Kit considerations for videographers
Camera kit isn’t everything but for any great London based videographer, it plays an important role in their video productions. I was recently asked to consult on camera kit for a company based in London. As a result it made me think about a good base kit for videographers starting out on the industry.
What to include in a videographers kit
So what are my kit considerations for videographers? A good starting point for this conversation is thinking about what the essentials are. With this in mind, I thought about the minimal kit I would need to carry out the majority of my jobs.
As a minimum I would require two 4k cameras, a zoom lens, a fast prime lens, a basic lighting kit, a lapel mic, two tripods, a reflector and some headphones. A nice to have would also be a gimbal as I feel the movement it brings adds so much to the footage.
How much would it cost for a basic kit?
When we recently put a kit list together for a client we had a £15k budget. However, we feel we could easily get a starting kit together for much less. For £5k to £7k we know we could get a great start out videographer kit together. There may be some compromises in terms of maybe not having full frame cameras and only having a couple of lights. However this would allow us to have a kit that could produce great results and help run a video production business.
Brands to consider
Although I’m not reccomending specific models I know the professional brands I trust. Cameras from Canon, Sony and Panasonic are always my reccomendations. They are tried and tested and I’ve owned cameras from each of these brands that have all been workhorses. Lighting used to be pretty much run by Arri but there are some great cheaper brands with high quality kit. I love the offerings from Aputure and Godex if you’re on a budget. Powerful light for good prices. In the sound arena I find Rode have a good balance of quality and price. Of course when it comes to gimbals, DJI is my choice.
As I mentioned at the start of this article, kit isn’t everything. However well planned and thoughtful purchases will help you produce films that have an edge.