By Tati Taylor 8 days ago, Cameras & Lenses
With a good camera and the best lens for vlogging, you can get stunning results. If you have a limited budget and want to upgrade your camera setup, you can also read reviews of the most popular vlogging cameras.
Cameras have different accessories, such as stands and lenses. By using them, you can capture even better photos.
To create top-quality content, you need to have a good camera and a lens for vlogging. As lenses are essential for content creation, I have reviewed the top lenses and created this list. In this way, it will be easier for you to decide which option is the most suitable for you.
In this article, I will tell you about the best lenses for videography in 2024.
Mount: Sony E | Diaphragm blades: 9 (circular) | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.8m | Max magnification: 10x | Filter thread: 67mm | Dimensions (WxL): 81x92mm | Weight: 476g
⊕ Extremely sharp lens
⊕ Very high contrast
⊕ Lightweight, inexpensive
⊕ A great build quality
⊕ Fast autofocus
⊖ Very contrasted bokeh
⊖ Nonlinear MF
The Zeiss Batis 1.8/85mm lens is less interesting than other Batis lenses. Maybe, because it falls short of its competitors, the great and cheap Sony 1.8/85 and Sony G Master 1.4/85.
This lens for vlogging has a durable construction and weatherproof metal casting. It’s 105mm long and weighs 475 grams, which makes it quite thick if you compare it to other lenses from the Sony A7 series.
The optical system consists of 11 elements in 8 groups, including 3 low-dispersion elements and the 9-bladed circular aperture diaphragm, which guarantees a nice out-of-focus bokeh effect. In addition to autofocus, the set of functions of this lens has been enhanced with in-built image stabilization.
This lens has a linear autofocus motor which is quite speedy and silent. Like in the majority of mirrorless lenses, manual focusing operates by wire so you can adjust the internal motor by rotating the focus ring. Most similar lenses don’t have a focusing scale since the focusing ring floats freely. However, Zeiss has created a digital OLED display that shows both the distance and depth of field in manual focus mode.
Mount: Canon EF-M | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.15m | Max magnification: 0.30x | Filter thread: 55mm | Dimensions (WxL): 60.9x58.2mm | Weight: 220g
⊕ Small-sized
⊕ Firm build
⊕ Sharp from edge to edge
⊕ Provides image stabilization
⊖ Fall-off issues when shooting Raw
⊖ Occasional distortion
⊖ Doesn’t have a lens hood in the set
The Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM is the best lens for vlogging. It’s a wide-angle lens suitable for all mirrorless cameras. It’s small-sized, well-built, crisp and delivers great image quality even at the widest angle. However, it has some disadvantages. For instance, illumination greatly decreases when you move away from the center of the frame while shooting in Raw. Even though the lens is attractive, Canon mirrorless camera bodies are still not the best.
Due to the weight of 220g and the length of 58.2cm, it’s the smallest and the most lightweight wide-angle lens from Canon. If you want to get an EF-M lens, you will be able to only use it with a Canon compact system camera like EOS M (I tested the lens with it), for an 18–35mm equivalent angle of view.
The Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM provides a great quality of the image and is quite affordable. Due to its native mount, small size, image stabilization and amazing image quality, it’s a very good lens for filming.
Mount: Canon EF | Diaphragm blades: 9 (rounded) | Autofocus: No | Min focus distance: 0.4m | Max magnification: 0.18x | Filter thread: 77mm | Dimensions (WxL): 100x85 mm | Weight: 816g
⊕ Sharp
⊕ Great contrast
⊕ Nice color transmission
⊕ Great build quality
⊕ An excellent manual focus ring
⊖ Heavy
⊖ No dock seal
The Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art is a good camera lens for vlogging created for full-frame SLR cameras. Sigma shook up the market in March 2008 when it announced the 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM, which I can recommend for its amazing optics, especially at larger apertures.
The Sigma 50mm f1.4 Art is definitely a top-quality standard lens with autofocus for Canon, Nikon, Leica L-mount or Sony full-frame cameras. It was quite obvious that it would be better than the cheaper Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM and Nikkor 50mm f1.4G lenses as it’s almost twice more expensive than they are.
However, the main surprise is that it also provides better performance than the Canon EF 50mm f1.2L USM, Nikkor 58mm f1.4 and Sony FE 50mm f1.4 ZA, despite the fact that these lenses cost almost double its price.
Mount: ALC-SH150 | Diaphragm blades: 9 (circular) | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.8m | Max magnification: 0.13x | Filter thread: 67mm | Dimensions (WxL): 114x97 mm | Weight: 367g
⊕ Good price
⊕ Almost silent focusing
⊕ Firm build
⊕ Crisp, quick focus
⊕ Excellent low light performance
⊖ Quite large
⊖ Not stabilized
The Sony FE 85mm f/1.8 is a large but quite light lens for filming that weighs 371g. A round bayonet lens hood ideally matches a 67mm filter thread. The electronic focusing ring is located right behind it and works very smoothly.
The focusing is down to 0.8m (2.63 feet). This provides a maximum magnification of 0.13x, which is close enough for a good close-up portrait. This is essential as 85mm is the standard focal length for portraits. The lens is equipped with DMF (Direct Manual Focus) and due to this, you can adjust autofocus whenever you want to use the manual focus ring.
Focusing is precise, fast and noiseless, due to the double linear motor system and a silent direct drive, which reduces the need for gearing.
The lens works best with cameras from the Sony Alpha a7 series.
It’s quite portable and delivers great image quality when you take portraits or photos of various events. It’s small-sized and lightweight (13.1oz) but still has all the necessary features and enhanced optical design, which accounts for the impressive overall performance.
Mount: Canon EF | Diaphragm blades: 7 (rounded) | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.35m | Max magnification: 0.21x | Filter thread: 49mm | Dimensions (WxL): 40x69 mm | Weight: 159g
⊕ Very fast
⊕ Metal housing
⊕ Sophisticated aspherical lens elements
⊕ The maximum aperture of f/1.0
⊕ Great focus and sharpness
⊖ Not very sharp at any aperture
⊖ Expensive, low sales volume
All the lenses from the Canon Prime series have a 50mm focal length. These lenses for videography have an EF mount that is suitable for all Canon EOS cameras. When used with a full-frame sensor or 35mm film, the perspective of a 50mm focal length matches the perspective seen by the human eye. When I used it with an APS-C sensor, the 50mm focal length was cropped into an 80mm field of view.
Like the previous option from this manufacturer, the Canon 50mm f1.8 STM is a prime lens with basic features. It’s created for those who are looking for a cheap, plain and effective lens.
It is not the best-looking lens from Canon, and it’s not positioned as one. While it’s made of plastic, it still has decent build quality. This lens isn’t weatherproof, but, unlike the earlier version, it doesn’t look as if it were going to easily fall apart.
Mount: Sony E | Diaphragm blades: 9 (rounded) | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.29m | Max magnification: 0.16x | Filter thread: 49mm | Dimensions (WxL): 60x64 bmm | Weight: 201g
⊕ Lightweight and compact
⊕ Not expensive
⊕ Works well in low light
⊕ Extremely sharp
⊖ Not weatherproof
The lightweight and compact FE 28mm F2 lens is suitable for Sony a7 series full-frame camera bodies. Thanks to the high-quality aluminum coating, it looks very appealing. This is the best lens for vlogging as it boasts a 9-blade circular aperture, three aspherical lens elements, including one advanced aspherical element, and two ED glass elements that operate together to deliver superior edge-to-edge sharpness and amazing bokeh effect. Its surface is multi-coated, which helps suppress flare and ghosting when you take backlit photos.
The Sony FE 28mm f/2 lens provides good sharpness when used wide open, but you can also improve the image quality by stopping it down.
This lens has many advantages. It is small-sized, lightweight and affordable. Too bad that the aperture was reduced in order to improve performance towards the edges of the frame and minimize chromatic aberration.
Mount: Sony E | Diaphragm blades: 9 (rounded) | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.25m | Max magnification: 0.25x | Filter thread: 67mm | Dimensions (WxL): 91x71mm | Weight: 403g
⊕ Excellent build quality for this price
⊕ Great sharpness
⊕ Fast maximum aperture
⊕ Great value
⊖ Lens hood is difficult to attach and remove
⊖ Occasional aberrations and flare
The Sigma 16mm f/1.4 is a crop-sensor lens, which you can get in both Sony APS-C E-mount and Micro Four Thirds varieties. I tried the Sony E-mount version and used it with Sony A6500, a very powerful APS-C mirrorless camera. This lens for vlogging performed well in different shooting situations.
As for ergonomics, the Sigma 16mm F1.4 C DN feels quite nice in the hand, and its size perfectly matches the A6000 series body (including the A6300 and A6500). When I used this lens with the Sony A6300, it balanced well with the body of the camera. It might seem a bit long, but as for weight and comfort, it’s a great option to consider.
The Sigma 16mm F1.4 DC DN Contemporary isn’t cheap but quite affordable, especially taking into account the fact that similar lenses from Olympus and Panasonic for Micro Four Thirds systems gather less light and are more expensive.
Mount: Canon EF | Diaphragm blades: 9 (circular) | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.28m | Max magnification: 0.23x | Filter thread: 77mm | Dimensions (WxL): 113x83 mm | Weight: 617g
⊕ Great build quality
⊕ Quick and very accurate AF
⊕ Effective Image Stabilizer
⊕ Well-controlled chromatic aberrations
⊕ Weatherproof
⊖ The maximum f/4 aperture
⊖ AF and IS aren’t noiseless
If you want a very sharp ultra-wide-angle zoom lens, the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM is considered to be the best lens for vlogging. It provides amazing image sharpness and offers great overall performance, due to AF speed and accuracy. Also, it comes with the stellar-performing image stabilization system.
This lens consists of some metal bits enclosed in a lightly flocked, plastic body with a matte finish. It’s very similar to some other lenses that I have.
It’s definitely one of the best wide-angle lenses from Canon ever. Images are incredibly sharp across the frame when you are using the maximum aperture. CA levels are perfectly controlled.
A wavy distortion pattern and vignetting that never fully disappears might put some people off, but the good part is that these problems can be fixed during post-processing.
Mount: Sony E | Diaphragm blades: 9 (rounded) | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.3m | Max magnification: 0.14x | Filter thread: 52mm | Dimensions (WxL): 73x65 mm | Weight: 263g
⊕ Good color
⊕ Detailed images
⊕ Quick focusing in good lighting
⊕ Small weight
⊖ Much purple fringing
The Sigma 30mm f1.4 DC DN is a good lens for vlogging and belongs to the series of Global Vision lenses. If you look from above, its shape reminds the letter "C". Despite its name, the characteristics of the lens allow saying that it is made of carbon-metal composite.
The device is inexpensive, which means that it can interest both beginners and professionals. You can pair it with the E-mount lens, which is a good prime lens for many photo sessions. If you compare it to the APS-C Sony Alpha cameras, it's quite large, but still, it's not very heavy and the weight is perfectly balanced.
| Image | Name | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8
Our Choice |
CHECK PRICE → | |
 |
Canon EF-M 11-22mm
Best ratio of Price/Quality |
CHECK PRICE → | |
 |
Sigma 50mm F1.4
Royal Option |
CHECK PRICE → |
If you are a blogger, this is a very important feature for you. To make you sound professional, you need to use an external microphone. So, opt for a camera that has a special port for such a device
The best lens for vlogging must have a flipping LCD display. This way, you can look at yourself while recording. Such a feature adds flexibility to the entire shooting process, making it possible to focus on certain items of the surroundings or yourself.
A prime lens has a fixed focal length, so you can't zoom in or out. Whenever I call it "zoom" I don't mean to see further, but imply that you can't change the focal length of the lens. If you record in insufficient lighting, you can get more light opening the aperture more.
A zoom lens is a lens that lets you adjust the distance of focus by zooming in or out. As a rule, if you buy a DLSR package, you get a kit lens, which may have a focal length of 18-55mm. The disadvantage of zoom lenses is that they usually have narrow apertures and their apertures are not fixed/permanent.
It is advisable to use a camera with an autofocus system, as it facilitates recording even when you are moving. Without AF, your footage is likely to be blurred. As you move, you should refocus on your face or eyes all the time, but using a camera with an autofocus system will solve this issue.
Another feature worth thinking about when choosing lenses for video recording is whether they are interchangeable. Thus, you get a camera kit that allows for more experiments without expenses.
If you run your own blog, or you need to record quality video, opt for an 18-135mm lens. In addition, you can take advantage of a 50mm f/1.8 lens depending on the shooting conditions.
Many professional bloggers use lenses for videography with a large aperture and wide angle. The 10-20mm lens is probably the most popular option. While other lenses such as 16-28mm or 35mm are also quite common among YouTubers.
Vloggers choose lenses in the range of f/1.8 and f/2.8. The lenses of f/3.5 and higher have reduced light sensitivity, but are suitable for casual vlogging. If you need a bright lens at f/1.8, you will have to choose a 16mm or 35mm prime. However, you can still get a good zoom lens of f/2.8.
The best way is to get a standard-focal-length lens (50mm) or as close as you can get to it to eliminate perspective distortion. While most vloggers need a wide-angle lens, you should still try to get as close to 50mm as you can.
