There are three focal lengths that would be considered a normal part of a photographer's prime lens kit: 35mm, 50mm and 85mm.

The Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM is Canon's 35mm prime lens for the RF system. This little gem offers a bright aperture of f/1.8 in a compact size, but one of its standout features is its ability to focus closely enough to produce half-life-size macro images. The 35mm focal length provides a wide view with natural perspective, making this a popular lens with many photographers such as photojournalists.

The RF lens range offers two Canon 50mm prime lenses. A 50mm focal length emulates the perspective of the human eye, making this one of the most used focal lengths. 50mm lenses always offer fast apertures, and lenses like the Canon RF 50mm F1.8 STM provide an amazing balance of performance, size, aperture and, maybe more importantly, price. If you have only ever used zooms, then this is the lens to try to see what primes can add to your photography.

For those wanting the pinnacle of what prime lenses can offer, the Canon RF 50mm F1.2L USM offers a no-compromise approach to image quality – but at a much larger size and a substantially higher cost than the RF 50mm F1.8 STM lens.

Now let's talk about zooms. There's only one place to start when comparing primes and zooms: the Canon 24-70mm zoom lenses.

The Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM is many photographers' standard lens. It offers great image quality and a wide range of focal lengths covering most situations, plus a fast aperture, built-in 5-stop optical IS, and Nano USM motors delivering smooth and silent focusing ideal for video – just about everything you could need. What it lacks compared to a prime lens is a faster aperture, which would be common on a fixed focal length lens. Mind you, f/2.8 is fast for a zoom lens. For many news, sports or wedding photographers, this is their go-to lens, with its sheer flexibility allowing them to adapt to any situation. The RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM is the standard zoom, setting new benchmarks.

In the debate about zooms vs primes, we frequently get asked the following more specific questions:


Are prime or zoom lenses best for video?

There's no straightforward answer to this one. All RF lenses have been designed with some element of video usage in mind – most feature focus motors optimised for video, for example, and the aperture system is designed to operate in 1/8-stop increments (much finer than the 1/3-stop in previous systems) to prevent visible alterations in exposure when changing apertures during filming. RF lenses with Nano USM autofocus technology may provide slightly better performance for video because they are so silent. Some of the lenses featuring Nano USM have also been designed to offer minimised focus breathing, to reduce the effects of magnification when changing focus. Apart from these considerations, the choice of focal length and aperture needed is up to you.

But as to whether zoom or prime is better for video, it depends on what's being filmed. For drama, a prime lens is good, as you control all elements of filming such as your subject's position, and you have the ability to do multiple takes. However, for documentary work or live events, the flexibility of a zoom lens will make life significantly easier, as you may only have one chance to capture the moment. Find out more about the best RF lenses for shooting video.

Are prime or zoom lenses best for landscape photography?

While this is a much more conventional question, again there are a myriad of answers. Traditionally, wide-angle lenses are used for landscapes. Fast apertures are typically not a priority, as a large depth of field is the most common requirement for landscape images and they are often taken using a tripod. This means many of the advantages of prime lenses do not come into play here. Therefore, zoom lenses like the Canon RF 14-35mm F4L IS USM are an ideal choice. With excellent image quality, compact size and close focusing, this lens provides great flexibility. If you're shooting low-light scenes such as starscapes, then the Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM may be a better option, its wider aperture giving you further scope to reduce shutter speeds and prevent light trails.

If you want the ultimate in compact walk-around landscape lenses, then consider the Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM prime lens. But not all landscape lenses have to be wide-angle – take a look at our guide to lenses for landscape photography.


Are prime or zoom lenses best for wedding photography?

My answer to this question is that both have their place. Wedding photography requirements are wide-ranging. Things happen quickly, so a zoom providing a wide range of focal lengths would probably be the best option for most users in most situations. But there are more formal moments – posed portraits, speeches and so on – where prime lenses such as the Canon RF 50mm F1.2L USM or RF 85mm F1.2L USM can capture images that are more striking than those a zoom would achieve. Take a look at our guide to the best lenses for different aspects of wedding photography.

If only one lens is possible then the Canon RF 28-70mm F2L USM would be a great option. While relatively large, it offers the flexibility of a zoom with the image quality and fast aperture of primes. This is a zoom lens that will give many primes a run for their money.