These are the best wide-angle prime lenses when you want expansive views, clean corners, disciplined flare, and fast, quiet autofocus for landscapes, cityscapes, interiors, travel, and astro—without lugging heavy zooms—and here’s what to look for as you buy: prioritize low sagittal coma (tight star points), good corner sharpness by ƒ4–ƒ5.6, reliable in-camera corrections/profiles, front-filter support (67/72/77/82mm ideal) unless you accept rear/slot systems, quiet linear/STM AF with minimal breathing if you film, close-focus for foreground drama, and weather sealing if you roam; pick focal length by style—14–18mm for ultra-wide drama/astro, 20–24mm for general landscapes and travel, 28–35mm for environmental storytelling. Full-frame standouts: Sony FE 14mm ƒ1.8 GM (tiny, bright, astro monster), FE 20mm ƒ1.8 G (razor across the frame, filterable), FE 24mm ƒ1.4 GM (landscape/astro classic), and the featherweight Rokinon/Samyang 18mm ƒ2.8 FE for budget travel; Canon RF 16mm ƒ2.8 STM (pocket rocket with strong profile support), RF 24mm ƒ1.8 Macro IS (stabilized, close-focus gem), RF 28mm ƒ2.8 STM (pancake street/travel), plus adapted EF 24mm ƒ1.4L II or EF 20mm ƒ2.8 for used-value wins; Nikon Z 20mm ƒ1.8 S and Z 24mm ƒ1.8 S (both neutral color, clean corners), Z 26mm ƒ2.8 and Z 28mm ƒ2.8 (pancake portability); L-mount creatives: Panasonic Lumix S 18mm ƒ1.8 and 24mm ƒ1.8 (matched size/color for kits), Sigma 14mm ƒ1.4 DG DN (elite astro), 20mm/24mm ƒ1.4 DG DN (fast, filterable), and 24mm ƒ2/35mm ƒ2 I-Series for compact metal builds. APS-C heroes: Sony E 11mm ƒ1.8 (ultra-wide in a pocket), Sony 15mm ƒ1.4 G (sharp with lovely sunstars), Sigma 16mm ƒ1.4 DC DN (street/landscape/astro favorite), and Rokinon/Samyang 12mm ƒ2 (AF/MF versions—classic astro); Fujifilm XF 16mm ƒ1.4 (iconic rendering and close-focus), XF 18mm ƒ1.4 (crispy storyteller), XF 14mm ƒ2.8 (rectilinear, light), XF 16mm ƒ2.8 (budget-friendly); Canon shooters can pair RF 16mm ƒ2.8 STM or Viltrox 13mm ƒ1.4 RF for crop bodies; Nikon Z DX users: Viltrox 13mm ƒ1.4 Z is the fast-wide star; L-mount crop bodies love Sigma 16mm ƒ1.4 DC DN. Micro Four Thirds gems: Panasonic Leica 9mm ƒ1.7 (tiny, close-focus joy), Olympus/OM SYSTEM 12mm ƒ2 (street/landscape classic), Laowa 7.5mm ƒ2 (manual astro darling), Panasonic Leica 15mm ƒ1.7 and OM 17mm ƒ1.2 PRO (wide-normal with premium rendering). Practical buyer tips: if astro matters, favor fast 14–20mm primes with good coma control (Sony 14/1.8, Sigma 14/1.4, Roki 12/2 APS-C); for travel/street, 24/1.8–28/2.8 pancakes keep weight down and accept common filters; for interiors/real estate, choose rectilinear designs with front-filter threads and keep the camera level; standardize step-up rings so one CPL/ND fits the set, and check hood depth to fight veiling flare. Wide-prime shooting tips: compose with a strong foreground anchor and keep the camera level, then add slight rise in post to keep verticals honest; stop to ƒ4–ƒ5.6 (ƒ5.6–ƒ8 on high-res FF, ƒ4–ƒ5.6 on smaller sensors) for corner discipline, shade the front element with a deep hood/hand to avoid ghosts, use a CPL gently (ultra-wides can blotch skies), and for astro focus with magnification on a bright star, start with NPF/500-rule exposures, stack short frames, and add a mild stop-down if corners need discipline; for video, favor primes with quiet AF and low breathing and use IBIS/OIS plus a quality VND; whether you’re squeezing alleys, layering dunes, framing vaulted interiors, or pulling the Milky Way over wildflowers, the best wide-angle primes balance sharp corners, flare discipline, and portability—so your big scenes look clean, dramatic, and ready to print.