Vlogging is one of the best ways to get your ideas, passions, and art into the eyes and thoughts of other people. Using the best vlogging equipment makes it easier to do.
While we can vlog with equipment as basic as a smart phone and an internet connection. Better equipment gives us more options in how we can produce our vlogs, maybe even make certain types of vlogging possible that we might not be able to do otherwise.
We’re not gear heads, but there is certainly nothing wrong with upgrading the equipment we have in order to be a more capable vlogger. Besides cameras, there are other tools to consider. Lenses, remotes, lighting, microphones, programs, and computers, among other things.
How I found the best vlogging equipment
- Easy to use. Not necessarily meaning automation, but the function and any controls must be clear. A vlogger doesn’t need to be worrying about equipment when on a roll with an interview, music video, or training video. Stopping to adjust or correct settings can also make any subject we’re filming lose concentration.
- Compatible with what we already have. Unless we are building from the ground up, any new items we add should be able to fit in and work well with the equipment we already have or are planning to acquire.
- Flexible. In this context, being flexible means that we can readily adapt the new tool or program to our needs. Some items are very specific in purpose, and others can be employed in various ways for a wide range of purposes.
- Reasonably priced. Many vloggers, at least starting out, are on a limited budget. So, any new stuff should be a good value. If the item is expensive, the expense should be justified by whatever our needs for the new equipment are.
- High quality. Just because we may be on a budget doesn’t mean we should accept anything less than the best we can get for our budget.
Top 5 Best Vlogging Equipment Must Haves!
1. Canon Digital SLR Camera Body [EOS 80D] Review
Canon makes some of the best dual use cameras for still photography and videography at reasonable prices. The 80D is a higher end camera than entry level, some would call it prosumer.
The price is substantially higher than entry level cameras, but nowhere near the cost of fully professional level cameras.
As a still camera, Canon has loaded the 80D with features and capability. The 24.2MP sensor is APS-C format, which means the camera and any lenses can be relatively compact. With Canon APS-C sensors, the crop factor from Full Frame 35mm format is 1.6X.
Low light sensitivity is impressive, ISO goes up to 16000 for still photography, 12800 for video. This gives vloggers the option of shooting in low light without having to add in auxiliary lighting equipment.
Autofocus is very fast and responsive, as well as being extremely accurate. AF works well in both still and video modes. In video, the autofocus is accomplished by means of dual pixel CMOS and can be controlled through touch screen controls on the multi angle view screen.
Video is shot only in live view, since the eye level viewfinder will be dark due to the mirror being lock in the up position.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgSKLrDYBUY&t=270s
Wi-Fi and NFC wireless operation is built in to the 80D, allowing remote control and monitoring of either still or video. This also makes it easy to preview and review video footage on larger screens such as on tablets or laptop computers.
Two kit lenses are options. The standard 18-55mm lens is very small and lightweight. The larger 18-135mm kit lens is more capable and is also somewhat more rugged in construction than the 18-55 lens. A video kit with a power zoom module that makes video recording smoother when you need to shoot extended video.
Audio quality is pretty good also, the built in stereo microphone is adequate for a lot of indoor close video work. If better audio is required, the 80D has inputs for auxiliary microphones, either shoe mounted or wireless lavaliers and booms.
Canon has a full line of interchangeable lenses ranging from very affordable to extremely high end professional lenses, primes and zooms. A wide variety of third party lenses are also available in the Canon EF lens mount.
Though this camera and the lenses available are more expensive than typical entry level cameras, the Canon EOS 80D is some of the best vlogging equipment for serious videographers.
2. Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM Lens Review
Until recently, ultra wide angle lenses have been difficult for an average photographer to make good use of. The lenses were very large and very expensive. That has been changing in the past few years to the point where now we have small, lightweight, inexpensive lenses that cover the range of ultra wide angle.
What is ultra wide angle? Wide angle would be anything wider than normal. For Full Frame format, that would be lenses wider than 40mm and 50mm. A focal length of 28mm and 24mm are popular for general wide angle use. Lenses in the range of 20mm, 18mm, and 14mm would be labeled by me as ultra wide angle.
Professional caliber single focal length primes and ultra wide zooms are still going to be large, heavy, and pricey. This newer breed of consumer level ultra wides will open up a new range of possibilities for photographers and vloggers.
This lens is hardly bigger than the normal range kit zoom lens that comes with the APS-C cameras. It is only usable for APS-C, it does not cover Full Frame. If you mount it on a Full Frame camera, the camera will switch into APS-C mode. At it’s widest, 10mm is about equivalent to 16mm in Full Frame, covering that angle of view.
Being a consumer level lens, it is not heavy duty construction, but it is very well made and usable under a lot of conditions. A couple of other limitations it has are a slower f-stop than some higher end lenses and some optical distortion at the widest end of its zoom range.
There isn’t any fisheye effect, but it will curve straight lines near the edges of the photograph. You can actually correct for that in several of the more popular post processing programs like Adobe Photoshop.
A lens like this is especially useful for vloggers shooting in confined spaces or wanting to incorporate wide vistas of landscapes or interesting interior spaces. Used within its minor limitations, this lens is a great addition to any photographer’s or videographer’s gear bag. Similar lenses exist for other camera brands and also from third party manufacturers.
3. JOBY GorillaPod 5K Kit Review
Have you been in a situation where you really needed a tripod but had no place to put one? GorillaPod to the rescue!
Articulated legs that can bend into virtually a circle is what makes the GorillaPod a very useful accessory for vloggers and other photographers. In addition to being an excellent tabletop tripod, these wraparound legs allow you to place the tripod and ball head in almost any place you could think of.
The tripod ball and socket head makes it easy to adjust camera position for whatever the situation requires. As an example, shooting a vlog in a sports arena where people are walking around through the aisles.
A tripod would get in people’s way and your rig ends up getting bumped a lot. Mount the GorillaPod to a rail and you have a secure and stable mount without taking up much room at all.
Another example could be shooting outdoors. Attach the GorillaPod to a fence, a tree branch, a light post. This versatility makes GorillaPod one of the best vlogging equipment recommendations. To learn more, you can also see my guide on the top Vlogging tripods.
The downside is that the legs don’t extend at all, so use as a regular tripod is somewhat limited. Also, it is a bit more expensive than the average table top tripod. For what it does, though, it’s hard to beat at any price.
4. Rode VideoMic Pro+ Review
Here is a problem that still photographers don’t have to worry about, quality sound reproduction. When filming a vlog, the audio is just as important as the visual aspect.
The cameras that we record video on have decent microphones for limited use, but any serious recording is going to benefit greatly form upgrading to a better microphone.
The Rode VideoMic Pro+ is an on camera directional shotgun microphone. Directional shotgun means that we point it at what we’re wanting to record and it focuses on that subject. Since you can mount it on the camera shoe, it is easy to make sure it is pointed at the subject being filmed. You can also mount it on a bracket.
It connects to the camera via a short cord and is battery powered. So, it doesn’t draw power from the camera and your camera needs to have an auxiliary mic port.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMIFkct4lRQ
Sound reproduction is much better than the built in mics on cameras. Since it is a little more separated from the lens focusing motor, you also eliminate a good amount of motor noise that can interfere with a quality vlog.
It costs almost as much as a consumer level interchangeable lens, but if you are making a lot of vlogs, or if the audio is important in what you’re shooting, than the price is reasonable for most budgets.
5. Apple MacBook Pro 13″ Retina Review
Next to your camera, the computer you use for photography and videography is likely to be the most important and expensive choice most of us make. If you are shooting images and videos that require any sort of adjustment at all, you are going to use a computer.
There are many computers out there, as well as several different type of devices to consider. A desk top computer is preferred by some photographers, but these aren’t very portable. Tablets are very portable, but tend to limited in what programs are available and how much memory they have.
So, laptops are often a good choice for vloggers and photographers who need to use their machines in the field. Current laptops have huge amounts of memory, both as storage and in processing.
Tethering a computer to a computer is one way photographers can view and review the work as it’s happening, as well as opening up the possibility of finish processing while still on site.
Apple MacBook Pro is one of the best vlogging equipment choices for computers there is. It has a massive amount of memory, up to 2TB. It also has a fast processor with up to 32GB of memory for running graphic intensive apps, such as video editors.
Wireless communication with cameras is also available, so you can even use this as a remote monitor while shooting or reviewing. The screen is large and very easy to view in various ambient lighting conditions.
It is also very light, between 3 and 4 pounds, depending on how it configured. Battery life is up to 10 hours, so it can keep up with your camera and portable lights and microphones.
An almost endless array of programs are available for artistic and other uses, plus it fits into the Apple line up of accessories and programs.
Since it is so capable, and it is part of the Apple family of quality computer and communication devices, it isn’t a surprise that it’s kind of expensive. It costs about as much as several of the prosumer APS-C cameras we’ve tested from Sony, Nikon, Canon, Fuji, Panasonic, Olympus, and Pentax. For the serious vlogger or photographer, it is well worth the price.
Hopefully this article gave you some information on the best vlogging equipment. I have also written a guide on how to pick the right Vlogging camera for your needs and budget here.
Learn more about Vlogging cameras and gear
ringtonesdump.com says
As Vlogger and YouTuber, there are certain tools you simply can make an impact on the audience. A camera must-have, but What are the best cameras for Vloggers ?