Does a mirror or camera show what we actually see?

[shredder666]

Which one is a more accurate representation of the image? (i.e. what we see with our own eye)

I've read that camera's actually flatten out the 3d image, but I have no clue what the consequence of this would be, while I do know that mirrors flip the image but I think that's the only thing that it does.

 

[mishrashubham]

The closest we could get to actual human vision artificially is through stereo cameras which have two lenses and produce 3d images.

 

[|squeezed>]

The two cases that you describe work in more-or-less the same way. "Modern cameras" also use a special kind of mirrors, called pentamirrors*. The "accurate" representation of an image depends on many parameters.

*High-end cameras use pentaprisms. Pentamirrors are used in order to decrease the cost. Mirrorless cameras have been recently introduced (~last year).

The only way to get a (peudo-)3d perspective in your photos is by using lenses with very shallow depth of field which allow you to isolate the focused object from its background.
See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/depth-of-field.htm

 

[mishrashubham]

"Modern cameras" also use a special kind of mirrors, called pentamirrors*.

*High-end cameras use pentaprisms. Pentamirrors are used in order to decrease the cost. Mirrorless cameras have been recently introduced (~last year).

I think what he meant by mirror is the normal plane mirror used in everyday life instead of the pentamirror used inside a camera.