If you’re thinking about starting a career, or a hobby, within video blogging on YouTube, then you’ll need a complete set-up if you want to start with your best foot forward. Internet stars have become quite a feature of modern times, with a YouTuber, streamer, or influencer becoming actual job titles alongside ‘typical’ careers (although some people still don’t believe this, even though content creators are making more than enough to support themselves).
It’s a competitive world in content creation, and not many people stray from their favourite creators, however, when they do, you need to keep their attention straight away for them to stay with you. The age of TikTok has made people’s attention spans worse than ever, and the plethora of content on the internet means they can instantly click out of something that hasn’t piqued their interest and go on to something else that does straight away.
With that in mind, you’ll need a high-quality set-up if you’re going to be recording yourself chatting, doing a haul, reviewing, or simply going about your day. Whatever content you produce, this article will help with the equipment you’ll need to get started:
A good-quality video camera
The most obvious thing you’ll need is a good-quality video camera. Simply recording yourself off your phone won’t give you the crisp quality that people expect. If you’re just starting out, you probably won’t have the budget for the kind of cameras that famous vloggers use, so you’ll need an affordable option which still does a great job. There are many video cameras out there, but I would recommend the Sony ZV-1 vlogging camera, it doesn’t break the bank whilst having a high sound quality, soft skin effect, real-time eye AF, easy connectivity, and it’s small and light so it’s easy to carry around. This will set you back around £600 – if that’s a bit too much out of budget, a great second option would be the DJI Pocket 2, which is a compact option that will set you back around £300-£400.
Additional lens
As you’re getting into vlogging, you may require a wide-angle lens for your camera, this will give your shots a wider field of view and your audience will be able to see a lot more of what you’re doing in each vlog.
Microphone
If you’re not walking around and you’re focussed on creating videos within a set space, then investing in a microphone is crucial. This will ensure that you’ve got both high-quality video and sound.
Tripod
Again, if you plan on staying put rather than being on the move, or even if you’re doing a bit of both, you’re going to need a stable tripod in your videoing area. This will make sure your camera isn’t shaky and the shot is in the same position throughout your videos.
Lighting
No one wants to watch a video with dim lighting, it’ll make it hard to see your face and might sway people to click off your video. Making sure the room you’re filming in is well-lit is crucial in creating the perfect shot.
Editing software
It’s not just physical equipment you’ll need, you’ll also need to research and invest in editing software to edit your videos. People’s attention spans are extremely short nowadays, so you can use this software to crop out any bits of your vlog that are too long or not necessary. You can also add special effects and music to make it a bit more entertaining.
Those were the basics of a vlogging set-up you should be investing in before diving into the content creator world. If you need any more advice, we recommend going to the Wilkinson Cameras website, they sell cameras online along with various other equipment. However, their team also offers great advice about which equipment you should invest in depending on your requirements.
Content provided by Piranha Solutions
