Essentials for Videographers
When it comes to the world of videography and filmmaking the flood gate of accessories seems to blow wide open. With an infinite number of accessories available, we wanted to break down a few of the must haves for those looking to step into the world of video work.
Tripods
This is a non-negotiable. No matter if it's a Hollywood set or you are starring in your own home film, a tripod will be a crucial part of the process. Not only do tripods act as a stable platform for your camera, they often force you to slow down and compose your shot more carefully, a great practice at any stage of your video journey.
Like anything, there are different tools for different jobs and tripods are no exception. At the start you are likely looking to get something that covers a number of use cases. Enter the Chronicle. I think this is a great starting point as it packs a lot of features into one piece, providing you more value. The head features a removable control handle making camera movements smoother. Along with this you’ll find 2 U-slots for more convenient vertical shooting and, if you’re shooting on your phone, you’ll be happy to know it features an integrated phone clamp. Pop the center column out and you’ve got a tabletop tripod that's perfect for vlogging or getting ground level footage. Better yet, take off the removable leg and screw it together with the center column and wallah you’ve got yourself a monopod. Perfect for wildlife connoisseurs or sports videographers.
There are also dedicated video tripods that feature fluid heads. These are designed to get even smoother camera motions whether you are panning or tilting your camera. If you know all you will be doing is video or have a need for a fluid head, then it's definitely worth looking into this category. The 24P is a great starting point here and will provide a reliable and stable platform for any type of corporate, wedding, or documentary work. The tradeoff here is that these are often heavier and larger than hybrid/photo tripods and may be more difficult to bring with you on smaller shoots.
When you are first starting out flexibility is nice to have and is something that I would keep in mind when looking for a tripod. You’re more likely to use whatever equipment is easier to bring with you, ultimately getting you more practice.
Filters
Another must have for video creators is filters. ND filters are hands down one of the most important pieces of gear to have. ND filters allow you to control your exposure and maintain more desirable camera settings. While shooting video you “almost” always want to follow the 180° rule, meaning your shutter speed is set to double that of your frame rate, providing the most natural motion blur.
When I'm on the go, a variable ND filter is always my choice. The flexibility of VNDs means I can adjust my exposure on the fly and have confidence I am getting the look I desire. The HGX Prime line of VNDs practically lives on the end of my lens. With a 1.3-8 stop version and a 5.3-12 stop, you are covered in nearly any lighting situation.
Having a pair of these is a great start. I’d recommend buying a large filter that fits your largest lens and then utilize step up rings to use them with your smaller lenses. This maximizes your coverage while saving you money.
Another filter that you should definitely consider picking up is a circular polarizer. Circular polarizers help reduce unwanted glares and reflections and improve color saturation of your images. These are particularly useful when doing automotive work as cars are inherently reflective. Screw on a CPL filter and watch your car images instantly improve.
Aside from automotive work they are useful in a number of other ways, enhancing the final result without any additional post processing. If I was looking for a set of filters to invest in, VNDs and CPL filters would be my go-to’s.
Camera Bags
Camera bags are a fun addition to make, at least I think so. They can become your command center, in a sense, when you’re out on a shoot. They are the mule for your creative tools. Having a bag that you can grow with and covers an array of scenarios will be a great investment.
The Cityscape 75 is truly an amazing bag for those pursuing video. It’s got a deceiving amount of room. I’ve fit 2 camera bodies, 4 lenses, a drone, and a whole bunch of accessories in this bag before. With the waist strap you can easily take it on a hike with you for a backwoods shoot while being low profile enough to take on a shoot with you in the city (hence the name). This is really a great all-arounder.
There are so many bags out there and we recommend doing your research. Maybe you need a bag with rollers because you're traveling a lot or maybe you need something even more low profile. Regardless, investing in a quality bag is always worth it as your cameras and lenses will live inside of it. So why not give them a good home?
Camera Rig Accessories
A camera and a pair of lenses with some good coverage is an excellent starting point. You don’t need a lot to create epic visuals but there are some items you can add to your camera that can assist the process.
First thing I would look at adding is a cage. A camera cage will allow you to mount more accessories to your device and provide some additional protection. The first thing I am adding to my cage is a nato rail. A nato rail is a small piece of metal that screws directly to the ¼” 20 mounting points and allows you to quickly attach and detach a top handle or side handle. A top handle is practically a non-negotiable for me as well. Top handles allow you to more easily hold your camera while you are actively filming or moving from locations. They also provide a more natural grip when shooting handheld from lower angles. Not only are they a great grab point but they also double as a mounting point for monitors.
Now that I’ve mentioned it, let's discuss camera monitors. In short they are a larger screen that you can output your camera's image too, making shot composing and exposure control far easier. Often they will provide additional exposure tools such as histograms, false color, and lut support, allowing you to perfectly dial in your image. There are lots of reasonable options these days that do not break the bank. I’d recommend getting a monitor that has a minimum 1000 nits of brightness for daytime use. Any less and it becomes hard to view the screen in bright sun, defeating the purpose of the monitor in the first place. These will be an instant upgrade to your workflow and will be great for reviewing footage on scene as well.
To power your monitor I’d recommend using our new USB-C charging NP-F batteries or our Powerhouse batteries. Being able to charge via USB-C just simplifies the process and you do not have to worry about bringing the peg mount chargers typically found with NP-F style batteries. A side benefit of the Powerhouse is that it can be used to power or charge other devices such as your phone or drone.
To help support the accessories you’ll want to have an array of cables on hand. A few HDMI cords, USB-C to USB-C, USB-C to USB-A, you get the point. Make sure you're covered on all fronts and two is one, one is none. Redundancy rules.
Memory Cards
Another piece of gear that you cannot go without is a set of memory cards. Similar to other pieces of gear we recommend, purchasing a set that you can grow with. With cameras becoming smaller and more capable simultaneously, purchasing a set of cards that will both stand up to constant use and provide the necessary read and write speeds is essential.
For those reasons, I almost exclusively recommend and utilize our Rugged CINE line and Velocity line of cards. With cards ranging from 32GB to 512GB, there is sure to be a card that fits your budget and needs, but I am a big believer in buy once, cry once. Going with a bigger card will remove the pain point of filling up a card in the middle of a shoot. You are once again future proofing yourself for when you start to take on larger projects (you will!).
The reason why I am such an advocate for the Rugged line is because it provides capability with durability. Being able to fully submerge the cards, drop them, or accidentally cook them in your dryer and know that they will be alright gives me peace of mind on shoot days. Combine that with read speeds of 300MB/s and write speeds of 260MB/s I can record up to 4k 120fps in my Sony a7siii without any issues. Similarly, the Velocity line offers incredible read and write speeds at a slightly smaller price point. While you sacrifice some of the durability, you still get the same capability in terms of image capture.
What both of these cards have in common is that they are V90 class cards. The V90 represents the minimum sequential write speeds for the card. Although they are both capable of higher write speeds, this classification system is used as a benchmark to help provide uniformity amongst brands.
There are other forms of media out there, but if you are just starting out SD cards will likely be your go to in-camera storage. Get yourself a few V90 class cards and you will be ready to rock.
Batteries
Powering your camera can be a stress point for some as shoots can take longer than anticipated, meaning you need more juice to keep the capture going. Having extra batteries on hand is crucial. Battery consumption varies greatly depending on the camera, shooting conditions, type of shoot, etc., but I will generally try to have 4-5 batteries with me for a full day of shooting just for peace of mind. Charging batteries can also be a pain point and any way to help ease this pain is worth taking a look at. One thing that has helped this process is incorporating some USB-C charging batteries into my workflow. Most of my devices charge via USB-C so this just helps to further streamline the process and reduces the number of charging cable/docks that I need to bring with me.
When I know I'll be running a full camera rig for extended hours I will lean towards V-mount power. V-mount batteries are essentially just larger batteries that can power your camera along with other devices such as monitors, lights, etc. The 95wH is my go-to as it is small enough to be legally taken on flights while still offering hours of power for my setup. The added bonus of using a V-mount battery is that it adds extra weight to your camera rig, making handheld shots look more natural by reducing micro-jitters.
Batteries are the lifeline of your operation. Having enough to keep you going throughout a shoot regardless of how long it goes will be a major stress reliever.
Audio
I’m going to sound like a broken record, but audio is another element that cannot be overlooked. I’d argue that audio is just as important, if not more important, than video. In some cases, audio capture will be less important than others, but having some form of shotgun mic is a great starting point.
Despite becoming more capable, most cameras have poor internal microphones that are only good for capturing scratch audio. Even a simple shotgun mic will enhance the audio quality and will allow you to add things like a dead cat to help reduce wind noise when shooting outdoors. You have options that run off of phantom power via your camera as well as battery powered and rechargeable options. As well as this, some offer more sound control than others. There are a myriad of options but, most importantly, adding external mics is better than the built-in camera microphone.
Lav mics or lavaliers are another way to capture audio. Lav mics are often used to capture dialogue from a subject and can be hidden quite easily due to their compact nature, making them perfect for interviews or documentary work. There are some great wireless options on the market that allow you to input the microphones audio directly onto your footage without having to be tethered to your subject. I’d recommend checking out either the DJI Mic 2’s or the RODE Wireless Pro’s. These are both great starting points and are very simple to use.
Start with a good shotgun mic and a set of lavs and you’ll have the majority of your needs covered. Unlike other areas of the camera world, audio capture doesn’t evolve quite as quickly. Getting yourself set up with the right gear should serve you for years to come.
Lighting
Lighting is such a major component of creation. Having some quality lights in your arsenal will make you a more effective and dynamic creator. Once again, there are a million ways to go about this and a multitude of setups.
I’d start with a key light. This will be the foundation of your lighting kit, something in the neighborhood of 300 watts with a 36”-48” softbox and honeycomb grid. This can be used as your main light source and will be great for lighting subjects for interviews or product shoots.
Having additional lights to help shape and bring your image to life will be of great benefit. The US1014RGB is a great option, as it provides so much flexibility and output in a simple to use package. This could double as a key light in a pinch but is great for additional light when shooting an interview or product. Another major benefit here is the light’s compatibility with the ProMaster Light Attendant App, making control simple and convenient.
Small LED lights offer lots of functionality as well. They can be substituted for a practical light, improving the light quality of what the viewer may see in frame, or they can be used for additional fill. We all love tube lights and that’s why I think the Chroma TL9RGB is a no-brainer. This nifty light fits easily into most camera bags and is also compatible with the ProMaster Light Attendant App, Making it very dynamic for both its size and price.
I think at the start, lighting can be viewed like a triangle. You have your key light at the base providing the structure with your midsize lights coming in to help fill the gaps and lastly you’ve got your smaller LEDs that give your image a more finished look.
Cleaning Supplies
Often forgotten about, cleaning supplies can be a lifesaver on a shoot. Things like blowers are a must have wherever you are going. A dusty sensor can ruin your footage making shots unusable or painstakingly slow to fix in post. This is the first piece of cleaning gear I'd recommend having on hand.
In addition to that, having some lens wipes at the ready will be great for cleaning filters and front elements. Since these are both exposed areas of glass they are subject to dust, fingerprints, and watermarks, a set of lens wipes is a must.
Another piece of cleaning gear that’s a little more fun is the optic cleaning pen. Honestly, there's just something satisfying about using this thing. Aside from the feeling, this cool looking pen is great for removing dirt, debris, fingerprints without any liquid cleaners. This is a super convenient way to help keep your gear clean.
If you are able to keep a few sensor swabs on hand for a more serious situation, I'd highly recommend it. In the case of a slip up where you get fingerprints on your sensor or some type of debris, these will be your best bet to cleaning up the mess while on scene. Regardless, you’ll want some type of combination of these tools at the ready. Accidents are bound to happen and it's best to be prepared for when they do.
Conclusion
There are so many pieces of gear out there that it can make entering the video space seem overwhelming. Start breaking down the absolute needs vs. the wants. There are certain pieces of equipment that you should prioritize over others. Start making that list and assembling your gear. The more you get out and shoot the more you will realize what you do and don't need.
Posted August 20, 2024.
