Prime Lens vs Zoom Lens – Which One Is Better?

What's a prime lens?

Any lens has a couple of features you can use to describe them. When it comes to lens types, however, the defining feature — the one that influences all the other ones — is the focal length of the lens. If you were shopping around for lenses and saw some that had numbers such as 50mm or 85mm describing them, those were the focal lengths of those lenses.

The fact that you saw only one focal length, and not a range, means that you were looking at a prime or fixed lens. With them, the focal length always stays the same. There are no rings you can use to increase or decrease it.

In practical terms, this means that if you want something to appear smaller or bigger in your photos, relative to the frame of the photo, you’d have to physically move the whole camera to increase or decrease the distance between the lens and the subject.

Benefits of prime lenses

Prime lenses offer a wide range of benefits, including a large aperture, increased image quality, and a fixed focal length. Prime lenses are available in a wide range of apertures.

Aperture is an essential element of any lens and plays a critical role in controlling the amount of light that enters your camera.

A wide aperture, such as f/1.4 or f/1.8 is great for low-light situations, such as indoor photography, when you want to minimize the amount of ambient light and increase your shutter speed. A wide aperture also works well for creating a shallow depth of field effect and for isolating your subject from the background.

A large aperture also makes it easier to produce high-quality images with a very shallow depth of field, even when your subject is quite close to your camera. The amount of light that enters your camera is also greater, which allows you to shoot with a faster shutter speed, freeze motion, and avoid camera shake. Enhanced image quality is another prime lens benefit.

Prime lenses are usually constructed with higher-grade glass, less moving parts than zoom lenses, which results in a cleaner, sharper image and faster focusing speeds.

What's a zoom lens?

If the lens you were checking out had two numbers representing a range, such as 18-55mm or 70-200mm, you were looking at zoom lenses. With zoom lenses, you can change the focal length to any that falls within the range described by the minimum and maximum focal length for a particular lens.

In practice, this means that a single zoom lens can “replace” a series of prime lenses. This would allow you, for example, to capture your subject with a wide-angle shot, only to zoom in a moment later to capture the subject with a close-up — without ever having to change your proximity to the subject.

Benefits of zoom lenses

Zoom lenses offer a wide range of benefits, including the flexibility of being able to take pictures at different focal lengths without having to swap lenses.

One of the biggest advantages of a zoom lens is that it allows you to take photos of subjects at varying distances without having to position your camera. If you’re using a zoom lens, you can get everything from a really close-up shot to a wide shot of the same subject just by moving the focus ring on your lens.

Zoom lenses are also convenient for travel photography, because you can pack a single lens instead of several different lenses. You can take photos at both wide and telephoto settings without having to change lenses.

Zoom lenses are available in both variable focal length and constant focal length varieties. A variable focal length zoom lens allows you to zoom in and out, while a constant focal length zoom lens only provides one focal length.

The pros and cons of using a prime lens

There are plenty of reasons why you should consider using a prime lens. The wider apertures you’ll find in prime lenses are a major advantage. Having a wide aperture gives you better low-light performance and more control over the depth-of-field.

In general, prime lenses are also less expensive than zoom lenses, and they weigh less. Overall, they will provide you with better image quality than their non-fixed focal point counterparts.

Prime lenses also forces you “move” closer or further away from the subject which can improve your photography composition.

The biggest con for using a prime lens is that it will never be as versatile or as flexible as a zoom lens. You can try to offset this by having multiple prime lenses that cover the range of focal lengths you need. But that will drastically increase the cost of your kit, the space it occupies, and its weight.

And let’s not forget that, to get an image that you want, you’ll have to move around quite a bit.

The pros and cons of using a zoom lens

The main pro for using a zoom lens is, of course, the flexibility you get from being able to work with a range of focal lengths. You can effectively use a single lens to capture a wide variety of photos and have appropriate gear for a variety of situations without having to carry around several lenses.

Zoom lenses let you work without having to move around. In lots of situations, you simply can’t get close enough to whatever you’re shooting. If it’s impractical or even dangerous to change your position, the zoom lens quickly proves itself to be your best friend.

The disadvantage is that Zoom lenses have a narrower maximum aperture than prime lenses.

Also, to get photo quality comparable to that of prime lenses, you will need to pay extra.

Zoom lenses come with a whole lot of other limitations — they are bigger and heavier. The more you push towards the focal length extremes, the more likely it is you’ll see image distortions.

Choosing the Right Lens for Different Photography Styles

Let’s look at the different photography styles that require different lenses. Here are some examples of photography styles and the best lenses to use but are not limited to.

• Portrait Photography
  A prime lens with a wide aperture is ideal. A 50mm, 85mm or a 135mm lens with an aperture of f/1.8 or wider will create beautiful bokeh effects and allow you to isolate your subject from the background.
• Landscape Photography
  A wide-angle lens is ideal either prime or zoom lens. A lens with a focal length of 16-35mm will allow you to capture more of the scene and create a sense of depth.
• Street Photography
  A prime lens with a wide aperture is ideal. A 35mm or 50mm lens with an aperture of f/1.8 or wider will allow you to capture candid shots without drawing too much attention to yourself.
• Wildlife Photography
  A telephoto zoom lens is ideal. A lens with a focal length of 200-400mm will allow you to capture close-up shots of animals without getting too close and disturbing them.

Tips on Using Zoom and Prime Lenses Effectively

Regardless of the type of lens you choose, there are some tips you can follow to make the most out of your lenses:

• Experiment with Different Focal Lengths
  Whether you’re using a zoom or prime lens, experiment with different focal lengths to see what works best for your shot or your style of photography.
• Pay Attention to Aperture
  Adjust accordingly to achieve the desired effect to control the light and depth of field.
  
• Consider the Distance
  When using a prime lens, consider the distance between you and your subject. If you need to capture a shot from a different distance, you will need to switch lenses or move closer or further away.
• Use a Tripod
  A tripod can help stabilise the lens and prevent camera shake. Helpful for shooting in long distances and in low light situation.  It can also help you frame your shot more accurately.

Conclusion

As you can see, both prime and zoom lenses come with sets of pros and cons. When you’re just starting out with photography and you’re still finding your photography style, making a choice between a prime lens and a zoom one can be difficult.

For flexibility, it might be better that you start with a decent zoom lens with a focal length range that will let you shoot everything from landscapes to close sports. From there, you can choose to stick with zoom lenses and start saving up for a better zoom lens.

On the other hand, with a prime lens, without flexibility, it forces you to move around which in turn can help with your composure, making you a better photographer.

Keep in mind that lenses are an important investment for a reason – a good lens can make or break a photo. When choosing a lens, consider the focal length and aperture and experiment with different options to find the perfect one for your needs. Remember, the lens you choose is just as important as the camera you use, so invest in a quality lens to take your photography to the next level.