me and my clients. Change is good.

Remember: it’s not about the lens, it’s about the art of the lens.

*The history of the single lens reflex camera. (July 31, 2023)

Featured photo was produced using Adobe Firefly Image 2 using the query: Dinosaur holding a single lens reflex camera.