The 7 Best Lenses For Streaming in 2023

Are you done picking the right camera to start streaming?

If that’s a Yes, I bet the next thing you need is a lens. Even, If that’s a no I have a solution for you, I have an article where I introduced some great cameras for youtube or vlogging in general.

Finding the right lens for streaming is not an easy task, I mean in general, you will struggle to find the right lens for your style, especially when you consider how crowded the market is with lenses.

To take some burden off your shoulders, In this article I have rounded up what I feel are the best lenses for streaming. Moreover, if you don’t like any of my listings in the end you will be greeted by a buying guide section and some extra information that will give you a good insight regarding streaming lenses.

A Quick Look at My Favorite Lenses for Streaming

Image	Product	Features	Price
Best Image Quality	Sony 24mm F1.4	8.6	Check Price On Amazon
Best For Close-Ups	Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 Art	8.6	Check Price On Amazon
Best For Indoor Use	Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8	8.5	Check Price On Amazon
Best Compact	Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6	8.8	Check Price On Amazon
Best For Low-Light	Sigma 50mm F1.4	8.6	Check Price On Amazon
Best For General Use	Tamron 28-75mm – f/2.8	8.2	Check Price On Amazon
Best For The Money	Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX-II 11-16mm f/2.8	8	Check Price On Amazon

Without further a doo, let’s start listing.

Top 7 Best Streaming Lenses

7. Sony 24mm F1.4 – Best Image Quality

Starting things right away, with a “killer” lens for A7 full-frame users.

The Sony 24mm F1.4 might have been created just to benefit the live streamer. It screams “streaming lens” in many ways.

It permits more light, meaning your viewers get to see you in great visuals and its aperture is billed as “worlds-fastest”; it provides a high level of exposure while giving you/subject plenty of space to stand out from the background.

It has a perfect balance between sharpness and low distortion, it is simply a beast in low-light performance, no matter how much light goes through the lens the image quality will pretty much remain the same.

On top of all this, it has a compact form factor that weighs as little as 2 pounds, streaming with it won’t be a problem at all.

Sample Pictures of Sony 24mm F1.4

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6. Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 Art – Best For Close-Ups

Since the first option was about a mirrorless camera, next we have a friend pick for you guys who use a DSLR, the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 a great zoom lens.

If you are into lenses and cameras, you might have heard about it already, it is a really popular lens among photographers.

It sports a really fast aperture with a minimum focus distance of 28cm, it provides some serious quality pictures with a great bokeh effect behind.

Thanks to its large aperture and light transmission, makes this lens is an ideal pick for streamers.

It doesn’t fail to be a great performer even in low-light conditions, and when you think of it; sigma is known for its affordability, so is the case with the sigma 18-35mm F1.8 Art.

Sample Pictures of Sigma 18-35mm

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5. Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 – Best For Indoor Use

Next on the list, we have an unbeatable pick from Canon, the capabilities of the Canon EF-S 24mm are just unbeatable, especially on the streaming aspect.

It is a really fast and versatile prime lens, that comes in a lightweight and compact form factor.

It is quite feature-packed, including this like aspheric element for better image quality, specialized coating on the lens to eliminate ghosting and flaring.

Great bokeh effect due to the 7-blade aperture and the STM motor that provides a silent, yet smooth focus tracking.

Besides all that, what makes this lens an ideal pick for streamers, is also the superb AF system that can focus down to a minimum distance of 0.16m, combine all that with an unobtrusive construction and you get yourself a great lens that will benefit in many ways.

Sample Pictures of Canon EF-S 24mm

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4. Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 – Best Compact

Sony makes it on the list once again, this time with a really versatile zoom lens, Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6.

The 16-50mm focal range, hit the nail in the head for streamers, those numbers are a dream for live streamers.

Even if you are a vlogger on youtube, it is great due to the angle of view that goes from 27.6 degrees to 12.2 degrees.

It sports a Power Zoom ed glass and aspherical lens element to fight to ghost and flaring, chromatic aberration so it can produce top quality.

What’s more, it also has built-in image stabilization, to prevent shaky footage.

Besides coming in a light and compact form factor, it is relatively cheap. It sure ticks all the boxes an entry-level streamer needs.

Sample Pictures of Sony 16-50mm

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3. Sigma 50mm F1.4 – Best For Low-Light

On the third sport comes a prime lens from Sigma, yet again, the Sigma 50mm.

This lens doesn’t fail to deliver, it rewards in razer sharp images along with creamy and smooth bokeh accompanied by almost no distortion or vignette.

What’s more, the autofocus system is spot on, you will even forget that you have a camera.

It is sure one bulky boy, but it makes sense why; however, it doesn’t matter since you are not taking the lens traveling, it will sit on your set-up permanently.

Just note that extreme lighting situations and backlights can affect things, but not really an issue for streaming.

Overall, this is a great prime lens that sits at the perfect focal length and aperture, just what a streamer needs, and being from Sigma portfolio it comes in a moderate price tag.

Sample Pictures of Sigma 50mm F1.4

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2. Tamron 28-75mm – f/2.8 – Best For General Use

Secondly, we have a pick from a third-party brand like sigma, the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8.

Some from the photographing community like to bill it as “gold standard” a lens that gave the competition a run for its money, even the known brands like Sony, Canon, and Nikon.

It has superb autofocus technology and is constructed in an anti-reflection manner, to eliminate ghosting and flaring.

Capable of reaching to 75mm focal range, it sure comes big and bulky, but on the flip side it comes with the benefit of fine-tuning the focal length; simply put, it offers great versatility.

Although it is really easy to high-speed zoom, most streamers won’t make use of this, unless they hit roads and do some hobby photographing.

With that being said, if you are a streamer who also likes to take shots of things like landscapes from time to time, this is a great versatile lens.

Sample Pictures of Tamron 28-75mm

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1. Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX-II 11-16mm f/2.8 – Best For The Money

Since I included pretty much a lens for all types of cameras, besides Nikon; this pick from Tokina will bring a lot of value to Nikon users.

It is one of the best lenses for streaming, it captures everything in a sharp focus while being clear and distortion-free.

It has a really fast aperture of 2.8 in order to let more light in, so your viewers can see how serious you are.

Thanks to its wide lens you will be able to capture great footage of yourself while blowing out the background.

With all that being said, the thing that I like most is its price, it is priced in a really cost-effective manner.

If you own a Nikon camera, you simply can’t go wrong with this bad boy.

Sample Pictures of Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX-II 11-16mm

What To Look For When Buying a Streaming Lens

Pretty much it is the same as when shopping for any type of lens.

You need to consider things like Focal Length, sharpness, how it performs in low-light situations, price if it is compatible with your camera, etc.

Focal Length

Focal length is key on a lens, alongside aperture.

Focal length implies the distance the light travels from the optical center of the lens to the camera sensor. It is measured in millimeters(mm), you have it easy to spot on the lens barrel, but besides that, the lenses themselves are named after their focal length range.

A short focal length, meaning the lowest possible numbers in mm, creates a more zoomed-out picture, while the opposite with a higher focal length, creates a more zoomed-in picture.

You will encounter lenses with double numbers on them, which means they have more versatility and give you the freedom to change the focal length to your likings, and that’s what we call a zoom lens.

If you see a single number, it means that that’s a prime lens and has a fixed focal length, you won’t be able to change it.

The Sharpness

Sharpness is the main factor that differs a lens from a great one and a mediocre one.

Simply put, a good sharp image comes in rendered clearly and detailed, it will look good both in focus and contrast.

Every photo needs sharpening, fortunately, even if you can’t get good sharp images, you can use photoshop to sharpen them afterward.

But that’s not what we seeking here, it is more of a last resort thin.

Low Light

Low Light performance means when the lowest light level a camera can capture, but at the same time for it to maintain good image quality.

Aperture is the key factor that contributes to low light, the camera sensor does too but it can’t help a lot on this aspect.

Unless, it is a big sensor from a flagship; take the small sensor found on smartphones, for example, they struggle a lot in low light.

Budget

Our budget is what limits on getting premium things and cheaper ones, by this I am speaking in general and not just for lenses.

A cheap lens will always have drawbacks when compared to a high-end one.

I don’t wanna scare you or make a big fuss about this, but we all are aware that lenses come expensive, sometimes they even cost more than the camera itself; a wrong buy will make a hole in your pocket.

That’s why you need to seriously pay attention to details and do your homework before buying one.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Final Words

We arrived at the end, I am confident that I have included at least the most important notes you need to know regarding best lens for streaming.

So as I mentioned above, don’t rush things and consider the best option that will suit you.

The lenses above, indeed are great lenses that will benefit streaming, but some of them might not suit you, or what suits you won’t suit another streamer.

In the end, it all boils down to preferences and your camera/style of streaming.

Further Reading

If you liked what you read so far, I will prompt some more reading.

If you also want to know regarding some good vlogging lenses you can read further, or in case you own a Sony A6000 and want some lenses for it.

There are also some great hunting action cameras that I wrote, or if you are into fishing, feel free to read some of the best fishing cameras.

I also have an article for moms who want to buy a camera, to keep track of their tricks.

This is it,

Enjoy!