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Real estate videography can be challenging, especially finding the right gear. In particular, Canon has a wide variety of lenses which can be overwhelming if you aren’t sure what to look for.
That’s why I’ve created this guide of the best canon lens for video, including reviews, features, factors to consider, and a FAQ.
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Depending on the lenses you prefer, these are the best Canon lens for video for outdoor, indoor, and low-light situations for real estate videography.
Looking for a camera lens that catches 8 times more light than the standard zoom? The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 remains a top choice for low-light situations when shooting homes.
This lens also catches less motion blur, reducing the need for flash. It’s also great for everyday use, as the STM technology quickly captures high-quality video and photos. The STM focus for video is also silent on models T4i and below and near-silent on older models.
Since it does not have image stabilization, make sure to use a tripod or gimbal to capture steady video.
Overall, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8, also known as the “Nifty Fifty,” is a popular choice as a prime lens for video because of its ability to adapt to low light and provide unique bokeh for videos.
The fast f/1.4 max aperture of this lens allows for low-light performance with selective focus control. The 35mm focal length is also one of the most versatile on the market, best for landscapes, portraits, and close-up subjects.
The Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM is a wide angle lens that is perfect for capturing residential and commercial real estate through video, showing the whole compound, backyard, front yard, and more. Compared to the 50mm lens, the 35mm is ideal when recording video in smaller spaces, such as bathrooms and tighter bedrooms.
Because it’s an L-series optic, it can work in harsh environments with its weather-resistant construction. It’s also a reformulated lens design from Canon, consisting of 14 elements in 11 groups, using the new Blue Spectrum Refractive (BR) elements.
These new chromatic features allow for better clarity by reducing chromatic aberrations and color fringing. The ultra low dispersion (UD) and two aspherical elements control distortion for better illumination and sharpness.
The Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM provides optimal grade videography and can be used with full-frame EOS DSLRs and APS-C models.
Finding a Canon zoom lens for real estate videography can be challenging, which is why I’ve compiled a list of the best Canon zoom lenses.
This lens is lightweight, and great for photographers just starting out. The Canon EF-S 18-135mm is a kit lens with a wide 7.5x focal length range for real estate videography, capturing every element with solid image stabilization (IS).
If you’re looking for one lens that can give you the ability to capture a wide range of spaces, this is the lens I recommend buying. While the glass isn’t as nice as the prime lenses I mentioned or even as specialized as zoom lenses like the Canon EF-S 10-18mm or Canon EF 70-200mm, the 18-135mm will still deliver great results.
This lens does provide image stabilization which is a useful feature to have since the f-stop opens to f/3.5-5.6.
Overall, the Canon EF-S 18-135mm includes various optics, such as 16 elements in 12 groups, with 5 zoom groups. It’s multicoated, has internal focus, and the front group moves during zoom. The image stabilization is quiet on T4i and older and slightly audible on newer models.
The image stabilization from this lens comes in handy for clear, crisp images, especially when there isn't a tripod nearby. The Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 provides wide-open sharpness with 4 stops of peripheral shading for excellent real estate videography.
The lens displays sharp video at 10mm, especially at f/4.5, stopped down to f/8. However, past f/11, you can see diffraction, although the other focal lengths provide stellar quality.
The chromatic aberration is visible on all focal lengths in the corners, which is similar to the Canon 18-135mm and not uncommon on ultra-wide lenses.
The focus is swift and quiet due to the STM motor, high-speed CPU, efficient autofocus algorithm, and rear-focusing system. If you want manual focusing, flip the AF/MF switch.
Since it is a focus-by-wire system, the STM focus motor allows the ring to rotate freely without stopping at minimum or maximum distances.
In all, the Canon EF 10-18 f/4.5-5.6 provides excellent zoom quality for real estate videography and more, with its ultra-wide zoom angles. Despite slight chromatic aberration, it can be corrected in post-production.
The images this lens produces are sharp with excellent contrast, even at the wide-open f/2.8. As with most L series lenses, the hood keeps out stray sunlight, reducing flare.
The Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L is fit for sharp real estate videography and
This lens does not provide image stabilization, although Canon states they removed IS for better quality. A tripod is best with this lens for stable images, as the video quality is crisp and clear.
The chromatic aberration isn’t noticeable at 24mm and 50mm but becomes apparent on the corners at around 70mm. Luckily, it can be fixed through editing.
This lens is recommended over the Canon 18-135mm. Even though the 24-70mm lens does not have as wide of a zoom range, the quality of the final result is far superior.
Ultimately, the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM provides high-quality video, even bokeh, at wide angles in any condition.
The fast constant features of this f/2.8 lens offer control over the depth of field and isolated subjects, ideal for real estate videography. The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM is a multipurpose telephoto zoom lens designed for advanced optics.
The weather-resistant design prevents dust and moisture from inhibiting its efficiency with fluorine coatings to reduce smudging.
This lens provides sharpness from edge to edge with minimal distortion. It’s more on the heavy side due to its superb build quality.
While this is a great lens, I recommend adding other lenses such as the Canon 10-18mm and the Canon 35mm to your gear bag before you splurge on the 70-200mm lens. For real estate videography, this zoom lens isn’t used as much, so you’ll likely find it sitting in your bag more often than not. However, when you do need those zoomed in shots, no lens compares to the Canon EF 70-200mm.
If you need a heavy-duty zoom lens, the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM provides an excellent job with high-quality sharpness, contrast, focal length, with the ability to grab entire landscapes.
With lots of choices to consider, some features can help you narrow down your decision, which we’ve listed to help you.
| Lenses | Aperture | Focal Length | Diaphragm Blades |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 | f/1.8 | 50mm | 5 |
| Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 | f/1.4 | 35mm | 9 |
Image stabilization (IS) reduces movement in your real estate videos, providing a steadier, more professional videography.
If you do not have a tripod or gimbal system to keep the video steady, image stabilization can reduce camera shake while shooting video.
Image stabilization works by the glass elements inside the lens, sensing horizontal and vertical movements. The downside to increased image stabilization is the increase in price as the lens requires a complex motor system. However, lenses with no IS may have better image quality.
However, if your lens has a large aperture and no IS, it most likely requires an additional device for better stability.
The lens quality reduces distortion, lens flare, vignetting, chromatic aberration, and more.
Most of Canon’s lenses are top quality, with prime lenses possessing solid optics. However, some professions, such as journalism and sporting events, require top-notch quality. That’s why Canon released the L-series lens, as the L stands for luxury.
Not everyone needs the L-series, as they tend to be bulky. However, for those possessing professional-grade quality videography, it may be ideal. L-series lenses tend to have quicker apertures, better frame support, autofocus, and focus control.
If you are a beginner that casually shoots video and photos, an L-series may not be for you.
The focal length is measured in millimeters between the center of the lens and the camera sensor, capturing light information. The light then converges to a single point called the optical center, which delivers how much the camera can capture.
The smaller the number, the wider the angles, with large numbers dictating narrow angles.
Different aspects of focal length directly impact include:
Depending on how up-close your photos or videos will be, the focal length will determine how sharp they are, besides other factors.
Aperture controls how much light enters the lens, impacting the depth of focus and your video’s brightness. When reading aperture, the smallest numbers provide the largest exposure and vice versa. For example, f/1.4 is the largest while f/22 is the smallest.
The aperture setting can also affect sharpness and the camera’s ability to take video in low-light situations. For instance, using small apertures in the evening is not ideal, resulting in long shutter speeds.
A faster aperture is best for the dark with a higher ISO to get an exposed image without distortion. Filters such as the bokeh effect also largely depend on the aperture.
If you want to capture landscapes, f/2.8 is best, which can also take photos of the Milky Way since it’s excellent for the dark.
Read my guide on the best video lens for the Canon 80D.
Yes, the quality and size of a lens make a great impact on your videography. For instance, a video lens with a larger aperture will use a lower camera ISO, resulting in high-quality videos. Usually, when you increase the ISO range to more than 1600, the video quality might degrade when shooting in a high contrast condition.
Shooting videos in 8K resolution is important when you want to make future-proof content and when you want to crop in a scene. However, you need to have a good quality device to shoot and view the 8K videos as it requires a high resolution to display.
Parfocal lenses are primarily used in movies and entertainment, such as sports. They’re also common in microscopes and telescopes. However, they can be useful depending on the occasion, although most people do not need parfocal lenses for videography.
Finding the best Canon lens for video is a journey, especially for real estate videography. There are many factors to consider, such as image stabilization, quality glass, focal length, and aperture, that impact the image quality.
Luckily, Canon provides a lens for every occasion, no matter the type of real estate so you can rest assured that you will find a lens that meets your needs.
