The worlds of photography and videography are emerging even more as time progresses. It has become inevitable. They’ve been used to film major motion pictures as well as television shows. Because of this, you should also perhaps be looking into gear to support those features of your DSLR. Chances are that your flashes, diffusers, and wireless transmitters really won’t help you very much. That being said, here are some items to start out with that won’t really break the bank.
Shotgun Mic
If you don’t know what these are, they are microphones that mount onto the hot shoe of your camera and plug into the microphone jack. You’ve most likely seen them on professional grade camcorders. They will be essential for interviews, events, weddings, journalism and sometimes even wildlife shooting.
For my purposes, I have the Rode Shotgun Mic (Videomic). I’ve filmed movies with this back in college and it worked terrifically in rooms and open areas where my subject was at max 10 feet away from me. For underground shows in bars/venues, you’ll probably want something more advanced with XLR inputs to be able to monitor the sound better through another device.
6 Foot Cable with Handheld Mics
The cables can easily be picked up at your local Sam Ash. Just make sure that you get the 3.5mm or 1/8″ jack input depending on your needs. I use a Samson microphone that has worked pretty well but I would love to spend a bit more money and get great quality out of a Shure.
Microphones like these will be great for when you’re cameraman and the on-screen talent/journalist/host needs to talk and interview people.
The Hoodman HoodLoupe with Cinema Strap
The HoodLoupe with the Cinema Strap is a truly amazing product that makes shooting video with your DSLR so much simpler. It basically turns your LCD screen into a giant eyepiece. You really can’t beat that as it will not only aid in problems with stabilization, but you’ll be able to focus more on getting the shot, composition, settings etc.
Get yours at B&H.
Glide Cam Stunt Bar Adjustable System
When DSLR cinematography first started out, a slew of products and rail systems were released to accompany them. They were all (and still are) very costly. This is probably the only modifiable rail system that you’ll ever need. The Glide Cam Stunt Bar holds up to 7lbs (which is more than you’ll need) and can be modified to work as a buttstock, a full rail or almost anything you can think of. At the price point, you really can’t beat it. It has become standard for when I shoot videos at concerts.
Beachtek Adapter
As important as your looks will be to you, a good video is nothing without good and effective sound. To monitor it, you’ll need to attach something like this to the bottom of your DSLR. You’ll be able to hook up XLR microphones to it and monitor the sound through the various knobs combined with using headphones. It’s possibly the best investment you can make into your sound besides great microphones.
The reason why no on camera lighting kits were added to this posting is because for the most part, the high dynamic range and low light sensitivity of DSLRs should be able to compensate for this. The sensor in your DSLR is much larger than the one in a standard camcorder. Combined with a good lens (hopefully image-stabilized) you should really have no problem at all even when using the higher ISO settings.
Are there any items that you would add? Let us know in the comments below.