Essential Techniques to Elevate Your Channel’s Visibility

YouTube Subscriber Boost – The 4 Simplest Tricks to Grow Your Channel Faster

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

If you have a YouTube channel, you are one of many content creators competing for viewers’ attention online - a YouTube subscriber boost is a tough thing to manage. The good news is that time spent on YouTube is on the rise around the world. There’s no reason you can’t have a slice of that gigantic pie.

When it comes to running a successful YouTube channel , it’s all about subscribers. The more subscribers you attract, the more your videos will be viewed and shared online. In fact, YouTube confirms that subscribers watch double the number of videos non-subscribers do. So, getting more people to subscribe to your channel will certainly increase the number of views and engagement your videos get.

It’s no wonder the rate at which channels’ subscribers grow is an important metric in YouTube’s algorithm. The channels with the best rate of subscriber growth get featured. It’s not about suddenly skyrocketing to stardom, though. It’s about consistent growth. So, as a YouTube creator, growing your subscribers should definitely be a top priority.

There are many tips out there on how to go about increasing your YouTube subscribers . In this post, we share 4 simple and smart tricks to get the process rolling.

1. Make Sure All Your Links Are Subscribe Links
2. Sort Your Videos Into Playlists
3. Create a Channel Trailer or Set a Featured Video
4. Add Your Rivals To Your Tags

1. MAKE SURE ALL YOUR LINKS ARE SUBSCRIBE LINKS

This point is key. By making all your links subscribe links anytime you link to your channel, you make sure that anyone who views your channel is prompted to subscribe. Subscribe links create a pop-up once viewers reach your channel. It’s a bold move that can give you instant results especially if you are referring traffic to your YouTube channel from other social media platforms.

All you need do is add ‘_?sub_confirmation=1_’ at the end of all your YouTube links and there’ll be a pop-up whenever people click.

Now, it’s true that YouTube’s subscribe button isn’t exactly hidden. The bright red subscribe button can be found beneath all videos and at the top right side of every channel’s homepage. However, including your own subscribe link (via a YouTube card or in your video’s description) allows you to write a message that creates a sense of urgency which can produce fast results especially when people are really interested in watching your videos.

2. SORT YOUR VIDEOS INTO PLAYLISTS

Playlists have long been a part of our entertainment experience. Whether on our iPods or via apps like SoundCloud or Spotify, playlists make it easy for us to find and access the kind of content we like. But playlists aren’t just for music. Creating playlists on your YouTube channel is a very smart move. It gives your subscribers and viewers added value they will appreciate. Part of the hassle of being online these days is trying to find the content you actually want to consume because you have to wade through so much content you aren’t actually interested in. By taking the work out of finding related content, you actually increase the chances that your viewers will stay longer on your channel and watch more of your videos.

You can also create playlists to curate content by other YouTube creators. As long as your curated content falls within your chosen category, and also complements your channel, you should go for it. In a way, creating curated playlists makes it easier to convince non-subscribed viewers that you understand the sort of content they like, and your channel is one to watch. Seeing that you know the best content and creators for a particular topic might just be the thing that convinces non-subscribed viewers to sign-on to receive updates from your channel.

3. CREATE A CHANNEL TRAILER OR SET A FEATURED VIDEO

Most dedicated YouTube creators have made channel trailers . It’s their chance to give visitors a taste of what they’re all about in a short and exciting video. YouTube trailers are a sure way to hook viewers and you should definitely make one if you want to increase your channel subscribers fast.

YouTube channel trailers are usually under a minute long. In less than 60 seconds, you can showcase your best videos and get viewers excited about what you have to offer. You may choose to employ the sorts of clever videography we see in movie trailers. With so many open source and free video editing programs, doing this is actually not as difficult as you might think. The bottom line is that a YouTube trailer can be a creative and effective way of creating buzz about your channel and ultimately, growing your subscribers.

That said, you don’t have to make a YouTube channel trailer if you don’t want to. Setting a featured video can be just as effective. Featuring your most popular video will make a b first impression on people who visit your channel and increase the likelihood that they’ll click the subscribe button. Featuring your most recent video will keep your channel looking fresh.

4. ADD YOUR RIVALS TO YOUR TAGS

Adding your rival’s names to your tags might sound a bit underhanded, but it’s a fair way of increasing the chances that your content will show up as related to theirs. The trick is to choose rivals whose content ranks highest for the category or group related to your own content.

To find your rivals, simply search for your video titles. If your video is very popular and you’ve optimized it well enough, it may rank tops in your search. In most cases, however, the search results will show someone else’s content at the top of the list. Adding the names of the top 3 creators on that search list to your video’s tags will increase the likelihood that your video will be presented to viewers as related to theirs. When your video shows up as related to a top-ranking video, the chance that it will be viewed is increased significantly. And in addition, the more you are seen to create content that’s similar to the best videos, the more viewers are likely to subscribe to your channel.

CONCLUSION

The tips on this list are simple, straightforward, and sure to deliver results. If you want a YouTube subscriber boost, you’d better be smart about it! What’s more, if you also want to know how to make an attractive YouTube video, you can try Wondershare Filmora and get more ideas!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

If you have a YouTube channel, you are one of many content creators competing for viewers’ attention online - a YouTube subscriber boost is a tough thing to manage. The good news is that time spent on YouTube is on the rise around the world. There’s no reason you can’t have a slice of that gigantic pie.

When it comes to running a successful YouTube channel , it’s all about subscribers. The more subscribers you attract, the more your videos will be viewed and shared online. In fact, YouTube confirms that subscribers watch double the number of videos non-subscribers do. So, getting more people to subscribe to your channel will certainly increase the number of views and engagement your videos get.

It’s no wonder the rate at which channels’ subscribers grow is an important metric in YouTube’s algorithm. The channels with the best rate of subscriber growth get featured. It’s not about suddenly skyrocketing to stardom, though. It’s about consistent growth. So, as a YouTube creator, growing your subscribers should definitely be a top priority.

There are many tips out there on how to go about increasing your YouTube subscribers . In this post, we share 4 simple and smart tricks to get the process rolling.

1. Make Sure All Your Links Are Subscribe Links
2. Sort Your Videos Into Playlists
3. Create a Channel Trailer or Set a Featured Video
4. Add Your Rivals To Your Tags

1. MAKE SURE ALL YOUR LINKS ARE SUBSCRIBE LINKS

This point is key. By making all your links subscribe links anytime you link to your channel, you make sure that anyone who views your channel is prompted to subscribe. Subscribe links create a pop-up once viewers reach your channel. It’s a bold move that can give you instant results especially if you are referring traffic to your YouTube channel from other social media platforms.

All you need do is add ‘_?sub_confirmation=1_’ at the end of all your YouTube links and there’ll be a pop-up whenever people click.

Now, it’s true that YouTube’s subscribe button isn’t exactly hidden. The bright red subscribe button can be found beneath all videos and at the top right side of every channel’s homepage. However, including your own subscribe link (via a YouTube card or in your video’s description) allows you to write a message that creates a sense of urgency which can produce fast results especially when people are really interested in watching your videos.

2. SORT YOUR VIDEOS INTO PLAYLISTS

Playlists have long been a part of our entertainment experience. Whether on our iPods or via apps like SoundCloud or Spotify, playlists make it easy for us to find and access the kind of content we like. But playlists aren’t just for music. Creating playlists on your YouTube channel is a very smart move. It gives your subscribers and viewers added value they will appreciate. Part of the hassle of being online these days is trying to find the content you actually want to consume because you have to wade through so much content you aren’t actually interested in. By taking the work out of finding related content, you actually increase the chances that your viewers will stay longer on your channel and watch more of your videos.

You can also create playlists to curate content by other YouTube creators. As long as your curated content falls within your chosen category, and also complements your channel, you should go for it. In a way, creating curated playlists makes it easier to convince non-subscribed viewers that you understand the sort of content they like, and your channel is one to watch. Seeing that you know the best content and creators for a particular topic might just be the thing that convinces non-subscribed viewers to sign-on to receive updates from your channel.

3. CREATE A CHANNEL TRAILER OR SET A FEATURED VIDEO

Most dedicated YouTube creators have made channel trailers . It’s their chance to give visitors a taste of what they’re all about in a short and exciting video. YouTube trailers are a sure way to hook viewers and you should definitely make one if you want to increase your channel subscribers fast.

YouTube channel trailers are usually under a minute long. In less than 60 seconds, you can showcase your best videos and get viewers excited about what you have to offer. You may choose to employ the sorts of clever videography we see in movie trailers. With so many open source and free video editing programs, doing this is actually not as difficult as you might think. The bottom line is that a YouTube trailer can be a creative and effective way of creating buzz about your channel and ultimately, growing your subscribers.

That said, you don’t have to make a YouTube channel trailer if you don’t want to. Setting a featured video can be just as effective. Featuring your most popular video will make a b first impression on people who visit your channel and increase the likelihood that they’ll click the subscribe button. Featuring your most recent video will keep your channel looking fresh.

4. ADD YOUR RIVALS TO YOUR TAGS

Adding your rival’s names to your tags might sound a bit underhanded, but it’s a fair way of increasing the chances that your content will show up as related to theirs. The trick is to choose rivals whose content ranks highest for the category or group related to your own content.

To find your rivals, simply search for your video titles. If your video is very popular and you’ve optimized it well enough, it may rank tops in your search. In most cases, however, the search results will show someone else’s content at the top of the list. Adding the names of the top 3 creators on that search list to your video’s tags will increase the likelihood that your video will be presented to viewers as related to theirs. When your video shows up as related to a top-ranking video, the chance that it will be viewed is increased significantly. And in addition, the more you are seen to create content that’s similar to the best videos, the more viewers are likely to subscribe to your channel.

CONCLUSION

The tips on this list are simple, straightforward, and sure to deliver results. If you want a YouTube subscriber boost, you’d better be smart about it! What’s more, if you also want to know how to make an attractive YouTube video, you can try Wondershare Filmora and get more ideas!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

If you have a YouTube channel, you are one of many content creators competing for viewers’ attention online - a YouTube subscriber boost is a tough thing to manage. The good news is that time spent on YouTube is on the rise around the world. There’s no reason you can’t have a slice of that gigantic pie.

When it comes to running a successful YouTube channel , it’s all about subscribers. The more subscribers you attract, the more your videos will be viewed and shared online. In fact, YouTube confirms that subscribers watch double the number of videos non-subscribers do. So, getting more people to subscribe to your channel will certainly increase the number of views and engagement your videos get.

It’s no wonder the rate at which channels’ subscribers grow is an important metric in YouTube’s algorithm. The channels with the best rate of subscriber growth get featured. It’s not about suddenly skyrocketing to stardom, though. It’s about consistent growth. So, as a YouTube creator, growing your subscribers should definitely be a top priority.

There are many tips out there on how to go about increasing your YouTube subscribers . In this post, we share 4 simple and smart tricks to get the process rolling.

1. Make Sure All Your Links Are Subscribe Links
2. Sort Your Videos Into Playlists
3. Create a Channel Trailer or Set a Featured Video
4. Add Your Rivals To Your Tags

1. MAKE SURE ALL YOUR LINKS ARE SUBSCRIBE LINKS

This point is key. By making all your links subscribe links anytime you link to your channel, you make sure that anyone who views your channel is prompted to subscribe. Subscribe links create a pop-up once viewers reach your channel. It’s a bold move that can give you instant results especially if you are referring traffic to your YouTube channel from other social media platforms.

All you need do is add ‘_?sub_confirmation=1_’ at the end of all your YouTube links and there’ll be a pop-up whenever people click.

Now, it’s true that YouTube’s subscribe button isn’t exactly hidden. The bright red subscribe button can be found beneath all videos and at the top right side of every channel’s homepage. However, including your own subscribe link (via a YouTube card or in your video’s description) allows you to write a message that creates a sense of urgency which can produce fast results especially when people are really interested in watching your videos.

2. SORT YOUR VIDEOS INTO PLAYLISTS

Playlists have long been a part of our entertainment experience. Whether on our iPods or via apps like SoundCloud or Spotify, playlists make it easy for us to find and access the kind of content we like. But playlists aren’t just for music. Creating playlists on your YouTube channel is a very smart move. It gives your subscribers and viewers added value they will appreciate. Part of the hassle of being online these days is trying to find the content you actually want to consume because you have to wade through so much content you aren’t actually interested in. By taking the work out of finding related content, you actually increase the chances that your viewers will stay longer on your channel and watch more of your videos.

You can also create playlists to curate content by other YouTube creators. As long as your curated content falls within your chosen category, and also complements your channel, you should go for it. In a way, creating curated playlists makes it easier to convince non-subscribed viewers that you understand the sort of content they like, and your channel is one to watch. Seeing that you know the best content and creators for a particular topic might just be the thing that convinces non-subscribed viewers to sign-on to receive updates from your channel.

3. CREATE A CHANNEL TRAILER OR SET A FEATURED VIDEO

Most dedicated YouTube creators have made channel trailers . It’s their chance to give visitors a taste of what they’re all about in a short and exciting video. YouTube trailers are a sure way to hook viewers and you should definitely make one if you want to increase your channel subscribers fast.

YouTube channel trailers are usually under a minute long. In less than 60 seconds, you can showcase your best videos and get viewers excited about what you have to offer. You may choose to employ the sorts of clever videography we see in movie trailers. With so many open source and free video editing programs, doing this is actually not as difficult as you might think. The bottom line is that a YouTube trailer can be a creative and effective way of creating buzz about your channel and ultimately, growing your subscribers.

That said, you don’t have to make a YouTube channel trailer if you don’t want to. Setting a featured video can be just as effective. Featuring your most popular video will make a b first impression on people who visit your channel and increase the likelihood that they’ll click the subscribe button. Featuring your most recent video will keep your channel looking fresh.

4. ADD YOUR RIVALS TO YOUR TAGS

Adding your rival’s names to your tags might sound a bit underhanded, but it’s a fair way of increasing the chances that your content will show up as related to theirs. The trick is to choose rivals whose content ranks highest for the category or group related to your own content.

To find your rivals, simply search for your video titles. If your video is very popular and you’ve optimized it well enough, it may rank tops in your search. In most cases, however, the search results will show someone else’s content at the top of the list. Adding the names of the top 3 creators on that search list to your video’s tags will increase the likelihood that your video will be presented to viewers as related to theirs. When your video shows up as related to a top-ranking video, the chance that it will be viewed is increased significantly. And in addition, the more you are seen to create content that’s similar to the best videos, the more viewers are likely to subscribe to your channel.

CONCLUSION

The tips on this list are simple, straightforward, and sure to deliver results. If you want a YouTube subscriber boost, you’d better be smart about it! What’s more, if you also want to know how to make an attractive YouTube video, you can try Wondershare Filmora and get more ideas!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

If you have a YouTube channel, you are one of many content creators competing for viewers’ attention online - a YouTube subscriber boost is a tough thing to manage. The good news is that time spent on YouTube is on the rise around the world. There’s no reason you can’t have a slice of that gigantic pie.

When it comes to running a successful YouTube channel , it’s all about subscribers. The more subscribers you attract, the more your videos will be viewed and shared online. In fact, YouTube confirms that subscribers watch double the number of videos non-subscribers do. So, getting more people to subscribe to your channel will certainly increase the number of views and engagement your videos get.

It’s no wonder the rate at which channels’ subscribers grow is an important metric in YouTube’s algorithm. The channels with the best rate of subscriber growth get featured. It’s not about suddenly skyrocketing to stardom, though. It’s about consistent growth. So, as a YouTube creator, growing your subscribers should definitely be a top priority.

There are many tips out there on how to go about increasing your YouTube subscribers . In this post, we share 4 simple and smart tricks to get the process rolling.

1. Make Sure All Your Links Are Subscribe Links
2. Sort Your Videos Into Playlists
3. Create a Channel Trailer or Set a Featured Video
4. Add Your Rivals To Your Tags

1. MAKE SURE ALL YOUR LINKS ARE SUBSCRIBE LINKS

This point is key. By making all your links subscribe links anytime you link to your channel, you make sure that anyone who views your channel is prompted to subscribe. Subscribe links create a pop-up once viewers reach your channel. It’s a bold move that can give you instant results especially if you are referring traffic to your YouTube channel from other social media platforms.

All you need do is add ‘_?sub_confirmation=1_’ at the end of all your YouTube links and there’ll be a pop-up whenever people click.

Now, it’s true that YouTube’s subscribe button isn’t exactly hidden. The bright red subscribe button can be found beneath all videos and at the top right side of every channel’s homepage. However, including your own subscribe link (via a YouTube card or in your video’s description) allows you to write a message that creates a sense of urgency which can produce fast results especially when people are really interested in watching your videos.

2. SORT YOUR VIDEOS INTO PLAYLISTS

Playlists have long been a part of our entertainment experience. Whether on our iPods or via apps like SoundCloud or Spotify, playlists make it easy for us to find and access the kind of content we like. But playlists aren’t just for music. Creating playlists on your YouTube channel is a very smart move. It gives your subscribers and viewers added value they will appreciate. Part of the hassle of being online these days is trying to find the content you actually want to consume because you have to wade through so much content you aren’t actually interested in. By taking the work out of finding related content, you actually increase the chances that your viewers will stay longer on your channel and watch more of your videos.

You can also create playlists to curate content by other YouTube creators. As long as your curated content falls within your chosen category, and also complements your channel, you should go for it. In a way, creating curated playlists makes it easier to convince non-subscribed viewers that you understand the sort of content they like, and your channel is one to watch. Seeing that you know the best content and creators for a particular topic might just be the thing that convinces non-subscribed viewers to sign-on to receive updates from your channel.

3. CREATE A CHANNEL TRAILER OR SET A FEATURED VIDEO

Most dedicated YouTube creators have made channel trailers . It’s their chance to give visitors a taste of what they’re all about in a short and exciting video. YouTube trailers are a sure way to hook viewers and you should definitely make one if you want to increase your channel subscribers fast.

YouTube channel trailers are usually under a minute long. In less than 60 seconds, you can showcase your best videos and get viewers excited about what you have to offer. You may choose to employ the sorts of clever videography we see in movie trailers. With so many open source and free video editing programs, doing this is actually not as difficult as you might think. The bottom line is that a YouTube trailer can be a creative and effective way of creating buzz about your channel and ultimately, growing your subscribers.

That said, you don’t have to make a YouTube channel trailer if you don’t want to. Setting a featured video can be just as effective. Featuring your most popular video will make a b first impression on people who visit your channel and increase the likelihood that they’ll click the subscribe button. Featuring your most recent video will keep your channel looking fresh.

4. ADD YOUR RIVALS TO YOUR TAGS

Adding your rival’s names to your tags might sound a bit underhanded, but it’s a fair way of increasing the chances that your content will show up as related to theirs. The trick is to choose rivals whose content ranks highest for the category or group related to your own content.

To find your rivals, simply search for your video titles. If your video is very popular and you’ve optimized it well enough, it may rank tops in your search. In most cases, however, the search results will show someone else’s content at the top of the list. Adding the names of the top 3 creators on that search list to your video’s tags will increase the likelihood that your video will be presented to viewers as related to theirs. When your video shows up as related to a top-ranking video, the chance that it will be viewed is increased significantly. And in addition, the more you are seen to create content that’s similar to the best videos, the more viewers are likely to subscribe to your channel.

CONCLUSION

The tips on this list are simple, straightforward, and sure to deliver results. If you want a YouTube subscriber boost, you’d better be smart about it! What’s more, if you also want to know how to make an attractive YouTube video, you can try Wondershare Filmora and get more ideas!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Filmmaker’s Choice: Selecting Perfect Lenses for YouTube Creation

A Vlogger’s Guide To Camera Lenses

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

The staple of any vlog is the talking headshot, a shot of the speaker talking directly to the audience. You can compose this shot with different kinds of lenses for your interchangeable lens camera.

But which kind of lens is the right lens for you as a vlogger?

In this article, I’m going to help you figure that out.

• Part 1: Three Focal Length Groups: Wide, Standard, Telephoto
• Part 2: Vlogging With Each Focal Length Group
• Part 3: Crop Factor
• Part 4: Focal Length Equivalency Table
• Part 5: Aperture
• Part 6: Vlogging With a Fast Lens
• Part 7: Optical Image Stabilization

Three Focal Length Groups: Wide, Standard, Telephoto

There are three main ranges in focal lengths that camera lenses can be categorized into wide, standard, and telephoto.

Wide-Angle Lens

Wide-angle lenses can “see more.” They allow more of your scene to fit inside your frame. Objects that are closer to the lens appear much bigger while objects that are further away appear even smaller. Perspectives are also enhanced, making close objects and people that just make it into the sides of the frame appear more stretched out. Out of all the other ranges in focal lengths, wide-angle lenses will appear the least zoomed in.

Standard Lens

With standard lenses or normal lenses, you won’t get the stretched out objects or enhanced perspectives that you get from wide-angle lenses. Instead, standard lenses are meant to see scenes as the natural human eye is meant to see them. If you shoot a scene with both a wide-angle lens and a standard lens from the same position, you’ll notice that less of the scene fits into your frame. Standard lenses will appear more zoomed-in than wide-angle lenses, but less zoomed-in than telephoto lenses.

Telephoto Lens

Out of all the other ranges in focal lengths, telephoto lenses will appear the most zoomed in. This can be beneficial for the shooter who wants to get a closer shot of a scene without having to physically be in close proximity to the scene. Objects that are further away in the background also appear larger and closer than they would appear on wide-angle or standard lenses.

Vlogging With Each Focal Length Group

You can get your talking head footage using lenses from any of the three focal length groups. Depending on how you plan to vlog most of the time, though, one of the three focal lengths might be more suitable for you.

When to vlog with a wide-angle lens

Wide-angle lenses are the most commonly used lenses for vlogging. Wide-angle lenses are great when you need to be close to your camera. This might be the case for you if your recording space is small or if you want to film yourself as you hold your camera up with your own hand.

Being close to your camera not only gives you the option to use your camera’s built-in microphone, but it also gives you the option to make use of camera-mounted shotgun microphones.

When to vlog with a standard lens

Standard lenses are great when you have more space to be further away from your camera. The perspectives in your shot will look more natural through a standard lens, making your talking head footage feel more corporate or professional. You’ll also be able to get blurrier backgrounds using a standard lens versus a wide-angle lens.

Being further away from your camera, however, means that you’ll have to use a separate microphone positioned closer to you.

When to vlog with a telephoto lens

As telephoto lenses are even more zoomed in, you’ll need to be even further away from your camera to fit yourself inside your camera frame. Why would any vlogger ever need to be that far away from their camera? One word… teleprompter. If you want or need to stick to a script, you’ll have to be far away enough from your camera that it doesn’t appear like your eyes are scanning left to right. You then close in the distance with a telephoto lens.

In the above video, Marcos Rocha compares different focal lengths for talking head videos. Which focal length range do you like the look of?

Crop Factor

Focal lengths in camera lenses are measured in millimeters. You can vlog yourself handheld with a 24mm lens on a camera with a full-frame sensor (the sensor is the piece of hardware inside your camera that turns the light it receives into a digital image). But if you use a 24mm lens on a camera with a smaller sensor, like an APS-C sensor or even smaller Micro 4/3 sensor, more of you will get cropped out (see below).

In order to make up for the cropping that occurs, you will need to use a wider lens on cameras with smaller sensors to get the same shot you’d get with a full-frame camera.

Focal Length Equivalency Table

This table shows you the focal lengths needed to achieve the same shot between cameras with different sensor sizes. In order to take a shot as wide as the shot I took of myself with the 24mm lens on my full-frame camera, I would need a 15mm lens on an APS-C sensor camera or a 12mm lens on a micro 4/3 camera.

Focal Length / Sensor	Full Frame	APS-C	Micro 4/3
Wide (Handheld Selfie-Safe)	16mm	10mm	8mm
Wide (Handheld Selfie-Safe)	18mm	11mm	9mm
Wide (Handheld Selfie-Safe)	24mm	15mm	12mm
Wide	35mm	22mm	18mm
Standard	50mm	31mm	25mm
Telephoto	70mm	44mm	35mm
Telephoto	100mm	63mm	50mm
Telephoto	200mm	125mm	100mm

Aperture

The next thing to consider when you’re looking for a lens is the aperture, the hole (often adjustable) within the lens that lets light in. Aperture for camera lenses is measured in f-stops (f/1.4, f/1.8, f/2.0) - the smaller the f-stop number, the larger the aperture (bigger hole letting even more light in).

Because larger aperture lenses let more light in, they need a shorter time for cameras to compose an image. This is why larger aperture lenses are also called “fast” lenses.

Fast lenses are more expensive because they cost more to produce. There’s a lot more that goes into them, including larger and higher quality glass elements.

But do you even need a fast lens?

Vlogging With a Fast Lens

Pros of Vlogging With a Fast Lens

• Better low-light performance
• Better autofocus performance
• Better “bokeh” (out-of-focus areas, like your background, having that nice blurry look that you see in a lot of movies)

Cons of Vlogging With a Fast Lens

• More expensive
• Moving subjects more likely to get out of focus when shooting with a large aperture
• Better continuous autofocus performance needed when shooting moving subjects with a large aperture

Optical Image Stabilization

Finally, you’ll have to decide whether or not you want your lens to have built-in optical image stabilization (OIS).

OIS is very beneficial to have on a lens if you’re a vlogger who films mostly handheld footage. Although this technology adds to the price of your lens as well, it can greatly help you to capture smoother footage that may otherwise be shaky. Nikon calls this technology “Vibration Reduction” (VR) for their lenses.

In the above video, you can see how much OIS can help to stabilize your footage. MicBergsma simultaneously compares the footage between two GoPro Hero5 Blacks, one with OIS on and one with OIS off.

If, however, you are shooting most of your vlogs on a tripod, you won’t need a lens with OIS.

Looking for ways to set up your talking-head shot for YouTube with any of these lenses? Check out our post on 4 Ways To Set Up Your Talking-Head Shots For YouTube .

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

The staple of any vlog is the talking headshot, a shot of the speaker talking directly to the audience. You can compose this shot with different kinds of lenses for your interchangeable lens camera.

But which kind of lens is the right lens for you as a vlogger?

In this article, I’m going to help you figure that out.

• Part 1: Three Focal Length Groups: Wide, Standard, Telephoto
• Part 2: Vlogging With Each Focal Length Group
• Part 3: Crop Factor
• Part 4: Focal Length Equivalency Table
• Part 5: Aperture
• Part 6: Vlogging With a Fast Lens
• Part 7: Optical Image Stabilization

Three Focal Length Groups: Wide, Standard, Telephoto

There are three main ranges in focal lengths that camera lenses can be categorized into wide, standard, and telephoto.

Wide-Angle Lens

Wide-angle lenses can “see more.” They allow more of your scene to fit inside your frame. Objects that are closer to the lens appear much bigger while objects that are further away appear even smaller. Perspectives are also enhanced, making close objects and people that just make it into the sides of the frame appear more stretched out. Out of all the other ranges in focal lengths, wide-angle lenses will appear the least zoomed in.

Standard Lens

With standard lenses or normal lenses, you won’t get the stretched out objects or enhanced perspectives that you get from wide-angle lenses. Instead, standard lenses are meant to see scenes as the natural human eye is meant to see them. If you shoot a scene with both a wide-angle lens and a standard lens from the same position, you’ll notice that less of the scene fits into your frame. Standard lenses will appear more zoomed-in than wide-angle lenses, but less zoomed-in than telephoto lenses.

Telephoto Lens

Out of all the other ranges in focal lengths, telephoto lenses will appear the most zoomed in. This can be beneficial for the shooter who wants to get a closer shot of a scene without having to physically be in close proximity to the scene. Objects that are further away in the background also appear larger and closer than they would appear on wide-angle or standard lenses.

Vlogging With Each Focal Length Group

You can get your talking head footage using lenses from any of the three focal length groups. Depending on how you plan to vlog most of the time, though, one of the three focal lengths might be more suitable for you.

When to vlog with a wide-angle lens

Wide-angle lenses are the most commonly used lenses for vlogging. Wide-angle lenses are great when you need to be close to your camera. This might be the case for you if your recording space is small or if you want to film yourself as you hold your camera up with your own hand.

Being close to your camera not only gives you the option to use your camera’s built-in microphone, but it also gives you the option to make use of camera-mounted shotgun microphones.

When to vlog with a standard lens

Standard lenses are great when you have more space to be further away from your camera. The perspectives in your shot will look more natural through a standard lens, making your talking head footage feel more corporate or professional. You’ll also be able to get blurrier backgrounds using a standard lens versus a wide-angle lens.

Being further away from your camera, however, means that you’ll have to use a separate microphone positioned closer to you.

When to vlog with a telephoto lens

As telephoto lenses are even more zoomed in, you’ll need to be even further away from your camera to fit yourself inside your camera frame. Why would any vlogger ever need to be that far away from their camera? One word… teleprompter. If you want or need to stick to a script, you’ll have to be far away enough from your camera that it doesn’t appear like your eyes are scanning left to right. You then close in the distance with a telephoto lens.

In the above video, Marcos Rocha compares different focal lengths for talking head videos. Which focal length range do you like the look of?

Crop Factor

Focal lengths in camera lenses are measured in millimeters. You can vlog yourself handheld with a 24mm lens on a camera with a full-frame sensor (the sensor is the piece of hardware inside your camera that turns the light it receives into a digital image). But if you use a 24mm lens on a camera with a smaller sensor, like an APS-C sensor or even smaller Micro 4/3 sensor, more of you will get cropped out (see below).

In order to make up for the cropping that occurs, you will need to use a wider lens on cameras with smaller sensors to get the same shot you’d get with a full-frame camera.

Focal Length Equivalency Table

This table shows you the focal lengths needed to achieve the same shot between cameras with different sensor sizes. In order to take a shot as wide as the shot I took of myself with the 24mm lens on my full-frame camera, I would need a 15mm lens on an APS-C sensor camera or a 12mm lens on a micro 4/3 camera.

Focal Length / Sensor	Full Frame	APS-C	Micro 4/3
Wide (Handheld Selfie-Safe)	16mm	10mm	8mm
Wide (Handheld Selfie-Safe)	18mm	11mm	9mm
Wide (Handheld Selfie-Safe)	24mm	15mm	12mm
Wide	35mm	22mm	18mm
Standard	50mm	31mm	25mm
Telephoto	70mm	44mm	35mm
Telephoto	100mm	63mm	50mm
Telephoto	200mm	125mm	100mm

Aperture

The next thing to consider when you’re looking for a lens is the aperture, the hole (often adjustable) within the lens that lets light in. Aperture for camera lenses is measured in f-stops (f/1.4, f/1.8, f/2.0) - the smaller the f-stop number, the larger the aperture (bigger hole letting even more light in).

Because larger aperture lenses let more light in, they need a shorter time for cameras to compose an image. This is why larger aperture lenses are also called “fast” lenses.

Fast lenses are more expensive because they cost more to produce. There’s a lot more that goes into them, including larger and higher quality glass elements.

But do you even need a fast lens?

Vlogging With a Fast Lens

Pros of Vlogging With a Fast Lens

• Better low-light performance
• Better autofocus performance
• Better “bokeh” (out-of-focus areas, like your background, having that nice blurry look that you see in a lot of movies)

Cons of Vlogging With a Fast Lens

• More expensive
• Moving subjects more likely to get out of focus when shooting with a large aperture
• Better continuous autofocus performance needed when shooting moving subjects with a large aperture

Optical Image Stabilization

Finally, you’ll have to decide whether or not you want your lens to have built-in optical image stabilization (OIS).

OIS is very beneficial to have on a lens if you’re a vlogger who films mostly handheld footage. Although this technology adds to the price of your lens as well, it can greatly help you to capture smoother footage that may otherwise be shaky. Nikon calls this technology “Vibration Reduction” (VR) for their lenses.

In the above video, you can see how much OIS can help to stabilize your footage. MicBergsma simultaneously compares the footage between two GoPro Hero5 Blacks, one with OIS on and one with OIS off.

If, however, you are shooting most of your vlogs on a tripod, you won’t need a lens with OIS.

Looking for ways to set up your talking-head shot for YouTube with any of these lenses? Check out our post on 4 Ways To Set Up Your Talking-Head Shots For YouTube .

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

The staple of any vlog is the talking headshot, a shot of the speaker talking directly to the audience. You can compose this shot with different kinds of lenses for your interchangeable lens camera.

But which kind of lens is the right lens for you as a vlogger?

In this article, I’m going to help you figure that out.

• Part 1: Three Focal Length Groups: Wide, Standard, Telephoto
• Part 2: Vlogging With Each Focal Length Group
• Part 3: Crop Factor
• Part 4: Focal Length Equivalency Table
• Part 5: Aperture
• Part 6: Vlogging With a Fast Lens
• Part 7: Optical Image Stabilization

Three Focal Length Groups: Wide, Standard, Telephoto

There are three main ranges in focal lengths that camera lenses can be categorized into wide, standard, and telephoto.

Wide-Angle Lens

Wide-angle lenses can “see more.” They allow more of your scene to fit inside your frame. Objects that are closer to the lens appear much bigger while objects that are further away appear even smaller. Perspectives are also enhanced, making close objects and people that just make it into the sides of the frame appear more stretched out. Out of all the other ranges in focal lengths, wide-angle lenses will appear the least zoomed in.

Standard Lens

With standard lenses or normal lenses, you won’t get the stretched out objects or enhanced perspectives that you get from wide-angle lenses. Instead, standard lenses are meant to see scenes as the natural human eye is meant to see them. If you shoot a scene with both a wide-angle lens and a standard lens from the same position, you’ll notice that less of the scene fits into your frame. Standard lenses will appear more zoomed-in than wide-angle lenses, but less zoomed-in than telephoto lenses.

Telephoto Lens

Out of all the other ranges in focal lengths, telephoto lenses will appear the most zoomed in. This can be beneficial for the shooter who wants to get a closer shot of a scene without having to physically be in close proximity to the scene. Objects that are further away in the background also appear larger and closer than they would appear on wide-angle or standard lenses.

Vlogging With Each Focal Length Group

You can get your talking head footage using lenses from any of the three focal length groups. Depending on how you plan to vlog most of the time, though, one of the three focal lengths might be more suitable for you.

When to vlog with a wide-angle lens

Wide-angle lenses are the most commonly used lenses for vlogging. Wide-angle lenses are great when you need to be close to your camera. This might be the case for you if your recording space is small or if you want to film yourself as you hold your camera up with your own hand.

Being close to your camera not only gives you the option to use your camera’s built-in microphone, but it also gives you the option to make use of camera-mounted shotgun microphones.

When to vlog with a standard lens

Standard lenses are great when you have more space to be further away from your camera. The perspectives in your shot will look more natural through a standard lens, making your talking head footage feel more corporate or professional. You’ll also be able to get blurrier backgrounds using a standard lens versus a wide-angle lens.

Being further away from your camera, however, means that you’ll have to use a separate microphone positioned closer to you.

When to vlog with a telephoto lens

As telephoto lenses are even more zoomed in, you’ll need to be even further away from your camera to fit yourself inside your camera frame. Why would any vlogger ever need to be that far away from their camera? One word… teleprompter. If you want or need to stick to a script, you’ll have to be far away enough from your camera that it doesn’t appear like your eyes are scanning left to right. You then close in the distance with a telephoto lens.

In the above video, Marcos Rocha compares different focal lengths for talking head videos. Which focal length range do you like the look of?

Crop Factor

Focal lengths in camera lenses are measured in millimeters. You can vlog yourself handheld with a 24mm lens on a camera with a full-frame sensor (the sensor is the piece of hardware inside your camera that turns the light it receives into a digital image). But if you use a 24mm lens on a camera with a smaller sensor, like an APS-C sensor or even smaller Micro 4/3 sensor, more of you will get cropped out (see below).

In order to make up for the cropping that occurs, you will need to use a wider lens on cameras with smaller sensors to get the same shot you’d get with a full-frame camera.

Focal Length Equivalency Table

This table shows you the focal lengths needed to achieve the same shot between cameras with different sensor sizes. In order to take a shot as wide as the shot I took of myself with the 24mm lens on my full-frame camera, I would need a 15mm lens on an APS-C sensor camera or a 12mm lens on a micro 4/3 camera.

Focal Length / Sensor	Full Frame	APS-C	Micro 4/3
Wide (Handheld Selfie-Safe)	16mm	10mm	8mm
Wide (Handheld Selfie-Safe)	18mm	11mm	9mm
Wide (Handheld Selfie-Safe)	24mm	15mm	12mm
Wide	35mm	22mm	18mm
Standard	50mm	31mm	25mm
Telephoto	70mm	44mm	35mm
Telephoto	100mm	63mm	50mm
Telephoto	200mm	125mm	100mm

Aperture

The next thing to consider when you’re looking for a lens is the aperture, the hole (often adjustable) within the lens that lets light in. Aperture for camera lenses is measured in f-stops (f/1.4, f/1.8, f/2.0) - the smaller the f-stop number, the larger the aperture (bigger hole letting even more light in).

Because larger aperture lenses let more light in, they need a shorter time for cameras to compose an image. This is why larger aperture lenses are also called “fast” lenses.

Fast lenses are more expensive because they cost more to produce. There’s a lot more that goes into them, including larger and higher quality glass elements.

But do you even need a fast lens?

Vlogging With a Fast Lens

Pros of Vlogging With a Fast Lens

• Better low-light performance
• Better autofocus performance
• Better “bokeh” (out-of-focus areas, like your background, having that nice blurry look that you see in a lot of movies)

Cons of Vlogging With a Fast Lens

• More expensive
• Moving subjects more likely to get out of focus when shooting with a large aperture
• Better continuous autofocus performance needed when shooting moving subjects with a large aperture

Optical Image Stabilization

Finally, you’ll have to decide whether or not you want your lens to have built-in optical image stabilization (OIS).

OIS is very beneficial to have on a lens if you’re a vlogger who films mostly handheld footage. Although this technology adds to the price of your lens as well, it can greatly help you to capture smoother footage that may otherwise be shaky. Nikon calls this technology “Vibration Reduction” (VR) for their lenses.

In the above video, you can see how much OIS can help to stabilize your footage. MicBergsma simultaneously compares the footage between two GoPro Hero5 Blacks, one with OIS on and one with OIS off.

If, however, you are shooting most of your vlogs on a tripod, you won’t need a lens with OIS.

Looking for ways to set up your talking-head shot for YouTube with any of these lenses? Check out our post on 4 Ways To Set Up Your Talking-Head Shots For YouTube .

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 01, 2022• Proven solutions

0

The staple of any vlog is the talking headshot, a shot of the speaker talking directly to the audience. You can compose this shot with different kinds of lenses for your interchangeable lens camera.

But which kind of lens is the right lens for you as a vlogger?

In this article, I’m going to help you figure that out.

• Part 1: Three Focal Length Groups: Wide, Standard, Telephoto
• Part 2: Vlogging With Each Focal Length Group
• Part 3: Crop Factor
• Part 4: Focal Length Equivalency Table
• Part 5: Aperture
• Part 6: Vlogging With a Fast Lens
• Part 7: Optical Image Stabilization

Three Focal Length Groups: Wide, Standard, Telephoto

There are three main ranges in focal lengths that camera lenses can be categorized into wide, standard, and telephoto.

Wide-Angle Lens

Wide-angle lenses can “see more.” They allow more of your scene to fit inside your frame. Objects that are closer to the lens appear much bigger while objects that are further away appear even smaller. Perspectives are also enhanced, making close objects and people that just make it into the sides of the frame appear more stretched out. Out of all the other ranges in focal lengths, wide-angle lenses will appear the least zoomed in.

Standard Lens

With standard lenses or normal lenses, you won’t get the stretched out objects or enhanced perspectives that you get from wide-angle lenses. Instead, standard lenses are meant to see scenes as the natural human eye is meant to see them. If you shoot a scene with both a wide-angle lens and a standard lens from the same position, you’ll notice that less of the scene fits into your frame. Standard lenses will appear more zoomed-in than wide-angle lenses, but less zoomed-in than telephoto lenses.

Telephoto Lens

Out of all the other ranges in focal lengths, telephoto lenses will appear the most zoomed in. This can be beneficial for the shooter who wants to get a closer shot of a scene without having to physically be in close proximity to the scene. Objects that are further away in the background also appear larger and closer than they would appear on wide-angle or standard lenses.

Vlogging With Each Focal Length Group

You can get your talking head footage using lenses from any of the three focal length groups. Depending on how you plan to vlog most of the time, though, one of the three focal lengths might be more suitable for you.

When to vlog with a wide-angle lens

Wide-angle lenses are the most commonly used lenses for vlogging. Wide-angle lenses are great when you need to be close to your camera. This might be the case for you if your recording space is small or if you want to film yourself as you hold your camera up with your own hand.

Being close to your camera not only gives you the option to use your camera’s built-in microphone, but it also gives you the option to make use of camera-mounted shotgun microphones.

When to vlog with a standard lens

Standard lenses are great when you have more space to be further away from your camera. The perspectives in your shot will look more natural through a standard lens, making your talking head footage feel more corporate or professional. You’ll also be able to get blurrier backgrounds using a standard lens versus a wide-angle lens.

Being further away from your camera, however, means that you’ll have to use a separate microphone positioned closer to you.

When to vlog with a telephoto lens

As telephoto lenses are even more zoomed in, you’ll need to be even further away from your camera to fit yourself inside your camera frame. Why would any vlogger ever need to be that far away from their camera? One word… teleprompter. If you want or need to stick to a script, you’ll have to be far away enough from your camera that it doesn’t appear like your eyes are scanning left to right. You then close in the distance with a telephoto lens.

In the above video, Marcos Rocha compares different focal lengths for talking head videos. Which focal length range do you like the look of?

Crop Factor

Focal lengths in camera lenses are measured in millimeters. You can vlog yourself handheld with a 24mm lens on a camera with a full-frame sensor (the sensor is the piece of hardware inside your camera that turns the light it receives into a digital image). But if you use a 24mm lens on a camera with a smaller sensor, like an APS-C sensor or even smaller Micro 4/3 sensor, more of you will get cropped out (see below).

In order to make up for the cropping that occurs, you will need to use a wider lens on cameras with smaller sensors to get the same shot you’d get with a full-frame camera.

Focal Length Equivalency Table

This table shows you the focal lengths needed to achieve the same shot between cameras with different sensor sizes. In order to take a shot as wide as the shot I took of myself with the 24mm lens on my full-frame camera, I would need a 15mm lens on an APS-C sensor camera or a 12mm lens on a micro 4/3 camera.

Focal Length / Sensor	Full Frame	APS-C	Micro 4/3
Wide (Handheld Selfie-Safe)	16mm	10mm	8mm
Wide (Handheld Selfie-Safe)	18mm	11mm	9mm
Wide (Handheld Selfie-Safe)	24mm	15mm	12mm
Wide	35mm	22mm	18mm
Standard	50mm	31mm	25mm
Telephoto	70mm	44mm	35mm
Telephoto	100mm	63mm	50mm
Telephoto	200mm	125mm	100mm

Aperture

The next thing to consider when you’re looking for a lens is the aperture, the hole (often adjustable) within the lens that lets light in. Aperture for camera lenses is measured in f-stops (f/1.4, f/1.8, f/2.0) - the smaller the f-stop number, the larger the aperture (bigger hole letting even more light in).

Because larger aperture lenses let more light in, they need a shorter time for cameras to compose an image. This is why larger aperture lenses are also called “fast” lenses.

Fast lenses are more expensive because they cost more to produce. There’s a lot more that goes into them, including larger and higher quality glass elements.

But do you even need a fast lens?

Vlogging With a Fast Lens

Pros of Vlogging With a Fast Lens

• Better low-light performance
• Better autofocus performance
• Better “bokeh” (out-of-focus areas, like your background, having that nice blurry look that you see in a lot of movies)

Cons of Vlogging With a Fast Lens

• More expensive
• Moving subjects more likely to get out of focus when shooting with a large aperture
• Better continuous autofocus performance needed when shooting moving subjects with a large aperture

Optical Image Stabilization

Finally, you’ll have to decide whether or not you want your lens to have built-in optical image stabilization (OIS).

OIS is very beneficial to have on a lens if you’re a vlogger who films mostly handheld footage. Although this technology adds to the price of your lens as well, it can greatly help you to capture smoother footage that may otherwise be shaky. Nikon calls this technology “Vibration Reduction” (VR) for their lenses.

In the above video, you can see how much OIS can help to stabilize your footage. MicBergsma simultaneously compares the footage between two GoPro Hero5 Blacks, one with OIS on and one with OIS off.

If, however, you are shooting most of your vlogs on a tripod, you won’t need a lens with OIS.

Looking for ways to set up your talking-head shot for YouTube with any of these lenses? Check out our post on 4 Ways To Set Up Your Talking-Head Shots For YouTube .

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

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