Why buy a Nikon 35mm f/1.8 if my 18-55mm kit lens already covers 35mm?

Asked 5/23/2016

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I'm new to photography and trying to understand lenses. My Nikon 18-55mm kit lens can already zoom to 35mm, so what advantage would a Nikon 35mm f/1.8 prime lens give me? Is the main difference just focal length, or are there other benefits?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

10y ago

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Yes, the 18-55mm lens will of course also do 35mm. This focal length determines the angular field of view of the lens. So the 18-55 is more versatile in that way. Because 18mm is a 2x wider view (than 35mm), which is called wide angle, and 55mm approaches a magnified or zoomed in view, of about a half again larger subject (in a smaller zoomed view than the 35mm, a mild telephoto effect). You can see this effect by zooming your current lens and looking. The 35mm lens only does 35mm. It is however the approximate "normal lens" or normal focal length for the DX sensor - meaning a good choice of view in many average situations. But your zoom lens can also easily choose 35mm.

The aperture of the f/1.8 lens (if used opened to f/1.8) can see 2 stops (4x) more light than the f/3.5 lens. A brighter view in a darker situation, which allows lower ISO or faster shutter speed. However, which is also less depth of field (smaller zone of clear focus, sometimes intentionally done). This however is a very special situation. Routine photography is better (sharper) in any lens used up around f/5.6 or f/8.

These are the very first basics of choosing lenses.

Originally by user38978. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user38978

10y ago

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Yes—your 18-55mm already includes the 35mm field of view, so a 35mm prime is not giving you a new angle of view. The main advantage is the much wider maximum aperture.

At 35mm, the kit lens is much slower than f/1.8, while the 35mm prime can open to f/1.8 and let in about 4x more light than an f/3.5 lens (2 stops). That helps in low light and can let you use faster shutter speeds or lower ISO. It also gives shallower depth of field, so it’s easier to blur the background.

The 18-55mm is more versatile because it covers wide-angle to short telephoto, but the 35mm prime is a strong choice if you often shoot around that focal length and want better low-light performance or stronger background separation. On Nikon DX cameras, 35mm is also close to a “normal” everyday view, which many people find very natural.

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