Before you start your vlogging journey, there are some must-haves that you should know. Jumping right into making content will be a big mistake, so don’t just rush into it and get to know what you will need first.
For your help, I have compiled a detailed list of all the necessary gear that you will need to kick start your vlogging career or that you will need to make your vlogging experience more smooth and more organized.
Here is a summary of the equipment I will talk about in the rest of this post, happy reading!
Vlogging Essentials For Beginners
- Camera
- Microphone
- Lighting
- Backdrop
- Tripods
- Gimbals
- Editing software
- Remote shutter
- Backpack
- Drone
- Accessories
1- CAMERA
It is a known fact that you can’t record videos without a camera, so obviously, a camera has to be your first necessity. The essence of a good vlog is the quality of the camera, whether the video is free of lags and is steady.
It makes the viewers feel comfortable watching your vlogs. I, for once, decided to invest in a good-quality camera before I dived into this profession. I made sure that I had the right kit to make myself a successful vlogger, so I researched different cameras and selected the best one fitting my budget.
Before you get a camera, decide what kind of vlogs you will be making. Your decision relies upon that heavily because if you’re going to be a travel vlogger, there will be lots of traveling. You should then go for a smaller, portable yet powerful camera. If you decide to do more sports-related stuff, you should go for an action camera.
However, if you’re going for casual routine vlogging, you can do that with your smartphone or even a good-quality tablet. You don’t need to buy cameras with a good quality built-in microphone because you can externally connect better microphones. Still, if you can find one with a good quality internal microphone, that’s a bonus.
You can check out my list of best vlogging cameras under $200 here
For action cameras, you can find a list of the best GoPro cameras here
Here’s a list of my recommended best camera for vlogging:
- On a budget? Go for Canon EOS M50
- Going for daily vlogging? Check out Sony ZV-1
- Best smartphone for vlogging? iPhone 13 Pro Max
- Small camera: Canon Powershot G7
2- MICROPHONE
The second most important piece of equipment is the microphone. You need a good microphone to record your voice clearly, and as a clear voice matters a lot in vlogging, you must make sure you pick the right one.
There are a few things you should look for when choosing a microphone for vlogging:
- First, you need to make sure the microphone is directional. This means it will pick up sound from the direction it’s pointing and not from all around the room. This is important because it will help to reduce background noise in your vlogs.
- Second, you need to make sure the microphone is sensitive enough to pick up your voice. This is especially important if you’re vlogging outdoors or in a noisy environment.
- Finally, you need to make sure the microphone is durable and easy to use. This way, you can focus on vlogging without worrying about your equipment. With these factors in mind, you’ll be able to choose the perfect microphone for vlogging. If a microphone has these three qualities, it’s the one for you.
Different kinds of microphones are available in the market; you can choose any according to your requirements. For instance, there are USB microphones; you can connect them to your computer or even your cameras if they have a USB port and get amazing audio quality.
One of the best you can buy is The Blue Yeti; it has brilliant sound quality and 4 pickup patterns.
Then there are lavalier microphones that you can directly pin onto your clothes or body, preferably nearer to your mouth, so the audio is audible. They are small and therefore easy to carry around anywhere.
I love the most about these lavalier mics because they only focus and capture your voice, so any unnecessary background noises are shut out. Suppose you shoot your vlogs outdoors mostly and in crowded places. In that case, you should surely get a lavalier mic, preferably a wireless one, because the wired ones can restrict your movement and can easily disconnect with any spontaneous motion, and believe me, you don’t want that.
I would recommend the DJI mic; it’s lightweight, has a handy charging cover, and has a 250m transmission range.
3- LIGHTING
As essential as it is to have good quality audio and video, it is also important that you focus on the lighting to achieve the utmost video quality. Whenever I decide to shoot my vlogs, I set up my equipment beforehand and experiment with some shots. The thing that needs the most adjustments is always the lighting.
It sets your scene, sets your mood, and engages your viewers. Correct lighting shows the purpose behind your video. If the lighting is poor, no matter how expensive and good quality camera you’re using, it will never give you an outstanding result. Lighting is the main source behind achieving the desired aesthetic. You’re doing nothing if you’re not investing and focusing on lighting.
To achieve that brilliance, you will need to invest in worthy lighting equipment, especially if you shoot indoors or at night. If you are a day recorder, you can harness the evergreen light source; sunlight. It is hands down the best light source one can use to enhance video quality. Everybody knows that, If you’re shooting indoors but in the daytime, your best option would be to use the sunlight coming through your windows and pair it with some shades or extra lighting.
Ring Lights:
Apart from that, there is some professional lighting equipment that you should use in case of the unavailability of natural light. One of them is a ring light. Nowadays, ring lights are very commonly used. It evenly covers your whole face and illuminates it softly.
It is widely used by beauty vloggers but certainly isn’t limited to it. Vloggers can use this light to their advantage; Otherwise, a grainy and very low light video is never liked. You can buy the Razer Ring 12” light. I love this one because it gives you the best value for money given its light quality and the sturdy build. This light connects through a USB and is easily portable; it comes with a tripod stand, which is super strong and reliable.
With so many options on the market, it can be tough to know which ones are worth your money.
Here are some other recommended lights for vlogging:
- The Neewer Ring Light is a great option for something affordable but still effective. It offers soft, even lighting that will help to minimize shadows and create a flattering effect.
- The Aputure Amaran HR672W is another budget-friendly option that delivers great results. It produces bright, consistent light, making it ideal for vloggers who want to ensure they’re always well-lit.
- For vloggers who are willing to invest a bit more money in their lighting, the Profoto A1X is a top-of-the-line option. It’s powerful yet portable, making it easy to take on the go. Plus, it offers a variety of different light effects.
4- BACKDROP
If you are a casual routine or travel vlogger, you don’t need to have a proper backdrop; however, if you’re a product reviewer, it would add a better effect to your videos if you get yourself a nice backdrop. Your videos must speak to your viewers, so you should choose a backdrop that describes you!
For instance, I am a more interactive, friendly, and fun-loving person, so I chose a funky, colorful backdrop with some funny props hanging. Usually, my videos are set there, but there are some videos where I have to be outdoors, so I can’t carry the backdrop everywhere, so I shoot with whatever background is accessible.
I am telling you this because I don’t want you stressing out over just the backdrop. After all, as important as it is, it still comes secondary to the first three essentials.
You can easily find different kinds of backdrops online or in the market. If you’re more into using plain backgrounds, you can go for a green screen; it will allow you to hide the actual background and replace it with a different background of your choice with any editing software, just like in movies!
The chicest backdrop has to be a solid color. I would’ve gone for a solid color myself, but I had to mix it up a little to display myself out there to the viewers. If you also have a personality that one color can’t express, I’d suggest you go for an Ombre backdrop.
Other than that, you’ve got an option of using brick wall/brick wall print, a wooden panel, maybe some patterned wallpaper, glitter curtains, or if you’re more of a geeky and sophisticated person, you can have a nice bookshelf in the background or use old newspapers to give it a vintage look.
It depends on your aesthetic, what you want to showcase to your audience, what may capture their interest, and what may appeal to them. You need to assess that and then make the right choice accordingly.
5- TRIPODS
When you make videos, you mostly record yourself. Now, of course, you cannot hold your camera for long periods, so that’s when this handy little device comes in. Tripods are one of the essential equipment needed for vlogging. Using a tripod for my videos has made my life easier; I don’t have to deal with the frustration of shaky pictures and videos.
I love to experiment with different positions to capture the best angles. It has substantially improved my videos’ quality, honestly. Another advantage of using a tripod is that you don’t need a cameraperson to help you record your videos. You can do a pretty good job yourself. It is a must-have for solo vloggers especially.
Again, there are plenty of tripod categories available to you. You can get a handheld tripod, a tabletop tripod, or professional tripods. The kind of tripod that you should get depends on your use. It will be wiser to get a small, easily portable tripod with a carrying case, preferably a handheld tripod or a travel tripod if you travel a lot.
They are lightweight and easy to carry while giving you full functionality, so they’re absolutely the best.
However, a regular tripod stand would suffice if your use is mostly indoors. You can also get professional/Medium duty tripods; they’re relatively bigger, heavier, and sturdier, making them more reliable.
They offer a way better stability when shooting quick motion shots. The videos are shot with ultimate precision with the help of these tripods.
You can find a list of some recommended tripods here, or you can also check my comparison guide for tripods vs gimbal for vlogging here.
6- GIMBALS
Keeping yourself steady and shoot a smooth, shake-free video while walking. Gimbals can help you reduce that effect, especially in cases where there are spontaneous and frequent movements, e.g., running or hiking.
They are like tiny tripods but with better functionality because they have a stabilizing mechanism that reduces the motion to a great degree. Although much pricier, they are better than other tabletop or handheld tripods.
To get better, steady cinematic handheld shots, I recommend that you invest in a gimbal because it will enhance the quality of your videos. They’re not very heavy or oversized, so they won’t create many problems if you’re a traveler.
With the short setup time and the price range, getting a gimbal won’t cost you an arm and a leg. It is the means to stabilize your video affordably.
For vlogging purposes, Moza Air 2 would be your best bet because this one is surprisingly very light in terms of weight, weighing at only 1.5 kgs, and is also a suitable size for smaller cameras used for vlogging. It comes with a 16-hours battery life which is quite impressive, and can stand up to 4kgs of camera weight.
7- EDITING SOFTWARE
Once you finish recording your vlog, there are a lot of things you will need to add or cut out from the raw video; that is where editing software steps in. they help you make your vlogs more interesting, creative, engaging, interactive, and most importantly watchable. If you edit your vlogs as per your audience’s likes and preferences, it is more likely to make you successful. In short, you need editing software to get your final product.
Having the right software can make a big difference. It needs to be easy to use, but it also needs to have all the features you need to create high-quality videos.
Here is a list of the best software for vlogging, based on features and ease of use:
Premiere Pro is a powerful video editing software that is used by professionals all over the world. It has all the features you need to create high-quality vlogs, including 4K support, color correction tools, and audio editing capabilities. Premiere Pro is also very user-friendly, even for beginner editors.
2. Apple iMovie:
iMovie is a great vlogging software for Mac users. It is simple yet still offers a wide range of features, including 4K support, image stabilization, green-screen effects, and more. With its built-in library of sounds and music, you can easily create professional-sounding vlogs without any additional equipment.
3. Sony Vegas Pro:
Vegas Pro is another popular video editing software that offers impressive features.
My favorite software is Vegas Movie Studio. It is my favorite because it is straightforward and has some brilliant features. It’s a powerful program with excellent transitions, a great text editor, many filters and templates, and can correct colors and audio. You’ll find everything you need in the same box, so if you have money to spare, this is where you should invest it!
8- REMOTE SHUTTER
What is a remote shutter? As the name suggests, it is a device that lets you control some essential functions of your camera remotely, i.e., from a distance. You can start, pause or stop the recording (if you’re recording a video) without moving from your position.
If you need to redo a shot or get different shots in the same place, you might want to use one of these to help you with that, especially if you’re a solo vlogger. You can pair this little device with a tripod, mount your camera there, connect it to the remote, and boom, you’ve got a lifeless cameraperson.
I think this has to be one of the essentials for vlogging because, I mean, it made it so much easier and hassle-free for me to record myself in my videos without the need to have another person do it for me. And guess what? They don’t even cost you a fortune. They come at shallow price tags and are very easy to get.
However, this is only necessary if your camera does not have Wi-Fi. Otherwise, you can control it with your phone.
There are 2 types of remote shutters; wired and wireless. You have to choose one as per your requirements. Some shutters have extra features like changing the camera settings and shutter speeds, you can get those too, but they come at a slightly higher price point. Make sure that you get a shutter compatible with your camera.
One of my favorites is the AmazonBasics Wireless Remote control, only because it is straightforward and works with almost every camera that has infrared. It is cheap and still performs great.
9- BACKPACK
Backpacks are essential, and I can’t emphasize that more. You will always need a backpack to carry all your equipment. I prefer having a medium-sized backpack that could fit all the necessary equipment you need; make sure not to put any unnecessary things. The smaller the backpack, the easier it will be to carry around.
A backpack proves to be helpful when you don’t only have a camera to carry around but a whole load of accessories too, for instance, a tripod, a gimbal, a drone, your lighting equipment, your microphones, and all the related stuff. This equipment is costly and fragile; you can’t carry everything around separately in their cases.
Most people are not aware of the importance this little piece holds, but once you go out there without it, you will realize what a big mistake it was not to get a backpack. I think travel vloggers must have it; under no circumstances should they leave their backpack behind when going on their journey.
Your whole vlogging kit should fit in one bag, and that’s it. That is what you will take with you wherever you go. I strongly encourage you to get a suitable backpack for your kit before heading out on your vlogging journey.
You can always bring your old backpack at home and use it for this purpose, but if you care about your vlogging gear, I’d suggest you get a specialized backpack. They’re readily available in the market; they come with pre-designed compartments specially made for your equipment so that they don’t crash into each other and break or scratch.
You will find these backpacks in abundance in the markets, but to make the right choice, you will need a guide to the best backpack, so here it is
10- DRONES
Drones are essential in some categories of vlogging, but not all. I’d call it a bonus tool. Like the other essential vlogging gear I talked about, the drone is somewhat optional equipment, but it adds uniqueness and professionalism to your videos. It helps you to create engaging content as you fully control them. You can position them, test the angles and then get your best shots. You can also shoot 360 total videos, perfect for cinematic vlogging videos.
A drone is a camera that can be controlled through a remote; it is usually light and small, which allows it to fly to places high above the ground and capture the whole scenery or go into tightly spaced places and capture the insides. It is generally a portable device because it is used outdoors broadly. It is primarily useful for a travel or lifestyle vlogger; it won’t be essential if you’re in some food or finance niche.
The market is highly saturated with drones from various companies, so it can be challenging to decide which one to buy. These drones come in all price ranges, but of course, the price differs according to the differences in their features.
Keep in mind that a good-quality drone will be pricey, so let it go if you don’t need one. But it’s the former. Then I’d tell you my favorite drone; it is the DJI MAVIC 2 PRO; it shoots in 4K and captures amazing 20MP stills.
It is perfect if you want to appear professional and passionate about your work to your viewers. It captures impressive, creative videos and images that ultimately make your video look better than your rival.
It also has a 31 minutes flight time which is pretty decent compared to other drones and helps you take a significant amount of continuous video. It comes with a 3-axis gimbal, giving it brilliant stabilization.
11- OTHER VLOGGING GEAR
Along with all the equipment above, some extras are necessary to bring along when vlogging. One may not find these tiny accessories essential, but they’re as important as the other equipment mentioned earlier and can make or break your day.
- SD cards: Keeping extra memory cards is vital so that you don’t waste your day in case the previous storage runs out. This happens quite often, I’ve noticed. It is better that you spread your work among more than one SD card so that in case you lose one card. You don’t lose all the data, just a chunk of it.
- Power bank: Keeping a fully charged power bank is a genius idea. When traveling, you don’t find charging ports everywhere, so if your camera’s batteries run out or your phone’s battery runs out, you can always use this as a backup. One of the best ones out there is the Anker Power Bank 20,000mAh.
- Extra batteries: You must keep an extra set of batteries in the spare because even a fully charged camera runs out of battery midway. Having a backup battery is brilliant, and it won’t even take up much of your space.
- Windshield: The windshield protects the audio quality from being compromised. If you’re shooting outdoors and the weather is windy, likely, you won’t be able to record a clear voice. The noise of the wind will get in the way and completely ruin your video. To prevent that, you can use a windshield that blocks the wind noise but still perfectly records your voice, and it would be wise to take these with you.
- Waterproof bag: If you plan on going underwater, like deep underwater, for your vlog, then you should keep a waterproof bag just in case. Yes, there are a lot of cameras that are waterproof now, but they’re waterproof only down to a certain level. You can’t measure that constantly, so it is wise to keep a waterproof bag with you to be safe and prevent damage to your camera. Also, if it rains, all your other equipment will be exposed to it, and it may damage your gear. And to save it, you will need a waterproof bag.
A Guide For Beginners:
Get yourself a good quality camera, an essential and affordable tripod, a nice ring light for good lighting, and an excellent microphone. This shall suffice for a beginner, along with sound editing software; a free editing software would be enough too! No need to spend a lot in the beginning. Work your way up step by step.
Suggested Video For Beginners:
A Guide For Professionals:
You will require every single gear talked about above. To reach that level of professionalism and quality, you must get the whole vlogging kit ready before shooting your vlog. A good, organized setup is always the key to the best end product, i.e., your final vlog.
A Word Of Advice:
I would say in the end that no matter what anyone tells you, do not give up on these essentials. If you want a successful career out of vlogging, do it with passion and ultimately get into it, and for that, it is essential to know about it before you directly dive into it. So guys, make sure you have all the right equipment ready before you hit start, and don’t forget to play around with all the gear.
Experimenting makes your videos better, bringing creativity and innovation engages your viewers. You can achieve that with my guide to vlogging. You can use the search bar or visit the homepage for more updates and get ready to take over the world of vlogging!
