Mastering the Visual Storyteller: YouTube Cinematic Training

YouTube Channels for Filmmakers to Learn Filmmaking Tips and Tutorials

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

There are great YouTube channels which provide great filmmaking tutorials and tips for those aspiring filmmakers who wanted to learn more about independent filmmaking without spending too much of their time and money. There are film-oriented YouTube channels you to choose from. Some of these channels are great, some are above average and others aren’t worth for you. To choose the best one, you better read this article.

Aside from simply creating your own film to put in your YouTube channel, one of the most effective ways that can help you to be a professional and a better filmmaker is to simply watch YouTube channels tips and tutorials about several skills and filmmaking strategies that can help you refine your skills. These channels are your great resources for you to improve your skills to the highest level. Here are the lists of awesome YouTube channels you should watch to be a professional filmmaker.

Recommended video editing software for YouTubers

If you want to make a video and share it on YouTube, I recommend you to try Wondershare Filmora . Filmora is available on both Windows and Mac computer, which is easy to use yet provides powerful features to create stunning Hollywood style videos, you can add titles, texts, filters, overlays, elements, transitions and edit audio and do color correction, use the built-in free music and sound effects. After editing, you can export and share the video to YouTube directly.

---

8 Great YouTube Channels for Filmmakers to Learn

1. PremiumBeat (Shameless Plug)

Besides of the reason that PremiumBeat has one of the biggest blog around the world, it is also has awesome YouTube channels which is known for its wide covers of different topics, tips and tutorials. These can inspire you to improve more your talent to filmmaking.

2. PHILIP BLOOM

For sure, you are familiar with Philip Bloom, who is probably one of the most popular and biggest indie filmmaking celebrities around the world. He is an indie-filmmaking celebrity who brings several helpful tutorials about filmmaking and has the ability to share it to more filmmakers. In addition to Philip Bloom YouTube channel, he also cites awesome places to find resources that are more helpful and articles. Apart from that, he also travels in several countries just to find, test, review and come up with videos which help him make his YouTube channel a good source for aspiring filmmakers.

3. INDY MOGUL (RIP)

In this YouTube channel, you could find more than one thousand tips and tutorials which can help you become a professional filmmaker in your field. If you have any question related to filmmaking, you can find a great answer from this channel.

4. TOM ANTOS

This YouTube channel is full of many helpful and awesome tricks and tutorials which are specifically prepared and designed to help those beginner filmmakers become more professional in their chosen craft related to making film. From lighting tutorials to gear reviews of this channel, you will learn many things that you can use to become a better filmmaker.

5. NEUMANN FILMS

If you can watch exactly the content of the video, you will learn many things such as using effects and shots to films and most especially making your produce film gets the attention of everyone. There is no doubt that this film is a great resource of filmmaking tips.

6. DAVE DUGDALE

This is a unique YouTube channel for filmmakers because Dave Dugdale itself takes the stance of a filmmaker who is learning and at the same time teaching your several strategies of filmmaking. Through his kind and humble attitude towards his experience, he shares his ideas and experience with software, equipment and cameras that a professional filmmaker must give attention to their craft. Most of the content of his YouTube channel is focused around those specific tests and a comparison which helps his YouTube channels become more popular and fantastic, especially for those who want to learn about filmmaking.

7. FILMMAKER IQ

This is a one of those awesome YouTube channels which is perfect to watch for those people who are just starting filmmaking. It is also an answered prayer for those who want to be professional in their craft. Unlike with other YouTube channels, this one puts several strategies that a filmmaker must have and apply when making a film. With this YouTube channel, you will not only be able to learn how to record sound effectively, but you also will learn the basics ideas of how you will produce the film and what you need to do apply to make it hit most viewers nationwide. If you are looking for a well-rounded and extremely great YouTube channel, then this one is right for you.

8. FILM RIOT

This YouTube channel is a mixture of informative and comedy information that a filmmaker can use to improve his or her skills in terms of filmmaking. Aside from that, it features helpful tricks and tips which gives you more information to become a better filmmaker. Filmmaking needs extra time to make it perfect and professional. If you are looking for a great YouTube channel to help you in filmmaking, then you can read the above list of channels. These 8 platforms are indeed very helpful whether you are a newbie or a seasoned filmmaker. Check them out and see what they can do for you.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

There are great YouTube channels which provide great filmmaking tutorials and tips for those aspiring filmmakers who wanted to learn more about independent filmmaking without spending too much of their time and money. There are film-oriented YouTube channels you to choose from. Some of these channels are great, some are above average and others aren’t worth for you. To choose the best one, you better read this article.

Aside from simply creating your own film to put in your YouTube channel, one of the most effective ways that can help you to be a professional and a better filmmaker is to simply watch YouTube channels tips and tutorials about several skills and filmmaking strategies that can help you refine your skills. These channels are your great resources for you to improve your skills to the highest level. Here are the lists of awesome YouTube channels you should watch to be a professional filmmaker.

Recommended video editing software for YouTubers

If you want to make a video and share it on YouTube, I recommend you to try Wondershare Filmora . Filmora is available on both Windows and Mac computer, which is easy to use yet provides powerful features to create stunning Hollywood style videos, you can add titles, texts, filters, overlays, elements, transitions and edit audio and do color correction, use the built-in free music and sound effects. After editing, you can export and share the video to YouTube directly.

---

8 Great YouTube Channels for Filmmakers to Learn

1. PremiumBeat (Shameless Plug)

Besides of the reason that PremiumBeat has one of the biggest blog around the world, it is also has awesome YouTube channels which is known for its wide covers of different topics, tips and tutorials. These can inspire you to improve more your talent to filmmaking.

2. PHILIP BLOOM

For sure, you are familiar with Philip Bloom, who is probably one of the most popular and biggest indie filmmaking celebrities around the world. He is an indie-filmmaking celebrity who brings several helpful tutorials about filmmaking and has the ability to share it to more filmmakers. In addition to Philip Bloom YouTube channel, he also cites awesome places to find resources that are more helpful and articles. Apart from that, he also travels in several countries just to find, test, review and come up with videos which help him make his YouTube channel a good source for aspiring filmmakers.

3. INDY MOGUL (RIP)

In this YouTube channel, you could find more than one thousand tips and tutorials which can help you become a professional filmmaker in your field. If you have any question related to filmmaking, you can find a great answer from this channel.

4. TOM ANTOS

This YouTube channel is full of many helpful and awesome tricks and tutorials which are specifically prepared and designed to help those beginner filmmakers become more professional in their chosen craft related to making film. From lighting tutorials to gear reviews of this channel, you will learn many things that you can use to become a better filmmaker.

5. NEUMANN FILMS

If you can watch exactly the content of the video, you will learn many things such as using effects and shots to films and most especially making your produce film gets the attention of everyone. There is no doubt that this film is a great resource of filmmaking tips.

6. DAVE DUGDALE

This is a unique YouTube channel for filmmakers because Dave Dugdale itself takes the stance of a filmmaker who is learning and at the same time teaching your several strategies of filmmaking. Through his kind and humble attitude towards his experience, he shares his ideas and experience with software, equipment and cameras that a professional filmmaker must give attention to their craft. Most of the content of his YouTube channel is focused around those specific tests and a comparison which helps his YouTube channels become more popular and fantastic, especially for those who want to learn about filmmaking.

7. FILMMAKER IQ

This is a one of those awesome YouTube channels which is perfect to watch for those people who are just starting filmmaking. It is also an answered prayer for those who want to be professional in their craft. Unlike with other YouTube channels, this one puts several strategies that a filmmaker must have and apply when making a film. With this YouTube channel, you will not only be able to learn how to record sound effectively, but you also will learn the basics ideas of how you will produce the film and what you need to do apply to make it hit most viewers nationwide. If you are looking for a well-rounded and extremely great YouTube channel, then this one is right for you.

8. FILM RIOT

This YouTube channel is a mixture of informative and comedy information that a filmmaker can use to improve his or her skills in terms of filmmaking. Aside from that, it features helpful tricks and tips which gives you more information to become a better filmmaker. Filmmaking needs extra time to make it perfect and professional. If you are looking for a great YouTube channel to help you in filmmaking, then you can read the above list of channels. These 8 platforms are indeed very helpful whether you are a newbie or a seasoned filmmaker. Check them out and see what they can do for you.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

There are great YouTube channels which provide great filmmaking tutorials and tips for those aspiring filmmakers who wanted to learn more about independent filmmaking without spending too much of their time and money. There are film-oriented YouTube channels you to choose from. Some of these channels are great, some are above average and others aren’t worth for you. To choose the best one, you better read this article.

Aside from simply creating your own film to put in your YouTube channel, one of the most effective ways that can help you to be a professional and a better filmmaker is to simply watch YouTube channels tips and tutorials about several skills and filmmaking strategies that can help you refine your skills. These channels are your great resources for you to improve your skills to the highest level. Here are the lists of awesome YouTube channels you should watch to be a professional filmmaker.

Recommended video editing software for YouTubers

If you want to make a video and share it on YouTube, I recommend you to try Wondershare Filmora . Filmora is available on both Windows and Mac computer, which is easy to use yet provides powerful features to create stunning Hollywood style videos, you can add titles, texts, filters, overlays, elements, transitions and edit audio and do color correction, use the built-in free music and sound effects. After editing, you can export and share the video to YouTube directly.

---

8 Great YouTube Channels for Filmmakers to Learn

1. PremiumBeat (Shameless Plug)

Besides of the reason that PremiumBeat has one of the biggest blog around the world, it is also has awesome YouTube channels which is known for its wide covers of different topics, tips and tutorials. These can inspire you to improve more your talent to filmmaking.

2. PHILIP BLOOM

For sure, you are familiar with Philip Bloom, who is probably one of the most popular and biggest indie filmmaking celebrities around the world. He is an indie-filmmaking celebrity who brings several helpful tutorials about filmmaking and has the ability to share it to more filmmakers. In addition to Philip Bloom YouTube channel, he also cites awesome places to find resources that are more helpful and articles. Apart from that, he also travels in several countries just to find, test, review and come up with videos which help him make his YouTube channel a good source for aspiring filmmakers.

3. INDY MOGUL (RIP)

In this YouTube channel, you could find more than one thousand tips and tutorials which can help you become a professional filmmaker in your field. If you have any question related to filmmaking, you can find a great answer from this channel.

4. TOM ANTOS

This YouTube channel is full of many helpful and awesome tricks and tutorials which are specifically prepared and designed to help those beginner filmmakers become more professional in their chosen craft related to making film. From lighting tutorials to gear reviews of this channel, you will learn many things that you can use to become a better filmmaker.

5. NEUMANN FILMS

If you can watch exactly the content of the video, you will learn many things such as using effects and shots to films and most especially making your produce film gets the attention of everyone. There is no doubt that this film is a great resource of filmmaking tips.

6. DAVE DUGDALE

This is a unique YouTube channel for filmmakers because Dave Dugdale itself takes the stance of a filmmaker who is learning and at the same time teaching your several strategies of filmmaking. Through his kind and humble attitude towards his experience, he shares his ideas and experience with software, equipment and cameras that a professional filmmaker must give attention to their craft. Most of the content of his YouTube channel is focused around those specific tests and a comparison which helps his YouTube channels become more popular and fantastic, especially for those who want to learn about filmmaking.

7. FILMMAKER IQ

This is a one of those awesome YouTube channels which is perfect to watch for those people who are just starting filmmaking. It is also an answered prayer for those who want to be professional in their craft. Unlike with other YouTube channels, this one puts several strategies that a filmmaker must have and apply when making a film. With this YouTube channel, you will not only be able to learn how to record sound effectively, but you also will learn the basics ideas of how you will produce the film and what you need to do apply to make it hit most viewers nationwide. If you are looking for a well-rounded and extremely great YouTube channel, then this one is right for you.

8. FILM RIOT

This YouTube channel is a mixture of informative and comedy information that a filmmaker can use to improve his or her skills in terms of filmmaking. Aside from that, it features helpful tricks and tips which gives you more information to become a better filmmaker. Filmmaking needs extra time to make it perfect and professional. If you are looking for a great YouTube channel to help you in filmmaking, then you can read the above list of channels. These 8 platforms are indeed very helpful whether you are a newbie or a seasoned filmmaker. Check them out and see what they can do for you.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

There are great YouTube channels which provide great filmmaking tutorials and tips for those aspiring filmmakers who wanted to learn more about independent filmmaking without spending too much of their time and money. There are film-oriented YouTube channels you to choose from. Some of these channels are great, some are above average and others aren’t worth for you. To choose the best one, you better read this article.

Aside from simply creating your own film to put in your YouTube channel, one of the most effective ways that can help you to be a professional and a better filmmaker is to simply watch YouTube channels tips and tutorials about several skills and filmmaking strategies that can help you refine your skills. These channels are your great resources for you to improve your skills to the highest level. Here are the lists of awesome YouTube channels you should watch to be a professional filmmaker.

Recommended video editing software for YouTubers

If you want to make a video and share it on YouTube, I recommend you to try Wondershare Filmora . Filmora is available on both Windows and Mac computer, which is easy to use yet provides powerful features to create stunning Hollywood style videos, you can add titles, texts, filters, overlays, elements, transitions and edit audio and do color correction, use the built-in free music and sound effects. After editing, you can export and share the video to YouTube directly.

---

8 Great YouTube Channels for Filmmakers to Learn

1. PremiumBeat (Shameless Plug)

Besides of the reason that PremiumBeat has one of the biggest blog around the world, it is also has awesome YouTube channels which is known for its wide covers of different topics, tips and tutorials. These can inspire you to improve more your talent to filmmaking.

2. PHILIP BLOOM

For sure, you are familiar with Philip Bloom, who is probably one of the most popular and biggest indie filmmaking celebrities around the world. He is an indie-filmmaking celebrity who brings several helpful tutorials about filmmaking and has the ability to share it to more filmmakers. In addition to Philip Bloom YouTube channel, he also cites awesome places to find resources that are more helpful and articles. Apart from that, he also travels in several countries just to find, test, review and come up with videos which help him make his YouTube channel a good source for aspiring filmmakers.

3. INDY MOGUL (RIP)

In this YouTube channel, you could find more than one thousand tips and tutorials which can help you become a professional filmmaker in your field. If you have any question related to filmmaking, you can find a great answer from this channel.

4. TOM ANTOS

This YouTube channel is full of many helpful and awesome tricks and tutorials which are specifically prepared and designed to help those beginner filmmakers become more professional in their chosen craft related to making film. From lighting tutorials to gear reviews of this channel, you will learn many things that you can use to become a better filmmaker.

5. NEUMANN FILMS

If you can watch exactly the content of the video, you will learn many things such as using effects and shots to films and most especially making your produce film gets the attention of everyone. There is no doubt that this film is a great resource of filmmaking tips.

6. DAVE DUGDALE

This is a unique YouTube channel for filmmakers because Dave Dugdale itself takes the stance of a filmmaker who is learning and at the same time teaching your several strategies of filmmaking. Through his kind and humble attitude towards his experience, he shares his ideas and experience with software, equipment and cameras that a professional filmmaker must give attention to their craft. Most of the content of his YouTube channel is focused around those specific tests and a comparison which helps his YouTube channels become more popular and fantastic, especially for those who want to learn about filmmaking.

7. FILMMAKER IQ

This is a one of those awesome YouTube channels which is perfect to watch for those people who are just starting filmmaking. It is also an answered prayer for those who want to be professional in their craft. Unlike with other YouTube channels, this one puts several strategies that a filmmaker must have and apply when making a film. With this YouTube channel, you will not only be able to learn how to record sound effectively, but you also will learn the basics ideas of how you will produce the film and what you need to do apply to make it hit most viewers nationwide. If you are looking for a well-rounded and extremely great YouTube channel, then this one is right for you.

8. FILM RIOT

This YouTube channel is a mixture of informative and comedy information that a filmmaker can use to improve his or her skills in terms of filmmaking. Aside from that, it features helpful tricks and tips which gives you more information to become a better filmmaker. Filmmaking needs extra time to make it perfect and professional. If you are looking for a great YouTube channel to help you in filmmaking, then you can read the above list of channels. These 8 platforms are indeed very helpful whether you are a newbie or a seasoned filmmaker. Check them out and see what they can do for you.

Richard Bennett

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

Follow @Richard Bennett

Essential Gear for Video Blogging: Top-Rated Camera Lenses Revealed

A Vlogger’s Guide To Camera Lenses

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

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

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.

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

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

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

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.

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

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

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

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.

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

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

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

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.

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