Can the new Canon 35mm macro lens be used as a prime lens also?

Question

I am new to photography and looking for a prime lens. I have a Canon rebel T3i.

Answer 1

First let’s clarify the word prime in the jargon of photography. A “prime lens” is a camera lens with a fixed focal length. This is opposed to a “zoom lens” that allows the user to adjust the focal length. The fact that a lens is labeled a “prime” does not designate is a something extra special. That being said, as a rule of thumb, a “prime” lens is likely to deliver a tack sharp image. Also, don’t confuse a “prime” as being the one you should use most often.

Now the rest of the story: We mount lenses based on the assigned task. Sometimes we need high magnification so we can capture wildlife or sporting events from a distance. For this task we choose a “telephoto lens”. Sometimes we need a lens with a wide view to capture a landscape vista. For this task we choose a “wide-angle lens”. Most often we are doing routine imaging so we choose a “normal lens”. In most case we are taking about the power of the lens and this is expressed as a focal length, usually in millimeters.

Your Canon Rebel T3i sports an image sensor that measures about 15mm height by 22 lengths. This is important to know because we fit lenses based on the size of the image sensor. For this camera’s format, a 30mm focal length delivers a “normal” view. That being said, a 35mm macro is just a tiny bit long but it will do nicely as a “normal lens”.

What is wide-angle for this camera? Most consider 70% of “normal’ and shorter as wide-angle, that would be 20mm or shorter. What is telephoto for the camera? Most would say 2X normal or longer, that’s 60mm or longer.

By the way, a macro is a specialized lens, optimized to do close-up work. They are likely indistinctly compromised when tasked to image distant subjects. Also, for portrait work we usually choose a moderate telephoto because facial features can get a little distorted if we work in too close. That would be a lens about 50mm to 80mm. None of this is engraved in stone, you are free to use whatever as to focal length.

Answer 2

By definition, "prime" lens is a lens with fixed focal length (non-zoom). So yes. 35 mm is going to be "normal" lens on your smaller-sensor camera (see Crop Factor).