Finding the right equipment and camera for filming and photographs for my shop was hard. I didn’t know how to operate a DSLR camera. I felt like my phone camera image quality wasn’t sharp enough. My lighting was terrible. My audio quality was blah.
I have learned so much over the last three years about photography and filming. I want to save you all the time (and money) of trying to find the best filming equipment. No matter where you are in your journey, I am sure at least one of these tools on my must-have camera equipment list will help you take your photo’s to the next level.
Instagram: @Taylor Lynn Crochet | Email: Taylorlynncrafts@gmail.com
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Must-have Camera Equipment
Below are all of my top filming gear items. Feel free to click on any of the
If you want to know why I feel like these are all must-have camera equipment, or what I use them for, then scroll down. This may help you decide if its something worth purchasing now or holding out on until you are a little further along in your journey.
This is the third camera I bought and I think it may be the last one I ever buy. Let me break down the pros and cons of this camera. The pros definitely outweigh the cons for me, and they may for you as well.
PRO’S:
– The screen flips up allowing you to see yourself if you are filming or photographing yourself.
– It allows you to use it as a DSLR and adjust ISO, shutter speed, and aperture, but also if those scare you, it works like a point and
– Image quality is amazing and battery life is decent
– Small and compact making it easy to store and carry around
–
CON’S:
– No external mic abilities. This means that you cannot hook a mic to the camera for better sound quality (the camera’s mic work really well as long as you are within 5 or so feet from the camera, but if there is too much background noise it can be hard to hear).
– No way to attach other lenses. While it does have the DSLR
If you have watched my market setup videos or watch my Instagram stories regularly, then you probably know how much I love this kit. I use it as a photo backdrop in 80% of my product photos. I use the stand at craft markets as a divider between my booth space and my neighbor. I also use the backdrop stand as an overhead tripod stand (with this tool also featured in this post).
The box lights are perfect for good high quality lighting on cloudy days. Sometimes life is busy and we don’t have the luxury of filming or taking photos during prime natural light hours, but these lights do the job even at night time. Not to mention, this entire kit can be taken apart and stored into the bag that comes with the kit and be stored under a bed or in a closet.
This mic is perfect for filming with your phone. Is the sound quality super amazing? No, but for $10.00 this mic still does a great job. I found when I filmed with my phone when I just started out that having this simple mic made quite a difference. The clip allows you to place the mic easily on your shirt for a professional look and sound!
Also if you know you won’t be standing/sitting close to to your phone while you film, for a few bucks more you can try out this little mic with a longer cord for ease of use.
I have been dreaming about owning a ring light for years. Seriously, YEARS. I am happy to say I snagged this one on Amazon Prime Day and I have no regrets. This light is perfect for filming and photos. It is easier to break down and store compared to my box lights, so if you had to choose between them, get the ring light. Cannot say enough good things about this!
This SmallRig clamp has come in handy more than I even anticipated it would. If you plan to make video tutorials, I highly suggest picking one of these up for your cameras. With this, I can mount my camera to my backdrop stand and place a table under it, and BAM! Your very own overhead camera! There are so many expensive high dollar overhead filming stands, but pairing this clamp with other things you already own can save you big bucks. I have clamped this to shelves, desks, curtain rods and more.
This fancy gadget is a new tool I recently purchased. Basically what this does is stabilize your phone (they sell camera gimbals too) while you film. I recently started a lifestyle blog and plan to make more lifestyle videos, so I invested in this. If you do market vlogs or other videos where you would be walking around with your phone taking videos, this thing works wonders. It keeps my videos so buttery smooth. Also if you are into things like moving timelapse videos or other awesome video effects, I
You may already have one of these, but if not, this affordable tripod will do everything you need. It comes with a releasable plate (meaning you screw the plate to your camera allowing you to un-clip it from the tripod and clip it back in quickly and easily as needed.) It also have a level so you know if your camera is on an angle or not. Plus the hook at the bottom of the tripod allows you to attach weights (or a plastic bag with a water bottle or two) on it, to help stabilize it further.
Last but not least is this phone case. You may have seen that Kim K had a similar one, and let me tell you why this made my list of must-have camera equipment. This case lights up in the front or back with a push of a button. While 90% of my use is lighting my room when I hear a noise in the middle of the night, it also works great for other stuff. Sometimes you are snapping a quick picture of a product and need a little extra light. This works perfectly for that. Also if you are a fan of selfies or nighttime Instagram stories, this light allows people to see you without you having to turn on an overhead light. It offers a nice subtle glow to your pictures and eliminates unflattering shadows on your facial features. Shout-out to Trevor for getting me this case. The case I never knew I needed until I had it.