Mirrorless camera in the context of Viewfinder

A mode dial or camera dial is a dial used on digital cameras to change the camera's mode. Most digital cameras, including dSLR and mirrorless cameras, support modes, selectable either by a rotary dial or from a menu. On point-and-shoot cameras which support modes a range of scene types is offered. On dSLR and mirrorless cameras, mode dials usually offer access to manual settings. The more compact point-and-shoot cameras, and cameras offering a great many modes, do not have mode dials, using menus instead. Some interchangeable lenses themselves offer control over things such as aperture, reducing the need for mode support in the camera body.

In photography, a single-lens reflex camera (SLR) is a type of camera that uses a mirror and prism system to allow photographers to view through the lens and see exactly what will be captured. SLRs became the dominant design for professional and consumer-level cameras throughout the late 20th century, offering interchangeable lenses, through-the-lens (TTL) metering, and precise framing. Originating in the 1930s and popularized in the 1960s and 70s, SLR technology played a crucial role in the evolution of modern photography. Although digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras succeeded film-based models, the rise of mirrorless cameras in the 2010s has led to a decline in SLR use and production. With twin lens reflex and rangefinder cameras, the viewed image could be significantly different from the final image. When the shutter button is pressed on most SLRs, the mirror flips out of the light path and allows light to pass through to the light receptor and the image to be captured.