"The gear is less important than the story"
"You can shoot on anything, it doesn't matter, as long as you have a good idea"
"Who cares what camera you use? It's all about personality."
Anyone in video production, filming, or YouTube esque videos have probably heard something like this from the likes of Casey Neistat .
While I agree for the most part (a boring guy with a film camera and no good video ideas won't be very popular) there is a certain element of quality that helps a LOT with video.
If you look at even the most simple set ups for vloggers in their bedrooms, like Phillip De Franco
I am by NO MEANS a professional, but with the push for better quality on YouTube, I have had to make numerous upgrades in gear, as well as filming and editing technique.
Today I will break down each piece of gear that I have, and why I use it for what purpose.
#1. Sony a6300
This fantastic camera is so damn powerful for what it can do. At around $1000, you can, with enough skill and patience, get some stuff that wouldn't be that far off of a full budget tv show to the naked eye. With 4k recording, a steady hand or gimbal, and some decent lenses, the results were jaw dropping when I learned this thing. The ability to shoot in a ton of flat color profiles means you can get an amazing look out of this little thing.I also picked up a Sony Zoom lens with stabilization built in, since it's super shaky otherwise.
#2. Sony RX100 MK5
What a beast. I paid about $900 for this little bundle of joy. This pocket sized little wonder can do epic slo-mo, amazing macro shots with it's 1.8 f stop, and even 4k (overheats though!) Don't rely on it's awful microphone for audio though. You will have to record outside audio and sync it up in post. Still though, this thing never ceases to amaze me
#3. Sony AXP 55
Yeah, yeah... you will look like a dad at a dance recital, but holy hell, this has become my new favorite piece of kit. It's only about $800. Not only is the microphone really good, but it has a gimbal built into the lens, and let me tell you, this is the most stable camera I have ever used. The sensor isn't big enough to be blown away by the image quality, but this massive 20x zoom, quick turn on, and incredible ease of use means it is now my favorite camera to just get the shot or vlog with. 4k as well.
#4 GoPro Hero 5
I hate this thing. I really do. For $350 it's a bit pricey. It's buggy, and gives me a ton of audio issues, even when paired with GoPros mic converter! However, this tiny little box gets the best action shots. For anything on my motorcycle, it is fantastic, and I just wish it was more reliable. Shoots in 4k, flat color profiles, and is super handy.
#5 DJI Mavic Pro
At about $1000, yeah, it's not as good as the Phantom 4 for image quality, but it's almost there. The picture is quite a bit more narrow, but in good light, the Mavic does the job. Especially since it is so easy to set up, take off, and fly. I find that people give me less of the stink eye with this thing, since it's more like a toy than a surveillance device. Great little drone.
#6 Zoom H1
My one piece of advice to anyone getting into video. Get this first. Buy one, now. This $100 mic is super crispy, convenient, and gets the job done. You can plug a lav in it, and if you want more room audio, the mics on it are amazing. You can use it in pretty much every situation. Even if you are shooting on a phone, or a crap camera, this will make everything better.
#7 Rode Filmmakers Kit
This $400 wireless mic kit is awesome when I am filming with my a6300, because I can slap the radio mic on anyone and stand really far away to get the shot. Pricey, and changing batteries is super annoying, but I love it.
Whether you want to go fully pro, and all of this gear is below your level, or you don't have the money for a real camera, just go out and learn how to get the shot.
Phones are pretty good nowadays.
$5000 worth of gear, makes me appreciate the effort you put into this even more. :)
Ouch, when you put it like that... that's a lot of money haha. It's all an investment though! Thank you!
Here"s hoping you get a good return on that investment, and that you can continue to make videos from China.
Do you have a shot of yourself as you typically look lugging all that stuff around?
lol probably not since I usually film by myself when I head out! I will try to get one.
Thanks for sharing what gear you use.
Thanks for taking the time to read about it :) I appreciate it.
I'm pissed because I'm trying to Make my Prozzie response video and I used an SJCam which is a go pro knock off and my camtasia software won't edit the 4k vid it produces without freezing. What type of rig and software do you use to edit and output your vids?
Awesome!
nice gear, I only have a "music camcorder " (Sony hdr mv1)
I have never even heard of that! :)
I use it to film concerts , you can just plonk it on the stage at a rock concert and still have good audio quality.
It's actually an audio recorder with a lens slapped on as an afterthought , no zoom, no flip out screen, but it has wifi wich is a blast to use..
I had used a NEX7 in combination with a manual lens before but it kept overheating, Have the newer Sony cameras overcome that problem?
not yet! here is praying for the new gens to fix it. Awesome tidbit, thanks!
you're welcome, I am a bit of a gearhead and I like to talk about it ;-)
I've tried other brands of mirrorless camera's , I had an Olympus Pen and still have a Fuji X-e1 which have reasonable picture quality but the audio was carp, so I could not use 'm for filming concerts. Fuji lenses are prohibitly expensive btw, I only use manual lenses with an adapter , I bought the body at a serious rebate 2 yrs ago, when the model was "end of life".
before that I used a Pentax Dslr (K50) for filming but that is a bit cumbersome and heavy to work with... and they have overheating Sony sensors too
However the Pentax menu and button layout is the best I've come across so far and it's a weather sealed body and lens that can survive a tropical rainstorm or arctic cold