5. The Microphone
The Rode Video Micro Compact On Camera Mic is a great starting mic. The inbuilt microphone in the Canon works well. However it has an external microphone port for you to upgrade the sound a little. This small, stereo microphone will sit in the ‘hot shoe’ of the camera and will record audio in the direction you point it at. It comes with a ‘dead cat’ to protect from wind noise when you’re outside. Like the light, there are cheaper alternatives, and more expensive ones. The Rode VideoMicro Compact is a good starting point – good quality at a fair price point.
6. Hot Shoe Stabilser
I picked up this guy just before Christmas to make self filming on the go a little easier. It holds the camera, and up to three additional hot shoe devices. Perfect for filming with the light and microphone. It’s got a squishy foam handle that lets you hold the camera out at arms length, and gives you a some stability when filming other stuff. I’ve also got a Joby Gorilla Pod that also allows you to self film – those are a bit more expensive though (and don’t have a hot shoe adaptor. You can also fix the Zeadio Stabiliser onto the tripod, which is what I generally do. The triple hot shoe mount is excellent.
7. Autocue
This is a bit of a Heath Robinson contraption made from this, and this. The MyArmor clamp holds the tablet onto the tripod. You can get several different autocue or teleprompter apps that will show a script on the screen. I just put a few key words or phrases in my ‘script’ to jog my memory. I might invest in a slightly more ‘pro solution‘ – but, I think I usually work better when improvising. Mostly!
So, there you go, a fairly comprehensive list of what I use for my vlogging. If you want to start vlogging, this should give you some idea of what I use for my YouTube Channel. If you want to do it well, it’s not cheap. However, you could purchase a few of the cheaper items and use your phone as a camera, while you save for something bigger. There are decent ‘bridge’ cameras that could serve you well if you don’t have the budget for a full blown DSLR.
Have I missed anything? Do you have any tips to help those who want to start vlogging? Drop a comment below!
NB. The links in the post are Amazon Affiliate links
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