Could use help selecting the right lens for my YouTube channel about miniature painting

[MiniJunkie]

(discloser: I'm a middle aged nerd who knows a lot about painting models and miniatures and very little about videography)

Hi folks, I'm hoping to get some help with a recommendation for the right lens to pick for my needs.

I am using a Canon Rebel T6i. I have the basic starting lens it comes bundled with (EF-S 18-55mm IS STM?).

What I'm hoping to do is shoot relatively high quality video of my "talking head sections", but also be able to get a really nice view/shot of my hands and miniatures while I'm painting (for tutorial videos).

Example of my talking head clips that i'd like to see improved

https://youtu.be/N52st5xgBo8

Example of what I'd like to film re: my miniature tutorials (this is not mine, just an example of what I'd like to aim for)

https://youtu.be/5itM17RTshw?t=4m47s

My friend who is into photography and filming recommended this lens:

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens

Thing is...I can't really get it to work well for either application. And for filming my hands/painting, I think I can maybe see my knuckle, and the focus range seems super narrow so most of the subject matter seems blurry. I have a feeling this isn't quite the right lens for my needs...

My budget would be in the 1K - 1500K range I think.

I'd be super grateful for any tips or guidance you guys can give me, I'm really hoping to get my channel up and running with high quality video but struggling with the equipment setup.

[heart0less]

You could take a look at Canon EF 50mm f/2.5 Macro.

 

It's got some years on it, but its optical quality still shines.

50mm (even on a crop camera, which T6i is) is more versatile than 100mm

 

Though it's worth noting that it doesn't allow you to take 1:1 magnification.

[IronFilm]

For such a poor camera system, I wouldn't want to spend too much at all on it. 

Go with the Yongnuo macro lens for only US$170:

https://petapixel.com/2016/10/31/yongnuo-releases-budget-100mm-f2-lens-canon-costs-just-170/

Then get a C stand a few sandbags to mount the camera directly above you while you're painting your miniatures. 

Spend the rest on lighting and audio etc... things that would really make a big difference. For instance at least this as a mic (but more is better):

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1212297-REG/aputure_a_lav_omnidirectional_lavalier_microphone.html
 

On 3/16/2018 at 11:42 AM, MiniJunkie said:

Thing is...I can't really get it to work well for either application. And for filming my hands/painting, I think I can maybe see my knuckle, and the focus range seems super narrow so most of the subject matter seems blurry. I have a feeling this isn't quite the right lens for my needs...

 

You want to stop down until you get an appropriate working range of DoF for your needs, this might mean f5.6 or f8 for instance.