Is the Sony FE 28 - 70mm Kit Lens Good for 1080p Video?
I entered the world of Full Frame with this lens primarily because:
It was affordable
It covered a range of focal lengths
It had OSS / SteadyShot
It was native Sony Glass. (Compact design & video auto-focus)
And, I primarily shot video as a hobby. I wasn’t too concerned about getting 9,999 megapixel rated glass
HOWEVER… I had a hard time finding video footage examples with this lens on youtube or vimeo initially. So I decided to assemble some of my own, and give people a practical real-world idea of the look and feel you could get. No pixel-peeping, just straight-to-the-point sample footage.
1. Bokeh
For a kit lens, we get pretty decent bokeh. Let’s not forget that full-frame cameras and lenses amplify the bokeh effect versus an APS-C or Micro 4/3rds at the same focal length. But don’t expect this lens to completely blur out the background if you’re far from your subject. I use a variable ND filter to shoot wide open so my B-Roll shots look… like B-Roll. AND while I wish the bokeh was less detailed, or more “buttery” — for the money, I say it passes.
Here’s some vlogging footage at different focal lengths and apertures:
2. Sharpness
There really is a lot of technical info out there on sharpness, so I won’t dive TOO deep into that. I want to however mention dxomark’s scores are pretty in line with what most people say about this lens. (Yes I know there are mixed thoughts on some of their scoring system). Regardless, their sharpness map is pretty objective and it’s a great guide to achieving the best overall sharpness if that’s what you’re after! They rate this lens at 16mp peak (center of frame). So handling 1080p should be cake, and 4k (~9mp) shouldn’t be an issue either. The tool shows the difference in edge sharpness wide open at 28mm f3.5 vs f5.6 etc.
Wide open at 1080p video, I don’t find corner softness to be an issue — but that’s up to each person to decide if it passes for their content. Hopefully my sample footage helps!
3. Focal Range
Not exactly wide-angle. Nor tele-photo. Just somewhere in the eternity of camera lens purgatory ranges. I really wish this was a 24-70. 28mm is just a TAD too wide for my liking as a vlogger, BUT IT WORKS. As you see in the video above, it works perfectly if my camera is on a tripod and just a little further away from me.
I partly owe it to this lens for deciding to create the Camiror Flip-Screen Mirror. 28mm being a hair wide meant I never knew if i was in the shot “for-sure-for-sure.” On the other hand, I actually prefer vlogs that are 35mm or 50mm with a blurry background and minimal lens distortion. But lining up those by myself without a flip screen was hugely frustrating. At-least now there’s a sleek budget-friendly solution :)
Here’s some sample footage from a super-casual music-video shoot I tagged along on:
4. Overall Look
Lens color and contrast is where my knowledge is limited and I refuse to misguide readers! So from a layman’s standpoint, I’ll say that the Sony A7S paired with this lens CAN produce some cinematic shots if you’re good (better than me) with a camera.
Here’s a collection of short cinematic attempts using this lens.
For me, this lens checked enough boxes for the price and was a good way to explore my camera in the first 6 months. It’s also a good alternative to the Zeiss 24-70mm if you’re on a strict budget. If you have this lens, please share your work by commenting here: on my first blog post, and post your YouTube or Vimeo link. I’m sure there’s some awesome content out there that’s just waiting to be seen!
SHOP on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2MDt6XJ
Side-note: some shots have a dash —- , and that’s because I only just recently started noting my focal lengths and aperture. I’ll try to keep doing this so you’ll have a resource each time you look for a new lens!
Stay tuned for upcoming lens reviews, video sample footage, and content!
