Exploring Vlogging: Selecting the Best Cameras & Lenses

A Vlogger’s Guide To Camera Lenses

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

The staple of any vlog is the talking headshot, a shot of the speaker talking directly to the audience. You can compose this shot with different kinds of lenses for your interchangeable lens camera.

But which kind of lens is the right lens for you as a vlogger?

In this article, I’m going to help you figure that out.

Part 1: Three Focal Length Groups: Wide, Standard, Telephoto
Part 2: Vlogging With Each Focal Length Group
Part 3: Crop Factor
Part 4: Focal Length Equivalency Table
Part 5: Aperture
Part 6: Vlogging With a Fast Lens
Part 7: Optical Image Stabilization

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Three Focal Length Groups: Wide, Standard, Telephoto

There are three main ranges in focal lengths that camera lenses can be categorized into wide, standard, and telephoto.

Wide-Angle Lens

Wide-angle lenses can “see more.” They allow more of your scene to fit inside your frame. Objects that are closer to the lens appear much bigger while objects that are further away appear even smaller. Perspectives are also enhanced, making close objects and people that just make it into the sides of the frame appear more stretched out. Out of all the other ranges in focal lengths, wide-angle lenses will appear the least zoomed in.

Standard Lens

With standard lenses or normal lenses, you won’t get the stretched out objects or enhanced perspectives that you get from wide-angle lenses. Instead, standard lenses are meant to see scenes as the natural human eye is meant to see them. If you shoot a scene with both a wide-angle lens and a standard lens from the same position, you’ll notice that less of the scene fits into your frame. Standard lenses will appear more zoomed-in than wide-angle lenses, but less zoomed-in than telephoto lenses.

Telephoto Lens

Out of all the other ranges in focal lengths, telephoto lenses will appear the most zoomed in. This can be beneficial for the shooter who wants to get a closer shot of a scene without having to physically be in close proximity to the scene. Objects that are further away in the background also appear larger and closer than they would appear on wide-angle or standard lenses.

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Vlogging With Each Focal Length Group

You can get your talking head footage using lenses from any of the three focal length groups. Depending on how you plan to vlog most of the time, though, one of the three focal lengths might be more suitable for you.

When to vlog with a wide-angle lens

Wide-angle lenses are the most commonly used lenses for vlogging. Wide-angle lenses are great when you need to be close to your camera. This might be the case for you if your recording space is small or if you want to film yourself as you hold your camera up with your own hand.

Being close to your camera not only gives you the option to use your camera’s built-in microphone, but it also gives you the option to make use of camera-mounted shotgun microphones.

When to vlog with a standard lens

Standard lenses are great when you have more space to be further away from your camera. The perspectives in your shot will look more natural through a standard lens, making your talking head footage feel more corporate or professional. You’ll also be able to get blurrier backgrounds using a standard lens versus a wide-angle lens.

Being further away from your camera, however, means that you’ll have to use a separate microphone positioned closer to you.

When to vlog with a telephoto lens

As telephoto lenses are even more zoomed in, you’ll need to be even further away from your camera to fit yourself inside your camera frame. Why would any vlogger ever need to be that far away from their camera? One word… teleprompter. If you want or need to stick to a script, you’ll have to be far away enough from your camera that it doesn’t appear like your eyes are scanning left to right. You then close in the distance with a telephoto lens.

In the above video, Marcos Rocha compares different focal lengths for talking head videos. Which focal length range do you like the look of?

Crop Factor

Focal lengths in camera lenses are measured in millimeters. You can vlog yourself handheld with a 24mm lens on a camera with a full-frame sensor (the sensor is the piece of hardware inside your camera that turns the light it receives into a digital image). But if you use a 24mm lens on a camera with a smaller sensor, like an APS-C sensor or even smaller Micro 4/3 sensor, more of you will get cropped out (see below).

In order to make up for the cropping that occurs, you will need to use a wider lens on cameras with smaller sensors to get the same shot you’d get with a full-frame camera.

Focal Length Equivalency Table

This table shows you the focal lengths needed to achieve the same shot between cameras with different sensor sizes. In order to take a shot as wide as the shot I took of myself with the 24mm lens on my full-frame camera, I would need a 15mm lens on an APS-C sensor camera or a 12mm lens on a micro 4/3 camera.

Focal Length / Sensor	Full Frame	APS-C	Micro 4/3
Wide (Handheld Selfie-Safe)	16mm	10mm	8mm
Wide (Handheld Selfie-Safe)	18mm	11mm	9mm
Wide (Handheld Selfie-Safe)	24mm	15mm	12mm
Wide	35mm	22mm	18mm
Standard	50mm	31mm	25mm
Telephoto	70mm	44mm	35mm
Telephoto	100mm	63mm	50mm
Telephoto	200mm	125mm	100mm

Aperture

The next thing to consider when you’re looking for a lens is the aperture, the hole (often adjustable) within the lens that lets light in. Aperture for camera lenses is measured in f-stops (f/1.4, f/1.8, f/2.0) - the smaller the f-stop number, the larger the aperture (bigger hole letting even more light in).

Because larger aperture lenses let more light in, they need a shorter time for cameras to compose an image. This is why larger aperture lenses are also called “fast” lenses.

Fast lenses are more expensive because they cost more to produce. There’s a lot more that goes into them, including larger and higher quality glass elements.

But do you even need a fast lens?

Vlogging With a Fast Lens

Pros of Vlogging With a Fast Lens

Better low-light performance
Better autofocus performance
Better “bokeh” (out-of-focus areas, like your background, having that nice blurry look that you see in a lot of movies)

Cons of Vlogging With a Fast Lens

More expensive
Moving subjects more likely to get out of focus when shooting with a large aperture
Better continuous autofocus performance needed when shooting moving subjects with a large aperture

Optical Image Stabilization

Finally, you’ll have to decide whether or not you want your lens to have built-in optical image stabilization (OIS).

OIS is very beneficial to have on a lens if you’re a vlogger who films mostly handheld footage. Although this technology adds to the price of your lens as well, it can greatly help you to capture smoother footage that may otherwise be shaky. Nikon calls this technology “Vibration Reduction” (VR) for their lenses.

In the above video, you can see how much OIS can help to stabilize your footage. MicBergsma simultaneously compares the footage between two GoPro Hero5 Blacks, one with OIS on and one with OIS off.

If, however, you are shooting most of your vlogs on a tripod, you won’t need a lens with OIS.

Looking for ways to set up your talking-head shot for YouTube with any of these lenses? Check out our post on 4 Ways To Set Up Your Talking-Head Shots For YouTube .

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

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The news channel distributes the most recent news events and information via television, radio, or the internet. People who work in news channels gather information from all over the world and convey it in the form of videos or audio. The content is created in a radio or television newsroom or by a broadcast network.

People nowadays don’t have much time to read newspapers since they only scan the headlines of specific news stories, which provide inadequate information. So, the news channel is the quickest way to acquire any news, which an individual can view or listen to at any time via smartphones, laptops (via the internet), or radio.

The news channel has grown in popularity to disseminate or broadcast information to the rest of the world. The focus of television programming might shift. Some channels cover international or national issues, while others concentrate on weather, movie marketing, celebrity news, or sports.

Moreover, YouTube has also become an essential news source for many Americans. A quarter of all adults in the United States (26%) say they acquire their news from YouTube. And, while few of these people say it is their primary news source, the majority believe it is an important way for them to stay informed. People from all over the world and from all walks of life post videos on YouTube. As a result, there is a diverse range of videos available on YouTube. Some examples are amateur films, handmade music videos, sports bloopers, news, and other amusing situations captured on video.

What Kind Of News Can You Get on YouTube?

On YouTube, you may find breaking news and popular stories.

On the site, there’s a shelf for breaking News

Except for viewers under the age of 18, and a Breaking News shelf is shown on the YouTube homepage. The breaking news shelf on the YouTube homepage can be reached simply by scrolling down the YouTube homepage when a major news event occurs. If you’re not interested, don’t bother. The homepage’s breaking news shelf can be turned off.

The information panel provides breaking news context in search results and will only offer text-based samples from a news story. In contrast, the content on the site will incorporate YouTube videos when they are available.

In search, the top News shelf

If you search for news, a Top News shelf appears in Search and has relevant information from news sources that follow Google News content policies. Regardless of age, the Top News shelf will appear.

Your homepage’s top News shelf

If you watch or search for news information, a top news shelf on your homepage may appear. Regardless of age, the top news shelf will appear, with relevant items from news sources that adhere to Google News’ content criteria.

Your homepage should have a COVID News shelf

On the homepage, a COVID-19 news shelf is now available. On our platform, there are news stories regarding COVID-19 from reliable news providers who respect Google News content policies and local health authorities. On the homepage, you can always hide the COVID-19 News shelf.

Why Should You Use Youtube as a News Source?

Many people use YouTube to watch funny viral videos and make-up lessons. However, a sizable portion of the American population relies on YouTube for news.

According to a recent Pew Research Center research, YouTube channels are an important source of news and information for more than a quarter of all individuals in the United States. While that’s a lot of people turning to YouTube for news, it’s not surprising given that the platform is the world’s second most-trafficked search engine, directly behind its sister business Google. People use YouTube as a source of information, but they’re seeking video rather than text.

What Are the Benefits of Youtube News?

What’s more surprising is that conventional news media organizations don’t account for nearly as much of what consumers consume. According to the report, half of the individuals who get their news via YouTube watch independent channels. And, of those who use YouTube to keep up with current events, 72 percent believe the platform is either an important or the most significant source of information for them. Independent media on YouTube frequently covers situations and topics that the mainstream media may overlook. It’s also often complementing, allowing viewers to understand the concerns better.

According to the Pew study, 66 percent of those who watch YouTube videos for news feel it helps them better comprehend current events. Sixty-eight percent said the videos maintain their attention and that they normally watch them intently rather than playing them in the background. Not only that, but when YouTube news users were asked to explain in their own words why YouTube is a unique place to get news, the most common responses were related to the content itself, such as access to news sources outside of the mainstream and the diversity of opinions and viewpoints available on the platform.

1. CNN

CNN is a branch of Turner Broadcasting System, which is a Warner Media company. CNN touts itself as the most reliable source of news and information, and it is widely acknowledged as such. CNN’s umbrella encompasses nine cable and satellite television networks, two radio networks, the CNN Digital Network, the United States’ largest network of news Websites, and CNN Newsource, the world’s most widely syndicated news service. As a result of the various extensions, CNN is proud ability to offer you up-to-the-minute news from across the globe.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCupvZG-5ko\_eiXAupbDfxWw/videos

2. FOX NEWS CHANNEL

According to PUBLIC POLICY POLLING, FOX NEWS is a top-five cable network; it has been the most-watched news channel in the country for more than 12 years and is the most trusted television news source in the country. It’s a 24-hour all-encompassing news service focused on breaking news, politics, and business.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/FoxNewsChannel/videos

3. TMZ NEWS CHANNEL

You’ll discover the newest celebrity gossip and entertainment news from TMZ.com on TMZ Chatter, as well as some of the best pieces from TMZ on TV, interviews from TMZ Live, and up-to-the-minute reporting from the journalistic staff. Reporting on Hollywood movie stars, Instagram celebrities, and viral internet sensations.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/TMZ/videos

4. TYT NEWS CHANNEL

The largest internet news show in the world is TheYoungTurks. The hosts are Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian. It is a one-of-a-kind show that puts all of the news that is important to people together in one place. Politics, entertainment, sports, and pop culture are all topics they enjoy discussing.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheYoungTurks/videos

5. NEW YORK TIMES

The New York Times is known for its high-quality journalism and sophisticated, interactive multimedia storytelling. Whether reporting on international conflicts and domestic political disputes or covering the newest fashion trends and scientific breakthroughs, New York Times video journalists offer a unique and unforgettable perspective on the world. It’s all the news worth watching.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNewYorkTimes/videos

6. NBC NEWS CHANNEL

The official NBC News YouTube Channel is a key source of international news and information. Breaking news, technology, politics, health, entertainment, science, and business, as well as exclusive NBC investigations, may all be found on this channel.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/NBCNews/videos

7.US MILITARY NEWS

The Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard are all represented on the US Military News Channel. This channel is updated daily with new movies of weapons, planes, ships, guns, artillery, vehicles, military actions, and technologies.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2PbsEK-vgc3qFy1eAYYzSg/videos

8. ABC NEWS

ABC News is your go-to source for breaking news, commentary, exclusive interviews, top stories, and videos. They are constantly updated with breaking news, top stories, videos, photographs, special reports, and exclusive interviews.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/ABCNews/videos

9. RUSSIA TODAY NEWS

RT is a global news channel with studios in Moscow and Washington. With a worldwide audience of over 700 million people or more than 25% of all cable customers worldwide, RT news covers the critical topics of our day for those who want to go deeper.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday/videos

10. ZEE NEWS CHANNEL

Zee Media Corporation Ltd (ZMCL), India’s largest news network, reaches over 150 million Indians through a slew of national and regional news channels. The company’s flagship channel, Zee News, with the phrase ‘Soch Badlo Desh Badlo,’ indicating a concentration on hardcore and serious news.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/zeenews/videos

Time to Extract a Conclusion

● People’s interest is piqued by YouTube videos, which are excellent sources of information. People can easily access YouTube videos to learn more about relevant developments. It is unknown how trustworthy and beneficial the information gained via YouTube is. Excellent and reputable YouTube videos can be employed as a valuable source of information.

● On YouTube, you can watch live and local sports, news, and entertainment from over 70 different channels, including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, HGTV, TNT, and others. YouTube also provides local and regional content, with over 98 percent of US TV households having complete local network coverage. The YouTube news channel is quite effective and beneficial to the public. It has several advantages.

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