Content Creators Must-Haves for Video

If you’re planning to buy camera bundles on Amazon, hold on! 

You could be wasting your money. 

Getting started on video requires you to buy gear that will help you create consistently and efficiently.

There is a lot of gear available in the market but how do you know if these gear are the ones that you need?

You may have seen camera bundles available on Amazon and you may have thought that you can save money when you buy them but are you sure you need them all?

• Are you sure those brands will fit your workflow? 

I will walk you through all the accessories that are great investments and will get the work done for your workflow.

Let’s dive in!

 

 

Memory Card Options

Memory cards are one of the most important gear for content creation. This is where your files were kept and stored. 

When buying a memory card, make sure that it is compatible with your camera to ensure your files won’t break apart when you're transferring them for editing or break up into 4GB file sizes. 

Always choose a memory card with a higher capacity and not lower than 64GB. 

No matter what camera you're using, I highly recommend these memory cards:

Sandisk Extreme 128GB

     

 

Sandisk Extreme Pro 128GB

I've been using these memory cards over the last 5 years and they are worth investing in. They are durable and have a water-proof feature. 

These memory cards are best to use when doing a lot of video recording because they have the right capacity to hold your files. Your files won’t be broken up into smaller file sizes. 

Are you using the Sony ZV-E10 for video creation? 

I did a video that talks about the best memory cards for the Sony ZV-E10. Learn more here. 

 

Memory Card Readers

When transferring your files from your memory card to your computer, you'll need a fast and reliable memory card reader. 

The Sandisk Card Reader USB 3.0 and USB-C Card Reader will get you the fastest read speeds available on your memory card especially if you are using a SanDisk memory card.

 

USB-C Card Reader

 

Both of these are great but I prefer to get the USB-C card readers because computers today were manufactured to have a USB-C port. 

 

Sandisk Card Reader USB 3.0

If you choose to use the USB 3.0 and your computer doesn't have the port size for it, you’ll need to get an adapter to connect it to your computer.

 

Tripods

Tripods have a lot of variations.

There is a tripod for traveling, indoor recording, short tripods, tall tripods, and many more. 

If you're doing video recording indoors and you don’t need to do tilting for a fluid motion, I highly recommend the Amazon Basics 50" Tripod. 

It's perfect when your height is 5" ft and under.

 

Amazon Basics 50" Tripod

 

And if you are 5"5 ft and taller, the Amazon Basics 60" Tripod is the one for you. 

These tripods are sturdy, solid, and travel-friendly.

 

Amazon Basics 60" Tripod

 

I also love the Surui Travel Tripod (Carbon Fiber).

It's great for traveling because it is super light.

You will get all the benefits that you need while travel vlogging with this kind of tripod. 

 

Surui Travel Tripod (Carbon Fiber)

 

Microphones

Audio is the most important thing to invest in when it comes to video.

There are different microphones that you can choose from depending on what content you are creating and depending on your environment. 

There are three categories of microphones that you need to consider.

 

1. Lapel Microphone

A lapel microphone is used when you're recording a video and you need to move 1 to 2 feet away from your camera. 

For the lapel microphone, I highly recommend using the Rode Wireless Go II. 

Rode Wireless Go II

     

The Rode Lavalier Go II is an incredible lapel microphone too. 

It records internally and it will continue to record and pick up audio even if you move away from the camera. You can hook this up for 2 different people and it will record individually.

Other recommendations for lapel microphones are Pop Voice Microphone and Purple Panda Lapel Microphone. 

 Pop Voice Microphone

      

 

Purple Panda Lapel Microphone

      

I did a comparison video for different lapel microphones that you can use for content creation and if you want to learn more about the different lapel microphones and which is best for you, check the video here.

 

2. Shotgun Microphone

A shotgun microphone is a mini microphone that you can attach to the top of your camera. 

It is usually covered with wind furies.

There are 2 shotgun microphones that I’ve been using for content creation:

Movo VXR10 Mic

I personally love this microphone. I’ve been using it since 2019.

It is small and lightweight but durable. 

Movo VXR10 Pro Mic

The Movo VXR10 Pro Mic has a microphone port and a headphone port at the back.

The headphone port is really helpful when you are having audio issues on your camera and you need to listen to it.  

 

3. Podcast-style Microphone 

Podcast microphones are great when you're doing recording on your desk, having interviews like live streaming, or recording a video podcast. 

I recommend using the Shure MV7 or the Samson Q2U Mic.

Both of these microphones have a USB and an XLR output.

You don’t need any kind of setup, audio, or preamps when using these microphones. All you have to do is to connect them to your computer and you’re done. 

Samson Q2U Mic

Shure MV7

I personally love the Shure MV7.

It is a great investment. Even if you upgrade your system, you don’t need to upgrade your microphone. You can definitely save money with this microphone. 

If you plan to do a traditional setup and will be using an XLR only like the Shure SM7B or the Rode Pod Mic, you’ll need a RODECaster Pro or the Scarlett 2i2 setup.

This setup will take the analog and convert it to digital so your computer can read it. 

 

Lights

Aside from your audio, you also need to pay attention to your lighting setup.

When getting started on video, natural lights from your window are the cheapest way to achieve a good-looking video.

But as you grow as a content creator and take your video to the next level, you need to invest in a lighting setup that will give your video a better look.

I don’t recommend using softbox lights or a photography umbrella.

These can cause hot spots making your video looks weird.

Hotspots happen when your lighting setup and your skin are too bright. It doesn’t look good.

If you're ready to set up your studio and invest in your lighting setup, I highly recommend getting a bi-color LED light like the VILTROX 2 lighting kit.

VILTROX 2 Packs LED Video Light Kit

The VILTROX LED Video Light Kit allows you to adjust the brightness and control the lighting in your environment.

 

⚡️ Pro Tip ⚡️

Pay attention to the changes that are happening in your environment. 

As the season of the year changes, the quality of the natural lighting changes too.

The temperature of the natural light during winter is different when it’s summer. The quality of the light in the daytime is different from the nighttime.

You need to adapt to these changes.

For my videos, I have a different setup for winter and summer.

My lighting was set to a warmer temperature when it's winter and in summer, I set it to a cooler temperature. 

Have you tried recording in a close environment?

You could be in a room where there are no windows (or the windows are tinted), there is no natural light coming from the outside and you only have ceiling lights. 

Ceiling lights will not give you enough brightness.

You can increase your ISO setting but it will only brighten up the image of your video. It will not give you the look that you want to achieve. 

When you have dedicated lighting for your space, your video will look better. 

I also recommend using Daylight Temperature Bulbs.

You can buy them in any hardware store or on Amazon. 

If you get your lighting gear first, figure out how many kelvins it is and buy daylight temperature bulbs that will match your lighting gear. 

For example, I use 4200K – 4500K for my lighting so I’ll find a daylight temperature bulb that is 4200K. 

You may find daylight temperature bulbs that have no indicated kelvins and those are fine. As long as they are daylight temperature bulbs you can work with them. 

Do you want to know how I light my home office for videos? 

I will walk you through my step-by-step process for lighting my home office which will give you some ideas on how you can upgrade your lighting setup. 

You can watch the video here.

 

White Balance Card

A white balance card is used to set your exposure.

Some people say that you can use printer paper to help you set your custom white balance but it will not help you get the right setting that you need for your video.

This $8 Gray Card is a good investment because you can use it for a long period of time.

Gray Card

It will help you achieve the right custom white balance setup. 

It will help you get the right light temperature of your environment that will help you set your camera setting to match your lighting.

It is collapsible and you can bring it with you anywhere.

It has a white and a gray side, and both sides will work when setting up your custom white balance. 

If you want your videos to look great, you have to get out of auto settings. A gray card will help you achieve a consistent look on your videos. 

Do you want to learn how to set your custom white balance? 

Watch the video here to learn how to set your custom white balance with or without a gray card. 

 

Battery

Battery life is a must-have when it comes to content creation. 

An AC adapter will give you unlimited battery life. This is very important when you are doing longer videos and live streams. 

If you are using the Sony ZV-1, I highly recommend the USB AC cable. 

USB AC cable

You can plug it into your camera and connect it to a USB Battery bank or plug it directly into the electric outlet. 

How many extra batteries do you need?

Honestly, you don’t need to have a lot of extra batteries. You only need a reliable battery and a reliable charger or battery bank. 

People tend to buy third-party batteries because they are cheaper but they can harm your camera.

For third-party batteries, I only trust the WASABI battery brand.

WASABI battery

The Z-series rechargeable battery pack for the Sony a6600 and Charmast Battery Bank are also my trusted brand when it comes to rechargeable battery banks.

Z-series rechargeable battery pack

Charmast Battery Bank

 

Capture Card

When it comes to capture cards, the Elgato Cam Link 4k is my tried and tested brand.

Elgato Cam Link 4k

There are other capture card brands available in the market that are cheaper but they are not reliable.

A cheap capture card will give a purple-ish or red-ish hue to your video. 

It is so important to use a reliable capture card when live streaming to make your video look natural. 

 

Cables

Cables come for different purposes.

You use cable for charging your gear, for live streaming, transferring data from your camera to your computer, and more. 

There are 3 kinds of cables that you need to invest in. These are: 

• USBC cable
• USB micro cable
• HDMI cables

You're going to use these cables most of the time. 

USB-C Cable to USB-C Cable Data Cable

The reason why you need reliable cables is because cheap cables cause delays when transferring data.

You’ll notice that your audio and video are out of sync.

It’s hard to deal with this issue when you're producing content. 

 

Sony Remote

Nobody wants to get distracted when they start recording. 

Sometimes, getting up to make changes on your camera setting distracts your focus. 

You can avoid this by getting a camera remote. 

Sony cameras like the Sony ZV-1 and the Sony ZV-E10 have a dedicated remote that will allow you to start the recording, activate the clear image zoom, zoom in and zoom out, adjust the audio levels, and do some other stuff.

Bluetooth Remote Only for ZV-1 & ZV-E10

Do you own any of these or planning to buy one? 

Before buying camera gear ask yourself,

• What gear will fit my workflow?  
• Do I need to buy all of this stuff? 

These camera gear are really good investments but always analyze what your workflow needs. 

Avoid buying cheap and unreliable gear or you will end up buying it twice.

Avoid buying gear that is not necessary to your workflow.

 

Do you know how important the exposure triangle is to your video?

The exposure triangle is very important to make your videos look great.

It's all about the aperture, the shutter speed, and the ISO.

I did a video where I walk you through step-by-step how I set up my exposure triangle to make my videos look great.

Watch the video here to learn more about the exposure triangle. 

 

Up Next: My Secret to Great Looking Videos (Exposure Triangle Simplified)