This is a complete Buyer’s guide to Best Lenses for Vlogging in 2022. 😎
Best Part?
In picking these Lenses, we have considered a lot of factors like Optical image stabilization, Aperture number of the lens, and Autofocus system, Weight, Compatibility of the lenses with the different models of cameras, and Value for money.
So without further ado, let’s see the results. 📗
Anyone who is involved in photography and cinematography would easily tell you that, as much as you need to get a great camera for your shoots, a great camera isn’t enough to give you the cinematic feel you desire.
Aside from the camera, the single most important thing you need to get high-quality pictures and footage is a good lens. In fact, it has been argued that the quality of your lens may be much more important than the quality of your camera.
This is why you can’t possibly play with the quality of the lens you invest in as a vlogger. After all, your job revolves around capturing captivating footage and uploading them on your YouTube pages for people to see.
In a generation like ours where people are not that patient, it is important that you catch the attention of people immediately, else they turn away to your competitor.
How do you do this? By recording quality and captivating images through the use of the best lenses around.
As a new vlogger, we also understand that getting to grips with the complexities revolving around lenses, the different brands, quality, etc. may be a lot to ask.
As such, we would be giving you the lowdown concerning all you need about lenses for your vlogging needs, and also providing you with some of the details that you should be looking out for in a lens whenever you decide to get one in the future.
Before we go into the names and brands of lenses that make our list as the top options you can get in the current market, let’s quickly put you through the various types of lenses you would be needing for your vlogging experience and how to use each of them.
Types of Lenses for Vlogging:-
As a vlogger, you are a visual storyteller, and to tell visual stories, there are ways to go about it. Firstly, it is important to take different shots, which would then be edited and put out for your followers to see.
What you must know is, a single shot cannot tell all your stories, and a single lens cannot take all the shots you want in the most desirable manner, hence, the need to get different types of lenses for various shots. Basically, these are the most important lens sizes you must have.
Wide Angle Lens:- A wide-angle lens is used to capture your entire filming area. This is the type of lens you would need to capture everything in focus in a single frame.
Ideally, you won’t be able to get an intimate look at the objects in focus, but you would be able to get every detail at once. Lenses with focal lengths between 10 to 24 mm fall within this category.
Medium Lens:- A medium lens brings your subject closer much more than what a wide-angle lens could do.
With a medium lens, you won’t be able to capture the entire filming area, but you’d get more intimate with the subjects in your frame. Ideally, lenses from 25 to 50mm are usually considered to be medium lenses.
Zoom Lens:- Zoom lenses or close-up lenses are used to film the close-up frames of your subjects. Basically, zoom lenses bring actions closer to your subjects.
A subject in a close-up shot would be detailed, intimate, and show all the emotions you require the audience you see. Lenses above 50mm are usually considered to be zoom lens or close up lenses.
Best Lenses for Vlogging: Our Top Picks 👌👌
Now that you know what lenses do and the quality they bring to your shoot, it’s time to take you through the top lenses that you can use to enhance your vlogging business in the current market.
1. Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM Lens
The Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM Lens makes our list as the top-rated lens that you can use for your vlogging business right now.
This lens from the stable of the ever-reliable Canon brand combines all of the good features that a blogger would need at a good price. It is specially designed for mirrorless and APS-C cameras and it comes in at a modest price of $$$.
It comes with a focal length of 35mm, which makes it a very good medium lens and a weight of 6.7 oz. With an aperture number of f/2.8, it is designed to enhance low light performance to give rise to amazing image quality for your vlog.
That is not all, this lens also offers great optical image stabilization quality that would make it very useful for you.
Remember vlogging actually requires you to take a lot of handheld shots sometimes, in a bid to capture as many moments as possible, and this is what this particular lens would offer you.
Below are some of the Pros and Cons of the Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM Lens that earned it a spot in our list of Best Lenses for Vlogging to get in 2022.
Pros:-
- This lens offers excellent light performance which makes it a good option in low light situations.
- The optical image stabilization function that comes with it allows you to record steady and crisp images.
- At a weight of 6.7 oz. it comes at just the perfect weight for a vlogger.
- At a price of $299, this lens is actually affordable and it offers great value for money.
Cons:-
- It doesn’t come with an excellent autofocus system.
- It is not suitable for a full-frame camera.
2. Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM
The Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens is another top product from the Canon brand, and it has to be one of the best options you can find anywhere in terms of the options available for vloggers.
This lens is primarily built as a zoom lens, and it has to be one of the most versatile options anywhere in the market as it can be used by mirrorless, full-frame, and APS-C cameras.
At a price of $1269, it is not for that faint-hearted, but we can assure you it is worth every single dollar you spend on it. With an impressive aperture of f/1.2, you can be sure you have a camera that would certainly deliver great picture qualities even in low light conditions.
Also, this lens comes with a very powerful autofocus feature, which means you wouldn’t have to pull your focus at all times.
At a weight of just 1.28 lb, this is a lens that comes at the perfect weight, and you can take it with you anywhere you desire to go without any fuss.
Below are some of the Pros and Cons of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM that earned it a spot in our list of Best Lenses for Vlogging to get in 2022.
Pros:-
- This lens comes with a very impressive aperture that makes it a super option in low light conditions.
- The lens comes with a very powerful autofocus function that keeps you focused on your subject at all times without having to pull the focus always.
- It offers a lot of flexibility as it can be used on all types of camera sensors.
- This lens comes at a very lightweight.
Cons:-
- The lens doesn’t come with an optical image stabilization function.
- At a price of $1269, this lens is very expensive.
3. Sony 16-35 mm Vario Tessar Lens
From the world-famous Sony, a brand comes this beauty is known as the Sony 16-35 mm Vario Tessar Lens. The first impressive thing about this lens is the fact that it can be used as a wide-angle lens, as well as a medium angle lens with its 16 – 35 mm focal length.
At a weight of just 1.14 lbs, it is lightweight and portable. In terms of price, you should know this lens is not also for the faint-hearted, as it comes in at a price of $1248.
If you can afford it though, we would be happy to advise you to go for it as it comes with more than enough quality features to make up for that price. It comes with an f/4 aperture, which means it makes it one of the very best options in the market in terms of low light performance and image quality.
This lens is suitable for full-frame and APS-C cameras only. Another top quality that makes this lens everyone’s favorite is its amazing optical image stabilization quality.
With this camera, there is no room for shaky footage, even if it were taken in handheld mode because of this excellent feature.
Below are some of the Pros and Cons of The Sony 16-35 mm Vario Tessar Lens that earned it a spot in our list of Best Lenses for Vlogging to get in 2022.
Pros:-
- The lens comes with a very powerful optical image stabilization quality.
- It comes with a very powerful aperture that makes it a very good option for shooting in low light conditions.
- With a 16-35 mm focal length, it offers great versatility as it can be used for shooting wide-angle and medium-angle shots.
- It comes at a very favorable weight which makes it very easy to travel with.
Cons:-
- It can’t be used for mirrorless cameras.
- At a price of $1248, it is quite expensive.
At the time of our research on Best Lenses for Vlogging, we found a video about “20 Tricks You Should Know Before Taking a Photo” which is worth watching. 🤴🏆
4. Canon EF-S 10-18 mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens
Are you in the market for a wide-angle lens for your vlogging needs, and you are considering a product with a modest budget? Then, you shouldn’t look beyond this impressive lens from the Canon brand.
With a focal length of 10-18 mm, you have the right lens to help you capture the perfect wide-angle for your vlog. This lens comes in at a price of just $279, a truly affordable rate, and great value for money.
With an aperture range of 4.5-5.6, you have a lens that would enhance your camera to perform in low-light situations. With this lens, you can only shoot with a mirrorless or APS-C camera, as it is not compatible with full-frame cameras.
What else? Yes, in spite of the modest price, this lens offers great optical image stabilization quality that would help you achieve steady and still footage even without using tripods. Overall, this is a very impressive lens that comes at an affordable price.
Below are some of the Pros and Cons of The Canon EF-S 10-18 mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens that earned it a spot in our list of Best Lenses for Vlogging to get in 2022.
Pros:-
- This lens comes at an affordable price and it offers great value for money.
- The lens offers a great optical image stabilization function, which would ensure you have steady footage even without using a tripod.
- This lens comes with a good aperture range for low-light performances.
- It comes with a stepping motor to ensure noise-free shooting.
Cons:-
- This lens cannot be used on a full-frame camera.
- The lens doesn’t offer good autofocus quality.
5. Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G Lens
The Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G Lens is a great option that vloggers who are looking for a very good close-up lens at an affordable price can consider.
This one comes in at a modest price of $407, an amount which we believe to be very good in terms of the value you would be getting out of this lens. The lens comes at a very lightweight of 0.64 lbs which makes it very good for traveling.
With an aperture of f/1.4, this is a lens that is built to perform very well in low light conditions, another plus for your vlogging needs. This lens is very suitable for both full-frame and APS-C cameras, but it doesn’t work with a mirrorless camera.
Below are some of the Pros and Cons of the Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G Lens that earned it a spot in our list of Best Lenses for Vlogging to get in 2022.
Pros:-
- At a price of $407, this lens is fairly affordable, and it also offers great value for money.
- At a light weight of 0.64 lbs, this lens is very suitable for vloggers.
- With an aperture of f/1.4, this lens is designed to perform well in low-light situations.
- This lens is very good in farming the perfect close-up shots.
Cons:-
- This lens cannot function on a mirrorless camera as it is only compatible with full-frame and APS-C cameras.
- This camera doesn’t come with optical image stabilization, which means there would be an issue with your footage unless you put your camera on a tripod.
6. Sigma 30mm f/2.8 DN Lens
The Sigma 30mm f/2.8 DN Lens is another top option we are happy to recommend to our readers who are looking for quality medium lens options at an affordable price. This lens is built specifically to shoot medium shots in high quality.
It comes in at a price of $157, which makes it a very affordable option. At a weight of just 4.9 oz. this is a perfect fit for vloggers, especially those who are always on the road.
This lense comes with an aperture of f/2.8 which makes them very adept for shooting in low light situations. Another great feature that comes with this lens is the amazing autofocus capability it offers.
With this lens, keeping a focus on your subjects is so easy. However, it is also important to know that this lens is built solely for APS-C cameras, as it doesn’t work with mirrorless and full-frame cameras.
Below are some of the Pros and Cons of the Sigma 30mm f/2.8 DN Lens that earned it a spot in our list of Best Lenses for Vlogging to get in 2022.
Pros:-
- The lens is built to perform very well in low-light situations.
- At a price of $157, this lens is one of the most affordable options you can get in the market if you are particular about quality.
- This lens is very good in maintaining focus on your subjects, with minimal interference.
- It comes at a very lightweight.
Cons:-
- This lens is only suitable for APS-C sensor cameras, which means mirrorless and full-frame cameras can’t use it.
- This lens is not really good when it comes to optical image stabilization.
7. Sony SEL50 f/1.8 50mm Lens
The Sony SLE50 f/1.8 50MM lens is another quality lens that you should seriously consider as a vlogger who is looking for top-notch quality at an affordable price.
This lens costs only $198, and it boasts of a lot of amazing features that you may not even find in a lens that is 10x its price.
In spite of how great it is in terms of quality and value for money, you must know that this lens is only suitable for APS-C cameras, which means it won’t function with either mirrorless or full-frame cameras.
With an excellent aperture of f/1.8, this lens is the ultimate gear you need to shoot in low light conditions. In spite of its affordable price, this lens comes with very good optical image stabilization that ensures all your images are steady even when you are recording in handheld mode.
That is not all, the lens also boasts of a very impressive autofocus system that helps you to focus on your subjects at all times without fuss. Overall, this lens would make an addition to your collections as a vlogger, especially if you have APS-C cameras.
Below are some of the Pros and Cons of The Sony SEL50 f/1.8 50mm Lens that earned it a spot in our list of Best Lenses for Vlogging to get in 2022.
Pros:-
- This lens is very affordable and it also offers excellent value for money.
- The lens comes with a very powerful aperture that helps it to perform well in low-light situations to provide footage of stunning quality.
- The lens comes with an optical image stabilization feature that helps you to achieve steady and flawless footage even without the use of tripods.
- With this lens, you also get a very impressive autofocus system that helps you to keep your focus on your subjects at all times.
Cons:-
- This lens is not suitable for both mirrorless and full-frame cameras.
8. Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens
We are wrapping up our top picks for the best lenses for vlogging in the current market with this offering from Canon, the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens.
This lens is designed to be a wide-angle lens and it is one of the top-rated wide angled lenses you can get in the current market. It also happens to be very affordable at a price of just $130.
It is designed to be compact and lightweight, as it comes in at a weight of just 4.41 oz. With an aperture of f/2.8, this lens is enhanced to perform excellently in low-light situations.
It also comes with a very good autofocus system which makes focusing on your subjects very easy. Also, this lens is very suitable for the use of both mirrorless and APS-C cameras, but not full-frame cameras.
Below are some of the Pros and Cons of the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens that earned it a spot in our list of Best Lenses for Vlogging to get in 2022.
Pros:-
- This lens comes with an impressive aperture which makes it very good in low light situations.
- It is designed to be compact and lightweight, as it comes with a total weight of just 4.41 oz.
- The lens boasts of a very good autofocus system, which means you won’t lose focus on your subjects at any time.
- At a price of just $130, this lens is very affordable and it also represents good value for money.
Cons:-
- This lens is not compatible with full-frame cameras.
- The lens does not also come with a good optical image stabilization system, which could affect the quality of the footage.
Best Lenses for Vlogging: What To Consider
Are you a vlogger who is in the market for a new lens for your vlogging needs? Here are some of the top features you must look out for when making your purchase.
- Optical image stabilization.
- Aperture number of the lens.
- Autofocus system.
- Weight.
- Compatibility of the lenses with the different models of cameras.
- Value for money.
All of these features are very important in helping you choose the perfect lens for your vlogging needs, and you cannot afford to ignore them if you want to get a quality lens.
📗FAQ’s on Best Lenses for Vlogging
Below are a couple of queries on Best Lenses for Vlogging that everyone is expecting to answer and I did include the same for my readers.
What lens do I need for vlogging?
Most vloggers need a wide-angle lens, but you still should try to get as close to 50mm as you can.
Is 24mm wide enough for vlogging?
A 24mm lens is good for that purpose, but an ultra-wide lens is even better.
Can I vlog with DSLR?
DSLR cameras are very popular for vlogging, and they're used by most of the top vloggers.
What lens does Jay Alvarrez use?
Canon EFS 10-22mm Lens
Can I use GoPro for vlogging?
GoPros are designed to be super portable - which is really useful for vlogging.
Final Notes
Just like the fire needs air to thrive, a camera needs a good lens to properly deliver the stunning image quality you desire. Without a good lens, the camera is just a white elephant expense that won’t take you anywhere on its own.
This is why you should go all out for a very good lens to complement your camera, and all the lenses we have listed in this review would do a good job of giving you that perfect picture you desire. We wish you the best of luck with your vlogging experience.
