8 Best Canon Lenses for Vlogging Reviews 2023
Which Canon lens would you buy for vlogging?
When searching for the best Canon lenses for vlogging, the Canon RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM lens stands out. It combines a versatile wide zoom range with effective autofocus and advanced image stabilization, all within a compact and lightweight design, making it a highly suitable option for various vlogging needs.
For vloggers who prefer ultra-wide angles, the Canon RF-S 10-18mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM lens offers an expansive zoom range in a light build. The Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM is a prime choice, offering wide views and a fast aperture at an affordable price. The Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM excels in low-light conditions, providing versatility with its macro capability. Additionally, the Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM is a top pick for EOS M camera users, balancing wide-angle versatility with excellent stabilization.
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Canon RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS
Canon RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM
Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM
Which are The Best Canon Lenses For Vlogging?
Here are my top 8 Canon lens recommendations for vlogging, based on my experience and research:
Best Zoom Lens for Vlogging : Canon RF 15-30mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM
Best APS-C Zoom Lens for Vlogging : Canon RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM
Best Budget Lens for Vlogging : Canon RF 16mm F2.8 STM
Best Ultra-Wide-Angle Zoom Lens for Vlogging : Canon RF-S 10-18mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM
Best Lens for Vlogging in Low Light : Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM
Best Zoom Lens for EOS M Cameras : Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
Best Prime Lens for EOS M Cameras : Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN
Best Budget Lens for EOS M Cameras : Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM
Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
The Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lens combines a broad zoom range with robust image stabilization and an efficient autofocus system, offering vloggers a versatile tool for various filming conditions.
What Makes Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM Special?
- Wide Zoom Range in a Compact Build
This lens’s 15-30mm zoom range is a boon for vloggers, offering the flexibility to capture everything from expansive landscapes to more intimate settings. Weighing less than 400 grams, it is exceptionally lightweight, making it ideal for on-the-go shooting. Its compact size and robust construction, with a solid metal lens mount, ensure that it withstands the rigors of travel vlogging, striking the perfect balance between portability and durability. - Smooth Autofocus and Stabilization
The STM Stepping AF Motor of the Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM guarantees precise and silent autofocus, crucial for capturing high-quality vlog content without any background noise. The addition of image stabilization is a boon for handheld shooting, effectively reducing camera shake and ensuring smoother, clearer footage even in challenging situations. - Optical Performance
The lens impresses with its sharpness and contrast, especially at the center of the frame across all focal lengths. Despite some corner softness at wide apertures, stopping down to F5.6 significantly improves sharpness and contrast. The lens’s ability to manage distortion and vignetting, along with its flare resistance, contributes to its superior image quality, making it ideal for vloggers.
Why is Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM best for vlogging?
The Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lens is considered ideal for vlogging due to its focal length, size, and weight. Its wide-angle zoom feature allows for a broader field of view, which is beneficial for self-recording. The lens is compact and lightweight, making it convenient for handheld shooting. It also includes a powerful 5.5-stop Image Stabilizer that enhances video stability, especially when shooting without a tripod. Additionally, its stepping motor (STM) ensures smooth and quiet autofocus, which is crucial for video content creation.
Canon RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
The Canon RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM is an APS-C lens ideal for vloggers, offering a versatile zoom range, swift autofocus, and effective image stabilization in a compact design, all at an affordable price.
What Makes Canon RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM Special?
- Versatile Zoom Range and Lightweight Build
This lens provides vloggers with a versatile zoom range of 18-45mm, ideal for capturing everything from wide-angle scenes to tighter shots. The full-frame equivalent of approximately 29-72mm makes it suitable for a wide range of filming situations. Weighing just 130 grams and measuring 44mm in length, its compactness adds to its appeal, making it perfect for on-the-go vlogging without compromising on build quality. - Swift Autofocus and Reliable Image Stabilization
The Canon RF-S 18-45mm lens features an STM focusing motor, ensuring quick and quiet autofocus, essential for maintaining the natural flow of vlogs. This fast and accurate autofocus capability is crucial for capturing spontaneous moments. Additionally, its optical image stabilization significantly reduces camera shake, vital for producing smooth and stable video content, especially in dynamic shooting conditions. - Optical Performance
The lens delivers very good sharpness, particularly in the center of the image, which is vital for vloggers. Color rendition is decent, providing vibrant and true-to-life footage. The lens effectively manages distortion, vignetting, and flare, maintaining image quality across various lighting conditions. Its aberration control further enhances the overall visual quality
Why is Canon RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM best for vlogging?
The Canon RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM lens is considered ideal for vlogging due to several key features. It has a useful zoom range and close focusing, making it suitable for lifestyle situations. Its compact and lightweight design makes it easy to carry around, which is essential for vloggers. The lens also operates quietly, ensuring that it doesn’t interfere with audio recording. Additionally, it has a 4-stop optical Image Stabilizer that helps overcome camera shake, a common issue when filming handheld footage, even in dimly lit situations. Furthermore, it uses a gear-type stepping motor for smooth and quiet autofocus, which is beneficial for both still and video shooting.
Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
The Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM lens is a cost-effective wide-angle lens for Canon’s RF Mount, combining a broad field of view with a fast aperture, ideal for vloggers seeking quality and affordability in a compact design.
What Makes Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM Special?
- Wide Perspective and Fast Aperture
The 16mm focal length of the Canon RF 16mm lens offers a broad view, crucial for captivating vlogging experiences. This wide-angle feature is complemented by an f/2.8 aperture, enhancing the lens’s performance in various lighting conditions and allowing for a pleasing depth of field. The combination of wide-angle and fast aperture ensures that vloggers can capture more of their surroundings with clarity and artistic flexibility. - Good Autofocus and Compact Design
The lens’s autofocus is driven by a STM motor, ensuring rapid and precise focusing essential for dynamic vlogging. Its eye autofocus feature is a boon, keeping the subject sharp and in focus. Despite weighing only 165 grams, the Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM doesn’t compromise on durability. Its high-grade plastic body and metal mount provide the resilience needed for regular use, making it a reliable choice for vloggers. - Optical Performance
The optical performance of the Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM is impressive, delivering sharp images with excellent contrast. Colors are rendered realistically, enhancing the vibrancy of vlogs. The lens efficiently manages flare and controls distortion and vignetting, maintaining image integrity. These optical traits ensure that vlogs capture life’s moments with vivid clarity and detail.
Why is Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM best for vlogging?
The Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM lens is highly suitable for vlogging due to several key features. Its near-silent stepper motor (STM) autofocus technology ensures smooth and quiet focusing, which is crucial when recording pieces to camera or capturing ambient sounds. Additionally, its ultra-wide view makes it easier to capture surroundings, providing a more immersive experience for viewers. The lens is also lightweight and compact, making it convenient for travel vlogging. Furthermore, its eye AF works very accurately, making it an appealing option for vloggers who move with the camera at arm’s length.
Canon RF-S 10-18mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
The Canon RF-S 10-18mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM lens is an APS-C lens favored by vloggers for its ultra-wide zoom range, smooth autofocus, and advanced image stabilization in a compact and lightweight design.
What Makes Canon RF-S 10-18mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM Special?
- Ultra-Wide Zoom in a Compact Package
Covering a wide 10-18mm range, this lens is ideal for a variety of vlogging styles, from daily life to travel adventures, providing vloggers with a wealth of creative possibilities. At only 150 grams and a length of 45mm in its retracted state, it’s exceptionally lightweight and compact. This makes it an ideal travel companion for vloggers, offering versatility without the bulk typically associated with wide-angle lenses. - Precision Autofocus and Advanced Image Stabilization
The Canon RF-S 10-18mm lens boasts an STM focusing motor, ensuring autofocus is smooth, precise, and notably quiet, a crucial feature for video recording where audio clarity is key. It also includes Optical Image Stabilization, providing up to four stops of stabilization on cameras without IBIS and six with IBIS. This results in significantly smoother footage, especially important for handheld vlogging and dynamic shooting scenarios. - Optical Performance
This lens delivers impressive optical performance. Sharpness and contrast are maintained across its zoom range, producing crisp and clear footage. The lens maintains high-quality and visually striking footage even under challenging lighting, thanks to its effective flare resistance. Although some distortion occurs, it’s easily correctable in post-production.
Why is Canon RF-S 10-18mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM best for vlogging?
The Canon RF-S 10-18mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM lens is considered ideal for vlogging due to its ultra-wide-angle zoom feature, which is particularly beneficial for users of EOS R-series cameras. This lens allows for the creation of strong photos and videos, making it suitable for vloggers, travelers, and general shooters. Additionally, its compact size, weight make it a practical choice for self-recording. Furthermore, it’s competitively priced, making it an appealing option for newcomers to vlogging and videography.
Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
The Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM lens excels in low-light conditions with its fast f/1.8 aperture, paired with one-to-two times macro capability and effective image stabilization, making it a versatile choice for vloggers.
What Makes Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM Special?
- Bright Aperture and Lightweight Design
The fast f/1.8 aperture of the Canon RF 24mm lens is perfect for low-light situations, allowing vloggers to capture clear, bright footage even in dim settings. This aperture also enables a cinematic depth of field, enhancing the visual appeal of vlogs with smooth, attractive bokeh. The lens is notably lightweight at 270 grams, enhancing its suitability for extended vlogging sessions. Its durable construction and customizable control ring add to its practicality and versatility. - Macro Mastery and Swift Focus
This lens offers a unique one-to-two times macro capability, allowing for impressive close-up shots that can add a creative dimension to vlogs. The close focusing distance of 14 centimeters enables capturing intricate details, making it perfect for showcasing products or small subjects. Additionally, the STM motor ensures fast, efficient, and notably quiet autofocus, crucial for maintaining the natural flow of vlogs without introducing unwanted noise. - Optical Performance and Stabilization
With outstanding sharpness and contrast, especially in the middle of the frame, the lens ensures high-quality footage. It effectively controls flare and aberrations, maintaining clarity and visual appeal in the footage. The built-in image stabilization, offering up to 5 stops, is crucial for vloggers, ensuring steady, professional-looking videos.
Why is Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM best for vlogging?
The Canon RF 24mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM lens is considered ideal for vlogging due to its bright maximum aperture of F1.8, which enhances its low-light performance. This feature allows the lens to capture more light, resulting in brighter and clearer images even in dimly lit environments.The lens also features an STM focus system that operates silently and smoothly, making it suitable for video recording. Additionally, the lens offers image stabilization, which aids in capturing steady videos. Furthermore, it’s compact and lightweight, making it convenient for vloggers who are often on the move.
Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
The Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens showcases all-rounder capabilities for EOS M cameras, combining a versatile wide-angle zoom with advanced autofocus and stabilization, all within a compact, lightweight design for dynamic vlogging.
What Makes Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Special?
- Versatility in Compact Design
This lens excels in its versatile focal length range of 11-22mm, perfect for capturing expansive scenes essential in vlogging. Weighing just 220 grams and measuring impressively compact, it ensures ease of handling and mobility. The robust all-metal body and mount add to its durability, making it a reliable companion for frequent, on-the-go use. - Advanced Autofocus and Stabilization
The Canon EF-M 11-22mm features a STM autofocus motor, ensuring rapid, almost silent focusing, a boon for uninterrupted vlogging. Its image stabilization is noteworthy, combating camera shake effectively. This ensures that video footage remains smooth and professional, crucial for maintaining viewer engagement in various shooting scenarios. - Optical Performance
Optically, this lens impresses with outstanding sharpness and contrast across the entire frame, regardless of aperture settings. Color rendition is neutral and accurate, enhancing the visual appeal of vlogs. It adeptly controls distortion, flaring, and aberrations, preserving image quality even in challenging light conditions, thereby ensuring captivating and high-quality visual storytelling.
Why is Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM best for vlogging?
The Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens is considered ideal for vlogging due to its image stabilization and wide-angle perspective. The wide-angle perspective allows vloggers to capture a larger field of view, making it suitable for various scenarios such as travel or lifestyle vlogging. The image stabilization feature reduces camera shake, which is particularly beneficial for handheld vlogging. This lens is also compatible with EOS M series digital cameras, further enhancing its utility for vlogging.
Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
The Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN lens boasts a wide-angle view and ultra-fast aperture, ideal for versatile vlogging with sharp optics and reliable autofocus, encased in a durable build.
What Makes Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Special?
- Wide-Angle and Bright Aperture
The Sigma 16mm f/1.4 lens excels with its wide-angle focal length and ultra-fast f/1.4 aperture, perfect for vlogging. The 16mm focal length allows more scenery into each shot, vital for varied vlog content. The fast aperture enhances low-light performance and enables shallow depth of field, adding a professional look to videos, whether capturing bustling city scenes or intimate indoor settings. - Reliable Autofocus and Durable Build
This lens is equipped with a Stepping Motor (STM) for autofocus, ensuring fast and accurate focusing crucial for dynamic vlogging. It has a weight of 400 grams, offering a durable yet manageable heft. Perfectly sized and weighted for handheld vlogging, it feels solid yet easy to handle. Its weather-resistant build makes it apt for shooting in different outdoor environments. - Optical Performance
The lens delivers exceptional sharpness and contrast even at its widest aperture. It offers beautiful color rendition and bokeh quality, creating aesthetically pleasing backgrounds. The lens also adeptly manages flare and aberrations, ensuring that videos retain their clarity and color integrity in challenging lighting, contributing to visually stunning vlogs.
Why is Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN best for vlogging?
The Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN lens is considered ideal for vlogging due to its light gathering capabilities, background blur, and field of view. Its ultra-wide aperture aids in producing good image quality, while its focal length is optimal for a variety of settings. The lens also features a stepping motor that ensures smooth autofocus during video shooting, which is crucial for vlogging.
Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
The Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM lens offers vloggers a compact and affordable option with a fast aperture and wide field of view, combined with a lightweight design and smooth autofocus, ideal for dynamic, on-the-go shooting.
What Makes Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM Special?
- Optimal Aperture and Focal Length
The lens’s f/2 aperture excels in low-light conditions, allowing for greater creative freedom when shooting indoors or during the golden hour. The 22mm focal length offers a wide field of view without excessive distortion, ideal for capturing expansive scenes while maintaining a natural look. This combination of aperture and focal length makes the lens versatile for various vlogging scenarios. - Compact Design and Responsive Autofocus
Weighing only 105 grams, this lens is a dream for vloggers on the move. Its compact size does not detract from its robust build quality, featuring a durable metal mount. The STM autofocus system is both responsive and quiet, ensuring that focus transitions do not disrupt the audio quality of vlogs. - Optical Performance
The Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM shines with its optical performance, delivering exceptional sharpness, even at its widest aperture. Its ability to maintain color accuracy and effectively control vignetting and distortion enhances the professional quality of vlog content. The slight vignetting present is easily corrected in post-production, ensuring that vlogs have a polished and refined appearance.
Why is Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM best for vlogging?
The Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM lens is considered ideal for vlogging due to its bright f/2 aperture, delivers exceptional low-light performance and beautiful background blur. This feature is crucial for vloggers who often shoot in various lighting conditions. Additionally, the lens has a stepping motor that provides quiet and smooth continuous autofocus when shooting videos, ensuring the vlogger’s content remains clear and stable. Its compact design also makes it easy to handle and carry around, adding to its suitability for vlogging.
FAQs
Is 24mm good for vlogging?
A 24mm lens is considered suitable for vlogging as it can be used in tight areas. However, some vloggers prefer an ultra-wide angle lens with a shorter focal length than 24mm for more expansive and dynamic captures. Other recommended focal lengths for vlogging range from 16mm to 20mm, providing a wide-angle view that is beneficial for including surroundings in the footage. Ultimately, the choice of lens depends on the specific requirements of the vlogger, including the desired field of view and the shooting environment.
Is a 35mm lens good for vlogging?
A 35mm lens is not typically recommended for vlogging, especially for handheld, selfie-style vlogging as it may only fit your face in the frame. Wider lenses around the full-frame equivalent of 24mm are often suggested for vlogging as they can capture a wider field of view. However, some users find the 35mm lens versatile and suitable for both indoor and outdoor vlogging, offering a natural perspective similar to the human eye. The choice may also depend on the camera type, with a 35mm lens being a preferred choice for crop frame cameras due to its more natural viewing angle.
Prime vs. zoom: which is better for vlogging?
For vlogging, the choice between prime and zoom lenses depends on the specific shooting conditions and requirements. Prime lenses are generally better for low-light performance, as they allow more light to enter the camera. This makes them ideal for shooting in darker environments. They also tend to provide a shallower depth of field, which can enhance the visual appeal of your vlogs. However, zoom lenses offer the flexibility of changing focal lengths, which can be beneficial for capturing a variety of scenes and perspectives without needing to switch lenses. Therefore, if you frequently shoot in low-light conditions or desire a cinematic look, a prime lens may be more suitable. Conversely, if you value versatility and the ability to adapt quickly to different shooting scenarios, a zoom lens might be a better choice.
Can lens aperture influence vlog content quality?
Yes, lens aperture can significantly influence the quality of vlog content. The aperture, which controls the amount of light entering the lens, affects the sharpness, depth of field, brightness, and contrast of the image. A narrow aperture enhances sharpness and depth of field, whereas a wider aperture permits more light, resulting in a brighter image with less depth of field. These variations can significantly influence the mood and tone of a video. Additionally, lenses with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 or wider are often recommended for video shooting. Therefore, understanding and properly adjusting the aperture is crucial for producing high-quality vlog content.
How do autofocus systems enhance dynamic vlog content?
Autofocus systems significantly enhance dynamic vlog content by ensuring consistent subject tracking and sharp focus during video recording, even in dynamic shooting scenarios. These systems work by employing sensors and motors within the camera and lens to gauge the distance to the subject, subsequently adjusting the lens to achieve focus. This is particularly beneficial for action and fast-moving shots, as the camera can lock onto a designated subject and track that object as it moves.
What is the best Canon lens for vlogging in daily life?
The Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM and Canon RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM lenses are considered excellent choices for vlogging in daily life due to their specific features and capabilities. The Canon RF 15-30mm lens offers an ultra wide-angle zoom, excellent image quality, and optical image stabilization with up to 5.0 stops of shake correction, which is crucial for capturing stable and high-quality video content. On the other hand, the Canon RF-S 18-45mm lens is light and compact, making it easy to carry around for daily vlogging. It also offers a 4-stop optical Image Stabilizer and a useful 18-45mm zoom range for versatile shooting. Both lenses also provide smooth and quiet autofocus, which is beneficial for video recording.
What is the best Canon lens for vlogging travel and adventures?
The Canon RF-S 10-18mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM and Canon EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM are considered excellent lenses for travel and adventure vlogs due to their compact and lightweight design, making them ideal for on-the-go shooting. They offer ultra-wide-angle views, which are perfect for capturing dramatic landscapes and street scenes. These lenses also feature Canon’s Image Stabilization (IS) and Stepper Motor (STM) technologies. The IS technology helps to reduce blurring associated with the motion of a camera during exposure, particularly useful in low light conditions. The STM technology ensures quiet and smooth focusing, which is crucial for video recording. Additionally, these lenses provide sharp image quality, further enhancing their suitability for travel and adventure vlogs.
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