Will the DSLR ever die out?

A friend sent me this article

http://www.stuckincust​oms.com …n-cameras-are-the-future/

which talks about, essentially, the death of the DSLR and how it will be overcome by m4/3, EVIL cameras and the like with out a moving mirror, smaller sensors, less moving parts, etc.

Was just curious what everyone's take on this is. I personally can't see the DLSR going away, for professionals or otherwise. Compact cameras may gain technology and greater features, but the DSLR offers something I don't think smaller cameras ever will like great AF, vast array of lenses to choose from, etc. To me, the article is just making the case that the flipping mirror in current cameras is almost antiquated. I disagree.

Not for wedding/landscape/stud​io/wildlife photogs, but for walkaround the advance of mirrorless and APS-C sensors brings the point of diminishing returns closer every year. I am considering giving up my setup for the new Fuji mirrorless if the price and functionality are right. In many everyday circumstances a DSLR is too big or conspicuous.

I think the internal technology may change, the mirror could go away, but the tactile experience of looking into a viewfinder will remain. Composing by looking at a screen as opposed to looking at the subject via a lens is so fundamentally different I dont see it going away.

gonzogolf wrote in post #13659031
I think the internal technology may change, the mirror could go away, but the tactile experience of looking into a viewfinder will remain. Composing by looking at a screen as opposed to looking at the subject via a lens is so fundamentally different I dont see it going away.

I can see this, actually. Professionals who demand that kind of use-ablitiy, if that's the right word for it, might end up being the reason we amateurs have access to great cameras that aren't comport advanced point and shoots.

StayLucky wrote in post #13659062
I can see this, actually. Professionals who demand that kind of use-ablitiy, if that's the right word for it, might end up being the reason we amateurs have access to great cameras that aren't comport advanced point and shoots.

And I really put that wrong, the mirror will remain or at least some way of diverting the optical path so your eye can see it. It just may not have a traditional motion with a mechanical shutter.

The DSLR is not dead...and is not dying...and won't for quite some time. M4/3's doesn't even come close to what I need from a camera.

The mirror will disappear from the mainstream/mass/consum​er products. Sooner rather than later. That much is 100% guaranteed. Period.

whtchocla7e wrote in post #13659458
The mirror will disappear from the mainstream/mass/consum​er products. Sooner rather than later. That much is 100% guaranteed. Period.

What percentage of mainstream/mass/consum​er cameras sold in the last 10 years had a mirror to begin with? DSLRs are already a niche product. Pros and serious amateurs will continue to want professional features found in DSLRs. If camera makers can deliver that without a mirror, so be it, but I'm not holding my breath.

There will always be a niche but the need for many to carry around a DSLR will diminish.

I've sold my kit for mirrorless.

I don't know but the amateur and snapshooter was one of the best things Kodak did for the pro back in the day....the amateur/hobbyist and snapshooter helped bring the price of film down.

Now, maybe the reverse is true. The amateur and snapshooter are demanding more. We see the IQ of P & S's going up as well as lens choice available. Maybe the price of DSLR's will come down . Some pro's will need the larger sensor/fast AF etc of a DSLR but many won't. PP with the various software that is available almost makes the arguement a moot point for the majority.

The pros that need the Rolls Royce of cameras also need us little snapshooters simply to keep the price down going forward. Pros need prints larger that 8 X 10 but how many 8 X 10's are in the average house as opposed to 4 X 6 or 5 X 7.

I would suggest something else along the same line. Consider the cost of a class 6, 4 GB chip a few years ago to the cost today. The pros can thank the little guy for their need for HD video in a 300.00 camera.

Technically it's not a DSLR, but I'd be all over the latest prosumer Sony offering if it wasn't for the MP on a smaller sensor. They could eventually find a way to raise the quality of the EVF and electronic shutter to satisfy much of the mid-level DSLR crowd but it would still be complicated for pros when it comes to turnaround times at service when the camera experiences issues. The size though will almost surely never fade with recent introductions from various manufacturers resembling a micro DSLR at the P&S level.

It absolutley will change and go away. The real question is how fast will it take to happen?

If it will change and die out, what do you propose will replace it? (a general question for everyone)

Will it be compact cameras with mid level functionality and customizable features? Or something else al together?

Personally, I hope the DSLR remains intact asuch as possible. There's something magical about pushing the shutter button and hearing that mirror flip and knowing you just captured a great image. It's am organic process where you feel connected with that tool. Something I just can't get from something like the Song NEX and similar models.

As the electronic viewfinder is perfected, the dSLR could be supplanted. The key will be an electronic VF that is every bit as good as an optical VF. That means no refresh rate lag as the key issue. At that point the expense and mass of the optical system in a dSLR wouldn't be needed any more.

Mirrors might go away or change, body size might change...but I don't see APS-C replacing the larger sensors for enthusiasts and/or professionals. Maybe if they add long and super telephotos to the smaller formats it would be a closer race...but I wouldn't believe it until I start seeing 4/3 being used on safari/the sidelines at sporting events, etc.

there are definitely market segments that all of those formats are hitting; but I don't see any of them totally replacing any of the others.