> My current 24mm lens feels way too tight when I’m holding the camera at arm's length! oh man, i feel u on that one!! i'm pretty new to vlogging too, and when i first started with my Sony FX30 Cinema Line Camera, i actually almost dropped everything cuz i was trying to hold it so far away lol. it was sooo stressful. tbh, i’m always really worried about the gimbal motors getting strained if the lens is too heavy or long, you know? For your situation, i might want to consider the Sony E 11mm f/1.8 Lens. Since it's a prime lens, it stays the same size and doesn't shift the weight around, which i think is basically safer for ur gimbal balance. Plus, that f/1.8 is great if ur walking around at night. Just be careful with the distortion since it's super wide... it can make ur face look kinda weird if you get too close!! The Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens for Sony E is cool, but i’m always scared a zoom might mess up the calibration mid-walk. I would suggest sticking with the prime to be safe. good luck!!

so basically, the FX30 crop and Active SteadyShot makes lenses way tighter than you'd think... you realy need that extra width or ur face fills the whole frame. Heres how those compare:
- Sony E 11mm f/1.8: Like others said, this is the goat for low light and gimbal work cuz its tiny. AF is instant.
- Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary: way more versatile if you want to zoom in for B-roll, but honestly f/2.8 is just okay compared to the prime. ive been using the 11mm and im totaly satisfied with it. go prime for vlogging! gl

Quick question - using Active SteadyShot? That crop is risky. I've used:
- Sony E 15mm f/1.4 G: safer for low-light
- Sony E 10-20mm f/4 PZ G: easier framing
What's ur budget?

> My current 24mm lens feels way too tight when I’m holding the camera at arm's length! Honestly, if ur looking at the broader market outside the big two, you should definitely look into the Viltrox AF 13mm f/1.4 E. From a market analysis standpoint, Viltrox has basically cornered the "budget pro" segment by offering that f/1.4 speed for way less than Sony’s G-series glass. It’s a bit beefier, but the image quality and low-light performance are *insane* for the price point. If you prefer a zoom, the Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 Di III-A RXD is the real dark horse here. It’s weather-sealed and built like a tank compared to some of the lighter plastic options, which is a huge plus for rugged travel vlogging. You're basically choosing between the native AF tracking consistency of Sony and the raw price-to-performance value of these third-party brands. For the FX30, that 13mm Viltrox is basically the sweet spot for that crop factor.

Just catching up on this thread today and honestly, I totally agree that the crop on the FX30 makes things wierdly tight when you turn on the stabilization. Before you spend a ton on pro-level gear or a professional editing service, there is a lot of DIY stuff you can do to make your vlogs look better on your own. From a DIY enthusiast angle, here is why you might want to look at things differently:

• Try the Samyang AF 12mm f/2.0 E. Its a sleeper hit for us DIY types because its super light and way cheaper than the name brand stuff. Its not perfect but the image has a cool character and the AF is decent enough for walking.
• Instead of using the in-camera Active SteadyShot which crops the frame like crazy, use the gyro data. Basically, you keep the camera on Standard or Off, then use Sony Catalyst Browse on your computer later. It takes a bit more DIY effort but keeps the frame much wider.
• If you are worried about the gimbal, you can actually DIY balance it better by using small counterweights on the arm. You dont always need the lightest lens if you know how to rig it right yourself.
• Look at the Tokina atx-m 11-18mm f/2.8 E too. Its very underrated and has a nice feel for walking and talking. Doing the stabilization yourself in post really changed how I view my wide lenses. Idk, just my two cents!