Now that you’ve chosen the perfect camera to elevate your vlogging game, here are some accessories to take it up another notch. It always pays off to invest in additional gear to accentuate your video-capture capabilities and put a professional polish on your production.
Saramonic Vmic Mini
You’ve probably been doing this long enough to know that a camera’s built-in mic just doesn’t cut it. The sound often comes across as tinny or muffled, and sometimes you can even hear internal mechanical noises when the camera is running and making adjustments.
There are a lot of great brands and models to choose from when shopping for a mic, but if you’re looking for a simplified – and affordable – audio solution, Saramonic offers plenty of options, including the Vmic Mini. The integrated shock mount keeps mechanically transmitted noise out of your video, and the cardioid condenser microphone capsule reduces peripheral sounds while focusing on the audio in front of the camera, all with super-easy plug-and-play convenience.
Aputure MC RGBWW LED Mini Light
You can’t always count on the existing natural or artificial light to look your best, so it’s a good idea to have a compact portable solution in your kit at all times. Enter Aputure’s MC RGBWW LED Mini Light.
This revolutionary miniature LED fixture packs an incredible amount of punch into its palm-sized dimensions. You can use it as a standalone light source or in combination with several others to illuminate an entire scene: the MC Mini also comes in a four-light creator kit and a 12-light production kit. Built-in magnets make them easy to position in flattering arrangements.
The real breakthrough here though is the underlying RGBWW technology: in addition to red, green and blue LEDs, it also packs two additional white LEDs – one balanced at tungsten and another at daylight – to reproduce incredibly accurate colour. It’s also Aputure’s first light to include full hue, saturation and intensity (HSI) colour control.
DJI RS3 Mini Gimbal
DJI is world renowned for its cutting-edge stabilization technology, which makes itself felt in everything from palm-sized action cams to heavy-duty drones. And their lineup of handheld gimbal stabilizers spans every mode of shooting style, including smartphones and pro-level DSLRs. With a 2kg load capacity, the midrange RS3 Mini Gimbal is specifically designed for use with mirrorless cameras, both full-frame and APS-C format. Weighing just 795g, it’s 50% lighter than the RS 3 Pro and 40% lighter than the RS 3, and easier on the arm and shoulder when deployed for lengthier shoots.
But the real beauty of this lightweight gimbal is that it uses the same third-generation stabilization algorithm as the higher-end RS 3 Pro model, allowing you to achieve a similar level of professional image stabilization. That includes low-angle shots and even when you’re on the run. And you can easily switch to vertical shooting to capture content for social media without need for additional accessories but with access to the same controls as in horizontal orientation, including while shooting upright, underslung and other operational modes.
Yololiv YoloBox Mini
With a mission “to make professional live streams accessible for everyone,” the Hangzhou-based YoloLiv tech startup develops state-of-the-art hardware, software and applications to make it happen. This includes the popular Yolobox series of portable multi-cam encoder/streamer/switcher/monitor/recorders.
The smallest of these is the pocketable YoloBox Mini, a live-streaming solution you can take anywhere and broadcast up to three video streams to multiple platforms without the need for a computer. It’s ideal for live events that demand maximum mobility. You can also use this device to record content and as a field monitor when mounted directly onto your camera (shoe mount included).
Inputs include USB and HDMI, plus one HDMI output, as well as mic and line analogue audio inputs. The Qualcomm 660 encoder/processor is the same one you’ll find in the YoloBox Pro, delivering the same professional results. Its 5.5-inch LCD touchscreen boasts 500 nits brightness: use the simplified interface to add graphic overlays and background music, insert fade-to-black transitions, import video and more with just a swipe of your fingertip.