Mirrorless interchangeable lens camera
Encyclopedia
A mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera (MILC) is an emerging class of digital
system camera
s, intermediate between compact digital cameras and digital single-lens reflex cameras (DSLRs). They are characterized by a no-mirror design and an interchangeable lens mount. As such they provide more flexibility than digital compact cameras.
Various alternative names exist – see terminology – and include: Mirrorless System Camera (MSC), Compact System Camera (CSC), Digital Single Lens Mirrorless (DSLM), Digital Interchangeable-Lens System camera, or Electronic Viewfinder with Interchangeable Lens (EVIL); this latter term can be confusing and misleading as there are also mirrorless, interchangeable lens cameras which have an optical viewfinder.
Currently, there are at least six MILC camera systems available from eight manufacturers: the (digital) Leica M rangefinder system from Leica
and Epson, Micro Four Thirds from Olympus
and Panasonic
, NX
from Samsung
, Alpha NEX from Sony
, Pentax Q
from Pentax
and Nikon 1
from Nikon
.
(TTL) optical viewfinder – light enters through the lens, enters a light box, reflects off a mirror, then reflects off a pentaprism
(or pentamirror
) and exits through an optical viewfinder. When a picture is taken, the mirror flips out of the way, and the light instead hits the imaging surface (film or digital sensor).
Compact cameras are equipped with small sensors, do not have a TTL viewfinder and do not have interchangeable lenses: a small sensor can in fact be well-served by a single lens, which can even be a superzoom: see bridge cameras, some of which allow an additional, secondary lens
. Small sensors, however, have relatively poor imaging in many situations, most notably low light, being unable to capture as much light as large ones.
Though superzoom lenses exist for large sensors too, they suffer disadvantages in criteria such as optical quality and weight compared to more restricted lenses (prime or zoom). For this reason, virtually all modern cameras with large sensors, so-called system camera
s, use interchangeable lenses.
MILCs' initial purpose was to provide DSLR-like quality imaging in a small body, to obtain which they kept a DSLR-like sensor, but replaced the TTL viewfinder with an electronic one. Recently, though, small-sensor MILCs (i.e. MILCs adopting small, compact-camera like sensors) have been introduced on the market. Current MILCs are therefore characterised just by having interchangeable lenses (like DSLRs) in the absence of a TTL view-finder. Versatility will therefore be DSLR-like, whilst image quality will either be compact-like (small sensor) or DSLR-like (large sensor).
An alternative design, hybrid between DSLRs and MILCs, is the SLT single-lens translucent camera
, which features a semi-transparent, fixed mirror. The latter is used for continuous phase-contrast auto-focusing, both when taking pictures and when filming videos. SLTs have no optical viewfinder, nor a flipping mirror, so they are intermediate in mechanical complexity and bulk between DSLRs and MILCs.
es, they can fit in a pocket to some degree. DSLR-style MILCs overlap with entry-level DSLRs, providing a contoured body and extensive features, like DSLRs, but still in a significantly smaller and lighter body.
Not all MILCs have a large sensor: Pentax Q (announced in June 2011) has a 1/2.3" sensor (typical of compact cameras). In September 2011 a new sensor format
has been announced by Nikon who introduced it to equip its first MILC: the CX format, with a sensor size halfway between 1/1.7" compact camera sensors and Micro Four Thirds sensors. The Sony NEX looks like a compact camera with a zoom lens, but has a large sensor; its pseudo–APS-C
sensor is the same size as that of most (amateur) DSLRs. 100% compatible lenses are growing in availability. The Samsung NX10
(APS-C) and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2
(Micro Four Thirds) have larger bodies and a DSLR-like design (but they are still significantly smaller than entry-level DSLR).
Finally, there are some camera models on the market such as the Fuji X100 and Leica X1 which are close to MILCs in that they are mirrorless and have a large sensor, but have fixed lenses.
There is an inevitable trade-off between sensor size and compactness of the camera, due to the size of the lens required. Sensor size varies among mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. The Micro Four Thirds system
uses the same size sensor as the Four Thirds System
(smallest among DSLRs but over nine times the area of typical compact camera 1/2.5" sensors), while the Samsung NX cameras
and Sony NEX cameras use a 50% larger APS-C
size sensor. The Nikon 1 series
uses a smaller 1" type sensor (13.2×8.8mm) with a 2.7 crop factor and the Pentax Q uses an even smaller compact camera 1/2.3" image sensor with a crop factor of 5.5, while APS-C and Micro Four Third MILCs have crop factors of 1.5 and 2.0, respectively.
, the only 24×36 mm MILC is the the Leica M9
which, being a rangefinder camera
, has an optical viewfinder and can be called a MILC, but not an EVIL).
Compared to DSLRs, MILCs are smaller (due to fewer parts) and sturdier (due to fewer moving parts). Due to the lack of the mirror system, MILCs equipped by a large, DSLR-like sensor, can place lenses considerably closer to it (flange back distance) when compared to DSLRs. Thus high-quality lenses can be made smaller, cheaper, and lighter (wide-angle lenses in particular). However, current lens selection, though growing, is still relatively limited and expensive compared with the very well-developed DSLR lens market. Compact-style MILCs fitted with a thin "pancake" lens
are pocketable, hence as portable as larger compact cameras, but when fitted with larger lenses they are less portable and not in general pocketable.
Noise on shutter activation is quieter, due to there being no mirror in the process. As of August 2011, prices of MILCs were higher than the cheapest entry-level DSLRs, but have decreased sharply and, as of November 2011, some models can be had for less than high-end compact, non-system cameras from the same manufacturers.
MILCs primarily use a rear LCD display for arm-level shooting, but some also feature an electronic viewfinder
(EVF) for eye-level shooting, or an optical viewfinder that is not TTL (as in a rangefinder), which hence suffers from parallax, particularly at short distances.
Sony has recently announced an adapter system for their NEX series EVIL cameras that allows their translucent mirror technology to be mounted to NEX cameras by way of adapter. This adapter will allow the E-Mount camera to use A-Mount lenses and bring real time phase detection auto focus for both still and video photography.
, which is somewhat incompatible with existing lenses – Micro Four Thirds (Panasonic and Olympus), NX-mount (Samsung), E-mount (Sony) and 1-mount (Nikon). This means both that existing lenses cannot be used without an adapter, and that relatively few native lenses exist for these cameras at the time of their introduction, as new lenses must be designed and manufactured for the new mount.
As the largest investment in a system camera is the lenses, not the body, and lenses often last decades, changing a mount and rebuilding a lens collection is a significant investment.
Adapters exist for legacy lenses. Micro Four Thirds has adapters with Four Thirds, Canon FD, Leica M, M42, Nikon, Olympus OM, Minolta, Pentax K, and C mounts. The Sony E-mount has an adapter for the older Minolta A mount, Four Thirds, Leica M, M42, Nikon, Olympus OM, Minolta, Pentax K, and C mounts. However, part of the benefit of MILCs is that newer, smaller lenses can be used. Thus, to realize these benefits, either new lenses or lenses for short flange distance legacy mounts, such as those used on rangefinder cameras, are required. Additionally, adapted legacy lenses may not be able to autofocus on MILC bodies.
This can be compared with the situation for APS-C sized DSLRs, where the smaller Canon EF-S lens mount
and Nikon DX
lenses are specifically designed with a smaller imaging circle for the smaller sensor. However, they maintain the same mount distance to the sensor, providing compatibility with lenses designed for full 35mm sensor size.
As a product category, this generally refers to new, entirely digital designs, rather than adaptations of designs from the film era with only the film replaced by a digital sensor. Thus, dispensing with the traditional optical viewfinder (as in the "EVIL" term), at least in the core design, is generally seen as defining, but some designs include optional optical viewfinders, though not TTL.
Notably, whether the Leica M8
(and M9
) and the Sigma DP1
(and, DP1S & DP2
) should be included is unclear, as both of these feature large sensors in a mirrorless design, but differ in other respects – these are generally excluded.
For example, the Leica M8 is a rangefinder
– a legacy design – and is essentially the same design as previous Leica film cameras. The Leica is also significantly more expensive (US $5,000+, compared to $500–$1,000 to the other cameras in this category), and in most camera discussions is considered a distinct category.
The Sigma DP1 is a new design and is very similar to compact-type MILCs, but features a fixed lens, and is generally considered a pioneering precursor, not precisely of this class. Similarly, the Leica X1
is a high-end fixed-lens camera, and not strictly comparable to MILCs.
MILCs are sometimes distinguished as having an electronic viewfinder (rather than an optical), as in the EVIL designation, but among the group of products, there are cameras with an additional see-through optical viewfinder (as can be added to the Olympus PEN E-P1
or the Leica X1
), and products with an electronic/optical viewfinder (as can be found in the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
). However, these optical viewfinders are not TTL, unlike in SLRs.
, whose first camera was the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
, released in Japan in October 2008.
Prior to this, the Leica M8
(released September 2006) is a mirrorless digital camera with a large sensor and interchangeable lenses, but is generally considered distinct, both because it uses an existing film design (a rangefinder
, rather than the more common SLR design used in DSLRs) and due to its high price (in the neighborhood of $5,000, rather than around $500–$1,000 for initial MILCs). The Sigma DP1
(released spring 2008) is also mirrorless with a large sensor, this time in a compact body, but with a fixed lens, as is the Leica X1
(at US $2,000); these may be classed as "high-end compact", but are generally considered separate.
A more radical design is the Ricoh GXR
(November 2009), which features, not interchangeable lenses, but interchangeable lens units – a sealed unit of a lens and sensor. This design is comparable but distinct to MILCs, and has so far received mixed reviews, primarily due to cost; the design has not been copied.
Following the introduction of the Micro Four Thirds, several other cameras were released in the system by Panasonic and Olympus, with the Olympus PEN E-P1
(announced June 2009) being the first in a compact size (pocketable with a small lens). The Samsung NX10
(announced January 2010) was the first camera in this class not using the Micro Four Thirds system – rather a new, proprietary lens mount (Samsung NX-mount
). The Sony Alpha NEX-3 and NEX-5
(announced 14 May 2010, for release July 2010) saw the entry of Sony into the market, again with a new, proprietary lens mount (the Sony E-mount), though with LA-EA1 and LA-EA2 adapters for the legacy Minolta A-mount.
In June 2011 Pentax announced the 'Q' mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and the 'Q-mount' lens system. It will have a smaller 1/2.3 inch 12.4 megapixel CMOS sensor.
In September 2011 Nikon annouced their Nikon 1 system which consists of the Nikon 1 J1
and Nikon 1 V1
cameras and lenses. The V1 features an electronic viewfinder
Compared to high-end compact cameras compact-style MILCs equipped with a large sensor provide better image quality. Their lens systems, though, make them considerably bulkier (zoom lenses in particular). Small-sensor MILCs have no image-quality advantage over high-end compacts, but they offer more versatility (due to interchangeable lenses).
DSLR-style MILCs are in most respects very similar to entry-level DSLRs, though DSLR-style MILCs are significantly smaller and light, most notably in being thinner, and also quieter due to lack of flipping mirror. MILC lenses are smaller than comparable DSLR lenses, but current MILC lens selection is very limited and relatively expensive.
Large sensors, by contrast, are more demanding on lenses and hence interchangeable lenses are generally used to cover the range (though compare fixed-lens Sigma DP1 and Leica X1); smaller lenses allow an overall small camera, hence the possibilities of compact-style MILCs, while DSLR-style bodies are still easier to use for dedicated photography.
One exception to the rule that bridge cameras have small sensors is the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1
, now discontinued, which featured a large sensor and a fixed lens.
A term often wrongly used as an alternative to MILC is the unfortunate acronym EVIL camera (electronic viewfinder with interchangeable lens). It should not be used as a synonim of MILC because MILCs may have an optical viewfinder. The term EVIL was coined by Charlie Davis in August 2007, then popularized via a October 2007 posting on DPReview, repeated on a Wired blog. Since then DPReview have actually used MILC for their review of the Olympus E-PL1 in May 2010. , Popular Photography uses the term ILC, for "interchangeable-lens compact" even though some of these cameras may not be that compact (Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1
or GH2
).
The term "hybrid cameras", is an alternative name, and is used by some retailers. The name originates from looking at the cameras as a cross breed, and a best of two worlds, kind of camera.
Other terms include SLD (single-lens digital or single-lens direct-view), used on the Imaging Resource website, but in their review of Panasonic's new G3 model on 12 May 2011, Imaging Resource referred to simply "the Compact System Camera space". Similarly, DSLM (digital single lens mirrorless) denotes that, like a DSLR, the image from the "taking" lens is used in the framing viewfinder (or LCD), but that the image is transmitted to the viewfinder without the use of a mirror ("reflex").
Finally, Mirrorless System Camera (MSC) is gaining some support amongst third-party retailers and forums.
Beyond the interest to consumers, MILCs have created significant interest in camera manufacturers, having potential to be a disruptive technology
in the high-end camera market. Significantly, MILCs have fewer moving parts than DSLRs, and are more electronic, which plays to the strengths of electronic manufacturers (such as Panasonic, Samsung and Sony), while undermining the advantage that existing camera makers have in precision mechanical engineering.
Nikon has announced the Nikon 1 series
on 21 September 2011, and claims that it is "Nikon's most significant announcement since we introduced our first digital camera 14 years ago". It is a high-speed MILC which features world's fastest autofocus
(10 fps
) and world's fastest continuous shooting speed (60 fps) among all cameras with interchangeable lenses including DSLRs. Canon as the last of the main makers of DSLRs has neither introduced nor announced MILCs or any work on them.
Longer-term, MILCs may replace DSLRs entirely in some categories or among some manufacturers, with Olympus America's DSLR product manager speculating that by 2012, Olympus DSLRs (the Olympus E system) may be mirrorless, though still using the Four Thirds System (not Micro Four Thirds).
Panasonic UK's Lumix G product manager John Mitchell while speaking to the Press at the 2011 "Focus on Imaging" show in Birmingham, reported that Panasonic "G" camera market share was almost doubling each year, and that UK Panasonic "G" captured over 11% of all interchangeable camera sales in the UK in 2010, and that UK "CSC" sales made up 23% of the Interchaneable lens market in the UK, and 40% in Japan.
, interchangeable-lens camera pricing is comparable to and somewhat higher than entry-level DSLRs, at US$550 to $800, and significantly higher than high-end compact cameras.
As of May 2011, interchangeable-lens camera pricing for entry MILCs appears to be lower than entry-level DSLRs in some markets e.g. the USA.
File:Pentax Q 02n3000.jpg|Pentax Q
File:Ricoh GXR IMG 5351.JPG|Ricoh GXR
File:Samsung NX10.jpg|Samsung NX10
Digital camera
A digital camera is a camera that takes video or still photographs, or both, digitally by recording images via an electronic image sensor. It is the main device used in the field of digital photography...
system camera
System camera
A system camera is a camera with interchangeable components that constitutes the core of a system. Early representatives include Leica I Schraubgewinde , Exakta and the Nikon F...
s, intermediate between compact digital cameras and digital single-lens reflex cameras (DSLRs). They are characterized by a no-mirror design and an interchangeable lens mount. As such they provide more flexibility than digital compact cameras.
Various alternative names exist – see terminology – and include: Mirrorless System Camera (MSC), Compact System Camera (CSC), Digital Single Lens Mirrorless (DSLM), Digital Interchangeable-Lens System camera, or Electronic Viewfinder with Interchangeable Lens (EVIL); this latter term can be confusing and misleading as there are also mirrorless, interchangeable lens cameras which have an optical viewfinder.
Currently, there are at least six MILC camera systems available from eight manufacturers: the (digital) Leica M rangefinder system from Leica
Leica
Leica Camera AG, a German optics company, produces Leica cameras. The predecessor of the company, formerly known as Ernst Leitz GmbH, is now three companies: Leica Camera AG, Leica Geosystems AG, and Leica Microsystems AG, producing cameras, geosurvey equipment, and microscopes, respectively...
and Epson, Micro Four Thirds from Olympus
Olympus Corporation
is a Japan-based manufacturer of optics and reprography products. Olympus was established on 12 October 1919, initially specializing in microscope and thermometer businesses. Its global headquarters are in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, while its USA operations are based in Center Valley, Pennsylvania,...
and Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
, NX
Samsung NX mount
The Samsung NX-mount is the lens mount used on NX series mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras by Samsung. The mount was first implemented in the Samsung NX10, and Samsung initially referred to the NX line as 'hybrid digital cameras', citing their combination of attributes of both DSLR and...
from Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
, Alpha NEX from Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
, Pentax Q
Pentax Q
The Pentax Q is a mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera announced in June 2011. It uses a new lens mount which is smaller than the old Pentax K mount....
from Pentax
Pentax
Pentax is a brand name used by Hoya Corporation for its medical-related products & services and Pentax Ricoh Imaging Company for cameras, sport optics , etc. Hoya purchased and merged with the Japanese optics company on March 31, 2008. Hoya's Pentax imaging business was sold to Ricoh Company, Ltd...
and Nikon 1
Nikon 1 series
The Nikon 1 series are high-speed mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. Announced on 21 September 2011, Nikon claims that it is "Nikon's most significant announcement since we introduced our first digital camera 14 years ago"...
from Nikon
Nikon
, also known as just Nikon, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging. Its products include cameras, binoculars, microscopes, measurement instruments, and the steppers used in the photolithography steps of semiconductor fabrication, of which...
.
Digital camera designs comparison
DSLR cameras are equipped with relatively large sensors, and are defined by having a through-the-lensThrough-the-lens
Through-the-lens metering is a photographic term describing a feature of cameras capable of measuring light levels in a scene through their taking lenses, as opposed to a separate metering window...
(TTL) optical viewfinder – light enters through the lens, enters a light box, reflects off a mirror, then reflects off a pentaprism
Pentaprism
A pentaprism is a five-sided reflecting prism used to deviate a beam of light by 90°. The beam reflects inside the prism twice, allowing the transmission of an image through a right angle without inverting it as an ordinary right-angle prism or mirror would.The reflections inside the prism are not...
(or pentamirror
Pentamirror
A pentamirror is an optical device used in the viewfinder systems of various single-lens reflex cameras instead of the pentaprism. It is used to reverse again the upside-down and laterally reversed image coming from the reflex mirror....
) and exits through an optical viewfinder. When a picture is taken, the mirror flips out of the way, and the light instead hits the imaging surface (film or digital sensor).
Compact cameras are equipped with small sensors, do not have a TTL viewfinder and do not have interchangeable lenses: a small sensor can in fact be well-served by a single lens, which can even be a superzoom: see bridge cameras, some of which allow an additional, secondary lens
Secondary lens
In photography, a secondary lens is a lens designed to be used in conjunction with another lens, called the primary lens.A secondary lens may be designed to be used either in front of the primary lens, between it and the subject, or behind the primary lens, between it and the film.Secondary lenses...
. Small sensors, however, have relatively poor imaging in many situations, most notably low light, being unable to capture as much light as large ones.
Though superzoom lenses exist for large sensors too, they suffer disadvantages in criteria such as optical quality and weight compared to more restricted lenses (prime or zoom). For this reason, virtually all modern cameras with large sensors, so-called system camera
System camera
A system camera is a camera with interchangeable components that constitutes the core of a system. Early representatives include Leica I Schraubgewinde , Exakta and the Nikon F...
s, use interchangeable lenses.
MILCs' initial purpose was to provide DSLR-like quality imaging in a small body, to obtain which they kept a DSLR-like sensor, but replaced the TTL viewfinder with an electronic one. Recently, though, small-sensor MILCs (i.e. MILCs adopting small, compact-camera like sensors) have been introduced on the market. Current MILCs are therefore characterised just by having interchangeable lenses (like DSLRs) in the absence of a TTL view-finder. Versatility will therefore be DSLR-like, whilst image quality will either be compact-like (small sensor) or DSLR-like (large sensor).
An alternative design, hybrid between DSLRs and MILCs, is the SLT single-lens translucent camera
Single-lens translucent camera
Single-Lens Translucent cameras stand in-between digital single-lens reflex cameras cameras and mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras ....
, which features a semi-transparent, fixed mirror. The latter is used for continuous phase-contrast auto-focusing, both when taking pictures and when filming videos. SLTs have no optical viewfinder, nor a flipping mirror, so they are intermediate in mechanical complexity and bulk between DSLRs and MILCs.
MILC Types
Situated between compact cameras and DSLRs, two main types of MILCs have developed: compact and DSLR-like. Compact-style ones are approximately the size of larger compact cameras and, particularly with pancake lensPancake lens
A pancake lens is colloquial term for a flat, thin lens , generally a normal or slightly wide prime lens for a camera. There are pancake lenses for two kinds of cameras: Compact System Camera and single-lens reflex .- Motivation :...
es, they can fit in a pocket to some degree. DSLR-style MILCs overlap with entry-level DSLRs, providing a contoured body and extensive features, like DSLRs, but still in a significantly smaller and lighter body.
Not all MILCs have a large sensor: Pentax Q (announced in June 2011) has a 1/2.3" sensor (typical of compact cameras). In September 2011 a new sensor format
Image sensor format
In digital photography, the image sensor format is the shape and size of the image sensor.The image sensor format of a digital camera determines the angle of view of a particular lens when used with a particular camera...
has been announced by Nikon who introduced it to equip its first MILC: the CX format, with a sensor size halfway between 1/1.7" compact camera sensors and Micro Four Thirds sensors. The Sony NEX looks like a compact camera with a zoom lens, but has a large sensor; its pseudo–APS-C
APS-C
Advanced Photo System type-C is an image sensor format approximately equivalent in size to the Advanced Photo System "classic" size negatives...
sensor is the same size as that of most (amateur) DSLRs. 100% compatible lenses are growing in availability. The Samsung NX10
Samsung NX10
The Samsung NX10 is a 14.0 effective megapixel APS-C crop CMOS mirrorless interchangeable lens digital camera made by Samsung. It was announced on January 4, 2010...
(APS-C) and Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2
- Introduction :The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 is a digital mirrorless interchangeable lens camera adhering to the Olympus and Panasonic developed Micro Four Thirds System system design standard....
(Micro Four Thirds) have larger bodies and a DSLR-like design (but they are still significantly smaller than entry-level DSLR).
Finally, there are some camera models on the market such as the Fuji X100 and Leica X1 which are close to MILCs in that they are mirrorless and have a large sensor, but have fixed lenses.
Lenses equipping MILCs
Sony has supplied 7 E lenses for its NEX system (adopting a large, quasi–APS-C sensor). Panasonic (which shares the Micro Four Thirds standard with Olympus) has 11 lenses available for its G cameras. Panasonic lenses are also almost fully compatible with Olympus's CSC "retro" Pen cameras. Likewise, Olympus's 8 Micro Four Thirds lenses (not counting versions of the same lens; e.g., all three versions of the 14-42mm lens are counted together as one lens) are compatible with most Panasonic cameras, in addition to their own. Samsung has 6 different lenses available for its NX cameras (using a quasi–APS-C sensor)Sensor size
See also: Sensor size and angle of view and Image sensor formatImage sensor format
In digital photography, the image sensor format is the shape and size of the image sensor.The image sensor format of a digital camera determines the angle of view of a particular lens when used with a particular camera...
There is an inevitable trade-off between sensor size and compactness of the camera, due to the size of the lens required. Sensor size varies among mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. The Micro Four Thirds system
Micro Four Thirds system
The Micro Four Thirds system is a standard created by Olympus and Panasonic, and announced on August 5, 2008, for mirrorless interchangeable lens digital cameras and camcorders design and development...
uses the same size sensor as the Four Thirds System
Four Thirds System
The Four Thirds system is a standard created by Olympus and Kodak for digital single-lens reflex camera design and development.The system provides a standard that, with digital cameras and lenses available from multiple manufacturers, allows for the interchange of lenses and bodies from different...
(smallest among DSLRs but over nine times the area of typical compact camera 1/2.5" sensors), while the Samsung NX cameras
Samsung NX mount
The Samsung NX-mount is the lens mount used on NX series mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras by Samsung. The mount was first implemented in the Samsung NX10, and Samsung initially referred to the NX line as 'hybrid digital cameras', citing their combination of attributes of both DSLR and...
and Sony NEX cameras use a 50% larger APS-C
APS-C
Advanced Photo System type-C is an image sensor format approximately equivalent in size to the Advanced Photo System "classic" size negatives...
size sensor. The Nikon 1 series
Nikon 1 series
The Nikon 1 series are high-speed mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. Announced on 21 September 2011, Nikon claims that it is "Nikon's most significant announcement since we introduced our first digital camera 14 years ago"...
uses a smaller 1" type sensor (13.2×8.8mm) with a 2.7 crop factor and the Pentax Q uses an even smaller compact camera 1/2.3" image sensor with a crop factor of 5.5, while APS-C and Micro Four Third MILCs have crop factors of 1.5 and 2.0, respectively.
, the only 24×36 mm MILC is the the Leica M9
Leica M9
The Leica M9 is the second digital camera in Leica Camera AG's rangefinder M series. It was introduced on 9 September 2009 and uses an 18.5-megapixel Kodak KAF-18500 Full Frame CCD image sensor....
which, being a rangefinder camera
Rangefinder camera
A rangefinder camera is a camera fitted with a rangefinder: a range-finding focusing mechanism allowing the photographer to measure the subject distance and take photographs that are in sharp focus...
, has an optical viewfinder and can be called a MILC, but not an EVIL).
Benefits
MILCs combine some of the benefits of both compact cameras and DSLRs. Compared to compact cameras, they offer the versatility allowed by interchangeable lenses. In addition to this, those MILCs which are equipped with a large sensor also offer all the advantages associated with it.Compared to DSLRs, MILCs are smaller (due to fewer parts) and sturdier (due to fewer moving parts). Due to the lack of the mirror system, MILCs equipped by a large, DSLR-like sensor, can place lenses considerably closer to it (flange back distance) when compared to DSLRs. Thus high-quality lenses can be made smaller, cheaper, and lighter (wide-angle lenses in particular). However, current lens selection, though growing, is still relatively limited and expensive compared with the very well-developed DSLR lens market. Compact-style MILCs fitted with a thin "pancake" lens
Pancake lens
A pancake lens is colloquial term for a flat, thin lens , generally a normal or slightly wide prime lens for a camera. There are pancake lenses for two kinds of cameras: Compact System Camera and single-lens reflex .- Motivation :...
are pocketable, hence as portable as larger compact cameras, but when fitted with larger lenses they are less portable and not in general pocketable.
Noise on shutter activation is quieter, due to there being no mirror in the process. As of August 2011, prices of MILCs were higher than the cheapest entry-level DSLRs, but have decreased sharply and, as of November 2011, some models can be had for less than high-end compact, non-system cameras from the same manufacturers.
Drawbacks
Conversely, MILCs share many of the limitations of both compact cameras and DSLRs. These include:No TTL optical viewfinder
The lack of through-the-lens optical viewfinder (TTL OVF) is a defining feature of MILCs, and also found on compact cameras – a TTL optical viewfinder requires an optical path from lens to viewfinder, hence an SLR design or similar. If a TTL OVF is desired or required, DSLRs are the only viable option.MILCs primarily use a rear LCD display for arm-level shooting, but some also feature an electronic viewfinder
Electronic viewfinder
An electronic viewfinder or EVF is a viewfinder where the image captured by the lens is projected electronically onto a miniature display. The image on this display is used to assist in aiming the camera at the scene to be photographed.-Operation:...
(EVF) for eye-level shooting, or an optical viewfinder that is not TTL (as in a rangefinder), which hence suffers from parallax, particularly at short distances.
Contrast detection autofocus, rather than phase detection autofocus system
Contrast-based AF has generally been slower than the phase-based AF systems found in DSLRs, often significantly, until July 2011 when the Olympus Pen E-P3 surpassed top range DSLRs in focusing speed for still shots. The improvement in speed has been achieved by reducing the time taken for the contrast-detection autofocus system to begin operation after half-pressing the shutter button, doubling the sensor readout speed to 120 frames per second, and increasing the speed with which contrast detection routines operate. Although micros from Olympus and other manufacturers also have closed or leapfrogged this gap, there is still a gap in continuous autofocus accuracy and speed, and thus MILCs are still not as good at photographing moving objects, notably in sports, as DSLRs. One advantage of contrast detection autofocus is that, for still subjects, autofocus accuracy tends to be higher than with phase detect systems, as the camera uses the actual sensor output to determine focus. Therefore, CDAF systems are not prone to calibration issues such as front or back focus as can occur with phase detect systems.Sony has recently announced an adapter system for their NEX series EVIL cameras that allows their translucent mirror technology to be mounted to NEX cameras by way of adapter. This adapter will allow the E-Mount camera to use A-Mount lenses and bring real time phase detection auto focus for both still and video photography.
Incompatibility with existing lenses
All extant MILC formats use a new lens mountLens mount
A lens mount is an interface — mechanical and often also electrical — between a photographic camera body and a lens. It is confined to cameras where the body allows interchangeable lenses, most usually the single lens reflex type or any movie camera of 16 mm or higher gauge...
, which is somewhat incompatible with existing lenses – Micro Four Thirds (Panasonic and Olympus), NX-mount (Samsung), E-mount (Sony) and 1-mount (Nikon). This means both that existing lenses cannot be used without an adapter, and that relatively few native lenses exist for these cameras at the time of their introduction, as new lenses must be designed and manufactured for the new mount.
As the largest investment in a system camera is the lenses, not the body, and lenses often last decades, changing a mount and rebuilding a lens collection is a significant investment.
Adapters exist for legacy lenses. Micro Four Thirds has adapters with Four Thirds, Canon FD, Leica M, M42, Nikon, Olympus OM, Minolta, Pentax K, and C mounts. The Sony E-mount has an adapter for the older Minolta A mount, Four Thirds, Leica M, M42, Nikon, Olympus OM, Minolta, Pentax K, and C mounts. However, part of the benefit of MILCs is that newer, smaller lenses can be used. Thus, to realize these benefits, either new lenses or lenses for short flange distance legacy mounts, such as those used on rangefinder cameras, are required. Additionally, adapted legacy lenses may not be able to autofocus on MILC bodies.
This can be compared with the situation for APS-C sized DSLRs, where the smaller Canon EF-S lens mount
Canon EF-S lens mount
The EF-S lens mount is a derivative of the EF lens mount created for a subset of Canon digital single-lens reflex cameras with APS-C sized image sensors. It was released in 2003. Cameras supporting the EF-S mount are backward-compatible with the EF lens mount and, as such, have a flange focal...
and Nikon DX
Nikon DX format
The Nikon DX format is an alternative name used by Nikon corporation for APS-C image sensor format being approximately 24×16 mm. Its dimensions are about 2/3 those of the 35mm film format . The format was created by Nikon for its digital SLR cameras, many of which are equipped with DX-sized...
lenses are specifically designed with a smaller imaging circle for the smaller sensor. However, they maintain the same mount distance to the sensor, providing compatibility with lenses designed for full 35mm sensor size.
Classification
There is some ambiguity in classification, as this is an emerging category and design has not stabilized, so the precise defining characteristics are not agreed on, as reflected in different names for the category.As a product category, this generally refers to new, entirely digital designs, rather than adaptations of designs from the film era with only the film replaced by a digital sensor. Thus, dispensing with the traditional optical viewfinder (as in the "EVIL" term), at least in the core design, is generally seen as defining, but some designs include optional optical viewfinders, though not TTL.
Notably, whether the Leica M8
Leica M8
The Leica M8 is the first digital camera in the rangefinder M series introduced by Leica Camera AG on 14 September 2006. It uses a 10.3-megapixel Kodak KAF-10500 CCD image sensor.As of 15/07/2011, the most recent firmware version is 2.014.-Features:...
(and M9
Leica M9
The Leica M9 is the second digital camera in Leica Camera AG's rangefinder M series. It was introduced on 9 September 2009 and uses an 18.5-megapixel Kodak KAF-18500 Full Frame CCD image sensor....
) and the Sigma DP1
Sigma DP1
The Sigma DP1 is a high-end compact digital camera introduced by the Sigma Corporation. It features a 14-megapixel Foveon X3 sensor , a fixed 16.6 mm F4.0 lens , a 2.5” LCD and a pop-up flash...
(and, DP1S & DP2
Sigma DP2
The Sigma DP2 is a high-end compact digital camera introduced by the Sigma Corporation. It features a 14-megapixel Foveon X3 sensor , the same sensor used in its predecessor, the Sigma DP1 and in the Sigma SD14 DSLR, a fixed 24.2mm F2.8 lens , a 2.5” LCD and a pop-up flash.With its predecessor, the...
) should be included is unclear, as both of these feature large sensors in a mirrorless design, but differ in other respects – these are generally excluded.
For example, the Leica M8 is a rangefinder
Rangefinder camera
A rangefinder camera is a camera fitted with a rangefinder: a range-finding focusing mechanism allowing the photographer to measure the subject distance and take photographs that are in sharp focus...
– a legacy design – and is essentially the same design as previous Leica film cameras. The Leica is also significantly more expensive (US $5,000+, compared to $500–$1,000 to the other cameras in this category), and in most camera discussions is considered a distinct category.
The Sigma DP1 is a new design and is very similar to compact-type MILCs, but features a fixed lens, and is generally considered a pioneering precursor, not precisely of this class. Similarly, the Leica X1
Leica X1
[File:Leica X1 is a compact fixed-lens, large-sensor digital camera by Leica. The pre-production model was released to reviewers in September 2009....
is a high-end fixed-lens camera, and not strictly comparable to MILCs.
MILCs are sometimes distinguished as having an electronic viewfinder (rather than an optical), as in the EVIL designation, but among the group of products, there are cameras with an additional see-through optical viewfinder (as can be added to the Olympus PEN E-P1
Olympus PEN E-P1
The Olympus PEN E-P1 announced on 16 June 2009 is Olympus Corporation's first camera that adheres to the Micro Four Thirds system design standard. The first camera to use the Micro Four Thirds mount was the Panasonic's G-1 camera.-Features:...
or the Leica X1
Leica X1
[File:Leica X1 is a compact fixed-lens, large-sensor digital camera by Leica. The pre-production model was released to reviewers in September 2009....
), and products with an electronic/optical viewfinder (as can be found in the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 is the first digital mirrorless interchangeable lens camera adhering to the recently developed Micro Four Thirds System system design standard...
). However, these optical viewfinders are not TTL, unlike in SLRs.
Systems comparison
| System | Models | Lens mount Lens mount A lens mount is an interface — mechanical and often also electrical — between a photographic camera body and a lens. It is confined to cameras where the body allows interchangeable lenses, most usually the single lens reflex type or any movie camera of 16 mm or higher gauge... |
Sensor size | Stabilization | Throat diameter | Flange focal distance Flange focal distance For an interchangeable lens camera, the flange focal distance of a lens mount system is the distance from the mounting flange to the... |
Focus system | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leica M | Leica M8 Leica M8 The Leica M8 is the first digital camera in the rangefinder M series introduced by Leica Camera AG on 14 September 2006. It uses a 10.3-megapixel Kodak KAF-10500 CCD image sensor.As of 15/07/2011, the most recent firmware version is 2.014.-Features:... , M9 Leica M9 The Leica M9 is the second digital camera in Leica Camera AG's rangefinder M series. It was introduced on 9 September 2009 and uses an 18.5-megapixel Kodak KAF-18500 Full Frame CCD image sensor.... ; Epson R-D1 Epson R-D1 The R-D1, announced by Epson in March 2004 and discontinued in 2007, was the first digital rangefinder camera. Manufactured by Cosina, which also builds the current Voigtländer and Zeiss Ikon cameras, the R-D1 and its successor, the Epson R-D1s , use Leica M-mount lenses or earlier Leica screw... , R-D1s, R-D1x, R-D1xG |
Leica M-mount Leica M mount The Leica M mount is a camera lens mount introduced in 1954 with the Leica M3, and a range of lenses. It has been on all the Leica M series up to the current film Leica M7 and digital Leica M9.... |
35.8×23.9 mm full-frame (M9), 27×18 mm half-frame Half-frame camera A half-frame camera is a camera using a film format at half the intended exposure format. A common variety is the 18x24mm format on regular 135 film. It is the normal exposure format on 35mm movie cameras... (M8), 23.7×15.6 mm pseudo–APS-C APS-C Advanced Photo System type-C is an image sensor format approximately equivalent in size to the Advanced Photo System "classic" size negatives... (R-D1) |
none | 44 mm | mm | Rangefinder Rangefinder camera A rangefinder camera is a camera fitted with a rangefinder: a range-finding focusing mechanism allowing the photographer to measure the subject distance and take photographs that are in sharp focus... |
(R-D1) |
| Micro Four Thirds system Micro Four Thirds system The Micro Four Thirds system is a standard created by Olympus and Panasonic, and announced on August 5, 2008, for mirrorless interchangeable lens digital cameras and camcorders design and development... |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 is the first digital mirrorless interchangeable lens camera adhering to the recently developed Micro Four Thirds System system design standard... , G10 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G10 The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G10 is the sixth digital mirrorless interchangeable lens camera introduced that adheres to the recently developed Micro Four Thirds System system design standard, and the fourth Panasonic model MFT camera introduced... , G2 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 - Introduction :The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 is a digital mirrorless interchangeable lens camera adhering to the Olympus and Panasonic developed Micro Four Thirds System system design standard.... , G3 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 is a digital mirrorless interchangeable lens camera adhering to the joint Olympus and Panasonic Micro Four Thirds System system design standard... , GH1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 is a digital mirrorless interchangeable lens camera adhering to the Olympus and Panasonic developed Micro Four Thirds System system design standard... , GH2 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 is a digital camera with HD video recording capability that uses the Micro Four Thirds System. Though commonly referred to as a DSLR camera, it has no mirror or optical viewfinder, but has instead both a fold-out LCD screen and a electronic viewfinder... , GF1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 is the third camera in Panasonic's Lumix G-series, using the Micro Four Thirds System. Its body design similar to that of the recently released Olympus E-P1, the GF1 is 35% smaller than earlier G models... , GF2 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 is the sixth camera in Panasonic's Lumix G-series, using the Micro Four Thirds System. The model number implies that it is the successor to the DMC-GF1, although critics complain that the GF2 is not a true successor to the GF1 because the photographer's interface with... , GF3 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 is the eighth camera in Panasonic's Lumix G-series, adhering to the Micro Four Thirds System design standard, and was announced in June, 2011. The model number implies that it is the successor to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2... , GX1 (still cameras), Panasonic AG-AF100 (video camera) Olympus PEN E-P1 Olympus PEN E-P1 The Olympus PEN E-P1 announced on 16 June 2009 is Olympus Corporation's first camera that adheres to the Micro Four Thirds system design standard. The first camera to use the Micro Four Thirds mount was the Panasonic's G-1 camera.-Features:... , E-P2 Olympus PEN E-P2 The Olympus PEN E-P2 announced on 5 November 2009 is Olympus Corporation's second camera that adheres to the Micro Four Thirds system design standard... , E-P3 Olympus PEN E-P3 The Olympus PEN E-P3 announced on June 30, 2011 is Olympus Corporation's seventh camera that adheres to the Micro Four Thirds system design standard... , E-PL1 Olympus PEN E-PL1 The Olympus PEN E-PL1, announced on 3 February 2010 is Olympus Corporation's third camera that uses the Micro Four Thirds mount after the Olympus PEN E-P1 and Olympus PEN E-P2.... , E-PL2 Olympus PEN E-PL2 The Olympus PEN E-PL2, was announced in early January 2011 at the CES. This is Olympus Corporation's fourth camera that uses the Micro Four Thirds mount after the Olympus PEN E-P1, Olympus PEN E-P2 and Olympus PEN E-PL1. At the time it was announced, it had a US dollar MSRP of $599.99... , E-PL3 Olympus PEN E-PL3 The Olympus PEN E-PL3 announced on June 30, 2011 is Olympus Corporation's seventh camera that adheres to the Micro Four Thirds system design standard... , E-PM1 |
Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds system The Micro Four Thirds system is a standard created by Olympus and Panasonic, and announced on August 5, 2008, for mirrorless interchangeable lens digital cameras and camcorders design and development... |
17.3×12.98 mm 4/3" Four Thirds System The Four Thirds system is a standard created by Olympus and Kodak for digital single-lens reflex camera design and development.The system provides a standard that, with digital cameras and lenses available from multiple manufacturers, allows for the interchange of lenses and bodies from different... |
Lens-based (Panasonic) In body (Olympus) | 38~38 mm | 20 mm | Contrast-detection autofocus | (G1) |
| Nikon 1 Nikon 1 series The Nikon 1 series are high-speed mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. Announced on 21 September 2011, Nikon claims that it is "Nikon's most significant announcement since we introduced our first digital camera 14 years ago"... |
Nikon 1 J1 Nikon 1 J1 The Nikon 1 J1 is a Nikon 1 series mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera launched by Nikon on 21 September 2011.-External links:*... , Nikon 1 V1 Nikon 1 V1 The Nikon 1 V1 is a Nikon 1 series mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera launched by Nikon on 21 September 2011.... |
Nikon 1 mount | 13.2 × 8.8mm 1" Nikon CX | Lens-based | — | — | Hybrid Contrast-detection/Phase detection autofocus Autofocus An autofocus optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus fully automatic or on a manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system has to be done manually until indication... |
October 2011 |
| Pentax Q | Pentax Q Pentax Q The Pentax Q is a mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera announced in June 2011. It uses a new lens mount which is smaller than the old Pentax K mount.... |
Q-mount | 1/2.3" | Sensor-based | 38 mm | mm | Contrast-detection autofocus | June 2011 |
| Ricoh GXR | Ricoh GXR Ricoh GXR The Ricoh GXR is a compact digital camera first announced by Ricoh Company, Ltd, Tokyo on November 10, 2009. Unlike conventional cameras which either have a fixed lens and sensor or interchangeable lens and a fixed sensor, the GXR takes interchangeable units, each housing a lens, sensor and image... |
Sealed interchangeable sensor lens unit system, and Leica M-mount Leica M mount The Leica M mount is a camera lens mount introduced in 1954 with the Leica M3, and a range of lenses. It has been on all the Leica M series up to the current film Leica M7 and digital Leica M9.... |
Depends on each sealed interchangeable sensor lens unit: APS-C APS-C Advanced Photo System type-C is an image sensor format approximately equivalent in size to the Advanced Photo System "classic" size negatives... , 1/1.7", 1/2.3" |
depends | — | — | Contrast-detection autofocus for sealed camera units, manual focus Manual focus In the field of photography, a manual focus camera is one in which the operator has to adjust the focus of the lens by hand. Before the advent of autofocus, all cameras had manually adjusted focusing; thus, the term is a retronym.... (display-assisted) for Leica M mount unit |
|
| Samsung NX | Samsung NX10 Samsung NX10 The Samsung NX10 is a 14.0 effective megapixel APS-C crop CMOS mirrorless interchangeable lens digital camera made by Samsung. It was announced on January 4, 2010... , NX5, NX100 Samsung NX100 The Samsung NX100 is a 14.0 effective megapixel APS-C crop CMOS mirrorless interchangeable lens digital camera made by Samsung. It was announced on September 14, 2010.-Changes from NX10:* No built-in EVF or built-in flash... , NX11, NX200 Samsung NX200 The Samsung NX200 is a 20.3 effective megapixel APS-C crop CMOS mirrorless interchangeable lens digital camera made by Samsung. It was announced on September 1, 2011.-Changes from NX100:* Higher resolution movies. 1080p @ 30fps vs 720p @ 30fps... |
Samsung NX-mount Samsung NX mount The Samsung NX-mount is the lens mount used on NX series mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras by Samsung. The mount was first implemented in the Samsung NX10, and Samsung initially referred to the NX line as 'hybrid digital cameras', citing their combination of attributes of both DSLR and... |
23.4 × 15.6 mm APS-C APS-C Advanced Photo System type-C is an image sensor format approximately equivalent in size to the Advanced Photo System "classic" size negatives... |
Lens-based | 42 mm | mm | Contrast-detection autofocus | |
| Sony α NEX | NEX-3, NEX-5 Sony NEX-5 The Sony NEX-5 is a digital camera launched on 11 May 2010 . It is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with the body of a common point-and-shoot camera but with the sensor size and features of an APS-C-sized digital single-lens reflex camera... , NEX-C3, NEX-5N, NEX-7 (still cameras), NEX-VG10 Sony Handycam NEX-VG10 The Sony Handycam NEX-VG10 is a large sensor interchangeable-lens video camera made and distributed by Sony. It uses Sony E-mount camera lenses that were first used on the Sony NEX-3 and Sony NEX-5. It is capable of shooting in 1920×1080 full high definition using a large APS-C sensor. The video... NEX-VG20 (video camera) |
Sony E-mount | 23.4 × 15.6 mm APS-C APS-C Advanced Photo System type-C is an image sensor format approximately equivalent in size to the Advanced Photo System "classic" size negatives... |
Lens-based | mm (1.815 inch) | 18 mm | Contrast-detection autofocus |
History
The category is generally taken to have started with the development of the Micro Four Thirds systemMicro Four Thirds system
The Micro Four Thirds system is a standard created by Olympus and Panasonic, and announced on August 5, 2008, for mirrorless interchangeable lens digital cameras and camcorders design and development...
, whose first camera was the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 is the first digital mirrorless interchangeable lens camera adhering to the recently developed Micro Four Thirds System system design standard...
, released in Japan in October 2008.
Prior to this, the Leica M8
Leica M8
The Leica M8 is the first digital camera in the rangefinder M series introduced by Leica Camera AG on 14 September 2006. It uses a 10.3-megapixel Kodak KAF-10500 CCD image sensor.As of 15/07/2011, the most recent firmware version is 2.014.-Features:...
(released September 2006) is a mirrorless digital camera with a large sensor and interchangeable lenses, but is generally considered distinct, both because it uses an existing film design (a rangefinder
Rangefinder
A rangefinder is a device that measures distance from the observer to a target, for the purposes of surveying, determining focus in photography, or accurately aiming a weapon. Some devices use active methods to measure ; others measure distance using trigonometry...
, rather than the more common SLR design used in DSLRs) and due to its high price (in the neighborhood of $5,000, rather than around $500–$1,000 for initial MILCs). The Sigma DP1
Sigma DP1
The Sigma DP1 is a high-end compact digital camera introduced by the Sigma Corporation. It features a 14-megapixel Foveon X3 sensor , a fixed 16.6 mm F4.0 lens , a 2.5” LCD and a pop-up flash...
(released spring 2008) is also mirrorless with a large sensor, this time in a compact body, but with a fixed lens, as is the Leica X1
Leica X1
[File:Leica X1 is a compact fixed-lens, large-sensor digital camera by Leica. The pre-production model was released to reviewers in September 2009....
(at US $2,000); these may be classed as "high-end compact", but are generally considered separate.
A more radical design is the Ricoh GXR
Ricoh GXR
The Ricoh GXR is a compact digital camera first announced by Ricoh Company, Ltd, Tokyo on November 10, 2009. Unlike conventional cameras which either have a fixed lens and sensor or interchangeable lens and a fixed sensor, the GXR takes interchangeable units, each housing a lens, sensor and image...
(November 2009), which features, not interchangeable lenses, but interchangeable lens units – a sealed unit of a lens and sensor. This design is comparable but distinct to MILCs, and has so far received mixed reviews, primarily due to cost; the design has not been copied.
Following the introduction of the Micro Four Thirds, several other cameras were released in the system by Panasonic and Olympus, with the Olympus PEN E-P1
Olympus PEN E-P1
The Olympus PEN E-P1 announced on 16 June 2009 is Olympus Corporation's first camera that adheres to the Micro Four Thirds system design standard. The first camera to use the Micro Four Thirds mount was the Panasonic's G-1 camera.-Features:...
(announced June 2009) being the first in a compact size (pocketable with a small lens). The Samsung NX10
Samsung NX10
The Samsung NX10 is a 14.0 effective megapixel APS-C crop CMOS mirrorless interchangeable lens digital camera made by Samsung. It was announced on January 4, 2010...
(announced January 2010) was the first camera in this class not using the Micro Four Thirds system – rather a new, proprietary lens mount (Samsung NX-mount
Samsung NX mount
The Samsung NX-mount is the lens mount used on NX series mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras by Samsung. The mount was first implemented in the Samsung NX10, and Samsung initially referred to the NX line as 'hybrid digital cameras', citing their combination of attributes of both DSLR and...
). The Sony Alpha NEX-3 and NEX-5
Sony NEX-5
The Sony NEX-5 is a digital camera launched on 11 May 2010 . It is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with the body of a common point-and-shoot camera but with the sensor size and features of an APS-C-sized digital single-lens reflex camera...
(announced 14 May 2010, for release July 2010) saw the entry of Sony into the market, again with a new, proprietary lens mount (the Sony E-mount), though with LA-EA1 and LA-EA2 adapters for the legacy Minolta A-mount.
In June 2011 Pentax announced the 'Q' mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and the 'Q-mount' lens system. It will have a smaller 1/2.3 inch 12.4 megapixel CMOS sensor.
In September 2011 Nikon annouced their Nikon 1 system which consists of the Nikon 1 J1
Nikon 1 J1
The Nikon 1 J1 is a Nikon 1 series mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera launched by Nikon on 21 September 2011.-External links:*...
and Nikon 1 V1
Nikon 1 V1
The Nikon 1 V1 is a Nikon 1 series mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera launched by Nikon on 21 September 2011....
cameras and lenses. The V1 features an electronic viewfinder
Electronic viewfinder
An electronic viewfinder or EVF is a viewfinder where the image captured by the lens is projected electronically onto a miniature display. The image on this display is used to assist in aiming the camera at the scene to be photographed.-Operation:...
Comparisons
MILCs can be seen as replacing or supplementing the existing categories of compacts, DSLRs, and bridge cameras. Most often, a MILC (either compact-style or DSLR-style) can be a step up from a compact, instead of or on the way to DSLRs. Alternatively, a compact-style MILC can be a more portable supplement to a DSLR, instead of a compact camera. More rarely, a MILC can be a third camera, in addition to a DSLR and compact – not portable enough for everyday (always carried) use, but not as serious as a dedicated DSLR, instead being relatively portable, for walking around and occasional shooting. They are less frequently compared to bridge cameras, as despite filling a similar intermediate niche, they differ significantly in design.Compared to high-end compact cameras compact-style MILCs equipped with a large sensor provide better image quality. Their lens systems, though, make them considerably bulkier (zoom lenses in particular). Small-sensor MILCs have no image-quality advantage over high-end compacts, but they offer more versatility (due to interchangeable lenses).
DSLR-style MILCs are in most respects very similar to entry-level DSLRs, though DSLR-style MILCs are significantly smaller and light, most notably in being thinner, and also quieter due to lack of flipping mirror. MILC lenses are smaller than comparable DSLR lenses, but current MILC lens selection is very limited and relatively expensive.
Bridge cameras
MILCs occupy a similar niche to bridge cameras, being intermediate between compacts and DSLRs, but in many respects make opposite design decisions, and complement rather than replace each other: with rare exception, bridge cameras use a small sensor, a fixed superzoom lens, and DSLR-style body, while MILCs use a large sensor, interchangeable lenses (with lower zoom factor), and either a compact-style or DSLR-style body. The difference is because a small sensor can be sufficiently provided for by a superzoom lens, which can hence be fixed, and since superzoom lenses are relatively large, there is little benefit in having a compact body. The small sensors on bridge cameras also boast an extremely high crop factor (typically above 5.0), thus allowing such cameras to achieve zoom ranges that are physically impossible on DSLRs and cameras utilizing larger sensors. This trait alone makes a bridge camera much more versatile than DSLRs and MILCs whose lens lineups are usually not capable of achieving anything more than the 35mm focal length equivalent of 500mm; in contrast, most bridge cameras usually ship with lenses that are capable of providing a 35mm focal length equivalent of more than 600mm, with some cameras even capable of exceeding 800mm.Large sensors, by contrast, are more demanding on lenses and hence interchangeable lenses are generally used to cover the range (though compare fixed-lens Sigma DP1 and Leica X1); smaller lenses allow an overall small camera, hence the possibilities of compact-style MILCs, while DSLR-style bodies are still easier to use for dedicated photography.
One exception to the rule that bridge cameras have small sensors is the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1
The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 is a bridge digital camera announced by Sony in 2005 . It featured a 10.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor , a size typically used in DSLRs and rarely used in bridge cameras...
, now discontinued, which featured a large sensor and a fixed lens.
Terminology
, there is no widely accepted term for this class of cameras. The most-used technical term appears to be mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera, MILC, while Panasonic and Olympus called them new-generation system cameras. There seems to be more support for the first term, a poll at the DPreview website suggests. Panasonic also calls its bodies Compact System Cameras (CSCs) or Compact Hybrid Cameras (video/still.) Samsung also uses the term CSC. Sony categorises under the broad term Interchangeable Lens Cameras, and differentiates its NEX line by its lens mount (called E), versus its older (A) mount.A term often wrongly used as an alternative to MILC is the unfortunate acronym EVIL camera (electronic viewfinder with interchangeable lens). It should not be used as a synonim of MILC because MILCs may have an optical viewfinder. The term EVIL was coined by Charlie Davis in August 2007, then popularized via a October 2007 posting on DPReview, repeated on a Wired blog. Since then DPReview have actually used MILC for their review of the Olympus E-PL1 in May 2010. , Popular Photography uses the term ILC, for "interchangeable-lens compact" even though some of these cameras may not be that compact (Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 is a digital mirrorless interchangeable lens camera adhering to the Olympus and Panasonic developed Micro Four Thirds System system design standard...
or GH2
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 is a digital camera with HD video recording capability that uses the Micro Four Thirds System. Though commonly referred to as a DSLR camera, it has no mirror or optical viewfinder, but has instead both a fold-out LCD screen and a electronic viewfinder...
).
The term "hybrid cameras", is an alternative name, and is used by some retailers. The name originates from looking at the cameras as a cross breed, and a best of two worlds, kind of camera.
Other terms include SLD (single-lens digital or single-lens direct-view), used on the Imaging Resource website, but in their review of Panasonic's new G3 model on 12 May 2011, Imaging Resource referred to simply "the Compact System Camera space". Similarly, DSLM (digital single lens mirrorless) denotes that, like a DSLR, the image from the "taking" lens is used in the framing viewfinder (or LCD), but that the image is transmitted to the viewfinder without the use of a mirror ("reflex").
Finally, Mirrorless System Camera (MSC) is gaining some support amongst third-party retailers and forums.
Market
Compact-style MILCs with pancake lenses have generated significant excitement in the photographer community, as they finally provide a pocketable digital camera with a large sensor (hence high image quality). DSLR-style MILCs, and compact-style MILCs with larger lenses have also generated interest, but more as refinements on the overall DSLR concept, rather than creating new possibilities.Beyond the interest to consumers, MILCs have created significant interest in camera manufacturers, having potential to be a disruptive technology
Disruptive technology
A disruptive technology or disruptive innovation is an innovation that helps create a new market and value network, and eventually goes on to disrupt an existing market and value network , displacing an earlier technology there...
in the high-end camera market. Significantly, MILCs have fewer moving parts than DSLRs, and are more electronic, which plays to the strengths of electronic manufacturers (such as Panasonic, Samsung and Sony), while undermining the advantage that existing camera makers have in precision mechanical engineering.
Nikon has announced the Nikon 1 series
Nikon 1 series
The Nikon 1 series are high-speed mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. Announced on 21 September 2011, Nikon claims that it is "Nikon's most significant announcement since we introduced our first digital camera 14 years ago"...
on 21 September 2011, and claims that it is "Nikon's most significant announcement since we introduced our first digital camera 14 years ago". It is a high-speed MILC which features world's fastest autofocus
Autofocus
An autofocus optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus fully automatic or on a manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system has to be done manually until indication...
(10 fps
Frame rate
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...
) and world's fastest continuous shooting speed (60 fps) among all cameras with interchangeable lenses including DSLRs. Canon as the last of the main makers of DSLRs has neither introduced nor announced MILCs or any work on them.
Longer-term, MILCs may replace DSLRs entirely in some categories or among some manufacturers, with Olympus America's DSLR product manager speculating that by 2012, Olympus DSLRs (the Olympus E system) may be mirrorless, though still using the Four Thirds System (not Micro Four Thirds).
Panasonic UK's Lumix G product manager John Mitchell while speaking to the Press at the 2011 "Focus on Imaging" show in Birmingham, reported that Panasonic "G" camera market share was almost doubling each year, and that UK Panasonic "G" captured over 11% of all interchangeable camera sales in the UK in 2010, and that UK "CSC" sales made up 23% of the Interchaneable lens market in the UK, and 40% in Japan.
, interchangeable-lens camera pricing is comparable to and somewhat higher than entry-level DSLRs, at US$550 to $800, and significantly higher than high-end compact cameras.
As of May 2011, interchangeable-lens camera pricing for entry MILCs appears to be lower than entry-level DSLRs in some markets e.g. the USA.
File:Pentax Q 02n3000.jpg|Pentax Q
Pentax Q
The Pentax Q is a mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera announced in June 2011. It uses a new lens mount which is smaller than the old Pentax K mount....
File:Ricoh GXR IMG 5351.JPG|Ricoh GXR
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File:Samsung NX10.jpg|Samsung NX10
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