yo, congrats on the new gear! honestly, the Sony ZV-E10 II is such a solid pick, but i totally get the struggle with that kit lens... it just doesnt cut it for that blurry background look we all want. for your situation, i would suggest looking at the Samyang AF 12mm f/2.0 E. i actually used this for a while and it is basically the perfect budget vlogging lens. at 12mm, it is wide enough that your face isnt filling the whole frame while holding it at arm's length, which is huge. plus, f/2.0 gives you way better low-light performance than the kit lens ever could. seriously, it is like night and day. you can usually find it around $280 or so if you shop around. you might also wanna consider the Viltrox AF 13mm f/1.4 E if you can find a used deal or a sale. it is technically a bit better but usually sits around $340 new, so it might be pushing your budget. be careful tho, the viltrox is definitely heavier than the samyang, and weight really matters when youre holding the camera out for 10 minutes straight. make sure to double check that you are buying the version with AF (autofocus)! there is a manual focus version of that 12mm that is cheaper, but for vlogging, you lowkey NEED the autofocus to keep your face sharp while you move... anyway, for under $300, the samyang is definitely the best value imo. so yeah, hope that helps! gl with the channel!

yo, just catching up on this thread. honestly, for under 300 bucks, you gotta be careful about weight since youre doing handheld stuff. Here is what I recommend for that ZV-E10 II:

• Samyang AF 12mm f/2.0 E: This is basically the best value choice. It is super wide which is perfect if you use active stabilization because that feature crops your image in quite a bit. Its also weather sealed and weighs almost nothing.
• Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary for Sony E: You can usually find these used for about $275. The low light performance is LITERALLY insane and the bokeh is way better than the Samyang, but be careful because it is kinda heavy for a small setup. I mean, if you want the widest view, get the Samyang. If you want a really blurry background, hunt for that Sigma. gl!

ugh i feel this so much!! the struggle with that kit lens is real and it honestly drove me crazy for months... like you buy this amazing Sony ZV-E10 II and then the footage looks like it was shot on a potato because the low light is so bad!! it is just so frustrating when you want that creamy bokeh and all you get is everything in focus and a bunch of digital noise. @Reply #3 - good point! seriously, trying to vlog with a heavy setup is a nightmare for your wrists. i remember being so hyped to film and then just giving up because my gear was too bulky or the autofocus kept hunting. it is so important to have something reliable that doesnt hunt for focus while youre talking... basically the kit lens aperture is just way too narrow. it forces the camera to boost the digital gain which is why everything looks so grainy and gross. honestly i hate how hard it is to find a cheap prime that actually stays locked on your face without glitching out!!

in my experience, unfortunately my first setup was way too heavy... learned the hard way that a light cheap wide prime is way better than fancy glass for handheld stuff honestly anyway gl