I love shooting video on my DSLR. The results are beautiful and I can’t believe it’s what I get with a still camera. I do use a lot of other things, too to get the results I get. Below is a partial list, which I’ll update as I add pieces. There are a couple of things that I hope to use soon (like the 10×20 white muslin and the iRig Pre), so look for upcoming videos to see those, too.
By the way, all links below are affiliate links, so if you buy from Amazon using those links, I get a little money. You don’t pay extra, so it helps us both out. You don’t have to search and I get a little $$.
- T3i by Canon is my camera of choice. It records video at up to 1080p. Additionally, I can change lenses to further affect the video.
- Lowel Light Kit isn’t a cheap option for lighting my videos, but it’s what I learned on and it works great. I actually got mine in trade for a speaking gig I did, but if you’re doing professional videos, you can’t go wrong with this one.
- Unfortunately, DSLRs tend to have horrible mic preamps and no phantom power. The iRig PreAmp solves both of those issues. It’s designed for an iPhone, so you need to either get an adapter cable or hack it to make it work with a DSLR. I did the latter.
- My first off-camera audio solution was to record using my iPhone. In order to use an XLR mic, I used this iPhone XLR cable. It works well for the situation.
- Since I’m not a rich man, I’ve decided to save money where I can. In order to avoid buying new lenses, I’ve bought some vintage ones off of Ebay. The problem is that unlike Nikon, Canon changed their mounts a few years ago. The distance from the film to the lens is also different from the distance to the sensor. That’s why you need to buy a special adapter with a lens in it like this one. It works great on my 70-150mm manual lens, so I’d highly recommend it. Look for a FD Lens Adapter if you look somewhere else.
- Sony Headphones are what I’ve used for years. They’re not audiophile grade, but I’d say they’re a minimum to enable monitoring.
- When I’m not using my vintage lenses, I use this 18-55mm lens that comes with the camera in some configurations. It has limitations, but it’s a good place to start.
- If you need a budget shotgun mic, consider looking at the Audio Technica ATR-6550. It’s what I use when I’m out and about or in my home studio, so if you’ve seen my videos, you’ve likely heard it.
- For the eternity changers video series, I started with an old AV screen for a white background. When we moved, I knew I’d have a larger space so I bought this 10×20 White Muslin Background. I’m looking forward to doing wider shots and maybe lighting it with colored gels on occasion.
- For field recording, you can’t go wrong with a Zoom H4N. They’re great little recorders with multiple XLR jacks, and phantom power. They run on regular batteries, so if you’re near a walmart or gas station, you can still use your recorder if you run out of juice.
I know I’ve missed some stuff, but I’ll add things as they occur to me.
Hope this helps,
Paul