Best lens for the Sony ZV-E10

If you film yourself, buy the Sony E 11mm f/1.8. It is wide enough to hold at arm's length, bright enough for indoor light, and at 181g it barely changes how the 343g ZV-E10 feels in your hand. If you shoot more than yourself, the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 is the better first lens.

The ZV-E10 has a 1.5x crop, so 11mm frames like 16.5mm. That number decides most things on this camera. At arm's length anything narrower than about 24mm of framing turns your face into the whole picture.

Pick by what you shoot

Talking to camera, walking around. The Sony E 11mm f/1.8. There is no stabilisation in the ZV-E10 body according to Sony's spec list and none in this lens, so hold it close and walk slowly.

Video with reframing. The Sony E PZ 10-20mm f/4 frames like 15-30mm and weighs 178g. Its power zoom can change framing smoothly in a shot. You give up light, since f/4 takes in far less than f/1.8, so this one prefers daylight and well-lit rooms.

Dim cafes and evening shoots. The Sigma 16mm f/1.4 frames like 24mm. It is bright, and at 405g it weighs more than the camera, so it feels front-heavy on a small tripod or a gimbal.

Family, travel, general use. The Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 at 290g. It frames like 27-75mm, too tight for selfies at the wide end and comfortable for everything else.

What to avoid

Avoid heavy full-frame zooms such as the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8. It fits, it weighs 540g, and it frames like 42-112mm, which is useless for filming yourself.

Think twice about long lenses too. The ZV-E10 has no viewfinder in Sony's spec list, so at long focal lengths you are holding a light camera at arm's length and watching a screen.

Sound comes next

Sony lists both a microphone terminal and a headphone terminal on the ZV-E10, so you can plug in an external mic and hear what you are recording. Sort that out before a second lens if your videos have you talking.

See every lens that fits the ZV-E10, or compare it with the A6400 if you have not bought the body yet.

Before you buy

Tell the shop what you film and where. If you will mostly shoot indoors, ask to compare the 11mm and the 10-20mm in the store's own light. Then buy from someone you can call back.