prime lenses
Single focal length
Prime lenses are camera lenses with a fixed focal length, as opposed to zoom lenses that cover a range.
A 50mm prime cannot zoom in or out—you move closer or farther from your subject instead.
Primes are typically sharper, faster (allowing more light), and lighter than zooms at comparable focal lengths: I shoot portraits with an 85mm prime.
- fixedRestored or immovable
- apertureAdjustable optical inlet
- bokehAesthetic quality of defocus
- sharpnessKeenness of edge, mind, or image
- 50mmA focal length measurement
35mm · portrait · street photography · fast · manual · focus · glass · optics · depth · blur · lowlight · crisp · pancake · vintage · wide-open · rendering · character · distortion