Learn: Mirrorless vs DSLR for Street Photography

Should you choose a Sony mirrorless or Nikon DSLR for street photography? In this video, MPB partners with Josh Edgoose and Shane Taylor from Framelines to explain the main differences between mirrorless and DSLR using the incredible Sony A7R III and Nikon D850 full-frame cameras.

We thought we’d have two similarly priced options. They're both packed full of features, they've got high-resolution sensors and loads of lens options. The main thing I love about DSLRs is being able to look through the optical viewfinder and just see straight through the lens. I love the simplicity of that. 

DSLR Nikon D850

The image quality from the Nikon D850 has really blown me away with just the amount of detail from that high-resolution sensor. There's a huge scope to be able to crop retrospectively. Also, the dynamic range from this sensor is the closest thing I've seen to a film-like experience in a digital body. I think it’s future-proofed, for many years to come, even though it is an older body.

Another great advantage of DSLR systems is that they've been around for so long, there are loads of lens options. You can get a cheap set of primes and a zoom lens—there are just so many options. The Nikon F-mount has been around for 50 or 60 years, so there are just hundreds of lenses you can buy used, all of which work fantastically on any Nikon DSLR camera.

But there are a few slight disadvantages. The big one is the size and weight. This Sigma lens, in particular, is notoriously large and heavy—especially combined with this big chunky Nikon D850 body. It’s a substantial package to be carrying around all day.

Mirrorless Sony A7R III

I used the Sony A7R III when we first started Framelines. I needed a workhorse camera that I could use to film videos and also take stills, and this seemed like a really good option at the time. I was really impressed by it and I've taken thousands of street photos with it.

First of all, I think the image quality from this is incredible. It has a 42-megapixel sensor and the image quality is on par with the Nikon D850. I think an optical viewfinder is my personal preference too, but there are some major benefits to having a high-quality electronic viewfinder (EVF), like the one in the Sony A7R III. With an EVF,  you can see exposure, white balance, jpeg settings and all of that as you take the photo. This is immediate feedback, which you can then correct and adjust and play around with and experiment with.

Comparison

I think it's a miracle just how small the body is. The Sony A7R III is 300g lighter than the Nikon D850. And, if you pair it with a smaller lens—like the Zeiss 35mm f/2 FE—you have a very small package. Sometimes, the lens is even more important than the sensor behind it. And when it comes to the lens choices, Sony has a really great selection Sony E lenses including Zeiss. Because it's a mirrorless camera, you can adapt manual lenses—so you can, in fact, take all of the Nikon lenses and adapt them to this camera. There are some cons, but I think they're pretty minor—like poor ergonomics and the menu UI.

Verdict

So, how does the Sony A7R III compare to the Nikon D850? Well, the image quality from both cameras is almost identical. So, it comes down to your preferences. Do you prefer to have a smaller camera and a more lightweight kit? An electronic or optical viewfinder? There are practical reasons for choosing one over the other, but it really comes down to your personal preference.