What lens could I use for the D3400 to shoot YouTube Videos?

uncensoredrn

New member
Hi Guys.

So I started to shoot videos on my Iphone with a little set up for some youtube videos.
I wanted to start using my Nikon more and I figured the Nikon would give me higher quality videos.
I thought I had I had it all figured out. I had mini HDMI adapters to set it up to a bigger monitor so I could see myself recording and an adapter so that the battery wouldn't run out on me while recording.
The only problem I keep running into is the lens.
I have the standard lens that comes with the Nikon D3400 when you purchase it but it doesn't work for this specific purpose.
I'm looking for a lens that wouldn't stick out so far (I just want a flat lens so that I can mimmick how the image would come out if you were to look at it from an iphone front camera) that would auto focus if I put items in front of it and away from it.
Is the Nikon even capable of this or am I better off buying a video camera that records and auto focuses?
Don't get me wrong I do get a decent picture quality off my Iphone but I would like to use something different.
Any ideas would help.
Thank you!
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Just 'getting a flat lens' won't do it. If you want to duplicate the field of view of your iPhone's camera, you'll need to find out the focal length of it and convert it to an equivalent focal length for a crop sensor DSLR.
 

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
The primary camera of most smartphones has a wide-angle lens with a focal length of anywhere between 24mm and 27mm. From this camera, you can get pretty wide shots that show a decent amount of the scene.

Nikon's 18-55mm kit lens should give you the proper focal length you're looking for...
 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
I don't do video other than with a phone so can't help you with specifics. But as Sparky and Fred mentioned, a flat lens doesn't necessarily mean it will work like a camera phone, and camera phones tend to be wide angle.

But since I don't do DSLR videos, I'm not sure which AF mode you should use. And I think that might be what's causing your problem. AF-S is designed to lock focus on a stationary subject so if the subject moves closer to and away from the lens, it will become blurry. AF-C is designed to continually focus on a moving subject - but I'm not sure how that factors into video. For photos, the shutter button (or back button if that's how a camera is set up) has to be pressed halfway to engage AF-C.

Nikon DSLR's also come with AF-A. That mode is supposed to be a blend of both AF-S and AF-C. If the camera senses movement, it will work like AF-C, but when the subject stops moving, it simulates AF-S. But like I said, I don't shoot video so am not familiar with which AF setting you need.
 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
Oh...and one more thing. With cell phones, you can put the phone very close to your subject and still have it focus. With most DSLR lenses, there is a minimum distance required for a lens to focus. Usually the exceptions are macro lenses which have the ability to focus very closely. Other DSLR lenses will probably require you to be at least 12 inches away if not further.
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
Welcome aboard. Enjoy the ride.
We look forward to seeing more posts and samples of your work.

I don't do videos, but the previous posters should be helping you out.
 
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