For video mostly. Probably not a lot of change of distances except when recording while traveling.

As I understand it they are fairly close to being the same with the added convenience of not having to change. Thoughts?

You'll generally get better image quality and wider apertures with prime lenses. Zoom lenses are for convenience.

What of primary importance? Is the highest of image quality a huge concern?

quote:

Originally posted by Deqlyn:
For video mostly. Probably not a lot of change of distances except when recording while traveling.

As I understand it they are fairly close to being the same with the added convenience of not having to change. Thoughts?

In general, the larger the zoom range (ratio of max focal length to min focal length - e.g. a 70-200 is a bit less than 3x, 28-300 is almost 11x), the slower the aperture and the worse the optical quality.

There are, of course, exceptions.

I'm not a video person. Optical quality of lenses is very important if you're shooting pictures at 20-30 (or more) megapixels and blowing them up poster-size. It may not matter that much if you're doing 1080p (or even 4k) video.

I suppose things like vignetting and distortion would still be issues, but sharpness might not be.

Read Ken Rockwell blog on Nikkor 18-300.

im looking at the Canon Rebel T7i which is 24 MGPX

I actually found a "bundled" deal that comes with an 18-200mm and a 50mm f1.8 prime. Not super concerned about quality as it is mostly vlog format. Just wanting it to be 1080p

If you're going for internet streaming video quality, something like this should be just the ticket.

Thank you sir! Eventually I will upgrade to something 4k capable but baby steps first.

 
Prescott AZ = Priii + many pedestrians. I hate to go there.
 

I have this lens and it is awesome. I use 90% of time, it's a bit pricey but it is my go to lens so I am definitely happy I have it.

I don't shoot much video with my canon.


www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product...mm_f_3_5_5_6_IS.html

Tl;dr: Skip the All-in-One. Find 24mm or 35mm prime if you don't need stabilization. Otherwise, find a wide-telephoto like 18-55 or 24-70 with stabilization.


Long Version:
Aperture. Aperture. Aperture.

The name of the game is aperture. You want lenses with as large an aperture (large aperture = small F number, as aperture is an expression of 1/F number) as you are able to afford and willing to carry.

All-in-One lenses trade aperture (and sometimes sharpness) for affordability and compactness. Whether that's a good trade or not, really depends on the types of pictures and video enjoy. While on Safari in Kenya a few months ago, I shared a Safari vehicle with a gentleman who was using a superzoom compact camera. He probably had like 600x zoom or more on a little compact camera--and he was REALLY into his pictures. He was STOKED that he could close ups of every random bird that might be perched at some tree over yonder.

But to me, his pictures were uninspiring. They looked like noisy smears to me because of the super tiny sensor and tiny aperture inherent in that sort of lens/camera design. Ignoring the picture quality, his pictures were compositionally just snap shots--mere documentation that he did, indeed, see a particular bird or animal. But he was happy with his pictures and I didn't say a word other than to complement him on catching pretty pictures of birds.

And that's the problem with All-in-One lenses. They give the user a wide array of focal lengths to choose from, but without a wide aperture and sharpness, they lack the backbone to really provide stunning results. It's like having a Swiss Army knife with a saw blade--It'll work in a pinch, but how often do you find yourself sawing through a 1" branch that you couldn't just break with your hands? Similarly, how often do need telephoto zoom in a compact body when getting a few steps closer isn't an option? And then, ask yourself: is that flat, depth-less, close up of the gargoyle on the basilica roof really going to be a good picture or is it just another snapshot you'll never look at?

Much of the versatility of an All-in-One zoom is imagined. You aren't going to whip out your compact 300mm telephoto and shoot your kid's basketball game at F5.6 without some significant compromises elsewhere. There's just not enough light to capture super sharp images of fast moving action with that small of an aperture. Instead, I prefer the versatility of having a really large maximum aperture. That gives me the ability to take sharp pictures in lower light, or to blur out the background to make my subject pop. I may not always be able to get close enough to a subject, but I can try to move closer or compose the image differently so that I don't need to be zoomed up so close.

Anyway, specifically to answer your question Deqlyn, I don't think you need an All-In-One zoom for what you are trying to accomplish. A 24mm or 35mm would be a better choice for vlogging. The 50mm 1.8 is going to really cropped in tight, unless you can get the camera pretty far back. (The Canon T7 is an APS-C sized sensor, so a 50mm lens looks like a 75mm lens taken on a 35mm film camera due to the crop factor). Something with a wide aperture like 2.8 or 1.8 will give you the slightly blurry background for that cinematic look, and the ability to shoot in low light without having the crank up the camera's ISO.

Alternatively, you can get a wide-angle zoom, like 18-55 or 24-70 that has image stabilization. You'll likely end up with something with a a smaller aperture (3.5-5.6, for instance), but you'll gain some flexibility in framing your shot and image stabilization is important if you aren't always shooting on a tripod. You'll never use the telephoto zoom in a vlog.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Aeteocles,

Carrying multiple lenses and changing them in the field becomes a real pain in the ass, not to mention the possiblity of introducing dirt on the sensor. Go with a sensible range zoom and don't look back.

Camera lenses are like scopes.

The more you knowledge and experience you accumulate, the more specialized and expensive your tastes become.

Your APS-C sensor is basically going to 1.6x the rated zoom on any lens you get. That's good for wildlife and sports, not so good for group shots, landscape, indoor architectural shooting.

I survived for a long time on a 24-105 USM I and used it to death twice. It's an excellent lens (although the USM II appears to be marginally better) and will do 85% of what most beginning photographers want to do.

If you are mainly interested in video, you would probably be better of with Canon STM or Nano USM lenses rather than a “standard” USM lens.

Remember the crop factor, a 200mm lens on a 1.6x body is going to give you a reach of 320mm. If you don’t or rarely need that range no point in accepting the significant cons of an ultra zoom.

For an “almost” do it all lens, I’d suggest the 18-135mm Canon lens which is offered in both STM and Nano USM versions (as well as older non-STM version I would avoid). While these are “kit” lenses, they are higher end ones with good cost vs performance. For the times you do need more reach, Canon has a fantastic 55-250mm STM lens that has the benefits of STM and is very reasonably priced on the used market. If cost is a concern, I’d suggest a two lens set up of the 18-55mm STM and the 55-250mm STM.

Wide, “fast” apertures are less important as image stabilization and ISO capabilities have increased. If you need the narrow depth of field or subject separation they offer when wide open, it matters. Otherwise, not so much. Fast aperture is more readily obtainable in prime lenses. Canon offers 24mm and 40mm f/2.8 STM and 50mm f/1.8 STM lenses all in the $125-$150 price range new. All have a high level of performance at an affordable price.

You might also consider one of the higher end point and shoot types with video capability if you do not want to have more than 1 lens. Canon has been at the forefront of video for a while now (a Nikon owner like myself hates to admit that). I suspect they might have a setup that ticks all the need boxes on your list and maybe even some wants. Even Nikon has a couple of its upper range non changeable lens cameras that have those capabilities. You might even get 4k in one if you look through the Canon line. Later if you get more serious and have homework established you ay want to upgrade to a DSLR with changeable lenses.

I went to Canon's website and found this with 1080 video and a viewfinder if that is what you prefer:https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/cameras/point-and-shoot/advanced-cameras/powershot-g5-x

I'm sure you can get a better price at B&H or other online photo stores. Good luck in your search.

If it is primarily for video, why not buy a video camera? Video is an afterthought on DSLRs. It is getting to be a pretty good afterthought, but a dedicated video camera will be better.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
If it is primarily for video, why not buy a video camera? Video is an afterthought on DSLRs. It is getting to be a pretty good afterthought, but a dedicated video camera will be better.

Current generation DSLR and mirrorless cameras take very high-quality video. They are commonly in use as backup or secondary cameras in TV and low-budget film making.

BBC Top Gear's aerial drone footage used Panasonic GH2 micro four thirds mirrorless cameras - the GH2 was released in 2010 and is now 3 generations old.

Used properly, a DSLR or mirrorless camera will generally produce better video than a consumer camcorder.

A real, professional video camera will, of course, do better, but then you're talking several thousand dollars at a minimum.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
If it is primarily for video, why not buy a video camera? Video is an afterthought on DSLRs. It is getting to be a pretty good afterthought, but a dedicated video camera will be better.

DSLRs and Mirrorless have already long reached the point where they surpass consumer handheld camcorders.

The Canon T7i puts out 60Mbps video bitrate versus the 35Mbps usually found in consumer handheld camcorders. Higher video bitrate = cleaner images. For a while, this was the bottleneck as it took alot of CPU power to downsample a 12mp image into a 2.1mp video without overheating, and the compromise was to simply lower the amount of data that actually needed to get downsampled.

The other bottleneck was auto focus. Many photo lenses just couldn't focus fast enough or did so with too much noise. It was just easier to make tiny little lenses focus quickly, and you only needed tiny little lenses on a camcorder because the sensor size is miniscule, like 1/2.8". But lens technology is catching up--you've got silent magnetic focusing motors on lenses now, and lenses are being sized down specifically for APS-C and MFT sensors to reduce the amount of mass that needs to move in order focus.

Essentially, I can't really see what a consumer handheld camcorder brings to the table that an iPhone doesn't. Perhaps there's greater dynamic range because they only need to squeeze like 3mp onto a 1/2.8" sensor so each pixel might be bigger, or a zoom motor for smooth zoom...but that's about all I can come up with from the top of my head.

quote:

Originally posted by bettysnephew:

I went to Canon's website and found this with 1080 video and a viewfinder if that is what you prefer:https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/cameras/point-and-shoot/advanced-cameras/powershot-g5-x

I'm sure you can get a better price at B&H or other online photo stores. Good luck in your search.

G5x is an awesome little camera. I have one for when I don’t wish to lug a full kit. Pinnacle of point and shoot as far as I am concerned. Easy to use but also offers full manual if you wish.

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:

quote:

Originally posted by bettysnephew:

I went to Canon's website and found this with 1080 video and a viewfinder if that is what you prefer:https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/cameras/point-and-shoot/advanced-cameras/powershot-g5-x

I'm sure you can get a better price at B&H or other online photo stores. Good luck in your search.

G5x is an awesome little camera. I have one for when I don’t wish to lug a full kit. Pinnacle of point and shoot as far as I am concerned. Easy to use but also offers full manual if you wish.

A little bit of a thread drift, but have you seen the G1X Mark III? APS-C sized sensor. Puts up a compelling answer to the Fuji X100F.

I like all-in-one zoom lenses. For one thing, if that's the only lens you have, you can buy a really good one for less than the cost of several lesser quality lenses. Also, you'll never need to take it off your camera, so sensor dust won't plague you. And one polarizing filter is all you'll need. It's not often that a filter will fit multiple lenses.