A prime lens is a camera lens with a fixed focal length. Unlike zoom lenses, you cannot change the magnification of the captured image with a prime lens. The focal length is a specific value indicated by a single number, e.g., 50mm.

Prime lenses are known for their sharpness, clarity, and high light-gathering ability. Due to the higher optical quality, prime lenses can perform better in challenging lighting conditions and offer greater creative control over depth of field.

Prime lenses are particularly suited for certain types of photography, such as portrait, wildlife, landscape, or low-light photography. Photographers appreciate them for their sharpness and the way they can separate the background from the foreground to achieve a unique artistic effect.

Since the focal length of a prime lens is fixed, using prime lenses requires more planning and movement by the photographer to achieve the right composition. Despite this, they are indispensable for many photographers due to their excellent optical quality and creative possibilities.