Okay, so we just talked about the general differences between mirrorless and DSLR cameras (didn’t see that blog post? Get the full rundown by reading here). But what about the most important thing for many photographers: image quality? Does one truly blow the other out of the water? I decided to put it to the test with two amazing Nikon cameras: my trusted Nikon D750 (DSLR) and the sleek Nikon Z7 II (Mirrorless).

Full disclosure upfront: this isn't a perfectly even playing field. My D750 rocks a 24-megapixel sensor, while my Z7 II boasts a much higher 45-megapixel sensor. So, right off the bat, you'd expect the Z7 II to win on sheer resolution, right? Let's see!

These images below are the result images. One taken with the D750, and the other with the Z7 II.

The Test Setup: Keeping it Fair (Mostly!)

To make this comparison as meaningful as possible, I kept everything else consistent:

Lens: Both shots were taken with the fantastic Nikon 85mm f/1.8 lens (a personal favorite for its creamy bokeh!). I used the AF-S with the D750, and the Z mount lens with the Z 7II.
Exposure Settings: Identical settings for both shots: 1/200s shutter speed, ISO 400, and an aperture of f/1.8. This ensures the same amount of light hit each sensor.
Focus Settings: I used Auto Focus Continuous (AF-C) with a single-point focus area mode to ensure precise focus on the same spot (the piggy bank!).
White Balance: Set to Auto White Balance on both cameras.
Picture Control: Both were set to Standard Picture Control.
File Type: Crucially, both images were captured in RAW format, giving us the most untouched data from the sensors. I converted them to JPEG in Lightroom in order to upload to the website, but made no other edits.

The Results: A Surprisingly Close Race!

Now, for the moment of truth! After meticulously comparing the images, I have to say, the differences were shockingly subtle. 🤯

To be clear: the images on the top are the Z7 II and the images on the bottom are the D750.

Even with the Z7 II's significantly higher megapixel count, when viewed side-by-side without heavy cropping, it was incredibly hard to spot a dramatic difference in overall sharpness or detail. Both cameras delivered clean, beautiful files.

The main difference I did notice? The colors from the Nikon Z7 II were slightly more vivid and punchy straight out of the camera. It wasn't a huge shift, but enough to give the mirrorless image a tiny edge in saturation and vibrancy.

What about when you heavily crop into the images, trying to push them to their limits? This is where you might expect the 45MP Z7 II to pull away significantly. And while, yes, if you pixel-peep at 200% zoom, the Z7 II will naturally show more fine detail due to its resolution, for most practical purposes – like printing or sharing online – it was still incredibly difficult to distinguish between the two without really, really looking for it. The D750 held its own remarkably well!

My Takeaway: Don't Obsess Over Pixels!

What does this tell us? While higher megapixels are great for massive prints or extreme cropping, for everyday photography and even most professional work, the differences in perceived image quality between a modern DSLR and a modern mirrorless camera (even with a resolution gap) are often minimal. Both camera types, especially from brands like Nikon, Canon, and Sony, are capable of producing stunning, high-quality images.

This experiment really reinforced for me that the photographer behind the lens, the lighting, and the lens choice often make a far bigger impact on the final image quality than the camera's internal mirror or megapixel count alone.

So, if you're agonizing over an upgrade purely for "better image quality" between these two excellent systems, you might find that other factors – like size, autofocus speed, or video features – are actually more important for your workflow.

If you’re still trying to decide which camera model is right for you, check out the blog post just before this one, Mirrorless vs. DSLR: Choosing Your Camera!