I get asked a lot about which camera, mount and equipment I use to film my videos, but more specifically, my weekly vlogs. I've been making them for almost a year now, and here's what works best for me. All these things would be great for someone wanting to start out or give it a go!
Canon S120 Camera | from £200
Most vloggers own the newest G7x camera from Canon which has a flip screen at the top however, I've heard terrible reviews about the autofocus taking a while. What I like about the S120 is how lightweight it is, I don't need to see myself when vlogging as I've mastered the angle of where I need to hold it to make sure I'm in shot (it's really not that hard!), but it's so light to hold up. It's good in different lighting, zooms pretty far and the sound quality is great too. The biggest problem is the battery, so I have two back ups (from here). It takes great photos too, I've used it to capture many beautiful landscape shots on holidays. I also carry it in a little bag (similar here) to protect it. This year, I will most likely upgrade (I'm not sure what yet), but for now, I've had this camera for years and it's really served it's purpose and treated me well. I'd recommend it. It's worth nothing I also recently invested in a GoPro Hero 3+ camera too, which is amazing for filming sports, underwater and getting fisheye action shots.
Car Mount | £2.49
If you watch my weekly vlogs, you'll know I spend the majority of the week filming, talking and singing to the camera (also known as 'careoke') from inside my Citroen C1. Car vlogging has become a bit of a 'thing', especially since James Corden has created videos for his show with celebrities using a similar concept. I use this from eBay, it's the cheapest I could find plus, I've had it for months and months and it does exactly what it says on the tin. I leave it mounted up in my car all the time, but I obviously only hit stop and start on the record when I'm not driving. I don't know the laws on filming yourself in the car but for now, I don't think it's a problem and it doesn't interfere with my concentration during driving.
32GB SD Memory Card | £19.95
A small but crucial piece of equipment. Memory cards are known for corrupting and failing so I always go for a brand I trust. I also pick a 'Class 10' which according to my brother, has something to do with how quick it reads and films the footage or something. I find a 32GB is plenty for a whole week of vlogging, I just made sure I format it once I've edited and uploaded the week before.
PicMonkey Editor | Free or $33 a year (£22.33)
I absolutely adore this website. I've been paying for it annually for over a year or so however, it does have all the basic tools available for free, so give it a go and see if it's something you'd benefit investing in! I use it to make all my thumbnails, the fonts are great and you can use the layout/collage maker to have a selection of photos together. It's great fun, super user-friendly and if you do invest in it annually, it's definitely worth it in my opinion! I've had photoshop before from my Photography A Level and PicMonkey is much more basic and provides me with exactly what I need.
MacBook Pro & iMovie | from £889.00
I invested in a MacBook Pro last year and it was honestly one of the best purchases I made. I use Apple's iMovie Editing Software which comes with the laptop and I am so impressed with how simple it is to use. Again, I've tried more advanced softwares like Final Cut Pro, but I can't afford to upgrade my memory and FCP takes up a lot of space. Plus, iMovie does everything I need it to anyway. Transitions, music and exporting is really simple once you've practiced. I taught myself everything I know (and am still learning) from forums and videos on YouTube. I've got a nice marble case on mine (from here) which was £9.99 on eBay. (ps. You don't need a MacBook to create awesome videos, it's just what I personally use!)
Gorilla Tripod | from £25.00
I included this because once you've got comfortable vlogging, it's nice to have different angels and shots to keep the video varied and interesting. I use this for my 'main channel' videos too, as it's strong enough to hold my Canon 700D SLR Camera. Although most the time I like to find shelves in my bedroom or kitchen to save me holding the camera up for ages, there are times when I like filming montages of me cooking, washing my face or making my bed, and that's where the Gorilla Tripod comes in handy. It's lightweight and can flex and bend around anything! I've even bent it around my shower frame to film me washing my brushes in my bathroom sink before. Really great product, once again highly recommend.
There we go! Sorry that was a bit rambly but I really hope it helps one of you out there. Don't forget I upload my own weekly vlogs every Monday at 6pm (GMT), so be sure to subscribe to my channel HERE and leave any comment you might have below!
Good luck,
