To start on a personal level, for me the weight and size of the mirrorless camera is far and away the most important advantage it has over the DSLR.
Photos of cameras from Wikimedia Commons on Photoleap AI
Scott Bourn, the renowned American bird photographer, was a real equipment man who lugged massive tripods around the wilds to support his massive SLRs & DSLRs. At a time he changed all his equipment from Canon to Nikon, but within a few years was won over by mirrorless mainly because of a back problem.
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Mirrorless cameras are much newer to the market than DSLRs which are fundamentally similar to the film SLR which was the professional camera of choice from their commercial beginnings in the 1950s. The first mirrorless camera was launched in 2018. At this time the mirrorless was inferior in a number of areas, but these differences are being removed as the technology and manufacturers develop. Some of what we think can be colored by impressions that were legitimately formed in the early life of the mirrorless so it’s necessary to be sure we are up to date. It’s also important to always remember that these are generalizations and there is overlap between mirrorless and DSLR in technical and commercial performance.
composite of three images from Wikimedia Commons
Since the mirrorless does not use the reflex mirror or optical viewfinder of the DSLR the lens is much closer to the sensor which markedly reduces the depth of the camera body. Because the mirrorless often has a smaller sensor the telephoto is smaller than that of a DSLR with the same field of view.
Does DSLR have better wildlife images than mirrorless?
Both DSLR and mirrorless cameras can produce high-quality wildlife photos. Although DSLRs often feature larger image sensors, I cannot say they always produce shaper or high-quality wildlife images. It all depends on your shooting skills and experience with digital cameras.
Viewfinder
The optical viewfinder, although it gives less detail and can not be zoomed, is still the choice of many photographers who like the fact that the camera is braced on the face when shooting which makes it easier to hold steady and to pan.
Photo by Hong Son on Pixels
The high power consumption of the electronic viewfinder (EVF) with LCD panel and difficulty in using it in bright light are disadvantages. However, the swiveling LCD panel has the significant advantage of assisting shooting from difficult to access positions, being able to zoom for manual focusing, and supplying much more photographic information which is why many DSLRs now include an LCD panel.
Autofocus
In the early years, the DSLR was renowned for its autofocus system which was fast and accurate and much superior to that of mirrorless cameras. With the rapid development of the mirrorless, this has switched over and the mirrorless now has better autofocus than the DSLR.
Battery Life
The ADSL has a longer battery life resulting from the high power consumption associated with the LCD panel. While this could be seen as a disadvantage for wildlife photographers it is reasonably easily managed with extra batteries and even solar charging.
Silent Shooting
Because it does not have to move a mirror when taking the shot a mirrorless is quieter than the DSLR even when using a mechanical shutter. A mirrorless with an electronic shutter is completely silent which could be necessary for certain wildlife shoots.
Lenses
The first mirrorless cameras had a very limited choice of proprietary lenses and accessories.
photo by Rosalia Ricottaon Pixabay
This has improved as the mirrorless has grown in the market but the choice is still somewhat less.
Video Capabilities
The mirrorless is far superior in its burst speed as well as its video performance as a result of the constraints the mirror places on continuous shooting.
Ruggedness
Although the mirror mechanism is a delicate piece of equipment, it is agreed that the DSLR which tends to be built more heavily is actually somewhat more robust than the mirrorless. However, ruggedness which is a positive for wildlife photography is more a choice of a brand than camera type.
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Price
The mirrorless was initially significantly more expensive than the DSLR as the camera companies spent more on research and product development for the new product. This is clear in the lack of new DSLR models being developed in the last few years. The price of the mirrorless has since fallen and the bottom of the range cameras are almost at the same price. A further narrowing in the price can be expected as the mirrorless is cheaper to manufacture.
There is also a good second-hand market for DSLRs from those who have changed to mirrorless.
Making the Choice
photo by Cottonbro Studios on Pexels
The weight and size advantage of the mirrorless along with, burst speed, silent shooting, and autofocus performance probably make it the best choice for wildlife photographers although personal preferences around optical viewfinders, battery life, and solidness.