Zooms can be useful, but a good prime lens is a photographer’s best friend. A – a catch-all term denoting any lens with a fixed focal length – can seem restrictive to those first starting out on their photographic journey. However, once you start using primes, it makes sense.
Prime lenses tend to field larger maximum apertures than zooms, making them and for creating a . They also pack in , giving images a crispness. Then there’s also the subjective – but popular – view that using a prime lens makes you a more engaged and thoughtful photographer.
Having to move your feet to change your framing makes you active, immersing you in the scene. Of course, prime lenses can get seriously expensive, especially when the apertures get larger. So, we’ve set our sights on some of the cheapest primes to buy right now, and for that we’ve turned to the second-hand market.
Buying used is unquestionably the best way to maximise bang for your buck when it comes to photographic equipment. If you go with a reputable retailer who’ll offer a warranty on used items, there’s much less risk than there is with buying from private sellers on eBay and the like. Plus, you’re doing your bit by making a more sustainable choice.
So, in this article we’ve rounded up all the best bargains on prime lenses across the used market right now. We’ve focused on both mirrorless and DSLR lenses to give options to as many shooters as possible. Portrait shooting doesn’t need to be expensive �.
