Can DSLR Lenses Be Used On Mirrorless Cameras?

As any experienced photographer could tell you, there's more to this longstanding art form than merely pointing a camera at something and pressing the shutter button. If you want a specific shot, you need to set it up and ensure you have the proper equipment on hand to execute your vision. Most importantly, this means acquiring your desired lenses, allowing you different focal lengths, levels of image quality, and even color values. The quite different DSLR and mirrorless cameras can be equipped with their respective compatible lenses, but can those of the former actually work with the latter?

The short, simple answer is yes; despite their different internal setups, lenses meant for the best DSLR cameras money can buy, or any for that matter, can be used in mirrorless units. However, it's not as easy as removing it from a DSLR and putting it on a mirrorless. You'll need to get ahold of a compatible adapter to make this switch happen. As a result, you'll have to do a bit of research into your lenses and cameras to make sure you're getting the right mount. After all, as evidenced by such pieces as the Canon EF-EOS mount adapter on Amazon, they're not exactly cheap, so you'll want to be as certain as you can before making that purchase.

Clearly, moving a lens from a DSLR to a mirrorless camera is possible. With that in mind, it's worth asking, why would someone want to go through the trouble of doing so, and do the positives outweigh the negatives?

Paying a good chunk of change to get a DSLR-to-mirrorless lens adapter may seem like an unnecessary hassle to some. The fact is, though, it's not a bad idea for a handful of reasons. First and foremost is the matter of cost. Say you've used a DSLR for years, buying and collecting all kinds of lenses, only for you to switch to a mirrorless camera. Would you rather rebuy all of those lenses equipped for mirrorless cameras or drop significantly less money on an adapter? Mirrorless cameras are also newer than DSLRs, so there are fewer lens options out there. If you need to use specialized lenses, getting an adapter to use them could be quite helpful.

At the same time, there are some drawbacks to putting DSLR lenses on mirrorless cameras. For one, DSLR lenses present added weight due to their size and build, which can make photography a bit more unwieldy, especially for those who've never used a DSLR before and have jumped straight to trying DSLR lenses on a mirrorless camera. There's also the matter of the adapter itself, which can be a bit of an inconvenience as another piece of hardware to keep track of. If you head off to a shoot and forget it, suddenly, all of your DSLR lenses are entirely useless for your mirrorless camera.

Ultimately, whether to swap lenses designed for DSLRs for use on mirrorless cameras is up to one's personal wants and needs. Sadly, for those with a DSLR camera and mirrorless lenses, prepare for some frustrating news.

It may not be easy, and require additional pieces to make it happen, but DSLR lenses can work on mirrorless cameras. Not only do they work, but they present photography opportunities that the selection of native mirrorless lenses currently available might not be able to offer. Unfortunately, this camera-lens crossover only works in one direction. If you happen to have a DSLR and want to try attaching a mirrorless lens to it, you're out of luck at this point.

The reason for a DSLR being unable to properly house a mirrorless lens comes down to the shape of these pieces themselves. Mirrorless lenses have a significantly shorter flange distance — a protrusion from the lens that situates itself within the body of the camera — than DSLRs. The longer flange on DSLR lenses allows the adapter ring to be used to attach them to mirrorless cameras, though this workaround doesn't work when dealing with DSLR cameras and mirrorless lenses.

It's unfortunate that DSLR cameras can't use mirrorless lenses, but at least combining elements of the two camera types is possible the other way around. Lenses are expensive and it's a blast experimenting with different ones, so even with the added weight and need for an adapter, there's a lot to gain from putting DSLR lenses on the most popular mirrorless cameras on the market.