The engine's answer
Best lens for video work, under €1,000
Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 II
89% match
The 70-200 look at a third of the weight
Why it wins here
The Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 II takes this question at €1,000 — exactly at the €1,000 ceiling — with a 89% match against 65 current lenses. For video work the engine leans on AF speed and stabilisation: it scores 74/100 and 85/100, where the pool averages 74/100 and 34/100. At 357 g it is lighter than the average lens here (633 g). No prime-or-zoom preference was required, so the whole pool of 65 was in play.
The dimensions where it beats the rest of the field by the most, for this question specifically.
- Budget
- Use
What's good
- A sealed 70-200-equivalent at 357 g
- Dual IS keeps event shutter speeds honest
What to watch
- Equivalent blur is f/5.6-ish
- Weak close-focus for detail shots
What came close — and what each gave up
- Fujifilm XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 R LM OIS WR88%A 450-equivalent that fits a day bagThe Fujifilm XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 R LM OIS WR (88% match) weighs 223 g more (580 g against 357 g). Check price: B&H Photo Adorama MPB (used) eBay (used)
- Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS87%The light-bag safari zoomThe Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS (87% match) weighs 778 g more (1135 g against 357 g). Check price: B&H Photo Adorama MPB (used) eBay (used)
- Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS86%The 10× holiday in one barrelThe Canon RF 24-240mm F4-6.3 IS (86% match) weighs 393 g more (750 g against 357 g). Check price: B&H Photo Adorama MPB (used) eBay (used)
Questions this answer raises
- Is the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 II within a €1,000 budget?
- Yes — at €1,000 it lands exactly on the ceiling, with nothing left over; the Fujifilm XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 R LM OIS WR costs €830 and the Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS costs €950.
- How good is the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 II for video work?
- On the use question it scores 78%, 28 points above the average of the 65 lenses ranked. Its strongest numbers for this use are AF speed (74/100) and stabilisation (85/100).
- What comes closest to the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 II for video work?
- The Fujifilm XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 R LM OIS WR at 88%, then the Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS at 87%. The section above names the measure each one lost on.
Change an assumption
This page answers one photographer's question. Yours is not that question — adjust the subject, the format or the budget and watch the whole field re-rank.
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