We don’t sell equipment, so you can trust our unbiased opinion on the gear we’ve selected. We’re building an ever-expanding list of recommended packages to support your needs big and small. Whether you need to film videos on your iPhone or you want to start a small live-stream studio, we got you. This is where we’re going to get nerdy with gear worth investing in.
CURRENT KIT WE’RE RECOMMENDING
CONTACT US FOR HELP SETTING UP YOUR KIT
The items we’re currently recommending for your Zoom meetings and WFH vlogging.
SOUND
UPGRADING YOUR AUDIO
We curated a list of good value products made by reliable manufacturers that won’t break the bank. Please know not everything on the site has been personally tested by our team .. yet. However we have advised many long-standing clients to get these pieces as need and we are glad to say they’ve had great success already.
If you need additional help there are a ton of resources on YouTube, and if you want a more hands-on approach please reach out to us for our remote director and remote producer services.
WIRED PACKAGE OPTION: FOR CONNECTING DIRECTLY TO YOUR PHONE OR COMPUTER
Device Specific Needs
Lightning Bolt Dongle – if you’re using a newer iPhone model
Adapter for PC/DSLR – If you’re recording directly from a PC computer or a DSLR camera
Android Phones – there are so many models of this phone, we want to make sure you get the right one for your needs; please reach out and we’ll get you hooked up right away!
UPGRADED WIRELESS PACKAGE: CAPTURE AUDIO INDEPENDENTLY
We think these products have the fastest learning curve, but we still don’t recommend going in completely blind. Being able to capture wireless audio can be a huge advantage, depending on your needs; but if you’re not sure what’s right for you or need assistance getting set up, we’re here to help.
Rode GoWireless Transmitter/Receiver from Amazon or B&H or Adorama
a. Patch Cable (Connects Receiver to Dongle).
b. Patch Cable – SmartLav To Transmitter
c. Lightning Bolt Dongle – if you’re using a newer iPhone model
Sennheiser AVX Microphone System (comes with lav) from Amazon or B&H or Adorama
a. Receiver Adapter For AVX System
b. Lightning Bolt Dongle if you’re using a newer iPhone model
***If you have issues with backorders or delivery timing, please reach out and we will help you find an alternative supplier.
LIGHTING
PROPER LIGHTING IS THE KEY TO A QUALITY VIDEO
Dracast Influencer Kit from B&H
A nice affordable care designed for straight-to-camera, “talking-head” videos. We really like this kit because it comes with everything you need. We also like the fact that it comes with two additional lights, so you can either backlight your space or add a hair light. It just makes the kit more versatile.
Dracast 3 Light Panel Daylight from B&H or Adorama
These lights are dimmable, but they only offer daylight color. These will match nicely with soft white daylight lightbulbs, or daylight coming from a window source. However, if you have tungsten lightbulbs they will clash. If you feel like you might use these lights in varying environments, we recommend the next Kit which are bi-color.
Dracast Fresnel from B&H or Adorama
We love these lights, and use them regularly in our shoots. They are pretty powerful and very directional as well as affordable for a bi-color LED Fresnel light. This is really for someone that’s looking to invest heavily in their video production equipment though.
CAMERAS
This will be an ever expanding list of cameras that we will recommend based on other website reviews and our own use.
In general when selecting a camera for blogging do you want to try to find something that offers the following options:
- A Good lens
- Flip out LCD
- Audio input jack and microphone output jack
- Fast autofocus
- External memory
This is a great resource for getting started: TechRadar’s Top 10 Vlogging Cameras
Optimize Your iPhone
It’s a powerful camera, especially if you have the iPhone 11 Pro. But one of the issues you run into with any device like this is memory and storage. There’s nothing more frustrating than running out of room while you’re trying to record. So make sure to optimize your memory and clear space.
Sandisk Xpand Flash Drive from B&H or Adorama
If you’re going to start producing videos regularly on your phone it is a good idea to offload content quickly to your computer. Bigger files take a long time on AirDrop, and they take a long time to download from iCloud. You don’t want to get caught waiting when inspiration strikes because your phone is out of space.
STABILIZATION
KEEP YOUR CAMERA STEADY
Keeping your camera steady is really important and there are a lot of options for tripods depending on your device.
Tabletop-Tripod – there are a ton of these available out there, we really like this one, it’s super low cost, easy to use and light. It’s made of plastic so it’s not the most rugged thing out there but I’ve personally use this on planes to hold my iPhone as well as for tabletop videos. Depending on your height of your table and your chair, the maximum height of this device is a few inches short sometimes, so you may need to get a book or two to prop it up.
When you’re shopping for a tripod/selfie stick the main things you want are:
- A spring loaded or screw down holster that holds the phone securely
- The ability to pivot into a portrait or horizontal position
- Expandable height
- Legs that expand wide enough to keep the camera stable
SmaTree has a decent product made of metal.
The JOBY Tripod is very economical and you cling it to the top of your computer for additional height.
DJI makes a Gimbal & Tripod For Mobile that we love, but it is a bit pricey.
Get Started On Your Remote Project
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