Recommended Videography Equipment and Accessories
Check out our Videography for Beginners course where we show you how to to use all the gear and accessories shown below. We have a lot of other Videography and Video Editing related courses too.
Rode SmartLavPlus Lavalier Mic
One of the fundamental principles of videography is that you should NEVER use built-in DSLR mics for recording. They produce a very bad quality recording. Lavalier Mics, also called as Lapel Mics or Collar Mics are great budget options for beginners. They also allow a lot of flexibility in movement since the mic is attached to your shirt.
Rode VideoMicro On-Camera Mic
On-camera mics are great for people who don't want to go through the process of syncing audio and video in editing. Because the microphone is mounted on the camera and is plugged into the camera, the video that gets recorded gets the audio from the on-camera mic.
Zoom H1n Recorder
External recorders are not 100% compulsory when you are staring out because you can even use a mobile app to record the audio from the microphone. But using a dedicated recorder will improve the sound quality by ten times.
Godox SL60W Video Light
The Godox SL60W is perhaps the most popular video light in the world and is used by a lot of YouTubers. At 60 Watts, it gives decent amount of power. The best part about using this light is that any accessory or modifier related to this light is easily available online.
1000 watt Halogen Video Light
**** We were unable to find this light on Amazon international****
Old-fashioned halogen lights can also do a great job. They cost less than a meal in a restaurant. The only issue is that you have to be very careful in handling these lights as they get really hot. But the amount of brightness these lights can produce is unparalleled.
Professional Video Tripod
Tripods used for videography usually come with a Pan/Tilt head for smoother panning and tilting movement. When you are starting out, it's ok to buy a cheaper tripod especially if you only plan to shoot indoors. As you get more advanced, one of the things you would want to invest is in what is called as a Fluid Motion Head, which can wither be purchased separately and then attached to the legs of your existing tripod or it can be purchased with the legs too. Fluid Motion Heads make the panning and tilting movement very smooth.
Phone Gimbal by DJI
If you plan to make videos while the camera is moving, then using a Gimbal is very important to stabilize the footage. Gimbals come for both phones and cameras.
Godox 80 cm Softbox for Godox SL60W Light
Soft-boxes are the most popular type of modifiers which help in turning harsh light from the bare video light into softer light. Soft light improves the look of your subject because it eliminates bad looking hard-edged shadows and makes the highlights more diffused.
Shoot-through Umbrella
Just like a soft-box, umbrella is also a modifier which turns harsh light into soft light. They are way cheaper than soft-boxes but the only downside is that the light coming through an umbrella spreads out in all directions thereby resulting in a lot of light spill. But if light spill is not an issue for you, then this is a great budget option.
Light Stand
As the name suggests, a light stand helps in mounting the video light.
Umbrella Bracket
An umbrella bracket goes on top of the light stand. It has a hole through which the shoot-through umbrella can be mounted on.
Green Screen Muslin Cloth
Using a Green Screen (Chroma Keying) enables you to change the background easily. Even though there are many types of green screens, the most budget solution is to buy a green colored Muslin cloth. Check out our Green Screen course where we teach you the complete art of using a Green Screen.
35mm f1.8
The 35mm f1.8 is a great lens for Videography. At a slightly wider focal length, it gives you enough field of view to show the subject as well as the surroundings. Shooting at wider apertures like f1.8 or f2.8 also blurs the background well and allows for more light which helps in keeping the ISO low and getting clean looking videos without noise.
50mm f1.8
Just like th 35mm prime lens, the "nifty-fifty" is also a great choice for Videography.
24-70mm f2.8
The 24-70mm f2.8 is perhaps the most popular lens for Videography. That's because it allows the ability to use a wider aperture like f2.8 AND at the same time it allows you to zoom in and zoom out, thereby giving you the capability to easily compose the scene in any way you wish.