Prime lens vs. zoom lens for long exposure photography explained. Learn how each lens type affects sharpness, flexibility, and image quality to capture breathtaking scenes.
Introduction:
Photography is a diverse field where long exposure shots are considered a blend of optical magic and meticulous science. These shots are often used for landscapes and light trails, literally capturing time in a single image. Have you ever noticed that some waterfall photos look silky smooth? Or that shots capture the bustling activity of a city, softened? All of these are examples of long exposure photography, also known as "long exposure photography."
Understanding Long Exposure Photography:
These shots are taken with an exposure time ranging from half a second to several minutes or even hours. This allows a lot of light to reach the sensor and captures the entire movement of all elements in the frame during the exposure time. Aperture and shutter speed play a role: the wider the aperture, the more light enters and the shorter the shutter speeds—and vice versa.
This creates a soft effect in the final image through the overlapping of moving elements, while the frame remains still. For stable long exposure shots, a steady frame is required, for which professional tripods are used. The aperture range of f/8 to f/11 is considered optimal for balance, sharpness, and depth of field in the final images.
The camera body’s ISO range and lens choice also play a major role, as long exposures are very sensitive to optical flaws of the lens and its aperture size.
Prime vs. Zoom Lenses for Long Exposures
Since these are two common lens types, a comparison for long exposure shots makes sense. Zoom lenses are preferred by users who value flexibility, and their advantage in long exposures is the same.
Zoom lenses allow long exposures from significantly greater distances than prime lenses. This is practical when you cannot get close to a subject, such as a waterfall or a busy alley seen from a skyscraper.
However, this comes at a cost: zoom lenses are known for not delivering optimal optical quality at full aperture and across the entire zoom range. Even if the aperture is not fully open during long exposures, the image sharpness of the final photos still suffers.
In contrast, prime lenses have a simpler optical design and provide more sharpness in long exposures. The final images are clearer and more detailed, which is especially noticeable in night shots.
Optical Quality with Zoom and Prime Lenses
Common prime lenses often range from f/1.4 to f/2.0, while zoom lenses typically range between f/2.8 and f/4.0. This means the aperture speed of prime lenses is significantly higher than that of conventional zoom lenses.
Since the lens aperture determines how much light the sensor receives, a larger aperture of a prime lens is better suited for artistic blur, night shots, and portraits with light trails. For capturing waterfalls, landscapes, and cityscapes, smaller apertures of zoom lenses are more relevant.
If you aim for a shallower depth of field, larger apertures of prime lenses are the right choice. Zoom lenses provide a greater depth of field, making landscapes and night skies sharp throughout the entire image.
Best Lens for Long Exposures 2025:
The SIRUI AURORA 85mm F1.4 Full-Frame Autofocus Lens is a fantastic option for long exposures. It maintains consistent sharpness from edge to edge during long exposures and shows only minimal chromatic aberration even at the full f/1.4 aperture. This flat lens retains the same sharpness consistency even at medium apertures from f/8 to f/11. The lens features an advanced optical design with aspherical, ED, and HRI elements that reduce distortion and chromatic aberrations even against backlight. Thanks to the high brightness of f/1.4, you can also use strong ND filters like the ND1000 without having to set the lens to extreme exposure times. An excellent lens option for long exposures in 2025.
Summary:
Both zoom and prime lenses are used in long exposure photography for different subjects. For razor-sharp shots without long exposure times and minimal distortion, choose the SIRUI Aurora lens series.
