Blog - no.12: Prime vs. Zoom Lens: Which One Should You Buy First?
Okay it’s lens shopping time. Exciting, slightly terrifying, and full of acronyms. If you're wondering whether to grab a prime or a zoom lens, then this guide is for you.
I’ll walk you through the practical differences, creative consequences, cost/weight trade-offs, and concrete recommendations for beginners and different types of photographers.
First of all, lets address the elephant in the room, for those new to photography - What’s the difference between a prime and zoom lens and what are they?
Prime lens = fixed focal length (e.g., 50mm, 35mm, 85mm). You cannot change the focal length of the lens, so what you see through the view finder on your camera, is the area you have available to shoot as this cannot change. So you have to physically move backwards yourself to get bigger subjects in frame or move closer to frame for smaller subjects. The best example of a fixed focal lens is a throwaway camera that you see at weddings and events where you simply point and shoot and wind on.
Zoom lens = variable focal length (e.g., 24–70mm, 70–200mm). These allow you to change the framing without changing your position, e.g. zoom in or out, by simply twisting the lens barrel to get your desired composition.
That simple difference however, has a cascade of practical and creative consequences.
The short answer (if you want one)
If you want simplicity, learning, and great low-light performance: start with a prime (a 50mm f/1.8 or 35mm f/1.8 are classic first choices).
If you want flexibility and convenience for travel, events, or variety: start with a zoom (a general-purpose 24–70mm or 18–105mm depending on format and budget).
Both routes are valid, and it comes down to how you like to shoot and what you need most right now.
Key differences - The meat and potatoes
1. Aperture / Low-light performance
Primes generally offer wider maximum apertures (f/1.4, f/1.8, f/2), so they let in more light and allow faster shutter speeds in low light conditions.
Zooms vary and consumer zooms often top out at f/3.5–5.6, while pro zooms (e.g., 24–70mm f/2.8) provide wide apertures but at higher cost and weight.
Result: if you shoot in low light or want strong background blur (bokeh), primes usually win.
2. Image quality and sharpness
Primes often deliver better sharpness and fewer aberrations at similar price points because their optical design is simpler and optimised for one focal length.
Zooms have improved a lot; high-end zooms are excellent, but cheaper zooms may show more distortion, vignetting, or softness at certain focal lengths.
3. Flexibility and convenience
Zooms let you quickly reframe without moving and are essential for events, wildlife, sports, travel.
Primes force you to think about composition and movement and are excellent for learning and developing a style, but less forgiving in fast-paced situations.
4. Size, weight, and cost
Primes: typically lighter, smaller, and cheaper (especially basic primes like a 50mm f/1.8).
Zooms: bigger, heavier, and can be more expensive (especially constant-aperture pro zooms).
5. Depth of field & creative control
Primes (with wide apertures) give shallow depth of field more easily and are great for portraits and isolating subjects.
Zooms with narrower max apertures give deeper depth of field at the same focal length/aperture or require higher ISO/slower shutter to get similar blur.
6. Stabilisation and autofocus
Many modern zoom lens include image stabilisation (IS/VR/OS) which helps handheld shooting at slower shutter speeds. Some primes include stabilisation too, but it’s more common in zoom lens.
Autofocus performance depends on lens model, and many primes are fast and quiet, but prosumer/pro zooms also have excellent AF.
7. Minimum focus distance and perspective
Some primes let you get closer to subjects for more dramatic perspective (great for portraits/details).
Zooms may have longer close-focus distances at certain focal lengths.
Why people who love photography often start with a prime
Cheaper way to get excellent image quality and wide aperture.
Forces you to compose with your feet, which boosts creative thinking and skill development.
Small, light, and discreet and great for street photography and everyday carry.
A 50mm on full frame (or ~35mm on crop sensor) gives a natural field of view and is great for learning.
Why photographers who need variety often choose a zoom first
One lens does many jobs: landscapes to portraits to casual telephoto (depending on range).
Saves time changing lens, especially important at events/weddings or when weather/dust are concerns and you don’t want to be exposing your sensor to the environment.
A stabilised zoom can make handheld shooting much easier.
Which is better for beginners?
This all depends on what kind of beginner you are:
Beginner who wants to learn composition and get better fast: buy a prime, especially a cheap 50mm f/1.8 or 35mm f/1.8. It teaches deliberate framing and gives a lot of bang for your buck in low-light situations.
Beginner who wants to cover many situations (travel, family, events) without swapping lens: buy a versatile zoom (e.g., 24–70mm kit or 18–135/18–105 on APS-C). You’ll miss some shallow depth of field capability, but you’ll be able to shoot everything without fuss.
Specific recommendations (practical, but not brand specific)
If you want one prime to start
Portrait/People: 50mm f/1.8 (full-frame) or ~35mm on crop sensor for a similar look. For headshots, 85mm f/1.8 is lovely if your budget allows.
Street/Everyday/Environmental portraits: 35mm f/1.8 (full-frame) or 24mm on crop.
Low-light & creative shallow depth of field: 50mm or 35mm f/1.4–f/1.8.
Budget: 50mm f/1.8 “nifty fifty” - these are tiny, cheap, sharp, and fast.
If you want one zoom to start
All-around (best single-lens approach for many): 24–70mm range (on full frame) or 18–55 / 18–105 / 17–50 on crop.
Travel/Lightweight: 24–105mm or 24–120mm gives reach and flexibility.
Sports/Wildlife: 70–200mm / 100–500mm / 200-800mm - these are heavier and much pricier, but essential when you need that extra reach.
Budget kit: The camera’s kit zoom lens (e.g., 18–55mm) is fine to learn with and very flexible.
By genre - which to buy first?
Portrait photographers
Prime first: 85mm or 50mm prime for beautiful subject isolation and flattering perspective.
If you need flexibility for full-body and quick changes: consider a 24–70mm zoom.
Landscape photographers
Zoom or prime? Usually zoom (16–35mm, 10–24mm on crop) for framing flexibility. But many landscapes benefit from a sharp wide prime too. If you want one lens: a versatile wide-to-standard zoom is practical.
Street photographers
Prime first: Compact primes (35mm or 50mm) are discreet and force creative shooting. Lightweight = more shooting.
Travel photographers
Zoom first if you want one-lens convenience (24–105 or 18–200 if weight is a concern). If you prefer lighter and have room for two lens, a 35mm prime + a small telephoto lens prime is great.
Wildlife & sports
Zooms or telephoto primes. Telephoto zooms (100–400mm) are typical first choices because of reach and flexibility. If budget allows, telephoto primes can be sharper but are expensive and less flexible.
Event/wedding & documentary
Zoom first for flexibility (24–70mm, 70–200mm). Many pros use a combination: a fast prime for portraits and a zoom for coverage.
Macro photography
Dedicated macro prime (e.g., 90–105mm macro) is the tool for close-up life. Some zoom lens offer decent close focus, but a macro prime is ideal.
Vloggers & video creators
Zooms are convenient for run-and-gun shooting; primes can give cinematic look. Stabilisation features and autofocus performance matter a lot here.
Practical buying tips
Match lens to your camera’s sensor: crop sensors multiply focal length (APS-C ~1.5× for Nikon/Sony, 1.6× for Canon APS-C). A 50mm on APS-C behaves like ~75–80mm and great for portraits, less wide for general use.
Consider weight and how much you’ll carry: heavier = less shooting over time.
Think about future kit: buy a lens that fills a gap now and won’t be redundant later.
Try before you buy (rent/borrow) if possible: especially for expensive zooms like 24–70 f/2.8 or 70–200 f/2.8.
Used market is your friend: you can often find great primes cheaply, and many zooms at a discount from most camera stores from other photographers that trade in to upgrade lens.
Check stabilisation for zooms: helpful for low-light handheld.
Pay attention to maximum aperture vs. budget: a constant f/2.8 zoom is stellar but costs a lot; many beginners do fine with a kit zoom + one fast prime.
Myth-busting & common questions
“Primes are always sharper than zooms.” Often true at similar price points, but modern high-end zooms can be as sharp as primes across the range.
“Zooms can’t give nice bokeh.” Wrong, wide aperture zooms and long telephoto zooms can produce beautiful background blur. Cheap variable-aperture zooms are the main limitation.
“You must have a fast prime to learn.” Not necessary, a kit zoom + practice will teach composition and exposure just fine. But primes do accelerate learning in framing and creative decision-making.
“Zooms are for lazy photographers.” No way. Zooms are tools; using them well still requires skill. Many professionals rely on zooms for speed and coverage.
Two practical starter kits (one cheap, one flexible)
Budget learning kit (cheap, lightweight):
Body (any beginner DSLR/mirrorless) + kit zoom (e.g., 18–55mm or 18–105mm)
One fast prime: 50mm f/1.8 (or 35mm for wider on crop)
This combo keeps cost low, gives low-light/portrait power, and still gives framing flexibility.
Flexible one-lens kit (cover-everything):
Body + 24–105mm (or 24–70mm) zoom will cover wide to short telephoto lens for travel, portraits, landscapes.
Add an 85mm or 35mm prime later if you want more creative control.
Final checklist to decide right now
Do you need reach and variety right away? → Zoom lens first.
Do you want low-light performance and to learn composition fast? → Prime first.
On a tight budget and want the most ‘wow’ per dollar? → Prime (50mm f/1.8).
Want one lens to shoot a wedding, travel trip, or variety of subjects? → Versatile zoom (24–70/24–105 or appropriate crop-sensor equivalent).
Quick cheat-sheet recommendations by camera sensor size
Full-frame beginners
Prime-first: 50mm f/1.8 or 35mm f/1.8
Zoom-first: 24–70mm or 24–105mm
APS-C crop sensor
Prime-first: 35mm f/1.8 (behaves like ~50mm), or 50mm if you want portrait reach
Zoom-first: 17–50mm f/2.8 or 18–135mm / 18–105mm kit zoom
Micro Four Thirds
Prime-first: 25mm f/1.8 (50mm equivalent)
Zoom-first: 12–40mm or 14–140mm depending on style
Wrap-up: what I’d buy if I were starting today
If I wanted to learn and spend the least while getting the most creative control, then I would buy a camera body and a 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, and then a kit zoom later.
If I needed to cover a weekend trip or events without swapping lens: one versatile zoom (24–105mm lens) and call it a day.
Either choice will teach you different things. Primes teach intentionality and mastery of light; zooms teach adaptability and speed. Both make you a better photographer, so you can’t lose.
Pro-Tips:
Don’t feel pressured to buy every lens when you’re starting out. It’s better to begin with one and focus on mastering the fundamentals before investing in more gear, and you’ll make smarter choices once you understand your style and preferred genre.
Another thing no one tells you: the more lens you own, the more you’ll feel obligated to carry them all around with you, even though you’ll likely use just one. Sure, there are moments when you’ll wish you had that 70–200mm or 16–35mm, but those situations are rare. With a clear plan and focus, you’ll find that one lens usually does the job, and missing the occasional shot is perfectly okay.
It’s tempting for beginners with the budget to jump straight into pricey pro zoom lens with wide apertures and great low-light performance. But these lens are heavier and take skill to use effectively. Unless you’re diving right into wedding or portrait work, a basic kit zoom is more than enough, especially since you’ll often shoot around f/8 in daylight, where expensive glass makes little difference. Plus, camera gear tends to hold its value well, so you can always sell yours later to fund an upgrade.