Will a mirrorless or DSLR camera be better for creating lomo-style digital photos?
Asked 12/19/2012
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2 answers
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I used to enjoy analog lomography and now want to move to digital on a limited budget. My priorities are enough resolution for large prints, good sharpness, and strong color, but I’m mainly after a lomo-like look rather than strictly realistic images. I’m considering a DSLR like the Nikon D5100 with a 35mm f/1.8 lens, or a mirrorless option such as an Olympus PEN model. For this kind of artistic shooting, does mirrorless offer any real advantage over DSLR in color or overall results, or is lens choice and post-processing more important than the camera type?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
3
I'd like to add that for the lomo-style photography, you can get good results from old film glass. As @jrista stated Lomography, which is explicitly a film-based style of photography.
Because of the flange distance on mirrorless cameras, you can get almost any lens mount adapter for that system. It's still doable with SLRs but the shorter flange distance is still a better advantage over DSLR for film glass.
You can get good deals on auction sites but then again, you have to know what you're looking for or know what you want.
Originally by user11789. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11789
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For lomo-style digital photos, the camera type matters much less than the lens, handling, and post-processing. A DSLR and a mirrorless camera can both give you the sharpness, resolution, and color contrast needed for large prints.
Mirrorless does not inherently give “better color” or composition. Its main practical advantage here is size and weight, and the shorter flange distance makes it easier to adapt many old film lenses, which can help if you want vintage character, distortion, softness, or unusual rendering.
DSLR advantages are typically larger sensor options, an optical viewfinder, and a more mature lens/accessory system. But for a lomo-like look, those advantages are not decisive.
The look you want mostly comes from style choices: saturated color, distortion, shallow depth of field, softness/glow, and out-of-focus effects. Much of that can be created with lens choice and editing rather than the body itself.
So choose the system you’ll enjoy carrying and using. If you want flexibility with adapted vintage lenses and a lighter kit, mirrorless may suit you well. If you prefer the DSLR ergonomics or available lenses, that will work just as well.
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