With a new interest in smaller bodied cameras having high quality images, the new ILC (Interchangeable Lens Camera) or EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) cameras have caught the attention of a lot of people. What is the difference between a standard DSLR and an ILC/EVIL camera?
ILC and EVIL is a hard category of cameras to describe because they come in so many shapes and sizes. ILC or EVIL can mean anything from basic, just above point-and-shoot level cameras with larger imaging sensors, to system camera with lots of lenses, rivaling a DSLR in system support. In figure 1 is a Panasonic G2 ILC or EVIL camera:
Comparing the Panasonic with your average DSLR you probably notice that the bump on top that normally contains a prism housing for the viewfinder is much smaller. There is no prism because the camera shows its live view output on a monitor instead. Comparing an ILC/EVIL to a DSLR, in figure 2, we see the path of light taken through a DSLR's lens, bouncing off the reflex mirror, up through the prism, and out the viewfinder to the photographer's eye.
An ILC camera has no reflex mirror/prism system as shown in figure 2. Instead it simply takes the output from the imaging sensor and displays it directly on a small LCD monitor inside the viewfinder's eyepiece, on the back of the camera on a large LCD monitor, or both.
An ILC/EVIL is a mirrorless camera, basically a DSLR without a mirror. Instead of a mirror/prism system an ILC/EVIL camera uses various viewfinder styles, including the following:
A small ILC/EVIL camera can be indistinguishable from a better quality point and shoot camera. Larger ILC/EVIL camera bodies can resemble DSLRs. The main things that distinguishes ILC/EVIL cameras from point-and-shoot cameras are two basic things, as follows:
Other than the viewfinder system, the ILC/EVIL is similar to a DSLR in how it captures the image. They can have similar quality, as long as the imaging sensor is of comparable size.
See why I say an ILC is hard to describe? Some larger ILC/EVIL cameras look very similar to small DSLR cameras, although the bump on top of the camera is much smaller since there is no need for the bulky prism a DSLR uses (figure 1). The primary difference between a DSLR and an ILC/EVIL camera is the reflex mirror and prism viewing system that only the DSLR has. Other than that, both camera types can provide similar high-quality images.
The most important thing to consider when buying an ILC style camera is that it have as large an imaging sensor as possible and plenty of lenses and accessories to select from.
ILC and EVIL is a hard category of cameras to describe because they come in so many shapes and sizes. ILC or EVIL can mean anything from basic, just above point-and-shoot level cameras with larger imaging sensors, to system camera with lots of lenses, rivaling a DSLR in system support. In figure 1 is a Panasonic G2 ILC or EVIL camera:
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| Figure 1 – Panasonic G2 ILC or EVIL camera |
Comparing the Panasonic with your average DSLR you probably notice that the bump on top that normally contains a prism housing for the viewfinder is much smaller. There is no prism because the camera shows its live view output on a monitor instead. Comparing an ILC/EVIL to a DSLR, in figure 2, we see the path of light taken through a DSLR's lens, bouncing off the reflex mirror, up through the prism, and out the viewfinder to the photographer's eye.
 |
| Figure 2 – Path of light (red arrow) through a DSLR's lens, reflex mirror, and prism |
An ILC camera has no reflex mirror/prism system as shown in figure 2. Instead it simply takes the output from the imaging sensor and displays it directly on a small LCD monitor inside the viewfinder's eyepiece, on the back of the camera on a large LCD monitor, or both.
An ILC/EVIL is a mirrorless camera, basically a DSLR without a mirror. Instead of a mirror/prism system an ILC/EVIL camera uses various viewfinder styles, including the following:
- A basic viewfinder that doesn’t see through the lens (rangefinder style)
- An electronic viewfinder inside a viewfinder eyepiece
- A live view LCD monitor on the back of the camera
- A combination of all three
A small ILC/EVIL camera can be indistinguishable from a better quality point and shoot camera. Larger ILC/EVIL camera bodies can resemble DSLRs. The main things that distinguishes ILC/EVIL cameras from point-and-shoot cameras are two basic things, as follows:
- The larger imaging sensor allows very high quality images
- It has various interchangeable lenses you can mount on the camera body
Other than the viewfinder system, the ILC/EVIL is similar to a DSLR in how it captures the image. They can have similar quality, as long as the imaging sensor is of comparable size.
See why I say an ILC is hard to describe? Some larger ILC/EVIL cameras look very similar to small DSLR cameras, although the bump on top of the camera is much smaller since there is no need for the bulky prism a DSLR uses (figure 1). The primary difference between a DSLR and an ILC/EVIL camera is the reflex mirror and prism viewing system that only the DSLR has. Other than that, both camera types can provide similar high-quality images.
The most important thing to consider when buying an ILC style camera is that it have as large an imaging sensor as possible and plenty of lenses and accessories to select from.
In our next article we will discuss which style camera you might benefit most by using.
Keep on capturing time...
Darrell Young
See my Photography books at:
http://www.photographywriter.com/NikonBooks.asp
Keep on capturing time...
Darrell Young
See my Photography books at:
http://www.photographywriter.com/NikonBooks.asp
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