Every now and then I get asked to recommend a camera purchase by a friend, reader, or Twitter follower.

Whenever that happens, I try to get a better idea of what it is they want out of a camera before pointing them one way or the other. The funny thing is, long ago I noticed that more often than not, these people seem to already have the perception than DSRLs are “serious” cameras, meant only for professional use. They also seem to group every other camera into a huge, loosely defined category: good for consumer use, but little beyond that.

Simply put, that could not be farther from the truth.

On this week’s episode of Candid, we dive deep into this issue, trying to dispel that myth once and for all. Among other things, we go over the defining aspects of DSLR and mirrorless technology, and see how they compare to each other in terms of battery life, AF, ruggedness, lens ecosystems, and price. Finally, we give our two cents about the future of the camera industry, and lay down our advice for prospective camera buyers.

What we ended up agreeing on may surprise you.¹