Studio Gear

It’s taken me over a decade to have the setup I have. LOTS of trial and error but here are my favorite tools I now use in my studio to produce the videos and content you see here on the site as well as on YouTube!

Cameras

Nikon d800

My Nikon d800 is a solid performer for high resolution photos. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the photos I get out of this thing. I also have a decent variety of lenses but my go-to is the 50mm 1.4 D lens. It simply cannot be beat for photos, although, I took this one with my iPhone.

I’d recommend Amazon, or checking local sites like craigslist or eBay for a good deal.

Unfortunately I can’t use it for video or streaming because it’s limited to 1080p and short recording time, which leads me to the next in my setup… the Sony a6400

Sony a6400 Mirrorless Cameras

The sony a6400 is simply a BEAST of a camera. For the size, and the price, I couldn’t say anything more glowing about these cameras. As I mentioned before, most of the gear I pick up used. I opted for these over the a6600 because I didn’t really need in-body stabilization since the cameras are fixed for the most part in my studio.

You can usually find them used for a killer price on amazon. They record up to 4k 60 fps and even do slow motion if that’s your jam. Unlike other mirrorless cameras, there is no time recording limit. Due to EU regulations, many cameras have a 30 minute time limit on recording, and for my live streams, I needed something I could just leave on, as well as for when I’m recording videos.

Canon Vixia My canon vixias are what I used to use. You can find the newer versions here capable of 4k. They’re solid, but I wanted something with an interchangeable lens so I could have more flexibility, especially since my studio is SUPER small. It’s absolutely the TINIEST room I’ve broadcast from!

I like that these do come with a remote control and they’re certainly video cameras first, although you can capture photos as well.

Currently I use these as over the shoulder cameras for a different viewing angle if I need it for my live streams on YouTube.

Audio

When it comes to microphones, definitely BUY IT NICE or BUY IT TWICE.

Currently, I have two solutions for Audio, however, I’ve narrowed to one that works amazingly well, the Blue Yeti

Zoom Recorders

The zoom recorder, while lovely, didn’t quite get me that rich buttery audio I loved hearing. Maybe it was the way it was setup or the way I was speaking into it, but I just wasn’t super happy with the sound. I use a Zoom h4n, but there is a new model out as well.

Blue Yeti

The blue yeti was a late discovery in my studio setup. After years of using a portable recorder, I tried a lab microphone, shotgun and finally settled on the cardioid, well, SUPER CARDIOID, blue YETI. It has several modes, audio passthrough and gain controls. The downside is that it has to be powered via USB, which also happens to be the method of connection. So if you don’t have a computer to connect this to, don’t get it.

I record my audio tracks separately from the video and sync in post processing on Adobe premiere pro. Adobe Audition is great for cleaning up the audio as well.

Camera Arms and Mounts

Camera Arm + Mount + Cable Organization

I use manfrotto magic arms to mount my cameras to simple mounts I make using gas pipe. For cable organization, I use clips that I designed in Autodesk Fusion 360 and 3d printed right here at home. You can download the file here. Oh, and you’ll want to make sure your order has the super clamp with it.

Magic arms are super convenient and they work great. You can clamp them to either posts or something like a tabletop or flat surface.

In addition to flexible mounting points, they’re fully articulate and can be adjusted to about any angle. Super handy if you need to tweak the position of your camera and make it easy to create an overhead view if necessary. I even travel with them as they fold up to a reasonable size and you can put them in a carry-on bag just fine. Although, at times, I’ve had a shakedown at security because I have metal tubes, wires and motors (sharpeners) in my bag.

Lighting

If You’re doing video, lighting is SUPER important, and goes without saying.

Primary Lighting

I can my front facing lighting the primary or A Camera lighting. I use a large 18 inch ring light with temperature control to get the right effect. You can find these on amazon for around 100 USD

Overhead Lighting

I use two viltrox light panels offset by about 30 degrees for my overhead lighting. This way I don’t get too harsh of lighting or too hard of shadows. The panels are also diffused, come with remotes and can be temperature controlled. you can link lights together to get them to turn on and off at the same time as well using ONE remote. That’s a real timesaver.