Do Mirrorless Cameras Have Interchangeable Lenses?

Mirrorless cameras have taken over the photography world in recent years. Their sleek form factor and advanced features have made them the choice over traditional DSLR cameras for many enthusiasts and professionals. But can you switch out lenses on mirrorless cameras like you can with a DSLR?

The short answer is yes – mirrorless cameras do have interchangeable lenses. This capability is one of the key features that defines mirrorless cameras and makes them such a versatile option for photographers today.

Do Mirrorless Cameras Have Interchangeable Lenses

In this in-depth guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about interchangeable lenses and mirrorless cameras:

Table of Contents

What is a Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera?

First, let’s clearly define what makes a mirrorless camera:

Mirrorless refers to the fact that these cameras don’t have the flip-up mirror and optical viewfinder assembly that DSLR cameras do. This enables a more streamlined and lightweight design for the camera body.
Interchangeable lens means the camera allows you to remove the lens and mount different lenses. This gives you flexibility to use specialized lenses for different shooting situations.

MILC stands for Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera – the official term for this category.

Other key features of mirrorless cameras:

An electronic viewfinder (EVF) that gives you a digital preview of your shot.
Typically utilise autofocus systems with on-sensor phase and contrast detection.
Come in both full-frame and APS-C sensor sizes.

So in summary, mirrorless cameras give you the ability to swap out lenses while also providing benefits like compact size, live view preview, and fast autofocus. Now let’s look at lens options.

Interchangeable Lens Options for Mirrorless Cameras

Most mirrorless cameras today provide extensive native lens choices:

Wide angle, telephoto, macro, prime and other specialty mirrorless lenses are available.
Zoom lenses like 18-55mm or 70-200mm cover wide to telephoto range in one lens.
Ultra-wide angle lenses like the Sony FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM offer unique creative perspectives.
Fast prime lenses like the Fuji XF 35mm F1.4 provide shallow depth of field.
Pancake lenses like the Canon RF 24mm F2.8 STM are slim and portable.
Macro lenses like the Nikon Z MC 105mm S deliver extreme close-up details.

Here are some examples of widely available mirrorless lenses:

7artisans 35mm f0.95 Large Aperture APS-C Manual Focus Lens
Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Standard Zoom Lens
ZEREN Mega Pixel 26MP 4k WiFi Vlogging Camera with 16-50mm Lens Kit

With mirrorless technology you are not limited to any single lens – you can build a diverse collection to suit different photography needs.

Benefits of Interchangeable Lenses for Mirrorless Cameras

The ability to swap lenses gives mirrorless cameras great versatility:

Change focal lengths – go from wide angles to super telephoto as needed.
Specialized optics like macro, tilt-shift or super fast aperture primes.
Adapt vintage lens collections via adapters.
Utilize existing DSLR lenses you own on mirrorless bodies.
Select ideal lenses for genres like portrait, landscape, street, video.
Cater to your unique creative vision and shooting style.

You have extensive possibilities to customize your gear. Beyond the lens, benefits like smaller camera size, live preview, and fast accurate autofocus make mirrorless cameras very compelling for both photo and video needs.

Mirrorless vs DSLR Lens Differences

DSLR cameras also allow interchangeable lenses. Here are some key differences:

Flange distance – DSLR lenses have a longer flange distance to account for the mirror box whereas mirrorless lenses can be mounted closer to the sensor.
Optical designs can differ to take advantage of mirrorless camera characteristics.
Mirrorless lenses communicate digitally with the camera body for features like optical stabilization.
Mirrorless lenses must cover a wider imaging circle on full-frame cameras.
Crop factor is 2x on mirrorless APS-C vs 1.5x or 1.6x on DSLR APS-C bodies.

These variations mean you cannot use DSLR and mirrorless lenses interchangeably. But lens adapters do exist to mount DSLR glass on mirrorless bodies.

Manual Focus Lenses for Mirrorless Cameras

Mirrorless cameras also give you the ability to adapt manual focus lens collections:

Vintage lenses like Canon FD, Nikon AI/S, Minolta MD, etc. can be mounted using adapters.
This allows creative use of classic glass on modern mirrorless bodies.
Features like focus peaking make manual focus easy.

If you love the unique rendering of vintage lenses, mirrorless adapters make it possible to use them on digital cameras.

Conclusion

Interchangeable lenses are absolutely a key feature of mirrorless camera systems like Fujifilm X series, Sony Alpha, Canon EOS R and more. The ability to swap lenses allows you to customize your kit for any shooting situation and expand creatively. From ultra-wide angles to super telephotos and specialty lenses, mirrorless cameras give you limitless lens possibilities in a portable convenient package.

So if you’re wondering whether to go mirrorless or DSLR, the flexibility of interchangeable lenses is a big advantage. Mirrorless technology has allowed lenses to evolve through innovations like new optical formulas and digital integration. While mirrorless does not render DSLRs obsolete, the ability to change lenses gives mirrorless cameras tremendous versatility that will continue to win over more and more photographers.