Imagine if the hotel in The Shining came across just a little less creepy.

Picture your nightmares just a little less vivid after watching Alien.

Think what your last campaign could have done for Q1 sales if only the content had been more emotive than a PowerPoint presentation.

Let’s be real: most brand videos and other video marketing content are the visual equivalent of soggy toast. 

They’re technically fine – maybe even comforting in a bland, stock-footage kinda way – but they leave zero impression. They don’t stir anything. No curiosity, no trust, no emotional response. Which is wild, considering we live in a world where one slow-motion pour of coffee with the right lens can make you feel like you’ve just experienced a spiritual awakening.

The difference? It all comes down to lens choice. 

Here’s what we mean:

  • Use wide shots to create curiosity. They invite viewers into a world. Great for the opening scene or product reveals.
  • Use medium shots for connection. People recognize themselves in these. It’s the lens of conversation and trust.
  • Use tight shots to create intimacy. This is where emotion lives. Do you want to sell belief? Use a lens that lets us see the blink before the tear. Or the micro-smirk. These are the shots that stick.

Camera lens types and focal lengths are the unsung heroes of high-impact brand videos. Not your budget. Not the celebrity cameo. Not Brad-from-content’s heartfelt commitment to consumer trust.

It’s the glass in front of the sensor that makes or breaks your video storytelling. We’ll show you a few secrets here!

Young Caucasian Male And Female Filmmakers Collaborate On A Film Set, Adjusting Camera Equipment With Enthusiasm, Surrounded By Diverse Crew Members In A Bright, Modern Studio Environment.

What Differences Do Different Camera Lenses Make?

This isn’t about nerding out for nerding out’s sake. This is about knowing how to make your brand feel cinematic, memorable, and yes – marketable. 

Your viewer is smart. They can sense when the camera is close to your subject. 

Want them to feel like they are in the action? Use a wider lens and get uncomfortably close to your subject.

Want the viewer to feel like they’re a clandestine observer? Grab a longer lens and hop across the street to film.

Even though both shots can be called a “close-up,” they evoke vastly different feelings.

So here’s your lens crash course – because we’re tired of watching another wide shot of a founder awkwardly walking through an office.

Different camera lenses create wildly different experiences for the viewer. You wouldn’t shoot a therapy scene from Good Will Hunting with a GoPro unless you were deliberately trying to cause anxiety.

When CMOs ask, “What differences do different camera lenses make?” this is what we mean. The lens is the vibe.

Choosing the Right Lens for Your Story

  • Wide-angle lenses (14-35mm): Great for showing context, capturing environments, or making small rooms look expensive. Think office tours, bustling factory floors, or a hero shot of your manufacturing facility that doesn’t look like a hostage video.
  • Standard lenses (35-70mm): The bread and butter of commercial video. These match what the human eye sees. Use these when you want realism without the razzle-dazzle. Great for interviews that don’t feel like you’re being interrogated.
  • Telephoto lenses (70mm and up): Want drama? Emotion? Need to make your CEO look like a visionary standing on a cliff somewhere? This is your lens. It flattens the background and makes your subject feel larger than life.

What Focal Length Should I Shoot Videos With?

We’ll spare you the physics. Here’s the high-level, no-nonsense guide to what focal length you should shoot videos with depending on what emotion or story you’re trying to tell.

Focal Length Size Guide

  • 16mm: Ultra-wide. Use sparingly. Makes spaces feel open, but can make faces look like balloon animals. Great for action, movement, or architectural flexing.
  • 24mm: Nice and wide. Good for when you want to feel inside the space without distorting it. Often used in documentaries and fast-paced content.
  • 35mm: Sweet spot between wide and natural. Perfect for handheld feels or when you want authenticity without chaos.
  • 50mm: The human eye lens. Feels natural. Use when you want to feel present and emotionally grounded.
  • 85mm: A portrait powerhouse. Feels intimate. Great for testimonials, interviews, and emotional beats.
  • 135mm+: High drama. Used in cinematic moments to isolate subjects. Your brand anthem deserves one shot on this lens. Trust us.
Young team of creatives on video production set

Best Lens for Video

Great video marketing should make your audience feel something. Hope. Excitement. Maybe a little goosebump moment. If they finish watching and all they feel is, “I need to floss my teeth more,” you’ve failed.

Visual storytelling isn’t just about what you show. It’s about how close we feel to it. That’s where focal distance comes in. Shallow depth of field draws the eye. Deep focus shows complexity. Lens decisions signal to your audience how to feel.

You don’t need to memorize every focal length to make better videos. You need a production agency that already has. 

We aren’t trying to be Steven Spielberg or turn you into Daniel Craig. 

But we also aren’t willing to cede the ground of high-performing, soul-stirring video over to Hollywood. 

Marketing content – from brand films to product demos – can and should be less “meh” and more magnetic.

Whether you’re selling cloud software or custom sneakers, your audience is human. And humans respond to feelings. 

The right lens, the right focal length, and the right framing create an immersive experience that educates, entertains, and – most importantly – converts.

So no more mediocre videos. Let’s make something memorable. Hackstone is ready when you are. Send us a message or call us today!