Let’s face it, filming a wedding can be really stressful.
You have to worry about so many things, and there’s a lot of things going on in your brain.
You have to worry about camera gear; you have to give the bride and groom a great experience.
You’re going to have beautiful cinematic shots that enhance your portfolio, audio, lighting.
What if I told you that you could film a wedding entirely by yourself.
In today’s article, I will share the 4 best Sony lenses for Wedding Videography to film any wedding, all by yourself effectively.
Let’s drive-in:
Which are the best Sony lens for wedding videography?
Here are my recommended top 7 best Sony lens for wedding videography:-
Image | Product | View on Amazon |
---|---|---|
Sony 16-35mm F4: (Best Focal length for wedding videography Sony) | View on Amazon | |
Sony 55mm F1.8: (Best Sharpest lens for wedding videography Sony) | View on Amazon | |
Sony 85mm F1.8: (Best Low light lens for wedding videography Sony) | View on Amazon | |
Sony 70-200mm F4: (Best Telephoto lens for wedding videography Sony) | View on Amazon | |
Sony 35mm F1.4: (Best video lens for Sony A6000) | View on Amazon | |
Sony 24mm F1.4: (Best lens for Sony A7iii video) | View on Amazon | |
Sony 70-200 F2.8: (Best lens for Sony A7sii video) | View on Amazon |
Sony 16-35mm F4: (Best Focal length for wedding videography Sony)
So this is actually my gimbal lens; if my camera is on my gimbal, this lens is on there 100% of the time.
Now I don’t really use it so much for prep or anything like that, but I like to use it to follow the wedding party down the aisle at the ceremony.
I like to use it to get in front of the bride and a father behind the bride, and her father is walking down the aisle and then again at the end of the ceremony.
Once the bride and groom couple come down, the hall is married for the first time, but it’s time for photos or a photo session.
This lens is again on my gimbal as we’re following the bride and groom around when they’re kissing and holding hands and walking into situations.
They’re under a tree is spin around and pull that kind of cinematic stuff 16-35 on my gimbal; I love my wide shots, and with 16, I can get those very easily.
If I also want to go into 35, I can do that too.
Then when it comes to the evening at the party, that dancing begins 16-35 on the gimbal again.
You can be on the dance floor spinning around people moving in and out people, holding the gimbal up high, looking down, getting lovely big white dance or shots.
That’s all that 16-35, a little tip for you when it comes to using this lens if you balance it at 16 where the barrel is extended.
And then you go and use it 35, and it’s going to be a little bit of balance.
So just kind of balance it where the barrel is extended about halfway up 24.
I got this lens about a month and a half ago, and I’ve been using it for various shoots, weddings, in particular, and many videos for my corporate clients.
So my first Pro is sharpness, the sharpness of this lens, considering it’s a nonprime lens, is believably sharp, and I’m saying that because of the detail you get in the shots.
I was amazed at how much bokeh you get with this lens considering it’s an f4. Was I a little worried about that?
The bokeh, even at 16 millimeters, when you’re vlogging or doing anything in the close range like that, you get a pretty decent amount of bokeh.
The second Pro is quality. This lens feels like it weighs about two pounds. I know it doesn’t, but it might be kind of close.
The heaviest lens in my bag is definitely the heaviest lens; even though it’s the heaviest, I still use it on my Zion crane v2.
Now focal length, it’s a 16 to 35. Obviously, the 16 millimeter on a full-frame camera is really wide.
I don’t really see many situations where I need anything like a 12 millimeter or a 10 millimeter.
Like with the 16, It’s so good for real estate virtual tours for doing any landscape work or even those wedding shots where you’re just trying to capture the entire moment.
I found this lens to be really good at 16 millimeters.
Now it goes to 35, like a semi portrait focal length, and the bokeh you get at 35 is excellent.
So the cons, the cons about this lens, like I said, are a little bit heavy, so it is a little bit more challenging to use on the crane all day long type thing.
But the heavy bone quality is also noted as better build quality and a better image.
So it’s a pro, but I’m considering it a con, and it’s a little bit heavy, but definitely not a deal-breaker for me.
I’m using it mainly outdoors to get the super-wide parallax shots but considering it’s like an f4, it’s not a big deal because I mostly use this lens outside.
If you’re thinking about buying this lens, I would highly consider it for that set price.
Sony 55mm F1.8: (Best Sharpest lens for wedding videography Sony)
I used to use the 85 actually, but it became a little bit too tight in some situations, often you will find bride and groom and couples getting married in kind of dimly lit small environments.
So I find 55 perfect for this; 85 is a bit too tight.
55 is a great focal length for shooting in these kinds of environments, plus because it’s F 1.8, you can deal with the low light if it’s pretty dim.
People are getting ready, and it’s pretty chaotic; there are people everywhere; sometimes there’s food, drink, bottles, beer, cans, all that kind of stuff around.
And if you’re using something like a 35, it might be a bit too wide. You might get some of that, and you’re short, and you don’t want that.
So 55 is an ideal length for getting exactly what you need and cutting out everything else.
For details ring shots, flowers, the opening of gifts, even for reading letters, the 55 F 1.8 is my choice when it comes to prep shots.
I wanted something a little bit wider, but it gave me a similar feel, and I could pull a little bit more of the environment in to tell that story a little bit.
This lens is super small and compact, lightweight balance is super lovely on the camera, and it’s just an absolute pleasure to carry around all day.
If you are shooting wedding events or maybe doing some street photography, it’s really convenient size.
This lens is a metal body barrel lens, and its really lovely feel is really sleek and pleasant; the autofocus on this lens is super fast.
I’d say it’s probably one of the fastest Sony lenses for autofocus or reviews; it really snaps onto your subject; it’s pretty tack sharp, every time.
Also, the autofocus motor on this lens is so quiet I can’t even hear it focusing, so if I’m using a microphone on top of my camera is perfect for that.
I really like the image quality that it gives me also in the video; it looks adorable.
That 55 focal length is so unique.
I thought it would be similar to having a 50 mil focal really slightly different you do get a little more compression and a little more cinematic kind of feel to the images.
Just because you don’t think it creates a little bit more depth of field, and it really is excellent.
It’s really nice on video. It just gives me some really nice-looking shots.
The focus ring is metal and not rubberized, so he’s slightly slippery and can be a little bit awkward.
If you are using a manual, focus on saying that I haven’t really had many problems.
I’ve gotten used to it now, so it’s not the end of the other thing is this says that it is weather seal can’t see a rubber with a sealing gasket on it.
So, I questioned that it would have been nice to have an autofocus or manual focus switch on the side and maybe a programmable button.
But then again, this lens is so small I’m not sure where it might have fitted onto it.
So if you are looking for a 50 mil kind of range lens and I can highly recommend checking out the 55 mils, I think you’ll be more than pleased, and I really love it.
That is a high-end premium lens.
I think this is a really nice lens to have, and it’s a really nice size if you are after something lightweight and compact.
Sony 85mm F1.8: (Best Low light lens for wedding videography Sony)
During the ceremony, two cameras, one on one side facing the bride, one on the other side facing the groom, a couple, and the 85, are those that I use.
Now with the 85, you have to stand a little closer than if you’re using the 70 to 200.
But usually, you’re around the level with the first or second row of the seats, off to the side, so you’re not in anyone’s view.
This is an F 1.8, so really great in low light.
If you’re shooting weddings outside, which many of the weddings I shoot are intuitive, you don’t really need to use F 1.8, so go up a little bit; you’ll be fine.
This also means the actual part of your image that’s in focus is a little bit bigger, so you don’t have a hard time if you’re specifically trying to get that eye or something like that.
The 85 is actually a tremendous focal length as well, for if you’re shooting the bride or the groom, you can flip to the family and water guests and get some nice reaction shots.
Moving on to when we’re shooting with the bride and groom for the photo session, this is just a great lens to kind of stand out the way.
And just let them do their thing gets really nice video of them interacting with each other, kissing, walking down the road spinning around.
With a static angle, this is a really nice lens for that.
With the bokeh on this, the separation in the background there if you are using a one F 1.8 even F2, F4 it’s still perfect depending on how close you are just a really nice cinematic image with the 85.
The 85 is actually really good as well. When it comes to speeches in the evenings, some environments for receptions, often quite dark, sometimes you’ll have an excellent DJ with a perfect lighting setup, or the venue has an ideal lighting setup.
You don’t have any issues with low light; for the most part, in most situations, you don’t have that, and receptions can be quite dimly lit.
F 1.8 is going to help you out there; put it on manual mode, focus on them directly, use focus peaking if you need to, and then you’re good, you’re good to go.
You can get the speeches, the background disappears to nothing, and you’re good.
My favorite lens, I’m going to tell you why you might want to consider this as your next lens if you don’t already own it.
I want to share why I like it, why I think you should give it a go and maybe you’ll like it too.
First up, his focal length, 85 perfect lengths for filming weddings, for portraits, anything that involves people, is a really nice length for the 85.
You don’t have to get in close. You stand back, get a really nice field of view.
And remember 85 with clear image zoom on a Sony that comes like a 174, if you’re using a crop lens, it’s like 250 miles, that’s really zoomed in.
That is a ton of versatility for an 85 mil lens, perfect for all kinds of events. Anything involving people really has an F 1.8 aperture as well, which means really good for shooting in low-light environments.
Weddings can be pretty dark at night and then efficiently words or something like that. When they really use or follow, like F 1.8 is beautiful.
This lens, the bokeh is buttery smooth so nice, the manual focus ring on this is near perfect for all the Sony lenses.
The autofocus is crazy quick, and the Sony native lens, so the autofocus will always be good on this.
If you decide on the quality, this lens is beautiful.
It’s a black metal lens mount; its metal and a ban on the side can be one of the focus and manual focus switching.
The big thing that’s very nice to have on the lens quickly swap between autofocus and manual focus without actually having to go into the camera is a really nice feature to have an excellent way to it.
It’s got a perfect weight to it; It feels like you spent good money on this lens; it just looks nice too.
Of course, the main reason I continue to use this is that I really liked the video.
With this lens, you will not regret the amount of money you spend on quality videos.
Sony 70-200mm F4: (Best Telephoto lens for wedding videography Sony)
I constantly refer to this as the sniper lens, and it’s because you can basically stand back and still get the shot that you need to get.
This is one of those lenses that does cost a fair amount of money, and you don’t want to buy it because you don’t really see yourself using it.
But then you get it, and you end up using it for a lot more than you figured you would.
This lens is one of the cameras; you can sit right at the back off to the side you’re either getting the bride or the groom.
You can get some really nice candid shots, nice and close.
You can go in when the rings get put on the fingers for the first time; you do all that stuff with the 70 at 200 and in anyone’s way.
Also, the separation for this at 200 is incredible; it consistently blows me away; it is perfect.
Now a nice alternate angle as well if you want to use it is straight down the middle of the aisle facing the bride and groom.
Your photographer, you’re not in the way of the guests at the back, you can sit at the back of the aisle, and you’re good to go.
Sometimes the configurations of weddings can be a little bit strange and difficult to deal with.
And you might be stood right in front of a ton of people, and the speeches are right by you, and that’s the only way you can stand, and people don’t like that.
So with the 70-200, you can stand right at the back to zoom right in and get all the speeches without annoying anyone without getting in the way, and you get, for the most part.
F4 is enough in some venues that you might also have to use lighting.
Little light can go a long way, or if maybe push the ISO a little bit further, it’s better to get a shot, even if it’s a little bit grainy, than not good at all.
The 70-200 millimeter f4 is my favorite choice for a telephoto lens for Sony because it’s compact, has an excellent focal range, and is just an all-around excellent lens.
This one comes in at 1.8 pounds, which is nearly half the weight of the 2.8 version.
So, that’s why we’ve chosen to go with this one because we often hike and climb with our equipment, so having something lightweight is important if you’re shooting within low-light environments.
We typically shoot outdoors where there’s plenty of light, so this is adequate.
The other thing that really stands out to me about this lens is how sharp it is.
I would say it’s on par with most prime lenses, as far as sharpness, which is a really excellent quality to get, and the zoom lens gets a little bit more complicated.
I love having to tack sharp images, and this lens delivers one characteristic that surprised me: the unique lens flare that this lens creates when you shoot.
The other advantage of shooting with a 70 to 200 as opposed to a prime is it gives you that full range.
So at 70 millimeters or closer to between 70 and 85, you can get a really nice portrait lens, and you can get relatively close to your subject.
Or, if you want to zoom out to 200 millimeters, you can get amazing compression and really bring that subject close to the background in that field of view.
I also appreciated that this lens is full-featured; it comes with optical stabilization and all the functions you might expect on a professional grade 70-200 at a great price point.
And that’s probably one of the biggest factors for people in choosing this lens because it’s less expensive than the F 2.8 version.
The main advantage for us was the weight, but I think many people will appreciate the less expensive option.
In summary, if you want a lightweight, high quality, and affordable lens.
The 70 to 200 is the best option for a telephoto zoom lens for a Sony full-frame email.
Sony 35mm F1.4: (Best video lens for Sony A6000)
It is the best 35-millimeter lens that I have ever used.
It is just as incredible as the 24 millimeters, with the only difference being that it gives you 11 More millimeters of focal link.
I use that lens to film a wedding, and my goodness, the image quality is phenomenal, and that bokeh is so buttery at F 1.4.
I also found that I really enjoyed that focal length because I could back up a little bit from my subject and get a similar feeling that I get from shooting with my 24 millimeters or walk a little bit closer and still have the lens be tight enough.
It’s well built, weather-sealed, and includes features like dedicated autofocus or manual focus switch on the side that makes it super quick to switch between those two settings.
It also has my favorite feature of all.
You get full aperture control on the lens, including a clickless aperture switch so you can smoothly adjust your aperture.
This lens has excellent optical performance, it’s sharp to the corners, and it looks very creamy at F 1.4; the autofocus performance of the 35 is just as good.
It’s fast; it’s responsive. I detect autofocus with my A7siii locks on, which holds very well.
Also, I was handheld and shooting at 120 frames per second, there’s definitely some camera shake, but autofocus held on like a champ.
I have more good news for filmmakers, too, because this lens is nearly silent when auto-focusing; I have to literally put my ear up next to it to hear the motors working.
This is fantastic news if you’re filming, say, a talking head interview in a quiet room or any other audio-critical scenario where you want to make sure that you’re not picking up any lens noise.
Now, talking manual focus for a second, this lens is focused by wire like all of Sony’s other lenses, unlike past lenses.
I feel like with the GM line.
Sony has finally made their lenses fast enough where there’s no discernible lag between you rotating the focus ring.
You should have no problems switching this lens to manual focus if you need to, and it should perform very well.
Sony 24mm F1.4: (Best lens for Sony A7iii video)
This is a pretty incredible lens. Sony did a great job with creating this particular lens.
We’re going to go over some of the things you know the See, of this is a right fit for you, image quality, basically build, so let’s get right into it.
I think one of the most incredible features about this lens is definitely its compact in lightweight mobility; it’s definitely a great lens to have in your arsenal.
Yeah, so one of the things that make it kind of that compact will be that there are actually two XA elements inside of this.
And the big one is actually on the front; the first element is that x element, which keeps that design a little bit small.
We still do have weather sealing on this, which we would expect from any high-end lenses.
We also have a customizable button on the lens to trigger basically anything you want in the camera.
I had no issue shooting it this way. Even pumping it up in like F2 barely made a difference on that.
Now in the corners, it does get a little bit softer, not a whole lot at F 1.4 was just a little bit soft, and then by the time I got to f 2.8, That thing is dead tack sharp. So, really, really nice.
Sony did put the new XC team motor that is found in their 400 millimeters, and you know it’s very fast, very accurate, and it does impact video.
Yeah, that XC motor will mean that you pretty much have no focus breathing at all when you’re using this.
If you do want to use manual focus, it is much more linear in this lens, and really, this is an excellent lens for video because it’s so small and light.
I had it on a gimbal, which is really nice for that one, and then also because we can also D-click the aperture on this one.
You can really get some nice smooth transitions when you’re changing your aperture; overall, it’s just an amazing lens for video.
Now, when you think of 24 millimeters, I don’t think your mind automatically goes to shooting portraits with it.
But I have to say it was an incredible lens for portraits.
And I find that many of the images coming out of my camera are at 24 millimeters.
It is nice, though, with this prime lens that you get it at 1.4.
So you get that beautiful background blur that comes with a prime lens, and I loved it.
Now the bokeh was amazing on this lens. Yeah, it actually looked pretty good.
It’s a little strong, which we normally get from very sharp lenses, but it was overall very pleasing had no issues with it at all.
Now, the value of this lens is okay; I do have to say, as a wedding photographer, what I purchase and invest in a 24-millimeter f 1.4 Absolutely.
I shoot like I said a lot at 24 millimeters when I’m shooting the bride getting ready or the groom getting ready, and that F 1.4.
Those two stops do make a difference to me.
Yeah, I mean, if you’re shooting in low light, you’re talking about lowering your ISO potentially from like 6400 all the way down to 1600, and that can make a huge impact on your image quality.
Sony 70-200 F2.8: (Best lens for Sony A7sii video)
I did use it for a commercial shoot, and I use it for a wedding, so I’ve got a pretty good idea of how it works and its performance.
So let’s jump into it, and hopefully, by the end, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what’s something you’re going to want to buy.
It’s a big lens; it’s a super heavy lens. Big lens, heavy lens, you need to be prepared to carry it around and get used to it. But the quality is solid; it’s really nice.
What surprised me, which I learned at the end of a wedding that I was using, is that it’s a cheap mechanical it’s not fly by wire focus.
So for a video, that would be amazing.
Really nice smooth focus ring and is mechanical, so the fly-by-wire lens can be a bit funny to focus manually, whereas this one’s fine.
I noticed that sometimes I had my finger, my thumb over the grip, so when I was focusing on one thing as it overrides it, it wouldn’t autofocus, so I had to remember to move my hand backward more.
I thought it was slanted kind of playing out, but it was actually to me just holding the focus ring with my thumb by mistake.
The weight-wise size-wise huge no-goes for me, and I already knew that before I bought it, so that’s not a surprise to me.
And chances are, if you’re looking at 70 to 200, you already know that fact.
So moving on to speed and reliability focus speed on this thing is insane. It’s the fastest tracking lens that I think I’ve ever used.
IT WAS REALLY FAST when I shot the girls walking down the aisle; I never missed a shot; I focused on work flawlessly.
So again, not very scientific, but as far as speed goes, it’s faster than any other lens that I have crazy fast and reliable autofocus.
So moving on to optical quality, I must say, this surprises me. It is just, I shot it in 2.8 all day and never stopped it down, and it’s just insanely good.
You know, when you’re focused on it, I, it’s just, it’s crazy sharp.
It’s an amazing lens optically, and I couldn’t see any chromatic aberration at all from the images that I looked at.
And yeah, sharpness, everything like handles highlights really well, really contrasty, and the colors are stunning image quality, no complaints at all.
I’d give a solid 9 out of 10; you can easily shoot this at 2.8 and not worry about focusing or not being soft wide open; it’s just crazy sharp.
So yeah, optical quality, big thumbs up. The excellent lens surprises me. Actually, I knew it’d be good, but I didn’t think it would be that good.
I’ll tell you the stabilization, and this thing is better than any other lens that I’ve seen video panning.
I tried a couple of clips just panning along with video, and the stabilization was just crazy like it looked like it was on a tripod.
Amazing lens, really high quality, optical quality is the flawless build quality is flawless.
I can’t think of anything to complain about specific to the lens.
Another thing to note was I used it in a couple of low-light situations.
And the difference between 1.4 and 2.8 and low light is massive.
When you jump to the 2.8, it goes from 1600 to like 6400 quite fast, you know, you can’t really drop it below 6400 Right so whereas it’s 1600 with the other one.
Now that’s a pretty big deal when you’re doing like speeches and low light and stuff.
So it’s something to keep in mind if you shoot in low light a lot; you’re going to be a real high ISO with this one instead of like an 85 mil or a 135 mil F2 even.
So, overall thoughts, crazy image quality. Really nice build quality.
What lens do you use for wedding videography?
It was always an easy answer to give, there were only two best options: wide-angle and telephoto.
Which camera is best for wedding videography?
The most crucial camera to have for wedding videography is a DSLR. This will allow you to capture the best quality video possible without having too many issues with lighting and sound.
How much should you spend on videography for a wedding?
You’ve spent hours looking for the perfect dress, and now it’s time to select a videographer. How much should you spend on videography? There are two types of wedding videos: traditional and cinematic. Traditional is more affordable than cinematic, as they use less equipment and require fewer crew members. Cinematic films your day with beautiful shots from different angles – although this price tag may be out of reach for some budgets. Whatever type you choose will depend on what kind of video you’re going for!
Can you shoot a wedding with one lens?
This question is often debated among photographers. The answer is that it depends on your style and what you’re comfortable shooting with. Some photographers may prefer to use a zoom lens for the ceremony, switch to a prime lens for group shots, and close up portraits of individual guests during cocktail hour or dinner. Other photographers might use one lens throughout the event–it’s really up to you!
CONCLUSION:
Alright, guys, so that concludes all the lenses we will talk about today in this article.
Do you guys have any experience with these lenses? What are your thoughts on them?
Which is your best Sony Lens for Wedding Videography?
Is there a lens that I didn’t mention in this article that you love to use for wedding videography?
Would you please leave your thoughts and comments below?
Related posts:
Best Prime Lenses for Wedding Photography:
Best Sony Lens for Wedding Photography:
Best Lens for Wedding Videography:
I am a professional photographer born in the USA. I have been in this field of photography for 22 years now, and in these years, I used many photography lenses, which I want to share here on this website about my experience of it. The idea for Bestoflens.com is to provide honest information about different Lenses products in the format of a “Best lenses for AYZ” list. I want this website to be the last destination for people to pick the best lenses to fit their needs. You can find our unbiased reviews here on Bestoflens.