Best Lens for Vlogging in 2025 [Tried & Tested]

Best Lens for Vlogging

Choosing the right vlog lens for your camera can be even more difficult than picking out the camera itself.

This will especially ring true for those aspiring vloggers who have all the ingredients for a top-quality vlog but don’t know how to pick out the right equipment.

Hopefully after reading this guide you’ll find a top vlogging camera lens to use for your vlogs.

Here’s what to expect in this article:

•  Reviews of the best lens for vlogging
•  A detailed selection guide
•  Your burning questions answered in a FAQ

Without further ado, here are our top picks…

👑 Our Pick for Best Overall

⭐ Our Other Top Picks for Lens for Vlogging

• Best of the Best: Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6
• Runner Up: Canon EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM
• Best for Travel: Panasonic 12-60 mm F3.5-5.6 LUMIX G VARIO POWER OIS ASPH

Best Lens for Vlogging Reviews

Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 (👑 Best of the Best)

The first lens we’re going to look at, and our overall top pick, is the Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6. It’s the best e mount lens for vlogging, and many agree an outstanding lens for general  filmmaking. 

As the best sony lens for vlogging, this lens is perfect for Sony E-mount cameras and has a variety of features that make it an excellent choice for recording vlogs. Not cheap, yet not expensive, this lens from Sony is both lightweight and portable. As far as vlog-friendly features go, these should be priorities for just about any aspiring filmmaker. Unless you record all of your vlogs at home or in one location, it’s a good idea to go for a lens that you can easily carry around when you need to move around. The last thing you want is to feel over-encumbered with an awkwardly heavy lens that takes up a lot of space and hinders your mobility.

Another top feature of this lens from Sony is that it has a wide zoom range, which means you should be able to record subjects both near and far with clear focus. You can pick up everything from wide to mid-telephoto range, which combined with the lightweight design makes for an incredibly versatile lens. The lens offers 7.5x magnification zoom which makes it perfect for both indoor and outdoor videography. And that’s the name of the game with this Sony lens: it’s a versatile, great all-round lens for on the go vlogs.

The product’s status as an ‘Amazon’s Choice’ listed item on the online retailer says a lot about its popularity among customers, who have given the lens a flawless five-star rating – though this is only across around 200 reviews so you can take it with a pinch of salt. The lens has Optical SteadyShot technology image stabilization with provides incredibly sharp stills and video. It also has fast and precise AutoFocus so you can record your vlogs comfortable in the knowledge that your subject will stay clearly in focus for the duration. The 7-blade Circular Aperture allows you to capture smooth and natural-looking defocusing, which should make your vlog transition shots and B-roll look high-quality.

Features:

•  Compatible with Sony E cameras
•  7.5x high magnification zoom 
•  7-blade circular aperture
•  Optical SteadyShot image stabilization
•  Precise AutoFocus 
•  Wide angle, normal, and telephoto

Canon EF-M 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM (🥈 Runner Up)

Next up in our list is the Canon EF-M lens, which is our runner up pick for the best vlogging lens.

What makes this such a high-rated lens in our book is that it is suitable for the EOS M camera which is already one of the best devices for recording vlogs. As such, you can pair a great vlogging camera with an excellent lens to get superior results. This is also one of the more affordable vlogging lenses you’ll find, even though it still has a hefty price tag attached to it.

This wide angle lens is also capable of telephoto, and has an incredibly wide focal length range of between 18 and 150 making it a very versatile option. In fact, the lens is so versatile, that many heap praise on the Canon camera lens due to its suitability for long term use. There are also a ton of extra features that come with this lens from Canon, so stay tuned to find out what exactly you can get for your money.

The first feature worth mentioning is the light weight of the lens, which weighs in at just 300g, making it an exceptionally easy lens to travel with. But it isn’t the weight that many people pick the Canon lens for, it’s the superior image stabilization. This lens features four-stop image stabilization, which many consider to be an excellent system capable of capturing moving subjects in great clarity. When you combine this with the extreme zoom range, you have a recipe for outdoor vlogging success.

Features:

•  Stepping motor AF
•  4-stop images stabilizer 
•  300g weight
•  Focal range 18-150mm

Panasonic 12-60 mm F3.5-5.6 LUMIX G VARIO POWER OIS ASPH (🧳 Best for Travel)

If you’re a restless traveler who always brings your camera along with you, then you might just find that this Panasonic lens is the best for vlogging on the go.

This Panasonic lens has all the makings of a top travel-friendly vlogging lens, so if you are always looking for exciting and adventurous shots on the move then it could just what you need. If you want reassurance that this is a quality lens to invest in, then how about the fact that it’s a number one best seller on the online retailer Amazon? Or perhaps better still, that it has a flawless five star rating from an astonishing 2,000+ satisfied customers?

Regardless of the praise this lens has received from customers and the media alike, you’ll doubtless want to know exactly what features it has so you can make an informed decision when the time comes. 

So what does it have to offer?

As we’ve already alluded to, this Panasonic lens is perfect for travel vlogging, and there are many reasons why. For a start, this lens has a dust and splash-resistant body, which means that even if you’re out shooting in bad weather or traversing treacherous terrain you don’t have to worry about ruining the lens. This makes it a top pick for those adventurous photo shoots and shooting sessions that take place in all kinds of locations from deserts to jungles. This is also a very light lens to use, with a weight of 265g, making it around 35g lighter than the already light Canon lens we reviewed earlier. 

You might be wondering at this point if all of Panasonic’s budget went into creating the perfect body for its lens, but that isn’t the case. The features of this lens are equally as impressive as the external qualities, you’ll be pleased to know. For example, this lens gives you an incredible focal range all the way from wide to telephoto so you have many options for shooting your vlogs. The lens also has Power Optical Image Stabilization, which keeps the shots ultra sharp throughout the wide focal range. All of these top internal and external features do contribute to the steep price tag of the lens, but at the end of the day if you’re looking for a professional-level lens then you needn’t look any further.

Features:

•  Micro four thirds mount 
•  Stepping motor autofocus 
•  Power optical image stabilization
•  Dust and splash resistant
•  Weighs 265g 
•  Focal range from wide to telephoto

Ultimate Guide

Picking out the perfect lens isn’t the easiest thing to do, especially if your expertise lies in the filmmaking process itself rather than the equipment necessary to record the video.

However, don’t worry, this ultimate guide should cover all the most important factors you need to know in order to get the most for your money.

Some of the factors you really need to take into account include the top brands, the focal range, and the size and weight.

Best Brands

While buying a lens from a particular brand won’t necessarily guarantee that you will get a quality product, it can certainly help guide your decision towards the reliable options.

We all know what the big camera brands are, but do you know what each has to offer in terms of lenses?

Canon

For many camera enthusiasts, you can’t look much further than Canon when it comes to picking out the top brand for camera lenses.

Canon is the go-to camera company for many customers, and that’s not without good reason.

These days, you’ll find that Canon has the widest selection of lenses on offer, with several different ranges that are each notable for their superior quality and design.

Sony

Sony didn’t always have a significant presence in the camera world, but today its name is as synonymous with cameras as it is with the game console.

Sony’s latest E-mount camera lenses, one of which made it as our top pick for vlogging lenses, are known worldwide for their quality.

The brand also partners with Zeiss who produce stellar lenses in order to produce top quality lenses together.

Panasonic

Panasonic is another Sony-like brand that started out in electronics and gradually made the shift towards cameras.

Panasonic is known for producing some of the best Micro Four Third lenses, and has several lenses in this range such as our runner up pick.

The other compelling reason to go with Panasonic as a vlogger is that the brand is geared towards videography, so you’re bound to find a lens that suits your shooting needs.

Nikon

Nikon is a brand that didn’t quite make our list of top vlogging lenses, but that’s not because of a lack of options or quality.

Nikon has always been in fierce competition with Canon, and the two brands battle it out on everything camera-related, yet many believe that the brand has fallen behind Sony in recent years.

Nikon doesn’t have the extensive lens range of a brand at the very top of the pile like Canon, but it does still have a reputation for producing superior quality lenses.

Since we left the brand out of this guide, we believe that the best Nikon lens for vlogging is the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G.

Focal Range

You’ll hear focal range mentioned a lot when it comes to camera lenses, and that’s because it’s one of the most important factors to consider.

There are three types of focal ranges you can find on a camera lens, although many lenses will offer a wide focal range that allows you to switch between the three to a certain extent.

Wide Angle

The first type of focal range is wide angle, which many people would argue is the best focal length for vlogging.

With the wide angle focal range you will be able to see much more of the scene inside the frame of the camera. This means that if you record in a studio or outdoor space you will be able to record yourself but also capture a significant portion of your background in the shot.

Standard

With the standard focal range, you will basically get a video recording experience that’s a lot similar to what the naked eye can see.

As a result, the footage can seem more zoomed-in than that of a wide angle focal range.

Telephoto

Finally, there’s the telephoto focal range which boasts incredible zoom.

This isn’t the best focal range for most vlogs which capture a subject close to the camera, but it can be useful for B-roll footage and shots of your surroundings.

Aperture

The aperture of the camera lens will also make a difference in the end results.

To measure aperture, we use f-stops, which look like this: f/1.4, f/2.0, 

The smallest f-stop number indicates the largest aperture, while the largest number indicates the smallest aperture.

If you’ve ever looked at a camera or lens online, you will have seen the aperture number provided in this format. It’s usually listed in the product description title since it’s a very important factor for many people. It has implications for vlogging, so let’s look into what exactly aperture is.

Essentially what aperture means is how big the hole is that lets light into the image sensor, so a small f-stop number corresponds to a larger hole and as a result will let more light in.

The larger the aperture, the faster the image capturing will be. This means that you’ll get better low-light performance and autofocus, but it also means that you will likely have to spend more money and that moving subjects might not be in focus as much as you’d like.

Size

The size and weight of a camera lens can make all the difference when it comes to vlogging.

While they may not be quite as important as the features of the lens, if you are the kind of vlogger who favors outdoor recording then you’ll need to pay close attention to them.

The size and weight of the lens will determine how easy it is to transport, and how much space it will take up in your bag.

Some lenses, like that of Panasonic in our guide are tailor-made for travel vlogging, which means they will be incredibly lightweight and may even have weather proofing for the body.

The main advantage of this is that you’ll be able to pack the lens down in a backpack for the day without feeling over-encumbered.

Frequently Asked Questions About Vlogging Lenses

What lens do vloggers use?

A lot of vloggers prefer to use wide angle lenses simply for the fact that these lenses allow the filmmaker to shoot in small spaces. 

If you do a lot of recording at home for example or stick to indoor shoots, then this is the best lens for YouTube videos. 

So, what lenses do youtubers use?

In concrete terms, this might look like a 24mm lens, though some will even use a lens that is wider than that for the best results.

Can you vlog with 35mm lens?

Absolutely, you can use 35mm lens for vlogging and it can be a good option for multiple reasons.

For a start, you will get the perfect middle of the road view which will show you a good proportion of the surroundings making it ideal for outdoor shots.

It’s an excellent choice as an inbetween lens that doesn’t offer as much zoom as say a 50mm would, but still gives you plenty to work within the frame.

What is a good camera to start vlogging with?

There are many top vlogging cameras, and given the rising popularity of vloggers making a living on YouTube you’d expect there will be a huge market for them going forward.

The Sony ZV-1 has an excellent reputation as a vlogging camera, as does the Canon EOS 80D.

If you’re looking for something better suited to action and adventure, though, the DJI OM4 or GoPro Hero 9 are much better options.

A Final Word From Run Gun Shoot

If you’re looking to add a vlogging lens to your collection, then we highly recommend that you consider some of those presented in this guide.

We’ve gathered some of the very best vlogging lenses from several of the top brands so you can make an informed decision.