That's one advantage, for the kind of photography I take for enjoyment it's a big one. Also means for landscape work you can shoot without having to worry about mirror slap. Being able to see outside the lens helps composing the image too, you can see when someone is about to walk in to the picture for example. Durability is another big one, they're very, very hardy.

Excellent point. I hadn't thought of that even though I've experienced the annoyance of having the noise ruin the next shot. :thumbsup:

Offering the ladies an extra $20 usually settles them down.