Vlogging is the thing right now. A lot of people have the making for a successful vlog, but the technical challenges keep them from getting the concept off the ground. And it's true, there’s a lot to consider. While you can use something as basic as your smartphone to shoot video and record audio, you’ll find that to really keep an audience engaged, a more robust setup is required. Building that system doesn’t have to be a big, super-expensive thing. You can make it happen with the right camera and a few choice lenses.
On his Dynamic Vision Photography blog, Kenneth Hines serves up advice on choosing the best lenses for Beauty Bloggers and YouTubers. Hines’ advice is in the context of his Sony α5000 and α6000-series cameras, but his advice applies to any system. He writes,“These are questions I’m asked a LOT in my Beauty community, so here’s a quick guide to help you on what lenses I feel are must haves for ANYONE in beauty. I’m a Sony Alpha Imaging Collective Ambassador, so my review will be entirely on the Sony Alpha system, but if you’re using a Nikon or Canon camera then you’d be able to follow this guide also, by looking for lenses that are the same or near the same focal length for your respective brands.”
Hines selections include both prime and zooms. His “must-have” favorite might surprise you. It’s the Sony 30mm f/3.5 Macro. As a beauty photographer, Hines writes, “This is my HIGHEST recommended lens for ANY Beauty professional and the one that should BE YOUR FIRST LENS WITH YOUR CAMERA!
“Those who are using it that I’ve recommended this to have thanked me over and over for this!
“I use this lens for ALL of my ring images from Weddings (see image at the bottom of this blog), as well as an MUA’s makeup brushes while they’re doing the makeup of the bride and bridesmaids.”
For his top-rated zoom, Hines calls out the Sony E PZ G 18-105mm G f/4. He writes, “Having a lens for a variety of situations is always important and this lens is my top choice for that very case. Now it’s around $600, but it’s a lens I think any Beauty professional should have in their kit.
“It has an f/4 constant aperture and is a power zoom lens. This feature is great because if you remotely take photos with your camera you can control the zooming remotely from the Sony PlayMemories App.”
