Prime vs. Zoom Lens: What's the difference?

At some point in your photographic journey you’ll be faced with this decision, “should I use a zoom lens or prime lens?” Each offers their own set of advantages and disadvantages and understanding the characteristics, benefits, and which scenarios they’re best suited to will help you make the right decision.

What are Prime Lenses and When to Use Them

There are four key reasons why you would want to use a prime lens.

1. Superior Image Quality

2. Wider Aperture

3. Lightweight and Compact

4. Creativity and Focus.

Prime lenses are typically sharper than zoom lenses when comparing similarly priced zoom options. While Nikon’s top of the line S-Line zoom lenses, such as the NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S, are able to achieve images that are unbelievably sharp, NIKKOR Z prime lenses, such as the NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S lens will match or surpass it while being smaller, lighter and more affordable.

A wider maximum aperture allows for better low-light performance and a shallower depth of field. This makes them ideally suited for portrait photography.

In general, they are lighter and more compact than zoom lenses. This makes them portable and discreet, ideal for travel and street photography.

Lastly, using a prime lens forces the photographer to actively compose their shots. You must be more deliberate in your creativity.

What are Zoom Lenses and When to Use Them

There are four key reasons to why you would want to use a zoom lens.

1. Versatility
2. Convenience
3. Reduced Lens Changes
4. Cost-Effectiveness

The most obvious advantage of a zoom lens is its versatility. With a zoom lens you can quickly adjust your framing and composition without changing lenses or physically moving. This makes them an ideal choice for event photographers or if you’re shooting subjects at ever-changing distances such as sports or wildlife.

Zoom lenses generally cover a sizable focal length range which would take multiple prime lenses to cover. Using a zoom lens reduces the number of lenses you’d need to carry.

A zoom lens allows you to minimize the number of lens changes you’ll need to make, protecting your equipment during shoots. The period when you’re changing lenses is the peak time for damage to your lens, body/sensor to occur as everything is at its most vulnerable.

A top of the line zoom lens can be quite expensive, but often they can represent better value for your money. If you had to buy three or four prime lenses to cover that same focal range, you’d more than likely spend more money in the long run. A high-quality zoom lens can be an all-in-one solution.

Explore Our Full Range of Prime & Zoom Lenses to Choose the Right One for You!