It always seems to be a battle, doesn’t it? What do I get? Do I go for a kit of prime lenses, or jump into a zoom and then I can pick up primes later? Well, if we all had unlimited resources, we would just get both, but that isn’t always possible for most of us. Having faced this very dilemma in the past, I thought I would share the strengths and weakness of each so you can have a better idea of which is best suited to your needs.
Prime Lenses (Fixed Focal Length)
Prime lenses, also known as fixed focal length lenses, tend to weigh less compared to zoom lenses for the same format, are faster (allow more light through), and are generally less expensive per lens.
Zoom Lenses
Zoom lenses, compared to prime lenses, offer more flexibility. One lens can replace an entire case of primes, allow you to use focal lengths between the fixed lengths of primes, change focal lengths while the camera is recording and, on a technical note, allow you to check your focus and then zoom out to a wide shot.
There is also the matter of intercutting between lenses. Once there was a noticeable difference between the look of a shot taken with a prime as opposed to one taken with a zoom. Zooms being mechanically and optically more complex than primes would have a noticeably different look. This would also be exacerbated by having to raise the light levels to shoot with the zoom. Fortunately, improved optical design and performance now make intercutting between zoom and prime lenses much less of an issue. However, zooms do tend to be slower than primes, which means that you must light at higher levels to get a good exposure. With the high sensitivity of today’s digital sensors, this may not seem like such a big issue. However, if you are cutting between primes and a zoom, and you must raise the light levels at which you are shooting. This will take time, plus, you risk the lighting between the two shots not matching, so it usually best to stay either with primes or a zoom throughout a single scene whenever possible.
Regarding the advantages of zoom lenses, it may seem that a zoom lens is the way to go, but consider this. Prime lenses generally focus closer to the image plane than zoom lenses, not to mention that prime lenses are usually shorter, which means in a tight shooting space, a zoom lens may be too long to fit, or if you need an extreme CU, you might have to use diopters to achieve close focus. Also, if you are going to “fly” the camera on a Steadicam, motorized stabilizer, or other rig, the longer and heavier zooms are going to require a hefty piece of gear to carry the weight. So, for low-light-level shooting, close spaces. Close focus other than macro, flying camera—prime lenses are really going to be your first choice. By extension, for handheld work, primes are most likely your first choice. I know, I know, decades’ worth of ENG shooters can line up to argue with me, but ENG is different from cine work, and although you can use some cine zooms handheld, with all the extras that usually accompany these lenses, that is going to be one heavy camera package. So, for the so-called run ’n’ gun cinema shooting, stick with primes.
Don’t Trombone
Zoom lenses have one distinct advantage of prime lenses, but it is something that should rarely, if ever, be used. That is the dreaded… trombone. When zoom lenses first came into use, there was a tendency to show off the power of the zoom be zooming in and out, or tromboning. It is an interesting technique, but quickly fell out of vogue once people found how ridiculous and annoying being slammed in and out of the shot repeatedly was. I will say I have used it on a few music videos, and if your camera has heavy rolling shutter artifacts, rapidly zooming in and out in time to the beat of music can make for an intense experience. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the “Vertigo shot” pioneered by Alfred Hitchcock, where the camera dollies toward the background while the lens is zoomed from tight to wide. This works extremely well when you have something in the foreground—for example, an actor—who doesn’t change in size in frame as the perspective of the world about them changes. It takes a fair bit of coordination between operator, focus puller, and grip to pull it off. Steven Spielberg used it to great effect in Jaws, when Chief Brody is relaxing on the beach and he sees something in the water. So, for pulling off this kind of shot, you would want a zoom lens.
The Type of Shoot Defines the Lens
In the end, unless you are doing a specialty shot, the project you are working on will define the lenses you use. Documentaries are almost always shot on zoom lenses, while scripted works to tend to rely on primes. Personally, I’ve grown to appreciate zooms more and more since they have improved over the years. Being able to tweak my focal length to match the location is a big plus and time saver. However, there is still a difference to me when using a prime, a certain crispness and depth that isn’t quite the same when using zooms.
What’s your experience? Start the conversation in the Comments section, below.
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