Can you buy a camera body without a lens attached?
Asked 10/31/2011
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2 answers
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I’m looking for a camera sold as just the body, with no lens included. Do cameras like that exist, or do they always come with a kit lens attached? Also, can a camera be used with no lens mounted at all?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
15
Yes. You're looking for "Body Only" offerings. The same camera without any lens:
Note that you must have something to attach to (or at least hold in front of) the camera; when used without any lens at all, the whole image will be a total blur with absolutely no focus whatsoever:
For comparison, same scene taken with an old 58mm lens at f/2:
Originally by user4390. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4390
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes. Interchangeable-lens cameras such as DSLRs are commonly sold in "body only" versions, meaning you buy the camera body without the kit lens.
This is useful if you already own compatible lenses or want to choose a different lens separately. Kit bundles often offer good value, but body-only is a normal option.
However, a camera generally cannot be used meaningfully with no lens mounted at all. Without a lens, the image will be extremely blurred and won’t focus properly. In practice, you still need to mount a lens (or at least place some optical element in front of the sensor) to take a usable photo.
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