what is a prime lens used for
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cuthbert
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they can be used for anything, but obviously the properties of the lens will determine it's primary use.
shorter lenses tend to be used for landscapes, architectural, abstracts and longer lenses tend to be used for portraits, wildlife, sports.
there are a couple of reasons why photographers tend to use prime lenses
1) tend to be cheaper than many zooms of similar length/aperture
2) usually sharper then zooms (but not always these days)
3) lighter because they are simpler to construct and have fewer elements
4) primes usually have wider apertures (lower f number) for depth of field effects
i use zooms for most things, but for those crazy depth of field effects where you need wider than f2.8, a prime is the only way.
shorter lenses tend to be used for landscapes, architectural, abstracts and longer lenses tend to be used for portraits, wildlife, sports.
there are a couple of reasons why photographers tend to use prime lenses
1) tend to be cheaper than many zooms of similar length/aperture
2) usually sharper then zooms (but not always these days)
3) lighter because they are simpler to construct and have fewer elements
4) primes usually have wider apertures (lower f number) for depth of field effects
i use zooms for most things, but for those crazy depth of field effects where you need wider than f2.8, a prime is the only way.
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Primes are used for anything you would use it's focal length for.
What a lens is used for is dictated by it's focal length, not whether it's a prime or a zoom.
Zooms can do the job of several primes in one, but primes are (generally) sharper and faster.
As to whether it'll produce better photos than your current zoom...
That depends on which zoom lens yours is and how good it is, which prime lens you're comparing it to and what kind of photos you take.
You use a prime if you can make do without the ability to zoom, and need a bright aperture and the best possible IQ.
What a lens is used for is dictated by it's focal length, not whether it's a prime or a zoom.
Zooms can do the job of several primes in one, but primes are (generally) sharper and faster.
As to whether it'll produce better photos than your current zoom...
That depends on which zoom lens yours is and how good it is, which prime lens you're comparing it to and what kind of photos you take.
You use a prime if you can make do without the ability to zoom, and need a bright aperture and the best possible IQ.
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