Prime lens

For ground lenses used in conjunction with secondary lenses, see primary lens.
A 29 mm prime lens accompanied by a diagram of its internal lens elements.
Prime lenses have large apertures, compared with zoom lenses. These 85 mm lenses have maximum apertures of f/1.8 (left) and f/1.2 (right).

In film and photography, a prime lens is a fixed focal length photographic lens (as opposed to a zoom lens), typically with a maximum aperture from f2.8 to f1.2. The term can also mean the primary lens in a combination lens system. Confusion between these two meanings can occur without clarifying context. Alternate terms, such as primary focal length, fixed focal length, or FFL are sometimes used to avoid ambiguity.