Prime lenses are a great addition to any photographer’s kit. They’re used by professionals and amateurs alike, for the high-quality images they produce. If you’re a new photographer you may be wondering, are prime lenses worth it?
Prime lenses are worth it. They produce sharper images and allow for greater creativity than basic zoom lenses. Prime lenses also provide greater depth of field which allows you to have more control over what is in focus in your photos.
This is just the start of what makes primes so worth it. In this post, we’ll dive into some more benefits of using a prime lens over a basic zoom lens.
Produce High Quality Images with Prime Lenses
One of the best reasons prime lenses are worth it is the high-quality images they produce. This isn’t a feature that’s exclusive to primes, but they have been shown to help improve image quality from basic zoom ones. This improved image quality is due to a few factors. The first is that primes have fewer glass elements than zoom lenses do. This means there’s less opportunity for distortion and chromatic aberration (or color fringing). Second, primes tend to be made of higher quality materials than basic zoom lenses. While prime and zoom lenses can both be made from plastic, primes are often made with more durable material like metal or high-grade plastics while basic zoom ones use lower grade plastics that scratch easily.
Prime Lenses Allow for Greater Creativity
Primes also allow for greater creativity than basic zoom lenses. This is because, with a prime, you’re stuck with the focal length that’s been chosen for the lens. While this may seem like a disadvantage at first, it can actually be a good thing. When you know the exact focal length you’ll be using, it’s easier to get creative with composition and look for unique angles. With a basic zoom lens, you may be tempted to use the widest or longest focal length possible. This can lead to compositions that feel formulaic and uninspired.
Better Depth of Field Control with Primes
Another benefit of primes is that they allow photographers to have more control over what’s in focus. This is because primes have a greater aperture (or hole size) than zoom lenses do. Aperture is measured in f-stops and the lower the number, the wider the aperture. So, a prime lens with an aperture of f/1.8 will have a much wider opening than a basic zoom lens with an aperture of f/8.
This wider aperture allows for more control over the depth of field. A shallow depth of field allows photographers to create more background blur in their images. The separation between the subject and the background makes it easier to identify the focal point of an image.
As you can see prime lenses are worth it. They provide several benefits over basic zoom lenses, such as increased image quality, greater creativity with composition, and depth of field control. If you’re interested in learning more about prime lenses and other photography gear, be sure to check out our other blog posts and also visit our Youtube Channel. Thanks for reading!