Sharp and Detailed Images with Cost-effective Fixed Focal Length Lenses
A fixed focal length lens is a straightforward lens that produces clear and sharp images. They are compact and lightweight lenses that are generally used for monitoring and professional photography. Being compact means they are easy to carry during shoots and can also be easily placed around the property for security surveillance. A fixed focal length or a prime lens lacks the zooming capabilities, but does not compromise the image quality. In addition to all these benefits, prime lenses also cost less as compared with other lenses. Although you cannot zoom with fixed focal length lenses, you can change the aperture and ISO to get the desired results.
Due to the ease of installation, compact size, and cost-effectiveness, a fixed focal length or prime lens has multiple applications. For personal and commercial purposes, these lenses are used for photo/video shoots and security surveillance/monitoring. Meanwhile, industries use these lenses to monitor assembly lines and other vital industrial processes. Machine vision systems used in industries to provide data for automating tasks also use a fixed focal length lens.
Significant Advantages of Using Fixed Focal Length Lenses
Using a fixed focal length lens has the following advantages:
1. Compact Size/Lightweight
These lenses are compact and lightweight, making them easy to use and carry around for outdoor shoots. This quality of prime lenses also makes them easy to handle and operate.
2. Great Video/Photo Quality
The major reason fixed-focal-length lenses are popular is their ability to produce sharp and detailed images. The distortion in these images is significantly lower, and the colors are also very accurate.
3. Enhanced Low Light Performance
Having a wider gap allows more light to enter, leading to clearer imaging even in low-light conditions. That is precisely why fixed focal length lenses are used for security surveillance.
4. Cost-effectiveness
A fixed focal length lens costs less than zoom lenses because they don’t have an adjustable focal length. Although they cost less than zoom lenses, their image quality is still superior to other expensive lenses.
Various Uses of a Fixed Focal Length Lens
Fixed focal length lenses are compact, cost-effective, and produce extremely high-quality images. Due to all these qualities, they are used for multiple applications across industries. Some of the important uses of prime lenses are given below:
1. Security and Surveillance
A fixed focal length is not suitable for every place because they have a fixed field of view and a non-adjustable focal length. That being said, there are some specific places where you can use this lens for security monitoring. You can use a prime lens as a CCTV camera lens for long hallways, office spaces, entry-exit points, or where there is no need to zoom.
2. Photography
These lenses produce extremely high-quality and sharp images, a major requirement for professional photography. Being compact, these lenses are easy to move around and shoot in outdoor conditions. Because they have a fixed focal length, they are easy to operate and do not require much experience and expertise.
3. Machine Vision System
Fixed focal length lenses cost much less than standard industrial lenses and prove to be a cost-effective option as a machine vision lens. Their ability to produce sharp images with low distortion is a major reason they are used in machine vision systems.
4. Monitoring Assembly Lines
Because of their fixed focal length, these lenses have a constant field of view, ideal for monitoring assembly and production lines across various industries. It detects malfunctions in the production line and prevents major damage to expensive machinery.
Fixed Focal Length v/s Varifocal Lens v/s Wide Angle Lens for Security
- Fixed focal length lenses are used for security and surveillance because of their superior image quality and better low-light performance. However, you cannot adjust their focal length and field of view, limiting the number of places where these lenses can be used. To ensure effective coverage, you should use fixed focal lengths when you only need to cover a consistent view. You can use them for hallways, entry/exit points, compact corporate spaces, and other places where you do not need zooming capabilities.
- It would require multiple fixed focal length CCTV cameras if you want to cover a wider area. A better and cost-effective solution for such cases is to use a CCTV camera wide angle lens. Using a wide-angle lens allows you to capture a larger area with a single lens. It saves you from the cost of installing and operating multiple cameras. Also, you can eliminate blind spots by replacing the multi-camera setup with a single wide-angle lens camera.
- Both wide-angle and fixed focal length lenses provide great surveillance and security monitoring services. However, these lenses have their shortcomings when it comes to high-level security. Prime lenses cannot zoom, and wide-angle lenses produce distorted footage that lacks details. A CCTV camera varifocal lens is an advanced lens with adjustable focal length and field of view. You can shorten the focal length to capture a wider field of view or adjust the focal length to zoom into distant objects.
Conclusion
A prime or fixed focal length lens is a simple, straightforward lens with a constant field of view and magnification. These lenses produce sharp, detailed images and are very cost-efficient when compared with zoom and other industrial lenses. Due to their fixed field of view, these lenses have limited personal, commercial, and industrial usage. They are mostly used for photography and in CCTV cameras for monitoring and surveillance services. Other than that, they are used in machine vision systems and to monitor crucial processes and assembly lines in industries.
The choice of lens is important to ensure better and effective coverage. Therefore, you should pick cameras and lenses based on your requirements and surrounding conditions. SuperiorCCTV, as a trusted lens manufacturer, will help you with the correct lens choice and camera placement with our free consultancy services. Our experts will guide you every step of the way with their experience and expertise.
In addition to free consultancy, we offer cameras, lenses, and other optical components that follow all the strict global quality standards. With our huge lens assembly, we will help you find the right lens as per your needs and requirements.
