So you bought a camera, and now you need a lens? Welcome to a world of delightful torment. The items I will discuss in this review are all excellent lenses. Each one is not only a great streaming lens but also a high-quality lens overall.
If I had to choose one, it would be the Sony E PZ 16-50mm due to its versatility and internal focus, which deliver excellent results when streaming.
Understanding what a specific lens involves is a nuanced science. This is why I created this review—to provide you with sufficient information to ensure your purchase is a wise one.
QUICK OVERVIEW: Best Lens for Streaming
 | Top Choice Sony E PZ
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 | Sony SEL35F18
| |
 | Sigma 16mm f/1.4
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When I first began exploring photography around 2010, I wished there were more reviews like this one. I would have understood my needs much better and sooner, or at the very least, I would have passively learned a thing or two.
Topics such as what bokeh is, how to achieve it, what exposure means, the significance of shutter speed, and how to consistently configure your lenses and settings accurately in manual mode under any lighting condition.
I learned this the hard way, but now you don’t have to! I will cover the basics here.
I won’t delve into the details or the previously mentioned optics, but I can assure you that you will emerge with a greater understanding of photography in general.
Who knows, you might even explore photography after this!
Table of Contents
1. Sony E PZ 16-50mm
Best Lens for Streaming Overall
Stefan’s Take:
Its lightweight, retractable mid-range zoom is great for streaming. You will also get a power zoom for smooth and silent zooming.
Aspherical elements on this lens minimize distortion, and you also get superior contrast, resolution, and color fidelity from ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements.
| Sharpness | 9.4 |
|---|---|
| Sensor Quality | 9.5 |
| Low-Light Condition | 9.4 |
| Price | 9.2 |
Why do I believe the Sony E PZ 16-50mm is the best camera lens among these?
The Sony E PZ 16-50mm is classified as a zoom lens. The indication that it is a zoom lens (as opposed to a prime lens, which I will discuss in a later entry) lies in the 16-50mm range.
The lower the millimeter count, the wider the angle. Therefore, a 16-50mm lens provides a range that spans from a wide angle to a narrower portrait angle.
This option isn’t particularly useful when you’re searching for a lens to fit your streaming camera. It will spend most of its operational time mounted on a webcam tripod with a predetermined focal length and fixed lighting conditions.
You don’t necessarily need it to have any zoom capability, but it’s still a nice feature to have.
This lens has one very important feature that you should definitely look for in any other streaming lens: internal autofocus.
This means that the lens has an internal motor that rotates the rings in conjunction with the camera body and its algorithms to ensure you remain in focus at all times.
When the camera is turned off, the lens measures only 3 cm in length. It also features a fast, silent autofocus motor and optical image stabilization.
An extra-low dispersion glass element is incorporated into the design to minimize color fringing and
chromatic aberrations. This enhancement provides users with significantly improved clarity and color neutrality.
Pros
- Relatively cheap
- Versatile
- Internal focus
Cons
- None, as far as streaming quality goes
2. Sony SEL35F18
Lens with the Best Aperture
Stefan’s Take:
The Sony SEL35F18 is a prime lens. It has a fixed focal length of 35mm.
35mm is considered rather wide, so it’s a really good lens to have if you need it on your desk, but you also need it to catch more than just your head, for example.
| Sharpness | 9.0 |
|---|---|
| Sensor Quality | 9.2 |
| Low-Light Condition | 9.3 |
| Price | 8.8 |
This is a prime lens, which I mentioned in the previous entry. Essentially, this means it has a fixed focal length, indicated in millimeters.
Some people argue that a prime lens will always produce better image quality and sharpness, while others disagree. It’s one of those ongoing debates.
Personally, it seems logical to me that a highly specialized lens, with a single focal length, would perform better than a more versatile one.
This isn’t primarily about photography or photography-related topics, but rather my experiences with various universal gadgets, regardless of their purpose.
In my experience, universality nearly always comes at the expense of performance.
The Sony SEL35F18 features the same internal focus mechanism as the lens mentioned above, ensuring you benefit from Sony’s exceptional autofocus.
One of its best features is its maximum aperture, which is 1.8.
The marking used to identify the aperture is the f/x.x format, which you can see in the name of this lens and many others.
It is now time to explain the aperture numbers. Specifically, the smaller the number, the larger the aperture. This concept may seem counterintuitive, but that’s photography for you.
Thus, the larger the aperture (the smaller the number), the more light enters your camera simultaneously. This means that you require less light to achieve a well-lit image.
You can now start to understand the advantages of having a large aperture.
Pros
- Affordable lens
- Internal focus
- Large aperture
- Reasonably sharp
Cons
- Shallow depth of field at maximum aperture
3. Sigma 16mm f/1.4
Best Lens for Low-Light Conditions
Stefan’s Take:
This lens has FLD and SLD optical elements that enable superior optical characteristics. The maximum aperture of F/1.4 makes it ideal for photography in poor light conditions.
It also has an ultra-fast and quiet autofocus motor. It is resistant to various weather influences.
| Sharpness | 9.1 |
|---|---|
| Sensor Quality | 9.0 |
| Low-Light Condition | 9.5 |
| Price | 8.7 |
An aperture of 1.4 makes it highly sensitive to light, resulting in excellent low-light performance. However, the ability to illuminate your face does not mean that you won’t require an additional light source for optimal performance.
Depth of field refers to the extent of the space in front of your camera that remains in focus. A larger aperture results in a shallower depth of field.
In simple terms, you can either have more light with less of the space in front of the camera in focus, or you can have less light but achieve greater focus on more objects both in front of and behind the camera.
A shallower depth of field will provide a more pleasing bokeh (the attractive blurry background in professional photos), but it can become so shallow that while your eyes are in focus, your nose may not be. This is the extent of shallow depth at apertures like 1.4.
Three F Low Dispersion (FLD) and two Special Low Dispersion (SLD) elements minimize chromatic aberrations and color fringing, resulting in improved color accuracy and clarity.
The manufacturer applied a super multi-layer coating to reduce ghosting and lens flare. This ensures you receive color-neutral images with rich contrast.
Pros
- Portrait lens
- Sharper image quality than others
- Wide-angle lens
Cons
- Sigma 16mm f1.4 is a bit more expensive
- Shallow focus
4. Sigma Art 50mm f1.4
Lens with the Best Image Quality
Stefan’s Take:
Sigma Art lenses have been a standard in portrait photography for a number of years, and rightfully so.
This lens is a fast standard-length prime designed to achieve high optical performance by incorporating three Special Low Dispersion glass elements and one molded glass aspherical element.
| Sharpness | 9.2 |
|---|---|
| Sensor Quality | 9.6 |
| Low-Light Condition | 9.3 |
| Price | 8.0 |
If you browse through any fashion magazine you come across, the cover photo was likely taken using a variant of this lens, if not this exact lens.
As with any standard-setting piece of equipment, a significant price tag is also involved.
This lens is designed for both full-frame and APS-C DSLR cameras. It features an ultra-fast and quiet autofocus motor.
A 50mm lens is considerably narrower than the previous entry. Therefore, if you lack sufficient desk space to position yourself further away from the camera, this lens will not be suitable for you. It necessitates some distance between the lens and the subject.
That being said, if it fits your workspace, this lens likely offers the best image quality on this list.
A 50mm F1.4 large-aperture lens provides an angle of view comparable to human vision, creates a beautiful bokeh effect, and offers exceptional versatility.
Not only will it be sharp, but it will also affect the colors you receive. Even in low light conditions, the 1.4 aperture performs well, ensuring that your blacks and shadows won’t appear too dark.
Pros
- Great lens for streaming, if you have the conditions
- Quiet autofocus motor
Cons
- Steep price
5. Tamron 28-200mm
Best Zoom Lens
Stefan’s Take:
As far as I know, Tamron lenses can be and are used in all kinds of photography and videography. That many colleagues can’t be extremely wrong, can they?
The lens is sharp and does its job, but both a 28mm prime lens and a 200mm prime lens would be way better.
| Sharpness | 8.7 |
|---|---|
| Sensor Quality | 8.9 |
| Low-Light Condition | 9.1 |
| Price | 8.2 |
Now may also be the time to discuss constant aperture. Do you notice how the name of this lens indicates a range of apertures (2.8-5.6)?
This means that the lens can only achieve its maximum aperture (2.8) at its lowest zoom level (28mm in this case). As you zoom in, the aperture narrows, reducing the amount of light that can pass through to your Sony camera.
A constant aperture means that it remains unchanged during zooming. This feature is highly sought after and correspondingly expensive. It distinguishes premium lenses from standard DSLR lenses. Unfortunately, this lens does not offer that feature.
The feature it offers, however, is an extensive range of focal lengths. 28mm provides a fairly wide angle, while 200mm is so narrow that you can capture an image of a bird in flight from a couple of hundred feet away.
Furthermore, its range may not be something you, as a streamer, necessarily require. You would likely be using it primarily at the zoomed-out position of 28mm.
However, it does provide you with the opportunity to pursue photography more seriously, particularly wildlife photography, as you don’t need to get too close with a 200mm zoom.
Pros
- Versatile
- Durable
Cons
- Heavy
6. Sony – FE 16-35mm
The Best Lens for Professionals
Stefan’s Take:
The Sony FE 16-35mm is a highly professional tool with a highly professional price tag.
Aside from being suitable for streaming and video in general, this kind of wide-angle lens is also very nice for landscape photography.
| Sharpness | 9.3 |
|---|---|
| Sensor Quality | 9.6 |
| Low-Light Condition | 9.5 |
| Price | 7.5 |
Designing an exceptional ultra-wide-angle zoom lens is extremely challenging, and Sony has done an excellent job with this one.
This is the most expensive lens on this list. However, its price is more than justified by its performance.
One of the primary reasons for its price is its elusive feature: a constant aperture. It maintains a 2.8 aperture throughout its 16-35mm focal range.
While I am not accustomed to a wide-angle lens offering any depth of field, this one can produce a pleasing bokeh when zoomed to its maximum focal length. This effect is attributed to its large aperture.
Its body is constructed from polycarbonate and features a sleek black finish that complements your Sony streaming camera and other items in your Sony lens collection.
It is also part of Sony’s G Master series, a designation for their highest quality products.
Pros
- Premium lens
- Constant aperture
- Wide-angle
- Dust and moisture resistance
Cons
- No internal image stabilization
- Astronomical price
7. Meike 35mm F1.4
Best Lens Under $100
Stefan’s Take:
This is a good example of a trade-off that can be crucial but lowers the price significantly.
This lens has impeccable performance when you look at the numbers. Some shortcomings get visible when you start digging through the data, though.
| Sharpness | 8.0 |
|---|---|
| Sensor Quality | 8.5 |
| Low-Light Condition | 8.1 |
| Price | 9.5 |
At 35mm and f1.4, this appears to be a lens that would typically be priced over $500. It would be, if it bore any brand name other than Meike.
However, it’s not just the brand name; there is one significant shortcoming with this lens: it lacks autofocus.
This means that, for example, if you are a streamer, you would need to mount your camera on a tripod, manually adjust the focus so that you are in focus while sitting in your usual spot, and remain completely still while speaking into the camera.
Autofocus, along with your camera’s algorithm, would easily track your movements; however, it may completely ignore you and remain fixed on the previously set field of focus.
With an aperture of 1.4, its depth of field is very shallow, meaning you will likely spend more time out of focus than in focus.
If you tend not to move much while speaking to your audience, this won’t be an issue. However, if you do… Ouch.
Pros
- Highly affordable
- Wide-angle lens
- Aperture 1.4 excels in low-light conditions
Cons
- No autofocus
What to Look for in Camera Lenses for Streaming
It’s similar with any other lens, really. You should look for sharpness, low-light performance, affordability, and practical use when determining which camera lens is best for you.
Additionally, pay close attention to whether your camera lens is compatible with a full-frame camera or an APS-C camera, as there is a difference in sensor size. This difference affects the focal lengths.
A lens might have a 10mm focal length (which would be classified as an ultra-wide-angle lens) on a full-frame camera, but this would equate to 15mm on an APS-C camera. The conversion ratio is between 1.5 and 1.6x, depending on the brand.
Sharpness
Sharpness is the primary factor that distinguishes regular lenses from the best lenses. While you’ll determine which lens is best for streaming by testing it against your specific needs, there is information you can gather from reviews like this one.
Here are some of the key features:
Additionally, the clarity of your streaming video or photography will ultimately depend on your expertise.
If you follow these pointers, you will be able to record video footage that will display well on any computer screen.
Low-Light Performance
This primarily depends on a large aperture concerning the lens. The camera’s sensor can also contribute significantly to this, but that is not our focus at the moment.
If you anticipate poor lighting, you should choose lenses with a larger aperture than 2.8. This means that any number lower than 2.8 would be a suitable option.
Affordability
This is more of a balancing act than anything else. Affordable lenses come with several trade-offs when compared to premium ones.
Either the aperture will be smaller, the build quality will be subpar, or several other seemingly minor factors can significantly impact your video quality.
Ultimately, you can achieve remarkable results based on your settings, your DSLR camera, and your expertise. However, there are certain limits that cannot be surpassed without a significant investment in your equipment.
Practical use
By “practical use,” I mean that you should have a clear understanding of how you intend to use the lens.
Some lenses may appear attractive, offer excellent image quality, or be available at a good price, but they are, for instance, 200-600mm.
A streamer would have no use for such a lens. It is much more suited for nature photography. These are the lenses that capture impressive close-ups of eagles and similar subjects.
They aren’t true close-ups. The photographer was likely hundreds of feet away from the animal when they took that picture. The lens they used simply has a powerful zoom feature.
Conclusion
At the conclusion of this test, my final list will be:
Therefore, keep an eye out for what is known as a wide-angle lens. Image stabilization, however, is not of primary importance.
Your camera is typically mounted on a tripod, which renders image stabilization largely unnecessary. However, it becomes important when you record video while holding your camera.
FAQ
What type of lens is best for streaming?
If I had to generalize, I’d say any lens with a lower focal length than 50mm. Of course, the aperture and other things matter, too, but a lens at +50mm would be pretty hard to set up in your room, given its zoom factor.
What lens do most YouTubers use?
I’d say it’s one of the Sigma lenses. Probably a wide-angle lens, too. If you want to achieve the video quality of your favorite YouTubers, Sigma 16mm f1.4 would be a great fit. It will catch both you and some of your immediate surroundings from a short distance. It’s razor-sharp and has a large aperture.
Is DSLR or mirrorless better for streaming?
This isn’t a lens-related question per se, but it’s an important one, nevertheless. The answer is that u003ca href=u0022https://streammentor.com/best-mirrorless-camera-for-streaming/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noreferrer noopeneru0022u003emirrorless camerasu003c/au003e always give videos of a higher quality than a DSLR camera would. That, however, brings your bandwidth into question. The better the video quality, the larger the file you’re streaming. So, if your bandwidth limits you in any way, a lower-quality DSLR camera with a matching DSLR lens would be a better choice.If not, then feel free to go mirrorless because it’s most definitely the future of video production.
