Best focal length for video

Hi all!  I have a new Sony a7c with the kit 28-60 and would like to add a lens for video (but I would love to use it for both photo and video as I'm 50/50 or may lean more towards photography).

What's a good focal length for video?  I know it's subjective but in general?  35?  24?  20?

I'd prefer to get a prime over zoom if that's possible.

It would be vlog/street/travel...

28...

Depends on your subject. If you want to shoot portraits with a lovely out of focus background, you'd get a portrait prime. If you want to shoot a room full of people, you'd get a wide angle prime, but even then, if your people are varying distances from the camera, and your depth of field is shallow, you'd have to stop down your prime, which brings you right back to your kit lens.

For handheld vlogging, most vloggers would recommend an ultrawide to avoid having yourself occupying too much of the frame. Something like 20mm to start with, but perhaps wider like 14-16mm to anticipate any sort of cropping (e.g. from digital stabilization).

I would agree with Adrian above ^^ regarding needing an ultra wide lens for vlogging. I think you could use something like a 20mm if it doesn't crop in (some video formats might crop in depending on the FPS... don't know if the a7 C does or not).

And as Adrian mentioned above you might prefer something wider.

Please note that if you are doing vlogging, ultra-wide angle lenses that rely on five-axis image stabilization can look very wobbly (This effect is often called corner warping). I have found that for ultra wide angle lenses, using a "dual IS" system (where the lens does stabilization on three axis, and the body does stabilization on 2 axis) can result in less wobble than if the lens doesn't have stabilization and the body is stabilizing all 5 axis.

Jon555 wrote:

28...

That was a bit brief, but a fair bit of video is shot at 28mm, but not vlogging, where a 16-35mm lens is a better choice as you'll need the wide end (check it focuses closely).

If you want to do specific things then the answer depends on the thing, 28 was my general answer to a general question. Also adjust for sensor size, of course, that's for FF.

Video and still photo have different perspective. For video, the capturing of a wide scene in motion creates the dynamic perspective. For still, a zoom in of the subject reveal details that viewers can focus in for a longer viewing time.

I find myself shooting video mostly in the range of 25-35mm (FF equivalence). When I shoot still, other than landscape, I find my 80-400mm fit most of my need.

I've found almost no use of the longer lens when videoing.

DMKAlex wrote:

Video and still photo have different perspective. For video, the capturing of a wide scene in motion creates the dynamic perspective. For still, a zoom in of the subject reveal details that viewers can focus in for a longer viewing time.

I find myself shooting video mostly in the range of 25-35mm (FF equivalence). When I shoot still, other than landscape, I find my 80-400mm fit most of my need.

I've found almost no use of the longer lens when videoing.

I do really like that 20 1.8 but I think it’s a bit too wide. I think 24 would be great?

35mm could still be okay, if you want to have a bit wider look. Going wider just creates fake spacious look and it is then about the same as what phone camera users mostly have.

Close-up faces can benefit from 50mm or above because otherwise you have to crop those parts and they look lower quality then.

Yes, it is pain to realize that you cannot have realistic wideness and realistic look at the same time. Human vision does it easily, something prevents it happening with cameras.

JRaw wrote:

DMKAlex wrote:

Video and still photo have different perspective. For video, the capturing of a wide scene in motion creates the dynamic perspective. For still, a zoom in of the subject reveal details that viewers can focus in for a longer viewing time.

I find myself shooting video mostly in the range of 25-35mm (FF equivalence). When I shoot still, other than landscape, I find my 80-400mm fit most of my need.

I've found almost no use of the longer lens when videoing.

I do really like that 20 1.8 but I think it’s a bit too wide. I think 24 would be great?

Well... I like 'em WIDE!!!

But of course everyone has personal preferences.

Do you VLOG on 24mm though? I don't really VLOG so I am just going on what I have heard / seen on youtube and various forums.

The other thing is that I think that various stabilization systems might crop in a bit so i thought that wider might be better.

JRaw wrote:

Hi all! I have a new Sony a7c with the kit 28-60 and would like to add a lens for video (but I would love to use it for both photo and video as I'm 50/50 or may lean more towards photography).

What's a good focal length for video? I know it's subjective but in general? 35? 24? 20?

I'd prefer to get a prime over zoom if that's possible.

It would be vlog/street/travel...

Let's discuss why you do not want a good zoom for video. Clearly there is not one focal length suitable for vlogging, travel and street videography. Are you emulating Ansel Adams? Saving on weight (though the 28-60 is very small)?

Films are shot with multiple lenses, as they have very different scenes and perspectives. So, you either get multiple primes, each suitable for a different use, or a good zoom lens. There is no such thing as "a good focal length for video," just a good focal length for a particular use, as most of the posters here have pointed out, again, and again.

The Sony 28-60 zoom lens is quite good. I have used it for a lot of 4K videos with the fx3. For example:

MyDog Is Incharge wrote:

Your 28mm lens will not be a wide as you might expect. The camera crops a 3:2 image to 16:9, so you use less of the sensor and end up with a narrower effective focal length.

One nice wider lens is always helpful and then a 'portrait lens' for close ups.

I like what Panasonic did. They put a kit zoom on the S5 that starts at 20mm and is perfect for most video.

My second choice after 28mm would be 40mm, although adjusted if the camera crops whatever you're shooting. 40mm equivalent is hugely popular in movies.

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