Prime lens

Compact 85mm Canon prime lens with a maximum aperture of f/1.8

This Nikon 35mm wide-angle lens is a small, light-weight and "fast" prime lens with a maximum aperture of f/2

A prime lens is a lens which has a fixed "zoom" or focal length. It is easier to make fixed focal lenses than to include them in a variable focus lens. Therefore, fixed focal lenses usually have a larger opening, known as an aperture, than comparable variable focus lenses. They are usually also of a higher optical quality.

Prime Lens Media

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  A 29 mm prime lens accompanied by a diagram of its internal lens elements.

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  Prime lenses have large apertures, compared with zoom lenses. These 85 mm lenses have maximum apertures of Template:F/ (left) and Template:F/ (right).

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  The Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8 II.

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  Three 50 mm prime lenses from Minolta with different design parameters. The left lens with lens speed 3.5 is for macro photography, where lens speed is of less concern. The middle one has lens speed 1.7, such a type comes as standard with many SLRs. The right lens has lens speed 1.2 and thus enables shorter shutter speeds in the same light situation.

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  Not all prime lens are physically small; those with internal autofocus stepping motors, such as this 85mm Template:F/ prime lens, are larger in overall size compared to motorless counterparts.