Prime lenses
Fixed focal length doesn’t mean limited uses, here’s how a prime lens can be the best option for supreme scenic shots
With their fixed focal length and often lack of fancy Vibration Reduction or image stabilization systems, it’s all too easy to overlook the advantages and benefits of shooting with a prime lens, compared to the versatility and convenience of a zoom. Despite their simplicity, prime lenses can be a great addition to your landscape lens arsenal. These fixed focal length lenses come in a huge range of focal lengths, from extreme wide-angle fisheye lenses to extreme telephotos. Here we will concentrate on the more ‘normal’ focal lengths for landscapes, from wide-angle to moderate telephoto.
The majority of prime lenses offer wider maximum apertures than zooms that cover a similar focal length, and can also be smaller and lighter. There are also wide-angle prime lenses available that offer focal lengths and options such as tilt-shift, that aren’t available for most zoom lenses.
A wide maximum aperture may not seem like a huge advantage for most landscapes, where you need to use a narrow aperture to keep the whole scene sharp, but having the option of shooting at wide apertures to give shallow depth of field can give landscapes a new twist.
The Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8g prime lens is an ideal affordable option for FX bodies, while the Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.8g DX gives a similar angle of view on a DX body. Find a strong foreground element to focus on, choose an aperture of f/2 or f/2.8, and the background will be recorded as an ethereal blur. With a wide-angle prime lens, you will need to find a very close subject to focus on to achieve the same effect, but the results can be even more dramatic. These wide apertures will also allow you to use a fast shutter speed to freeze any movement, or capture water droplets of waves or waterfalls in amazing detail.
Along with shallow depth of field, wide apertures are also ideal for shooting at night or very low light. Even if you aren’t going to shoot at a wide aperture, they will help give a brighter viewfinder or Live View image to help you to compose and focus in low-light conditions.
There’s also a less obvious benefit of using a prime lens rather than a zoom. Without having the option to quickly zoom in or out, it can help you to concentrate on your viewpoint. Instead of relying on the zoom, you have to move backwards or forwards to change the composition of your shot, forcing you to think more.