In this guide, we’re taking you through the best lenses for video for all the major camera systems. Whether you’re an aspiring vlogger or an experienced video content creator, having the right lens is crucial to getting the shots you need. Depending on your needs and budget, you might look for a single zoom lens to cover everything, or a selection of zooms and primes to swap between for different eventualities.
We’ve aimed to put together this guide to give you a broad suite of options – for all budgets. When we test lenses at AP, we assess their video capabilities as well as how good they are for photography. This means testing out a lens’s video autofocus speed and accuracy, as well as noting whether there’s any audible focusing noise that could compromise audio recording.
We also take note of any video-friendly features like a clickless aperture ring for smooth focusing transitions, and we test for focus breathing. If a lens has stabilisation, we put it through its paces by shooting handheld video to see how it performs. For more on our testing criteria and how to choose a good video lens, you can check out the .
As mentioned, we’ve included options for a range of different lens mounts, and have also made sure to offer suggestions for a range of budgets. If you’re still searching for the right camera for your video-making, check out our guide to the . We also have a practical guide to , and if it’s sound you’re worried about, check out our run-down of the .
Read on to learn more about the best video lenses to buy, and don’t forget to check out our guide to the . Canon’s ‘ ’ lenses have been highly acclaimed for years by photographers using the brand’s DSLRs to shoot stills and video, but with Canon’s introducing a full-frame mirrorless range with cameras like the and , a new version was needed. The result is the – to produce a must-own optic for Canon video shooters.
Measuring 69.2×40.5mm and , this lens will balance nicely with cameras like the EOS R6 when paired with a gimbal like the Ronin-SC.
The 50mm will give a natural perspective close to that of the human eye and the lens features Canon’s that will be quiet and won’t pick up on your audio track. The RF 50mm enables videographers to capture frame-filling footage of smaller subjects thanks to a closest focusing distance of 30cm and features Canon’s Super Spectra Coating to enhance quality. The 50mm lens is also great for talking head video.
The Nikon Z system now includes plenty of cameras with impressive video spec, from the mighty and its 8K 30p recording capabilities, to the affordable and vlogger-friendly . There’s no shortage of excellent Z-mount lenses to choose from when it comes to crafting a video setup, but we’ve opted for the well-balanced Nikkor Z 17-28mm f/2.8.
a zoom with a constant f/2.8 aperture to be, the lens is . There aren’t many on-body controls to speak of, though the focus ring can be assigned to control a preferred function when autofocus is engaged.
While the Z 17-28mm doesn’t have Nikon’s premium S-Line designation, we found it to be a very respectable performer nonetheless. throughout the aperture range as well as the whole of the zoom. .
Flare is controlled-for very nicely too, so you shouldn’t have too many problems shooting into the light. It’s a lens that mostly just works, and keeps out of the user’s way. The only real issue that might give some video shooters pause is the .
If you’re using a full-frame Nikon Z camera, this won’t be a problem as you’ll have the camera’s built-in IBIS. The APS-C models, including the vlogger-focused Z30, lack stabilisation, meaning you’ll likely need to invest in a gimbal. Read our .
This stalwart, do-everything zoom for full-frame Sony cameras has been around since 2017, and it’s still an excellent choice for Sony shooters looking to capture video. The running all the way from a wide 24mm to a telephoto 105mm means you’re covered for the vast majority of shooting situations you’re likely to encounter, while the means you’re never forced to stop down when zooming in. It’s also , at 663g, is than professional zooms, and has .
All very well, but how does it perform? Well, we first published our review of this lens in 2017, and have revisited it a few times since then – and we’ve always come away impressed. Optically, this lens is still an absolute stunner, delivering . The kind of compromise you normally have to put up with when picking a 24-105mm instead of, say, a 24-70mm just isn’t evident here, and it’s very hard to imagine a Sony user who wouldn’t be happy with the performance of this lens.
The , so you won’t have your video’s sound compromised by whirring motors. Switch to manual focus and you’ll also find an excellent experience, with a smoothly rotating focus-by-wire ring. Both this and the zoom ring rotate smoothly and have rubberised coverings that grip well.
One thing worth being aware of for video users is that , which can make it a bit trickier to pull off smooth zoom transitions while recording. This isn’t a ruinous issue – and practice definitely makes perfect. It’s just something to be aware of.
Proof, if proof were needed, that great design has real staying power, this seven-year-old zoom lens represents fantastic value for Sony FE-mount users. For an all-in-one lens to capture great video content in a range of situations, it’s hard to think of a better option than this. Read our full .
If you’re using one of Nikon’s APS-C mirrorless cameras for video, like in particular the vlogger-friendly Nikon Z30, then it’s a good idea to get hold of some of the few DX-format lenses the firm has available. This is because they are more affordable than their full-frame counterparts, and designed with the smaller sensor format in mind. The Nikkor Z DX 12-28mm f/3.
5-5.6 PZ VR is touted specifically as the vlogging lens for DX-format Z-mount cameras, and as such, should be a priority to pick up if you’re shooting video on a , or a . In testing, we appreciated the lightweight design of this lens, which makes it excellent for run-and-gun vlogging.
The power zoom design means it stays balanced when you zoom in and out – useful when the lens is mounted on a gimbal. We found the focusing to be consistently fast, only starting to struggle when light levels got seriously low, and quiet enough that it’s not realistically going to produce any noise that will be caught on video. The focus transitions while recording video are pleasingly smooth, and the built-in stabilisation is effective.
This is a lens that’s clearly been designed to try and make vlogging as easy as possible, and it succeeds pretty well. Read our . An enduringly popular Micro Four Thirds lens, the Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm F1.
7 ASPH covers a useful equivalent focal range of 20-50mm equivalent. With a constant aperture of f/1.7, it’s a highly capable lens in low light, and Panasonic has also stuffed it with plenty of features to appeal specifically to video shooters.
These include a mechanism to minimise focus breathing – changes in focal length that occur when an object is brought sharply into focus. It also has stepless aperture control, and a micro-step drive system in the aperture control that keeps exposure adjustments smooth when the brightness of a scene changes. Focusing is silent, too, thanks to the inner focus drive system.
Even though it’s on the pricey side, this has proved a favourite lens among Micro Four Thirds vloggers. So much so that Panasonic later introduced something of a spiritual successor, the , for those who want a tighter focal length. One of the major advantages of Sony’s E-mount lens ranges, compared to other full-frame systems, is that it’s simply been going a lot longer.
This means that the basics of the kinds of lenses most users are looking for have long been covered, and more niche options have started to appear. Case in point, this for full-frame and APS-C cameras, which covers a fairly narrow (or 36-70mm on APS-C). Photographers might not be too impressed by such a limited range, but for video shooters, it’s pretty perfect.
As such, the lens has been well-optimised for video. Its that enables smooth exposure transitions; the for fast swapping between focusing modes; and the , as we discovered in our testing. Switch on Sony’s famous Face Detection mode and the system will keep track of faces in the frame uncannily well – useful for keeping track of your key subjects.
The Focus Breathing Correction prevents zoom creep when changing the focal distance; it incurs a minimal crop, but nothing anyone’s going to be bothered by Optical performance is predictably excellent. The lens is somewhat reliant on corrections for curvilinear distortion and barrel distortion, but these corrections work well and you’re never realistically going to have any reason to turn them off. The constant f/2.
8 aperture also allows you to open up wide to create shallow depth of field. Overall, this travel-friendly lens is an ideal companion for Sony-using video shooters. This cameras has a claim to being one of the best lenses of its type ever made.
Over the generous equivalent focal range of 24-200mm, it , making it genuinely useful right the way through that range. If you’re a run-and-gun vlogger or filmmaker who wants to be able to shoot at different perspectives without constantly swapping lenses, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-100mm f/4 IS Pro is something of a godsend.
Plus, at , it’s not so prohibitively heavy that you won’t be able to carry around for a day-long shoot (one of the benefits of Micro Four Thirds). The on this lens also merits particular praise – it’s amazingly effective, especially when paired with Olympus or OM System cameras that allow for Sync IS to further boost the system up to 7.5 stops of compensation.
It makes the far end of the telephoto zoom much more useable hand-held than it would be otherwise, further strengthening this lens as a proposition for vloggers. We gave this lens the full five stars in our review. It’s undeniably an expensive proposition for a superzoom, but it stands head and shoulders above similar lenses for other systems.
Read our . Another , but this time it’s for the L-mount, and is engineered to work well with Panasonic’s Lumix S full-frame mirrorless cameras. The Panasonic Lumix S 18mm F1.
8 is something of a . Similar alternatives exist, particularly from Sigma, but they tend to be much more expensive and considerably heavier, like the superb but weighty . With a focal length of 18mm and an aperture of f/1.
8, the Lumix S lens is well-suited for general day-to-day vlogging. It delivers plenty of sharpness where you want it, and silky bokeh in the defocused areas of an image. It has also been designed with videographers in mind and there are plenty of clever, useful features to this effect.
For instance, the lens includes a , meaning it can automatically rack focus smoothly, without appearing to zoom in or out. It feels like a natural companion for the lighter members of the Lumix S family: the or . But it’ll pair well with any member of the range, and deliver a fast and silent video-shooting experience.
. Sony’s ‘PZ’ designation means lenses that have a powered zoom design, rather than a mechanical one. This makes any lens with this feature extra well-suited to video as it enables a raft of features that are useful for videographers.
The Sony E PZ 10-20mm F4 G can therefore , with the composition remaining appropriately centred. The , meaning the lens stays balanced, making it handy for shooting on a gimbal. Focus breathing is also minimal, which means that there will be from the minimum focus distance up to the infinity focus setting.
The minimum focus distance also stays pretty much the same, from 13cm at the wide end to 17cm at the tele end. A zoom lever on the side of the lens enables , which allows zoom speed and intensity during video to be fine-tuned very precisely. In our testing, we found this lens to optically perform very well throughout its zoom and aperture ranges.
It’s hugely intuitive to use, thanks to extra features like the , a manual focus control that makes it easy to make precise adjustments to the focusing. The only real strike against the lens is its lack of built-in stabilisation – it’ll pair best with Sony bodies that have stabilisation built in, like the and . Fujifilm users who want to shoot video have a narrower lens selection than those who use other brands.
However, the XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS WR is a lens that comes recommended by Fujifilm as one of the best X-mount lenses for video, and it considerably impressed us in our review. It’s , which is useful for on-location shoots, and its sharpness impresses throughout the zoom range. The – an important consideration for video – is first-rate on the XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS WR.
The ring is finely grooved, with a fluid feel, and you can take precise manual focus control by rolling your thumb over it at any time. A lightweight lens, the XF 10-24mm F4 R OIS WR provides an equivalent focal length of 15-36mm when mounted to one of the X-series APS-C mirrorless cameras. It’s a highly credible all-purpose lens for video, and any Fujifilm user with an inclination towards video should think about giving it some space in their kit bag.
A purpose-built cine lens from less than £300? You’d better believe it and if you are starting to take video seriously, it could well be worth taking a good look at this Samyang optic. , the Samyang 85mm is a manual focus optic that features 9 elements in 7 groups including an aspherical element. , although on a cine lens the aperture is prefixed with T instead (for example T/1.
5) and there’s also a , that will allow videographers to pair this up with a follow focus system, enabling precise adjustments to the focus setting. Sporting a dust-proof design, the lens also offers Samyang’s Ultra Multi Coating (UMC) technology for better image quality and to provide protection from flare. Other features include an created from that fast T/1.
5 maximum aperture and a 72mm filter thread. The exceptional optical performance of Sigma’s Art series has been well-known for a while now, but what you may not be aware of is that , making them perfect for filming video without the additional price-tag. The gives videographers a lens that can capture tighter scenes and the maximum f/1.
4 aperture will create an incredibly shallow depth-of-field that’ll bring a cinematic feel and a higher production value to your movies. The 85mm f/1.4 Art lens packs in no less than but there’s far more to this lens than the glass because the lens also features , enabling users to change aperture and balance exposure levels during a live take.
The AF system employs a stepping motor, which is optimised for both phase and contrast detection. Despite these pro features, the 85mm isn’t a lump and , which allows users to add ND filters to further control exposure levels. Boasting dust and splash resistance, the 85mm f/1.
4 Art also features an oil-repellent coating and the build features a mix of aluminium and TSC (Thermally Stable Composite) to keep the . An impressively wide-ranging all-in-one zoom, the Fujinon XF 18-120mm F4 LM PZ WR is a great idea on paper, a . How does it measure up in the real world? Well, in our review we were overall quite impressed.
The lens is not without its problems, but it does deliver and will suit vloggers and video shooters who want to be prepared for all eventualities. Weighing , the XF 18-120mm lens slots into a kit bag without causing much fuss. The aforementioned l; some video users might wish for a little more width at the short end, but it’s still a commendable achievement.
One unfortunate thing to note for video use is that the , . In most cases, it won’t be an issue, but if you’re shooting somewhere with very little ambient noise, odds are it’ll be picked up. This power zoom lens isn’t the sharpest, but it does a good job in the optimal settings – zoom in a little and stop down to around f/5.
6. There’ll be times when you’re filling scenes with a shallow depth-of-field when you’ll want to take more control over the focusing system and switch to manual focus (MF). In these scenarios, you want to have as much physical control over the lens as possible.
Thus the lenses to avoid are ones that have impossibly thin focus rings that are very unergonomic and hard to get precise control over. Instead, look out for optics with a big, wide focus ring that you can get a good grip of. Better still, focus rings with a pronounced rubberised texture will further aid your hold and prevent your digits from slipping off the focus ring.
An aperture control ring enables users to change the aperture setting via the ring on the lens, rather than needing to fiddle about with the camera body’s dials or menus. This is important because when you are capturing footage, you’ll be using a set shutter speed, such as 1/100sec. So, in order to balance an exposure level, you’ll want to adjust the aperture instead (although you can also use ISO and ND filters to balance exposure too).
Some aperture rings are ‘clicked’, which means you feel a physical click or step as you turn the ring. It’s more advantageous for a video-friendly lens to have a de-clicked aperture ring, that will turn freely without resistance, allowing you to balance the exposure more easily. Shaky footage is no good to anybody and while there are other options to stabilise footage – namely in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) within a camera body or the use of a gimbal so the videographer can move around while keeping the camera steady – using a lens with Image Stabilisation technology adds to your ability to keep things steady.
Most IS-enabled lenses offer the user the ability to switch the stabilisation off and on, giving the user even more control. For the ultimate in stabilisation, pairing an IS lens with a camera body with IBIS will extend the compensation limits. Big, heavy lenses are OK for video as long as you are happy to lock off the camera on a tripod, but this usually delivers static and uneventful, uninspiring footage.
If you are going to capture motion by using the camera on a gimbal, or other device, then you want to reduce the load on the gimbal motors...
this means using a lightweight and compact lens. Pancake optics are ideal – for example, not only measures just 62×22.5mm but also tips the scales at a mere 67g, making it a gimbal-friendly choice for videographers on a budget.
When shooting video, you’ll more than likely want to shoot a lot of ‘contre-jour’ (literally shooting ‘against the day’) shots when you shoot into the light to capture backlit subjects. These high-contrast lighting situations can flummox inferior lenses and produce huge amounts of flare and specular highlights. When looking for a lens that you can use for stills and video, make sure it has a decent level of coating to protect against these issues.
For those beautiful, shallow-depth-of-field shots that add a heavy layer of cinematic style to your footage, you’ll need a lens that offers a fast maximum aperture. Regular kit lenses often have a variable aperture so at best, you may be able to use f/3.5, but if you zoom in, you’re more likely to have a maximum aperture of f/5.
6, which won’t give you the shallow depth-of-field you’re looking for. Instead, look for lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/2.8 or faster.
One common mistake many photographers make when moving into video for the first time is to select a lens that’s too wide. Of course, there will be times when a wider angle view will suit the scene, but going too wide all the time can leave subjects in the frame looking too small and lost. A standard or mid-telephoto focal length, such as 50mm, is a great place to start as this focal length is similar to the natural perspective of the human eye.
Picking a lens with the right motor system is crucial when selecting a video-friendly optic. Sluggish motor systems will not only struggle to keep up with a moving subject in the frame, but they will also create ‘lens hum’, which can be picked up on your microphone and ruin your audio. By contrast, a lens with a fast, modern motor system will be quiet, fast and accurate.
.. thus leading to more usable footage.
ND filters can prove useful when shooting videos as well as stills. With your shutter speed locked in at 1/50sec or 1/100sec, it can be easy to overexpose a frame, particularly if you wish to employ a fast aperture like f/1.4 to create a shallow depth-of-field.
A video-friendly lens with a familiar filter thread size (such as 67mm, 72mm or 77mm) will mean you probably already have a ND filter (whether it be a screw-on or via a filter holder) that you can use to balance your exposure level. :.
