Best lenses for Sony ZV-E10 in 2023

Best lenses for Sony ZV-E10
(Image credit: Sony)

We like the Sony ZV-E10 a lot. It’s not exactly cutting edge, using the same sensor and video features we’ve seen in the Sony A6000 series, and it doesn’t even have a viewfinder. But it has been designed brilliantly for vlogging.

In fact, we think it is one of the best cameras for vlogging right now, not to mention one of the best cameras for beginners. And while it’s probably one of the most basic cameras in the range, we think it’s still one of the best Sony cameras for anyone just starting out. Or, if your filmmaking needs are more advanced, check our Sony FX30 vs ZV-E10 comparison.

So why do we like the ZV-E-10? For a start, it has a fully vari-angle LCD display, which is a great advantage for video. It also has a clip-on wind muffler for outdoor filming, where shots can so easily be spoiled by the low rumble of wind noise. It also has Sony’s excellent AF system, which boasts Real-Time Eye AF – perfect if you want to film yourself. There’s even a Product Showcase setting for when you want to hold objects up to the camera.

Best of all, the ZV-E10 is affordable. It’s one of the best routes into mirrorless camera vlogging for beginners. And with that in mind, we’ve picked the best lenses to go with the Sony ZV-E10, based on what we think you’ll find most useful when you’re just starting out and later on when you’re ready to try new subjects and techniques. The 16-50mm power-zoom lens that comes with the camera will get you started, but it’s not the best optic in the world, and you can do a lot better.

And let’s not forget that the ZV-E10 is not just for vlogging. Its 24MP sensor and access to the full Sony E-mount lens range means that it’s a really good stills camera too – and there are plenty of lenses that are just as effective for video as stills.

Best lenses for Sony ZV-E10 in 2023

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(Image credit: Matthew Richards)
If you want to film yourself vlogging, this is the perfect lens!

Specifications

Focal length: 10-20mm (15-30mm equivalent)
Maximum aperture: Constant f/4
Elements/groups: 11 elements in 8 groups
Diaphragm blades: 7
Stabilizer: No
Minimum focus distance: 0.2m (AF), 0.13-0.17m (MF)
Maximum magnification: 0.14x (AF), 0.18x (MF)
Filter thread: 62mm
Dimensions: 70 x 55mm
Weight: 178g

Reasons to buy

+
Ultra-wide angle of view
+
Constant f/4 maximum aperture
+
Power zoom mechanism

Reasons to avoid

-
No stabilization
-
Quite expensive

If you want to walk and talk to the camera at the same time, the ZV-E10, with its flip-around screen, can oblige – but you'll need something wider than the standard 16-50mm kit zoom, especially if you want some background scenery and a friend in the frame as well. 

That's where you need this new Sony E PZ 10-20mm ultra-wide zoom. It doesn't just give you the wider angle of view you need for selfies, not to mention travel photography, it's a power zoom lens to go with the ZV-E10's zoom switch on the top of the camera. If this lens is a little too pricey, go for Sony's older but cheaper 10-18mm f/4 OSS lens instead. 

See our full Sony E PZ 10-20mm F4 G review for more details

(Image credit: Matthew Richards)
A much better quality standard zoom for photography with the ZV-E10

Specifications

Focal length: 18-50mm (27-75mm equivalent)
Maximum aperture: Constant f/2.8
Elements/groups: 13 elements in 10 groups
Diaphragm blades: 7
Stabilizer: No
Minimum focus distance: 0.12m (W) 0.3m (T)
Maximum magnification: 0.36x (W) 0.2x (T)
Filter thread: 55mm
Dimensions: 65 x 75mm
Weight: 290g

Reasons to buy

+
Constant f/2.8 maximum aperture
+
Value for money
+
Image quality

Reasons to avoid

-
No stabilizer
-
Small... ish

Our picture shows the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN fitted to the Sony A7R III we use for testing, but it's actually an APS-C lens designed to fit the sensor in the ZV-E10 and offer a classic 3x zoom range for a standard zoom and with a constant f/2.8 maximum aperture. 

Sony makes a 16-55mm f/2.8, but it's a lot larger and a lot more expensive, and we think this Sigma alternative is a much better match. Given its constant maximum aperture, the Sigma is remarkably compact. It's a well-built, weather-resistant lens with super-fast and virtually silent autofocus and impressive image quality. All in all, this Sigma is a little(ish) lens that really does punch well above its weight. 

See our full Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN Contemporary review for more details

(Image credit: Future)
A great long-zoom standard lens that's neat, simple and versatile

Specifications

Focal length: 18-135mm (27-200mm equivalent)
Maximum aperture: f/3.5-5.6
Elements/groups: 16/12
Diaphragm blades: 7
Stabilizer: Yes
Minimum focus distance: 0.45m
Maximum magnification: 0.29x
Filter thread: 55mm
Dimensions (WxL): 67.2x88mm
Weight: 325g

Reasons to buy

+
Effective zoom range of 27-202mm
+
Optical SteadyShot
+
Compact and lightweight

Reasons to avoid

-
Relies heavily on digital corrections

The choice of standard zoom lenses for the ZV-E10 has improved a lot, and if you want something with a bit more range than the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8, how about this? The Sony E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS is compact, neat, and affordable, it offers a really good zoom range and – unlike almost every other long-zoom lens – it holds it performance even at full zoom.

If you use a raw processing program that doesn't automatically apply lens corrections you'll see how much digital corrections are needed, but if that's the price you pay for this level of optical quality, we'll take it! Our picture shows this lens on our Sony A6000, but it's also a perfect fit for the ZV-E10 and makes an ideal do-it-all travel lens. 

See full Sony E 18-135mm F3.5-5.6 OSS review for more details

(Image credit: Matthew Richards/Digital Camera World)
A great long-range telephoto zoom for sports and wildlife

Specifications

Focal length: 70-350mm (105-525mm equivalent)
Maximum aperture: f/4.5-6.3
Elements/groups: 19/13
Diaphragm blades: 7
Stabilizer: Yes
Minimum focus distance: 1.1-1.5m
Maximum magnification: 0.23x
Filter thread: 67mm
Dimensions (WxL): 77x142mm
Weight: 625g

Reasons to buy

+
Very good image quality
+
Virtually silent autofocus

Reasons to avoid

-
Slow-ish maximum aperture
-
Quite expensive

The Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS is a fairly big and expensive lens, and while there is a cheaper and smaller 55-210mm, this is better in practically every respect, especially if you want to try some long-range bird or wildlife photography. Designed specifically for APS-C format Sony E-mount cameras like the ZV-E10, it sports a 5x zoom range equating to 105-525mm on a full-frame body. 

It might not have an ultra-fast maximum aperture, but the modest f/4.5-6.3 aperture rating enables a much more compact, lightweight build, at a more affordable price. Image quality is also very impressive for a lens of this class and while it doesn’t have the world’s most effective optical stabilizer, you can still expect a good hit rate of sharp handheld shots. Overall, this is a lens that’s big on performance but refreshingly small and lightweight for handheld shooting. 

See full Sony E 70-350mm f/4.5-6.3 G OSS review for more details

(Image credit: Matthew Richards)
Prime lenses are making a comeback, and this is one of the best for ZV-E10 vloggers

Specifications

Focal length: 15mm (23mm equivalent)
Maximum aperture: f/1.4
Elements/groups: 13 elements in 12 groups
Diaphragm blades: 7
Stabilizer: No
Minimum focus distance: 0.2m (AF), 0.17m (MF)
Maximum magnification: 0.12x (AF), 0.15x (MF)
Filter thread: 55mm
Dimensions: 67 x 70mm
Weight: 219g

Reasons to buy

+
Wide-angle view
+
f/1.4 maximum aperture
+
Excellent optical quality

Reasons to avoid

-
No stabilizer
-
Not exactly cheap

Zoom lenses are more versatile, but prime (non-zoom) lenses have advantages of their own. They are smaller, sharper, and have fewer optical aberrations - and they come with wider maximum apertures too. This means you can shoot with faster shutter speeds or lower ISOs in low light, and get a beautiful background blur to make your subject stand out. 

The Sony E 15mm F1.4 G is very new and very desirable! It's a wide-angle lens with a fast f/1.4 aperture which will be equally useful for both vlogging and stills photography, especially for travel shots and 'environmental portraits' showing people in their surroundings. It is fairly expensive, though, so you should also take a look at the recently introduced Sony E 11mm f/1.8 too. 

See our full Sony E 15mm F1.4 G review for more details

(Image credit: Matthew Richards)
Prime lenses are making a comeback, and this is one of the best for ZV-E10 vloggers

Specifications

Focal length: 11mm (16mm equivalent)
Maximum aperture: f/1.8
Elements/groups: 12 elements in 11 groups
Diaphragm blades: 7
Stabilizer: No
Minimum focus distance: 0.15m (AF), 0.12m (MF)
Maximum magnification: 0.13x (AF), 0.2x (MF)
Filter thread: 55mm
Dimensions: 66x58mm
Weight: 181g

Reasons to buy

+
Impressive sharpness across the frame
+
Weather sealed

Reasons to avoid

-
Noticeable vignetting & barrel distortion
-
No aperture control ring

This is Sony's widest prime lens available for the ZV-E10, offering an ultra-wide view that is ideal for subjects such as landscapes, architectural interiors, astrophotography, and vlogging, with intuitive handling and excellent all-round performance. 

Designed to be equally capable at stills and movie capture, the Sony E 11mm features two linear stepping motors for super-fast autofocus in stills, along with smooth and virtually silent focus transitions for movies. It’s reasonably priced for an own-brand Sony lens as well, making it a good value for money. 

See our full Sony E 11mm f/1.8 review for more details

(Image credit: Rod Lawton)
This Laowa lens is small, cheap and full of character to give you a unique view of the world

Specifications

Focal length: 10mm (15mm equivalent)
Maximum aperture: f/4
Elements/groups: 12 elements in 8 groups
Diaphragm blades: 5
Stabilizer: No
Minimum focus distance: 10cm
Maximum magnification: 0.15x
Filter thread: 37mm
Dimensions: 59.8 x 25mm
Weight: 130g

Reasons to buy

+
Inexpensive
+
Small size is great for travel

Reasons to avoid

-
Aperture maxes out at f/4
-
Vignetting and poor edge sharpness

And now for something completely different! The Laowa 10mm f/4 Cookie lens is a tiny ultra-wide prime lens that comes with a price tag that's on the tiny side too. It's 15mm equivalent focal length gives you a very wide perspective (wider than Sony's 11mm f/1.8 above), and its optical character is distinctly retro, with well-controlled distortion but fairly heavy vignetting. You could reduce it in software or leave it in as part of this lens's character.

 This is a manual focus lens (easy to forget when you're using it!), but the short focal length means lots of depth of field, so you can just use 'zone' focusing and forget about focusing altogether. Creators these days are looking for lenses and image rendering that's just a little bit different, and using the Laowa is also a bit like stepping back in time to when lenses were made of metal and glass and felt like proper optical instruments. 

See our full Laowa 10mm f/4 Cookie review for more details

(Image credit: Matt Richards)
The perfect lens for sport and wildlife photographers

Specifications

Focal length: 70-180mm (105-270mm equivalent)
Maximum aperture: f/2.8
Elements/groups: 19/14
Diaphragm blades: 9
Stabilizer: No
Minimum focus distance: 0.27-0.85m
Maximum magnification: 0.22-0.5x
Filter thread: 67mm
Dimensions (WxL): 81x149mm
Weight: 810g

Reasons to buy

+
Remarkably compact and lightweight
+
Advanced autofocus system
+
Impressive image quality

Reasons to avoid

-
No optical stabilization

A 70-200mm f/2.8 is a must-have lens for most professional photographers - but this fast telephoto is just a bit too big to fit on a small mirrorless camera like the Sony ZV-E10. Tamron therefore has made this very slightly shorter 70-180mm which is smaller and significantly lighter than the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS. The Tamron has a super-fast and virtually silent autofocus system and delivered excellent image quality in our lab tests. The diaphragm is based on nine blades compared with the Sony lens’s 11, but the aperture is nevertheless very well-rounded and bokeh remains beautiful when stopping down a little. Be warned though that this lens makes do without image stabilizer, so you will need to ensure you use a fast enough shutter speed to avoid camera shake.

Read more:

Best lenses for Sony A6000
Best gimbals for DSLR and mirrorless cameras
Best video tripods
Best microphones
Best video lights

Rod Lawton
Contributor

Rod is an independent photography journalist and editor, and a long-standing Digital Camera World contributor, having previously worked as DCW's Group Reviews editor. Before that he has been technique editor on N-Photo, Head of Testing for the photography division and Camera Channel editor on TechRadar, as well as contributing to many other publications. He has been writing about photography technique, photo editing and digital cameras since they first appeared, and before that began his career writing about film photography. He has used and reviewed practically every interchangeable lens camera launched in the past 20 years, from entry-level DSLRs to medium format cameras, together with lenses, tripods, gimbals, light meters, camera bags and more. Rod has his own camera gear blog at fotovolo.com but also writes about photo-editing applications and techniques at lifeafterphotoshop.com