What is a good starting lens for videography using the Canon 7D?

[Davizaled]

I just bought the Canon 7D mainly for videography. There seem to be millions of lens' out there. Since the 7D is already pretty expensive, my budget for a lens is about 200-300. I would like a lens with great zooming capability, very wide shots and of course, crystal clear image. Any suggestions?

[The Miracle]

Welcome to the RDP forums!

While there're a thousand lenses you can mount onto the 7D from legendary Zeiss lenses to consumer grade EF-S lenses, there're a series of lense you can consider.

Here's my 2 lenses worth of what I might know!

Super zooms:
Canon has the EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, which is good for an 'all rounder'. The image stabilisation 'IS) helps if you're hand holding the 7D to record video. The cons would be the non constant aperture if you're intending to zoom in and out frequently. Other Canon zooms worth considering are the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS. 3rd party brands such as Sigma/Tamron/Tokina also have super-zoom in the order of 18-200/250/270/300 mm!

Primes:
Fixed focal length lenses are somewhat preferred for cinematographers as camera movement is usually used in film than zooms. Prime lenses also offer a bright aperture and substantial sharpness compared to a zoom. Examples of Canon Prime lenses include the EF 14mm f/2.8L II, EF 24mm f/1.4L, EF 35mm f/1.4L, EF 50mm f/1.2L, EF 85mm f/1.2L, EF 135mm L. This set is perhaps the holy grail of prime lenses offered by Canon. Nikon Primes are also favoured for their sharpness other than the cult Zeiss/Voigtlanders/ and other vintage lenses.

In short, I'd recommend trying a zoom lens, and primes during the same shoot or across different shoots. That said, be aware of being hooked to BOKEH!!!

[Air on D]

I'd suggest the following pure Canon setup if you're on a budget:

EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS
One of the cheapest, best value for money lenses. Not the sharpest when open wide, but for videography, I feel that it is not that crucial. IS will help with hand held shots.

EF 35mm f/2 D
Big aperture, nice bokeh, affordable!

EF 85mm f1.8
Fantastic background separation. Some copies will show chromatic aberrations, hence be careful of high contrast footage or be aware when purchasing the lens.