The Only 3 Lenses You NEED
The Three Prime Lenses You Should Bring on a Short Trip
Choosing the right prime lenses for a short trip often means striking a balance between portability and creative flexibility. Prime lenses — known for their sharpness, wide apertures, and compact size (and lightweight too)— are excellent travel companions. If you’re limiting yourself to only three, these focal lengths offer the most versatility while keeping your bag light.
1. 21mm: The Wide-Angle for Landscapes and Architecture
A 21mm prime is perfect for capturing sweeping scenery, tight interior spaces, and dramatic perspectives. It’s wide without being overly distorted, making it ideal for travel landscapes, city streets, and environmental storytelling. The fast aperture also helps in low-light situations like museums, markets, or night scenes.
2. 35mm: The Everyday Storytelling Lens - MY GO TO!
The 35mm is often considered the most versatile prime for travel. Its natural perspective makes your photos feel immersive and true to life. Great for street photography, food shots, portraits with context, and general walk-around shooting, this lens is light, fast, and incredibly dependable. If you had to pick just one lens for a trip, this could easily be it.
3. 75mm 85mm or 90mm: The Portrait and Detail Lens
For close-up travel portraits, isolating subjects, or capturing details at a distance, these primes is unmatched. Its compression and shallow depth of field create beautiful, professional-looking images. It’s also useful for candid shots where you want to stay unobtrusive, or when photographing architecture details, wildlife, or performances from afar.
Final Thoughts
These three primes — 21mm, 35mm, and 75/85/90mm — cover a wide spectrum of travel scenarios without weighing you down. You get everything from wide vistas to intimate portraits, all with exceptional image quality and low-light performance. With this trio, you’re prepared for almost anything your trip throws at you.
If you want to see a helpful video I made look here.
