Must Have Vlogging Accessories

Looking to be a social media sensation?  Maybe you aspire to livestream tutorials sharing your wisdoms and expertise about a great many things.  Perhaps adventure is your thing, and you desire to share your interesting action-packed experiences.  Whatever your ambitions are with vlogging, you will need to have the right gear.

Owning the right vlogging gear is crucial to capturing everything exactly right.  From simple livestreams of you in front of a minimal background to more intense action vlogging such as extreme sports, your gear is what brings your vision to life.  Think of your equipment as the blank canvas, paints, and utensils are to the artist who uses those tools to shape their imagination to substance.  Artists will tell you the types of brushes, quality of coloring, and canvases will have a huge impact on the message portrayed and how it is received as well.

Essential Vlogging Accessories

• Vlogging Ring Light – Lighting is one of the most important aspects of any videography and photography. Utilizing a few ring lights for a 3-point lighting setup will complete your vlogging light kit.
• Tripod for Vlogging Camera – Another equally essential item that provides you stability for any type of content you’re creating. You’re going to need a camera holder for vlogging, a tripod is not something to cheap out on.  Get a good one, you won’t regret it.
• Vlogging Microphone – An important part of your vlog stand. A mic filter/wind screen is a nice accessory to help maintain acoustics while reducing any unwanted background noise or unwanted effects from your speech.
• A vlogging camera car mount and a vlog pocket gimbal are two other accessories that would be considered “must haves” if you are someone who is often vlogging while on the move.
  
  

Best Vlogging Cameras

A great camera may be the perfect tool for photography, however, not every camera is great for vlogging and content creation which gears more towards videography.  Plus, in today’s vast network of social media platforms, the market is large enough that the best brands in optical technology offer great camera options designed specifically for vloggers and content creators.  Let’s have a look at my top picks.

Sony ZV- 1

The Sony ZV-1 is a superb choice for vloggers.  Created for content creation and vlogging, this camera has some awesome features that keeps everything that controls video right at your fingertips, including an easy to push REC button with a front facing tally light letting you know when you’re “live” for selfie POV recording.  Its lightweight and compact enough to fit in your pocket for those who like to spontaneously vlog while on the go.  The easy to hold grip, designed so the camera can be operated with one hand, the side flip out vari-angle LCD screen, and suppression of shake effects using image stabilization make this camera an essential for selfie vloggers. 

The sound recording on the ZV-1 is crisp and clear whether you’re indoors or outside.  Featuring a top mic and MI shoe for an added external microphone attachment plus directional 3 capsule mic with a screen protector for wind, records clearly with less outside background or wind noise.

When it comes to specs, the ZV-1 has power.  The video and stills are produced using a 20.1MP stacked back illuminated 1" Exmor RS CMOS sensor with DRAM, a large aperture 24-70mm F1.8-2.8 ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T lens, and a high bitrate 4K movie with full pixel readout and no pixel binning.  This creates stunning quality video and images that give you more options when it comes to detail, color, and effects.  Essentially, whether you’re going for a realistic and natural appearance or an artistic finish, you will be able to capture your vision with this camera.

• Fast Hybrid AF, Real Time Eye-AF, and Real-time AF tracking 
• Quickly switch between two modes of defocused background bokeh
• Face priority AE keeps faces bright in backlit or dim condition
• Interval Shooting for stunning time-lapse videos
• Super slow-motion movie HFR (High frame rate) up to 960 fps (40x)
• Up to 24fps fast continuous shooting with AF/AE tracking
• Fast hybrid (contrast and phase detection) autofocus system

Panasonic Lumix G100

One of the best cameras to transition to when deciding to graduate from your smartphone while still offering everything you would need as an advanced pro.  The Panasonic Lumix G100 combines performance with portability weighing only 352 grams (12.42 oz or .78 lbs.) and offering high resolution QFHD 4k 24p/30p videos in 3840x2160 resolution and FHD at 60p.

Roam free while recording yourself with a 3-inch free angle touch rear LCD monitor allowing you to see the frame clearly, and a powerful image stabilization which will keep the shake out of your recording, even when you’re moving around.  The Frame Marker feature also enables you to confirm your frame while the front faced REC indicator will always verify when you are or are not recording.  There is also the choice of using your favorite aspect ratios which can add to the overall experience of your content with popular ratio options for vlogging like 16:9, 4:3, 1:1, 4:5, 5:4, and 9:16.

Featuring a advanced spatial audio recording, integrating OZO Audio by Nokia, a built in microphone encompassing three internal microphones (Surround, Front, and Back) the G100 guarantees you will get clear precise audio.  You can activate the balance of the mics manually or automatically using the Tracking function, which is great for all kinds of recording from selfies to interviews, to wildlife.  The G100 even comes with a vlogging kit with a 12-32mm lens and a vlogging tripod DC-G100VK.

The G100 has options and efficiency when editing postproduction.  Retouch, resize, crop, from the camera itself, or you can connect via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi paired device using the LUMIX Sync app.  If you’re a pro, the G100 supports V-LogL recording.  For pros, this camera has what you need, for beginners, it’s easy to use and has features that you can grow into.

Nikon Z 30

Surely one of the best cameras a vlogger could ever want and my top pick.  Take your content and creativity to the next level with the Nikon Z 30.  This beast of a camera pretty much does it all.  You can expect the best as the Z 30 is part of Nikon’s flagship Z series professional cameras.

The Auto features on the Z 30 are simply perfect.  From focusing to exposure to audio, this amazing camera by Nikon will do the work for you ensuring you get the perfect recording on the first take.  With over 2 hours of recording time, you won’t be paranoid about your battery reaching critical levels.

Like the other picks, the Z 30 has a vari-angle 3-inch LCD touchscreen allowing you to tweak your shot and confirm your composition prior to recording.  Being a part of the Z series, the Z 30 is compatible to all the NIKKOR Z lenses.  This camera is versatile. 

When it comes to vlogging, the Z 30 lets you be you.

• Customized Look – The Picture Control Auto Function can adjust the video settings corresponding to the scene with 20 different Creative Picture Controls that allow for added “flair” to your recording while eliminating the need for extra color grading in post-production.
• Precise Color Profiling – Get beautifully natural and precise colors from your background to skin tone.

When it comes to specs, the Z 30 is no slouch, but rather a powerhouse.

• Superior low light Performance – With a 20.9-megapixel large APS-C / DX-format CMOS sensor and ISO range that can go from 100 up to 25600 for video and 51200 for photos, the Z30 will produce vibrant, clear, and sharp video with less noise and fast focus. Even in a low light setting during self-portrait mode, the full time AF will find and track you.
• 4k HD Video recording – Sharp video quality with 30P UHD or full HD up to 120P. The Nikon Z30 also allows to shoot 4k without having to crop your frame.  There are also amazing video recording features such as 1080/120P slow motion video and easy in camera time lapse movie creation.
• Stabilization – This camera uses the Z kit lenses powerful stabilization technology to reduce any shakiness during handheld shooting. There is also a built-in e-VR (electronic vibration reduction) to add extra stabilization support if you desire but will add a 1.3x crop to your video. 

Vlogging Accessories for Smartphones

Whether you’re just beginning your journey as a vlogger, or a seasoned professional, you will often be using your smartphone.  Using a real camera is ideal, however, when you’re out and about, driving, shopping, and want to instantly vlog, you will be using your smartphone.  Your setup doesn’t have to be rocket science.  A vlogging phone holder for stability is the key.  Every vlogger should have a selfie stick and a car mount for their smartphones, the rest is up to your content and creativity.  There are popular android and iPhone vlogging accessories for every type of phone and just about any phone holder for vlogging will work perfectly.