Recommended Video Equipment

Want to do video marketing on your own? Producing your own videos can be a lot of fun and for some it can be a good economical decision, especially when you’re first starting in business. Below is a list of video equipment products we recommend in order to successfully produce your own videos for marketing. We are proud to be a part of the AMAZON AFFILIATE PROGRAM. The Amazon Services LLC Associates Program is designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by putting links to companies in my blog posts and this equipment recommendation page. 

The equipment recommendations are broken up between  “Start Up” equipment, and then the “Professional” equipment.

The “Start-Up” section will contain the basic equipment you’ll need to be successful. You’ll want to look at this section if you’re going to be using your cell phone or tablet to do the majority of your video recording. You should be able to get a full set up for around $100 depending on what you need. 

The “Professional” equipment section is going to be for people who want to create high quality videos. In this professional equipment section, we highlight the products and tools that we use on set, so be prepared to drop several hundred dollars on some of the equipment recommendations in this section. 

If you have any questions about the recommendations, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

If you want to watch video reviews on some of the products, view by clicking here.

Most of the products below are listed as Prime purchased. 
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START UP

Basic
Tripod

A basic tripod is always one of the first investments you should make when doing video on your own. Whether you’re using a phone or a camera, you want to make sure your shot is staying steady. These are two quality basic tripods that can help you get started.

Cell phone clamp for Tripod

If you’re going to be using your phone when you’re creating your own videos, you want to make sure it’s steady on a tripod. In order to hold the phone on the tripod, you’re going to need a basic cell phone clamp like this. It’s adjustable to fit most phones, however it may not fit well if you have a huge case, so be prepared to take off the case if it’s too big.

iPad or Tablet Clamp for Tripod

If you’re planning on using an Ipad or Tablet as your main camera, you’re going to need a clamp to attach it to a basic tripod. These clamps are adjustable to fit most tablets.

Mic for
Cell Phone w/ a hard line in

It’s important for people to see you, however it’s just as important for people to hear you. This microphone will a hard line will plug into the headphone jack of your phone and will provide a higher quality audio source than just using the on board microphone on your phone. This is going to be extremely beneficial if you’re ever doing videos at a busy event or outside.

Kimafun Wireless Mic for Cell Phone/Tablet/Computers

This is our number 1 recommendation for anyone getting started with video. It’s a high quality wireless microphone with a decent distance range. The benefit of this being wireless vs. hard wired in is you’ll be more free to move about and won’t have to worry about hiding the cord while you’re recording. 

Tripod with a Fluid Head

When you’re ready to step up your game in terms of video production, you may want to consider a basic fluid head. What this tripod head will allow you to do is capture more fluid pans and tilts. 

On the Go
Lighting

If you’re planning on using your phone on the go a lot when you’re doing your video marketing you may want to consider this small LED light that attaches to your phone. It can pack a punch with three different light settings, however we have heard from clients that having two on each side of the phone is even better! 

Studio Basic
Lighting

If you’re going to set up a space in your home or office where you’ll be doing all your videos, you may want to consider getting a basic lighting set. Having these soft boxes will produce a soft light and they won’t overheat you.

Waterproof Cell
Phone Case

If you’re a Realtor who sells a lot of homes with pools, or if you’re a company who has a product that goes in the water and you plan on using your phone to capture video, you’re going to want to protect your phone with a water proof casing. It may not look like much, but they really work!

Selfie
Stick

To be honest, we really don’t suggest these often. They are not steady because their is no gimbal attached however they can help you get some interesting perspectives. If you’re an auto company, you can get some great shots under the car, or if you’re crowded venues, this selfie stick can also help you get some great shots above the crowd.

Green Screen Studio Basic Set Up

If you want to be able to change your background, without changing your recording space, getting a basic green screen set up is a great idea. This pack comes with the lights, stands, and chroma key green muslim cloth in order to set up a green screen production. What this pack isn’t including though is the editing software or editor to key out the background correctly, so keep that in mind before deciding to do green screen video shoots.

Mini Tripod for Phone

If you’re going to be using your phone to record and have a small desk space to use, this mini tripod set could be perfect for you. The set comes with the clamp to hold your phone, the tripod, as well as a blue tooth remote to be able to press record on and off from where you go. The tripod is very flexible and can even be wrapped around items like a light near your desk.

Suction Cup Clamp for Cell Phone

Are you a person regularly stuck in traffic and while you’re in traffic you come up with some of the best video content ideas? If so, this suction cup clamp could be perfect for you! Clamp it to the top of your windshield or the side of your window and when you’re stuck in traffic, turn on your video app and start recording. You can also use this clamp to hold your phone and look at the GPS hands free.

Chest Mount for Cell Phone

If you’re a Realtor, contractor, or someone who has to walk through your job a lot, then a chest mount could be great for you to use to capture video content. This one size fits most adjustable chest mount is easy to put on and has a clamp for your cell phone. You may need to take off the large cell phone case to fit correctly.

Ring Light

For so many beginners, this ring light is their favorite. It’s easy to set up, and can act as your tripod. This system has a cell phone clamp holder in the middle of the ring so all the light is around your phone to perfectly light your face.

Wide Angle & Macro Lens Kit for Phone

If you’re a Realtor needing to capture wide angle shots of a home. Or if you’re someone who needs to record extremely close up to product and you plan on using your phone to record, you will want this wide angle and macro lens set. The lenses clip on and over your phone’s lens to give you a wider angle, or the ability to focus extremely close up. They are easy to use and durable little lenses for your phone.

Gimbal for Phone

This is the step up from the selfie stick. This gimbal will allow you to walk around to capture your surroundings or yourself steadily. For a perfect connection, we would advise taking off the cell phone case.

Cell Phone Holder LED Light

If you want to always have light with you where ever you go then you may want to consider a phone case with LED lighting around the whole case.

LED Desktop Microphone

If you’re looking for a simple to use and affordable desktop microphone, this is a great option!

Logitech HD Webcam

If you are doing webinars or are having meetings through Skype, Google Hangout, or Zoom you may want to upgrade your web camera or get a web camera if your computer monitor doesn’t have one built in. This one does a decent job and has a microphone attached to it.

Professional

GoPro HERO 7Black

As of Quarter 4 of 2018 this is the latest and greatest by GoPro. It’s their most steady camera yet, the audio appears to be improved and the overall quality of the footage is great!

OMSO

If you’re looking for an affordable 4k camera with a gimbal, this is the package for you. Once it’s activated, which can be a little tricky, it’s extremely easy to use. Through the controls you can pan, tilt, and move the camera for a quick vlog mode. There is a small microphone with it, however we would advise investing in a different microphone for higher quality.

Benro S8 Tripod

This is the heavy duty tripod that we use whenever we’re using our teleprompter, or using our 70-200 f2.8 lens. It can carry a heavy load and we love that on the ball head there is a light you can turn off and on to better see the balance bubble.

Manfotto Element Traveler Tripod

This is a great light weight tripod. It can also act as a full sized monopod.

Feiyutech A2000 Dual Handle Gimbal

If you have a DSLR or a light weight camera this is a great gimbal to use to capture steady shots. We highly suggest only using with a camera that has a good autofocus though. It’s extremely hard to hold and focus. The time to calibrate isn’t too long once you have done it a couple of times.

Canon c100

This is one of our go to cameras when capturing events. The auto focus is great and is extremely quick. Whenever speakers are walking back and forth, it’s really easy to keep them in focus. This does only shoot in 1080p, not 4k.

Gh5s

This is currently our favorite every day use camera. It shoots in 4K and is great in low light.

A must with the camera!

(Get Low- Low Light) Metabones speedbooster XL.64x

Since we already had invested a lot of money in Cannon EF Mount glass, we had to get this Metabones speedbooster to communicate with the GH5s. There is even an added benefit that it will bring your lenses 2 stops down from what its native setting is.

Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8

This Sigma Art Lens is an extremely wide angle sharp lens great for when you’re recording in small spaces or need to get an extremely wide angle.

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

This is our go to lens when we’re doing events. It’s really sharp glass with a low fstop that will help you when you’re doing events that they want to keep “intimate” with low lighting. It’s also great to capture the crowd with, without having a camera directly in their face.

Canon 50mm f/1.4

A great lens for portrait photography and videography. It’s sharp glass and gives you a nice depth of field.

Canon 24-105 f/4L IS

This is one of our other favorite lenses to use because it has a nice range and it’s very sharp glass. The only downfall is it’s an f4 however when we use it with the Gh5s and the MetaBones, it helps bring it down to an f2.8.

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8

This is a great lens to use when you want a bit of a wide angle however not an extremely wide angle like the Sigma Art Lens we recommend. This is also great in low light situations.

Sennheiser AVX Digital Wireless Microphone System

We love using these wireless microphones because they have a great quality and the wind screen isn’t too large. They are also comfortable against your skin. It also has the small plastic antenna, so no more of people pulling the microphones off from the antenna! It has a great design and holds a 420mAH battery. To have complete piece of mind when recording we do suggest getting a battery pack.

Zoom H6

This is our favorite device to use to monitor audio. It has a total of four channels, so unless we’re recording four people at the same time, a person will have two channels being recorded. With this set up one channel is set perfectly during the sound check, and the other channel is set to be a lot lower in case there is a spike in the audio like a loud laughter. This way in the edit, we can choose the best audio track to use.

Dimmable LED Lights

LEDS are great to use because they don’t produce a lot of heat. With these dimmable LED lights you can set the exposure you want, as well as set the color temperature. This is a set of three to help you with standard three point lighting.

Single Dimmable LED Light

When you need an extra light, this is a great option. LEDS are great to use because they don’t produce a lot of heat. With these dimmable LED lights you can set the exposure you want, as well as set the color temperature.

Long Large Dimmable LED Lights

This large LED light is great for a hair light or a large studio. LEDS are great to use because they don’t produce a lot of heat. With these dimmable LED lights you can set the exposure you want, as well as set the color temperature.

Mount Your Lights

If you want to mount your lights on the ceiling, this is a great mount to use.

Rodelink Wireless Mic

These are great wireless lapel microphones if you’re on a bit of a budget. They sync up right away and they don’t have antennas that can get ruined. The only downfall is the wind screen is a bit bulky and the plastic clip is really uncomfortable against skin.

Teleprompter for Tablet

We have been using this tablet teleprompter since we started business in 2014. The glass is clear and it’s extremely easy to get set up.

CORDS & SMALL ACCESSORIES

Headphone Jack Y Cable Splitter

If you’re going to be recording video with your phone and you’re going to be doing interviews with another person, you’re going to want to have two microphones and then this splitter cable to plug in both microphones into your one headphone jack.

1 x 3.5mm Male To 2 x 1/4in Male Y Cable Splitter

This 3.5mm Male To 2 x 1/4in Male Y Cable Splitter is needed for people who are trying to plug two 1/4in cables into one headphone jack.

5 pin XLR Male To 3pin Male XLR Y Cable Splitter

This cable is needed when you have one XRL device that you need to plug into two XLR channels.

1/8th in to 2 XLR 3pin Male Y Split

This cord is needed when you have two XLR female plug ins that need to go into a headphone jack plug.

Extension for cell phone plug in mic

If you’re recording with your phone and you chose to use a wired microphone, you may want this extension cord to give you more space and depth when you’re recording.

Hard Case for Camera/Audio

You always want to protect your expensive equipment so make sure to invest in hard cases that will hold your equipment. We use hard cases like this for our microphones.

Coldshoe Mount

A code shot mount is great for adding items to the top of your camera. We will this for adding our H6 to the top of our camera.

Imorden Magic Arm

Sometimes you need an extra arm to hold items around the tripod. This is great to attach audio devices and small lights.

SD Card

All the cameras we use currently require an SD card and you want to make sure you use a high quality one like this class 10 SD card.

Micro SD Card

Some cameras like the GoPro and DJI OSMO will require a micro SD card, and you’ll want to get a high quality one like this to be able to read the 4k footage. This also comes with an SD reader so you can plug the SD into your computer to capture the footage.

C Clamps for Lights

If you’re planning on hanging a light from the ceiling you’re going to want to have a few c-clamps handy. These are strong tools to hold your equipment in place.

3.5mm (1/8 Inch) Stereo Male to XLR Female Cable

This is one XRL cord to an 1/8in headphone jack.

Light Stand

Not all lights you purchase will come with stands, and stands don’t always last so you’ll want to make sure to have a few extra sturdy stands handy.

Light Batteries + Charger

These batteries are for more LED lights and this pack comes with a charger so you can always keep them charged when they aren’t in use./h2>

Leatherman Wingman Multitool

We love this multi function tool. We use it all the time to tighten our tripods, tighten rigs with the GoPro, and trim threads hanging off the talent. There are many tools on this that you’ll be using it on and off set.

White/Gray Balance Card

Sometimes it’s hard to set perfect white balance, however you can always fix that in post production with this white balance card.

External Hard Drive

Don’t slow down your computer by keeping all your files there. Invest in a few external drives to save your files and keep a backup of your files.

Iphone Adaptor for Headphones

If you have an Iphone from 2016 or newer, you want to make sure you have this cord to plug in your headphones, as well as plug in any external microphones if you plan on using your phone to record your videos.

Reflector

Reflectors are great to use to bounce light onto a subject, diffuse light or to create shade.

Basic Reflector Stand

If you’re using a reflector you may want to save your arms and get a reflector stand. This will also help you stay even and consistent since you can lock down the location of the reflector. Even the steadiest person may move around slightly on a long take.

C-Stand

If you’re using a reflector, light diffuser or flags you may want to consider getting a metal heavy duty c-stand.

Sand Bags

If you’re using a reflector stand, c-stand or event light stands you want to make sure everything is securely on the ground and won’t fall over if bumped. That’s where using sand bags can come in handy. You’ll want to get the sand from a local hard ware store, or playground. Make sure to double or even triple bag the sand with zip lock bags before adding to these sand bags. If you add the sand directly into these bags, in a matter of time they will start to leak and cause a huge mess.

Slate

Keep your shots more organized by using a slate. Be able to easily find your best takes in editing looking at the first frame with the slate board.

Lens Cleaning Kit

Always keep your lens clean with this handy lens cleaning kit.

Portable Battery Bank & Charger

Have peace of mind when you’re recording with this battery bank and charger. We use this to power a microphone, Ipad for the teleprompter and H6 when we’re recording.

Hand Held Steamer

If you’re going to be recording with a green screen, or blue screen you need to make sure there aren’t any wrinkles. Sometimes wrinkles are unavoidable. When you fold up your screens, wrinkles happen, and so this hand held steamer is a great tool to get rid of your wrinkles fast and easy.

Gaffer’s Tape

The go to tape for all of your production needs! We use Gaffer’s tape to rig up equipment, and hide wires under shirts however it can be used for so many other needs.

GH3, GH4, GH5 Battery Adapter

Have peace of mind when recording for long periods of time when using a Lumix Gh3, Gh4, or Gh5. When you use this adapter you’ll be able to plug in and not have to worry about battery life.

Iphone Microphone Adaptor for Gimbal

If you’re going to be using a handheld gimbal with an iphone and are planning on using a microphone you’re going to want to purchase this adaptor so you can use a microphone and the gimbal and not damage your headphone adaptor cord.

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