Sigma Prime Lenses vs Zoom

Many of the professionals have used Sigma Prime lenses for a whole decade. During that time, we shot assignments worldwide and won awards for documentary projects. You captured landscapes, products, and portraits—all with just a set of primes. Even now, while doing video work, you mostly still use prime lenses. So, does that mean Sigma prime lenses are better than zoom lenses? Let us find out.

Prime Lens and Zoom Lens Difference

The most obvious difference is that zoom lenses zoom, while Sigma prime lenses—also called fixed lenses—do not. But there are other important differences, too. One key advantage of prime lenses is their wider aperture. The aperture is the hole inside the lens that lets light in. The bigger the hole, the better the lens performs in low light. The aperture is shown as an f-number; the lower the number, the wider the aperture.

Aperture 

A wider aperture also creates a blurrier background, better separating your subject from the background. Sigma Prime lenses often have apertures as wide as f/1.2 or even wider. Zoom lenses usually max out at f/2.8, although some brands, like Canon, have started making zoom lenses with wider apertures, such as f/2. These wide-angle lenses, however, tend to be super expensive.

Prime vs Zoom Lens Image Quality

For a long time, Sigma Prime lenses delivered sharpness, detail, and better image quality than zooms. Photographers loved these Bokeh lenses to capture portraits, still life, and documentary shots with beautiful focus and stunning results. Meanwhile, zoom lenses or Wildlife photography lenses suffered from soft images, poor resolution, and focus issues.

Price and Value 

What matters to me is the price. We like looking at f/1.8 prime lenses because they offer great value for money. If you start looking at f/1.4 or f/1.2 primes, the price increases, but you get even wider apertures. Prime lenses are a solid choice for photographers who want quality at a reasonable price.

The Strengths of Zoom Lenses

Zoom lenses are considered the wide-angle lenses that zoom, so that is their biggest strength. These event photography lenses are especially useful for sports photographers who need to capture fast-moving subjects, like race cars, at a distance. With a zoom lens, you can quickly zoom in for a close-up shot and just as quickly zoom out to get the full scene.

Switching lenses takes time, and sometimes, that time is too long. Zoom lenses are versatile and can save you precious seconds. But is a zoom lens better than a prime lens? It depends.

Moving Your Feet vs. Zooming

Some photographers say zoom lenses make you lazy. You can zoom in or out without thinking much about the photo’s story or composition. But zooming doesn’t mean you shouldn’t move your feet. For example, if you’re a travel photographer and see an interesting subject 50 meters away, you might use a 24–70mm zoom lens.

Zoomed in at 70mm, the photo looks very different than if you walked closer and took the shot zoomed out at 24mm. Zooming in compresses the background while zooming out exaggerates perspective. You also have all the focal lengths in between. Just because some people forget to move with a zoom lens doesn’t mean primes are better. It all depends on your style and subject.

Comparison Table: Sigma Prime lenses Vs. Zoom

Lens Type	Focal Length Range (Approx.)	Common Uses
Wide-Angle Zoom	10mm/14mm – 35mm	Landscapes, architectural photography (interiors), group photos, astrophotography.
Standard Zoom	24mm – 70mm/105mm	Everyday photography, travel, environmental portraits, street photography
Telephoto Zoom	70mm – 200mm/300mm/400mm/600mm	Wildlife photography, sports, events (from a distance), distant landscapes, portraits.
Prime Lenses	10mm – 135mm	Portraits, street photography, everyday snapshots, low-light photography, and video.

Which Lens Is Best for You?

If you shoot in low light and need the widest aperture, prime lenses are probably the better choice. But having a wide aperture doesn’t mean you must always shoot wide open. Only do that if you need to, like in low light or to blur the background to add to your story.

Some people buy f/1.2 primes and shoot everything wide open because they think it looks better. Sometimes, it does, and sometimes, it doesn’t. You should choose a lens based on the shot you need. If your lens doesn’t allow the shot, then maybe a prime or zoom is better.

Sports photographers who shoot fast subjects and can’t move quickly need zoom lenses. Use what you like. Some photographers prefer primes, others prefer zooms, and some use both. That’s fine.

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