Best lenses for video creators
The lenses I shoot with on Sony full frame and the APS-C glass I used before it. What each focal length is for, and which one to buy first.
Browse top Lenses
Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II
My main lens. Incredibly sharp, fast autofocus, and versatile for any situation.
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Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM
Incredibly sharp with beautiful bokeh. My go-to for portraits and talking head videos.
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Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM
Ultra wide, ultra sharp, ultra fast. Perfect for vlogging and cinematic wide shots.
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Sony FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G
Compact ultra-wide zoom with constant f/2.8. Great for vlogging and cinematic wide shots.
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Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II
The ultimate telephoto zoom. Sharp edge to edge with fast f/2.8 and incredible stabilization.
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Sony FE 2x Teleconverter (SEL20TC)
Doubles the focal length of compatible lenses. Great paired with the 70-200mm for wildlife and sports.
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Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens (Sony E)
Great for portraits and close-ups on APS-C. Smooth bokeh and solid low-light performance.
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Sony E 11mm f/1.8 Lens
On my wish list for ultra-wide vlogging on APS-C. Sharp, lightweight, and great for content creation.
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Sony E 15mm f/1.4 G Lens
My main lens on the a6700 for talking heads. Beautiful background blur and sharp results.
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Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G Lens
Sharp optics, versatile zoom, constant f/2.8. Planning to get it again as my all-purpose APS-C lens.
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Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS Lens
On my wish list for capturing surfing and distant action. Impressive zoom range with built-in stabilization.
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FAQs about Lenses
What people ask before buying Lenses.
It covers wide enough for a room and long enough for a portrait without changing anything, it is sharp across the range, and the autofocus keeps up. If that is out of reach, the APS-C equivalent is the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G at $1,698. One good zoom beats three cheap primes.
A prime like the Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM at $1,298 is sharper and faster, and I rate it 4.9, the highest of any lens here. But it makes you move the camera every time the framing is wrong, and when you are filming yourself alone that is a real cost. I keep a zoom on for filming and swap to a prime for anything I have planned.
I shoot most of mine at the long end of the 24-70mm or on the FE 50mm f/1.4 GM. On APS-C the equivalent is around 24mm to 35mm, which is why the Sony E 15mm f/1.4 G was my talking head lens on the a6700.
The FE 24mm f/1.4 GM at $1,398 and the FE 50mm f/1.4 GM at $1,298 give you a stop and a half more light and noticeably softer backgrounds. They also miss focus more visibly when you move, because the depth of field is paper thin. For a solo creator filming themselves, f/2.8 is the safer default.
At 16mm you fit yourself and the place you are standing in the same frame, which is the whole point of a vlog. On APS-C, the Sony E 11mm f/1.8 at $698 does the same job for half the money and half the weight, and it is the wide lens I would buy if I were still shooting crop.
On APS-C the Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN at $579 gets you close to the same look for a quarter of the price. The bokeh is smooth, low light is fine, and it is the best value lens in this whole category.
The Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II at $2,798 is the most expensive lens on this list and it is not something I use for talking head content. It earns its place for sport, wildlife and distant action. On APS-C the Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS at $1,198 covers the same territory for far less.
The Sony FE 2x Teleconverter at $548 turns a 70-200mm into a 140-400mm, which is a lot cheaper than buying a 400mm lens. You lose two stops, so it works best on fast glass in good light. Buy it only when you already own the telephoto and keep wishing it reached further.
When I moved from the a6700 to the Alpha 7 V, my APS-C glass came with me but stopped being useful. That is worth knowing before you spend $948 on a Sony E 15mm f/1.4 G if full frame is on your horizon. Lenses outlast bodies, so buy for the system you are heading toward.
The Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II and the Sony E 70-350mm G OSS both have it, and at those focal lengths you will notice its absence immediately. At 24mm, in body stabilization plus a steady grip covers you. If you film handheld and wide, put the money into a gimbal or a tripod instead of paying for stabilized glass.
I own more than that, but on any given shoot the FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II does most of the work and one other lens comes out. Every lens you add is another decision on set. For a solo creator, fewer decisions means more videos finished.
Video throws away most of the resolution a $2,298 lens resolves. What you are really paying for is autofocus that does not hunt, breathing that does not distract, and build quality that survives travel. The Sigma 56mm f/1.4 at $579 rates 4.7 here, close to lenses costing four times as much, because for video the difference is small.