Thanks for the thoughtful reply, Charles.

I’m with you on “live preview” whether it’s in the viewfinder (my preferred method for most situations) or the rear panel display. Having the ability to see exactly what your image will look like before you push the shutter button is, in my mind, the biggest advantage of mirrorless cameras — and one of the things I missed most when I took my DSLR out that day.

Many photographers still prefer an optical viewfinder and I understand that. There is something to be said for looking through the lens (or a rangefinder) which probably explains why Fujifilm includes a hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder on some of their cameras, giving the photographer a choice.

Autofocus performance, particularly continuous AF, is still better on some DSLRs than on some mirrorless cameras though that gap continues to close. Sony has some of the best AF performance for sure.

Finally, there is the matter of battery life. EVFs and rear panel displays use a lot of power. Battery use can be managed of course by turning off image review, limiting rear panel use, using the camera’s eye-sensor, or simply turning it off when it’s not up to your eye. I’ve accepted poorer battery life as a fact of mirrorless life and carry spares, so it’s not a big deal to me, but a DSLR can go all day and then some on a single battery.

DSLRs have barely evolved from the film SLRs that proceeded them some 20 years later. In essence, they’ve simply replaced film with a digital sensor. For some, they must seem archaic, but for others, it makes them comfortable and familiar. For a lot of professionals, that matters. As does the fact that they have many thousands of dollars invested in a lens ecosystem that doesn’t natively work (if it works at all) on mirrorless bodies.

Me? I’m a mirrorless guy now, but I’m happy we have so many choices. What a wonderful time to be a photographer!