# what's your favorite lens for shooting video?



## capertillar (Feb 12, 2012)

just wondering what lens' other people like using for shooting video...


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## tysonboh (Feb 12, 2012)

so far i only have a kit lens and the 50mm 1.8, but the quality from that thing is pretty amazing! and usually for video, sticking to primes is a good idea, as they have really good image quality, even if you stick to the cheaper ones


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## Minnesota Nice (Feb 12, 2012)

My 8mm fisheye!

I film snowboarding so that would be the reason I use a fisheye!


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## daveswan (Feb 14, 2012)

No one favorite, but I am building up a collection of Leica R glass. The 50mm f/2 Summicron is pretty good.


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## stephan (Feb 14, 2012)

By far, my most used Lens for Video is the Canon EF50mm 1.4 USM, partly 'cause it's been my only lens for quite a while besides the old kit lens (which is completely unusable for video). The Focus ring travels quite a distance, it feels like almost 180˚. This is my first choice indoors with low light. 

Second is the 24-105L. I don't own it, but I rented it several times for video projects. It's been a good versatile lens due to its wide range of focal lengths, and IS. For now, I'm trying out the 17-55 2.8 IS on a Crop body. 

With a good tripod the 70-200 2.8 L IS is my absolute favorite lens - both video and stills. The focus ring is smooth as butter, there is enough travel to focus accurately. For planned shots, the focus ring is also wide enough to stick a tape on it and on the barrel in front of it for focus marks while still having enough of the ring for grabbing the rubber.


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## kentandersen (Feb 14, 2012)

I use the canon 15-85mm. This works fine even in bad light condision.


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## sarabrook22 (Feb 18, 2012)

Hi i have no great knowledge about the lenses but i have checked the lenses of kajaria can any one tell me about the good lense to shoot?


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## scottsdaleriots (Feb 18, 2012)

im studying photography and for one of my classes we have to create short clip about something and presnt to to the class. i wanted to use a 50 (probably the 1.4 or even 1.2L) but i got out voted 2 to 1 by the two guys in my group so now we're shooting with a 24-70.

if i was making a video that wasnt for school i'd stick to wide angle primes, if need i'd use zooms as well


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## Minnesota Nice (Feb 19, 2012)

Shooting handheld with a 55-250 is surprisingly difficult!

Baggin': Day 1


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## Axilrod (Feb 19, 2012)

Minnesota Nice said:


> Shooting handheld with a 55-250 is surprisingly difficult!
> 
> Baggin': Day 1



Considering the ergonomics of a DSLR, you shouldn't be shooting handheld at all.


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## Axilrod (Feb 19, 2012)

capertillar said:


> just wondering what lens' other people like using for shooting video...



I usually run a 3 camera setup for recording live music. Main cam is a 5DII/14L II, 7D/35L or 50L on rig, 5DII/85LII or 135L on fluid head.

I probably use the 50L and 85L the most overall. 16-35 gets a decent amount of use as well, but I definitely prefer primes.


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## Synomis192 (Feb 19, 2012)

I'm in a film/media group called Uneek F/M
(Shameless Plug: www.uneekfm.tumblr.com ;D)

Main Camera:
-Canon T3i
-Sigma 30mm f/1.4
-Canon 50mm f/1.8

Our back up Canon T2i only has a kit lens

(Edit: Sorry I thought you were asking about lens and equipment as well)


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## pdirestajr (Feb 19, 2012)

I'm currently loving my Samyang 35mm f1.4 on my 7D.


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## avian (Feb 19, 2012)

For documentary filming the 24-70L is great especially when coupled with an 70-200L 2,8


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## Minnesota Nice (Feb 19, 2012)

Axilrod said:


> Minnesota Nice said:
> 
> 
> > Shooting handheld with a 55-250 is surprisingly difficult!
> ...



I can't afford and shoulder mounts, follow focuses, or anything like that. I just left my tripod at home that day.


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## SpareImp (Feb 19, 2012)

I’ve been using the EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS for documentaries – especially when I find it difficult to predict which situations I’ll end up in, and the 50mm f/1.8 and f/1.4 for interviews and low light conditions. Because of the autofocus issues when filming with a DSLR, I also use some prime Olympus OM-lenses. They are often very sharp and have great focus rings.


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## kev8d (Feb 19, 2012)

The Canon 50mm 1.4 is my "go to" lens for video on the 5D. I love the focal length, the low profile, and the image quality.


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## dkingentertainment (Feb 29, 2012)

I use the 50mm 1.4 and the 70-200mm 2.8 IS L lens on my 5D Mark II.I also, use the rokinon 14mm 2.8 and the 85 mm. 1.4 both of the lenses are amazingly sharp and worth every penny. 

ST. SEPH(Canon 5D MARK II)


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## AmbientLight (Mar 1, 2012)

For video I tend to use my 17-40mm. It has the kind of reach I prefer for video on my 7D.


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## SPG (Mar 1, 2012)

Axilrod said:


> Considering the ergonomics of a DSLR, you shouldn't be shooting handheld at all.


Really? You can shoot just fine handheld depending on what lens you're using. 200mm? Hell no. Wide angle? Sure. 
I shoot handheld with a 17-55 2.8 IS all the time. Granted, that's also with a Zacuto Z-finder but the footage is just fine. 



SpareImp said:


> I’ve been using the EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS for documentaries ...


I always advise people using DSLR for video to avoid the lenses that don't have a fixed aperture wide open. When you cross the zoom point where that aperture's max goes from 3.5 to 5.6 the lens will blink, or flash. This happens even if you're not wide open, but say at f8.
If that lens is all you got, then it'll have to do. Just beware of zooming while recording.


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## Del (Mar 1, 2012)

Like many others here I've been using the 50 f1.4 on my crop body (T2i then later 7D), but have to admit that since I got my 24-70 L lens that it hasn't come off my camera. It arrived late evening on 21 Dec and the next morning I shot a short video (see below) in a hurry (literally met the guy, set shutter at 2x frame rate pressed AF then record, was gone in <10mins), edited it super quickly in Premiere Pro with zero-added effects + absolutely no color correction whatsoever and had it up on YouTube within 2 hours of being shot, which was a bit of a test for me to see how fast I could turnaround recording to fully uploaded HD video (half that time was traveling).

Government Liars

I recorded this at f2.8 so wide open + with WB = Cloudy as it was very overcast (despite occasional rays of sunshine from behind where I was shooting) and I was standing with my camera on a monopod in a doorway, but my main attraction to this lens is the color representation 

Probably I'll still use the 50 1.4 for indoor interviews, is very sharp, great focal length 8)


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## Minnesota Nice (Mar 1, 2012)

SPG said:


> Axilrod said:
> 
> 
> > Considering the ergonomics of a DSLR, you shouldn't be shooting handheld at all.
> ...



Handheld is fine wide angle, I use it for my fisheye all the time. I just am on an incredibly tight budget so even a nice tripod is a dream.


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## bsr7 (Mar 4, 2012)

24-105 is my favorite right now. Just a great versatile piece of glass. 

Hopefully soon I can pick up some primes.


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## UltraReef (Mar 28, 2012)

Been trying different lenses on my 5d MkII. EF 16-35mm f/2.8L, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L and a Zeiss 50mm Macro f/2.0, all work great but obviously have different looks and uses. 

Beach Sunrise Padre Island DSLR HD 1080p Video 5d Mark II - Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L EF ZOOM USM LENS

DSLR Video Test - Canon 5d Mark II - Zeiss 50mm f/2.0 MAKRO PLANAR ZE Macro - Liberty Dog Cam


Thanks,
Earl


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## UltraReef (Apr 12, 2012)

I shot some of this video with my 5d MKII with my EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM lens, if you watch the video, it's obvious which is the dslr footage and which is my Canon HF20 camcorder. 


Mopar '10 Driving Video Time Lapse Corpus Christi Texas Harbor Bridge Lights Dodge Challenger


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## JR (Apr 12, 2012)

My 24mm f1.4L II. Like it for its dept of field ...


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## TheRoadcoyote (Apr 13, 2012)

If you are filming without tri- mono- whateverpod, you could use a lense with an image stabilizer. Sometimes I am filming with my 24mm - 105mm with IS. The problem is, the IS messes up the sound pretty much, because its pretty loud.
Honestly I really can recommend the samyang 14mm ;D

I shot this video mainly using the samyang 14mm with my 5D III:
Marks in the sand - Canon EOS 5D Mk III using glidecam and samyang 14mm


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