Cinematic video is delightful to view and create.

What makes a video ‘cinematic’ is debatable, but generally it’s the video you see in professional cinema.

It’s the fancy shots with the fancy lenses and expert camera movements.

Sometimes it’s dark and moody, sometimes it’s clean and bright.

Either way, it almost always looks far more professional than a home movie shot on an iPhone.

If you want to level up the look of your travel videos, adding a few shots with a cinematic feel is a sure way to accomplish this! 

But how do you create cinematic looks in your video?

There are many ways, but one of the easiest is by using a fixed lens with a large aperture.

If you want the best lens to create EASY cinematic video, but don’t want to make a huge investment then I have the perfect choice for you.

The fixed 50mm or ‘Nifty Fifty’ Lens I discuss in this video is everything you need for delicious low light shots, portrait shots, and amazing bokeh filled B Roll.

You can easily capture AMAZING and easy cinematic video with this lens.

In fact, this ENTIRE VIDEO is made up of shots created with this lens- with the exception of a few.

These types of shots are the easiest way to add a cinematic look to your travel videos or vlogs and will absolutely take the quality of your video production to the next level.

The best part about this lens is that it’s completely affordable (compared to other lenses) and when paired with the camera setup I discuss in this video, you’ll have everything you need to capture amazing footage for under $1,000.

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WATCH THE VIDEO ► The BEST LENS for EASY CINEMATIC VIDEO

I still can’t believe how much B Roll it took to create this video!

I had an amazing time getting up close and intimate with some of the beautiful trees and flowers we have here in North Florida.

Of course, taking time to film my beautiful baby girl and husband was so much fun too 🙂

As promised, here are links to each part of the camera setup I use to create this beautiful cinematic footage.

The BEST LENS for EASY CINEMATIC VIDEO- CANON VERSION

The BEST LENS for EASY CINEMATIC VIDEO- SONY VERSION

The CAMERA I use in this video

The ADAPTER for this camera

The ND FILTER to make it all work

As an Amazon affiliate, I greatly appreciate your use of my links. Purchasing through them is no extra cost to you, and it helps to support the channel so I can bring you more video production gear reviews!

Here’s how it all looks together!

USING THE ‘NIFTY FIFTY’ LENS TO CREATE EASY CINEMATIC VIDEO

Focal Length

This lens is a fixed focal length- which means it cannot zoom. This sounds annoying at first, but there are many benefits to using a fixed focal length lens.

Please watch the video to learn the benefits, and see plenty of details and examples!

Video Stabilization

This lens was mostly created for photography, and does not have a built in image stabilization system. This means it can be a bit shaky for video if not used correctly.

Stabilization is very important when using this lens! 

One easy thing you can do to correct the natural shake you will get when using this lens, is to use the camera strap around your neck to create tension while filming. This will help to stabilize the shot and balance out some of the shake.

Or, you can use a professional gimbal.

I seriously need to get one of these!

Another great reason to own this lens is that you can use it to take amazing photos too!

When used for photography, the 1.8 aperture allows you to use a very fast shutter speed- the reason this is also called a ‘fast lens’. Lens shake is not an issue in this case, and it’s one of the reasons this lens is also SO awesome for photography.

Slow Motion & Color Grading

It’s great to add effects like color grading and slow motion to get a similar cinematic look like you see in this video. Much of the B Roll making up this video was shot at 60fps to create this slow motion effect.

I’ve also applied a variety of different LUTS- or video filters- my very own LUTS in fact!

You can add the same color effects to your footage by using my LUTS.

LEARN MORE ABOUT AMaeTV LUTS PACKS

Or, you can learn more about color grading in general AND using LUTS in this video.

I’d love to hear what you think about this lens! Please leave me a comment or ask any questions you might have right here on the blog, or on the YouTube channel.

If you enjoy these types of videos and you’re not subscribed to AMaeTV please do so. That way you can catch all my latest travel videos- which always talk about the production involved.

xx, Alicia

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