prime lens
Single focal length
A prime lens is a camera lens with a fixed focal length, as opposed to a zoom lens that covers a range.
Photographers choose primes for their wider apertures, sharper optics, and lighter weight: I shoot portraits with a 50mm prime.
The term comes from primary—a single, dedicated focal length rather than a compromise across many.
- bokehAesthetic quality of defocus
- low-lightMinimal ambient brightness
- apertureAdjustable optical inlet
- focal lengthLens-to-convergence-point distance
- compactnessState of being compressed
shallow depth · full frame · fast · image quality · street photography · portrait photography · manual focus · sharpness · depth of field · vignetting · pancake · focal · glass · blur · portrait · street · hyperfocal distance · crisp
- Film Technologycamera, projector, film reel, film stock, cinematograph
- photographycamera, photo, flash, shooting, aperture
- lensesmultifocal, progressive, single vision, plano-convex, biconvex
- camera lenses50mm, telephoto, focal length, wide angle, 35mm
- film gearcamera, cameras, tripod, tripods, lenses
- LeicaM6, Q2, Q3, rangefinder, red dot