Do we still need prime lenses?

There was a time when I shot almost exclusively with prime lenses. A 50mm lens was my go-to tool for most occasions; I loved the simplicity, the sharpness, the clarity of purpose. Primes made me and my work feel focused and intentional; they helped shape the way I saw the world.

But over the past few years, something shifted. And these days, more often than not, there’s a zoom lens on my camera.

Modern zoom lenses, especially those from the top manufacturers, are optically stunning. They're sharp edge-to-edge, well-corrected, fast-focusing and often weather-sealed. Paired with high-resolution sensors like those in medium format cameras, they deliver results on par with many primes.

And crucially, they offer something that no prime can: versatility.

The ability to move fluidly between focal lengths without swapping lenses isn’t just practical, but for me it’s creatively liberating. I’ve shot entire days with a single zoom and felt no urge to change.

On systems like Fujifilm's GFX, where the bodies are large and lens changes aren’t always quick, a sharp, responsive zoom often feels like the most logical choice in the bag.

I have written about how my surprise lens of choice when on assignment has been the Fujifilm GF 100-200mm. A lens often slept on, even by GFX users, but the versatility it offers me has been paramount in my practice.

The old criticisms of soft corners, distortion and slow apertures don’t really apply any more. Zooms have caught up and, in some cases, they’ve overtaken.

That said, of course, primes still have their virtues. They're often smaller, lighter, faster and particularly useful in low light. There's also something creatively valuable about being locked into a single focal length. It sharpens your eye, builds familiarity and encourages a different kind of engagement with your environment.

So, do we still need primes? The answer obviously depends on your preference – but from a technical standpoint, zooms have become extremely capable and almost too refined to ignore.

For me personally, I no longer have to sacrifice optical quality for versatility; my zooms are here to stay!

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Check out our guides on the best telephoto lenses and the best standard zoom lenses.