What You Need for a Home Vlogging Kit

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Stuck in the old days of blogging with text? If you haven't been paying attention, everybody is vlogging now. Since a whole new generation is living their lives online through video streams, vlogs, TikToks, YouTubes, Twitches, and Snapchats, let's look at a few holiday gift options that can offer your favorite vlogger the best video gear.

While some kits are compact enough to take your home studio with you, some vloggers may want to keep their home kit setup and add an ultra-lightweight action kit for when they're out in the field for easy setup and portability. Adding an action camera or rig to your repertoire is easy and inexpensive these days. They will ensure your videos are stable, high resolution, and ready for editing, uploading, or even livestreaming.

While it's easy and handy to walk around talking to your smartphone, phones and tablets often have limitations to their performance, such as lens quality, lighting issues, camera matching, editing and effects options, and adding quality audio. Purpose-built vlogging kits are more versatile and expandable than a smartphone, static PTZ, or expensive cinema camera setup, and can be used either in your home studio/office or in the field.

Find Yourself a Great Camera (or Cameras)

When you’re vlogging at home, small cameras are likely the best remedy, and there are many different camcorders, mirrorless cameras, and DSLR cameras that you can choose from for high-quality audio and video recording. Note that some cameras like DSLRs were originally designed for photography, so their video recording features may have some limitations, such as recording time limits and limited audio support. These camera options can suit a variety of needs.

  • The Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2 or 6K Pro are highly versatile, high-resolution cameras that are as compact as a DSLR but designed for 6K/4K/HD cinema-quality video with HDMI output and audio input. And with a recent firmware update, vloggers can take advantage of improved autofocus features.

  • The Panasonic Lumix GH6 is a compact mirrorless camera that captures high-quality 6K stills as well as 5.7K video with HDMI output and audio input. There is also internal ProRes recording for exceptional post-production manipulation.

  • Another great compact mirrorless camera is the Sony a7S III, which has more video features than its photography-focused siblings, including 5-axis internal stabilization, 4K video recording, and a variety of output options.

  • The Sony ZV-1 is a great compact choice for lower budgets that sits easily on a desk, shoots 4K video, as well as features a built-in zoom lens and microphone. It also comes in a handy kit with a mini tripod and an SD card.

  • For an all-in-one recording/streaming solution, the Sony PXW-Z90V camcorder records 4K video, has a built-in ZEISS lens with 12x optical zoom, quality autofocus, and it even features built-in Wi-Fi connectivity that allows you to stream video directly from the camera without a hard-wired connection to a computer.

  • For moving shots, add a compact gimbal camera such as the DJI Pocket 2 that you can put in your pocket and shoot steady 4K footage with anywhere you go.

  • Mobile action cameras, such as the GoPro HERO11 or DJI Osmo Action 3, can be mounted just about anywhere—on your head, body, bike, or car—and record high-quality video and audio that is easy to transfer to your computer for editing and uploading.

Most streaming services will cap your video resolution at either 1080p or 720p, which is considered "HD" (high-definition) video and has a resolution that will look great on any TV or computer screen. For those who want more color-correction choices, or if you like to do effects or even want to zoom in on your subjects, a 4K camera might be more up your alley. 4K images are four times as large as your HD footage, so you can easily crop your images in post-production when you want to remove messy room shots or hanging mics. You may also want to zoom in on your shot to a close-up without losing much, or any, image quality.

You're Going to Need Some Accessories

Accessories are a big part of producing your content and connecting to your audience. To capture quality vlogs, you'll need a variety of accessories depending on what your goals are. High-quality video with lighting, audio, power, and connectivity to the Internet are amongst the most import factors to consider.

Lighting

Especially if you're at home or in an indoor location, lighting is important. Light from natural sources isn't a bad option, but often can cause color issues and may not be enough to clearly present yourself or your surroundings. Video, in particular, often requires more light than you may think. In addition to basic lighting, there are also lighting options available to add some creative effects and colors, so it helps to shop around.

Audio

When audio is poor, you really notice it. Your audience wants to hear you clearly if you're speaking or presenting audio in your vlog, and built-in mics are rarely good enough, so a quality microphone is a must.

Keep It Steady with Mounts and Stabilizers

Mounts such as tripods, handheld mounts, and stabilizers are important to keep your camera steady and stable, especially when you are filming a vlog in selfie mode.

Cables and Adapters

Make sure you're aware of the different video and audio outputs that your camera has so you can easily send the video to your computer. Cameras feature a variety of outputs such as HDMI, mini-HDMI, USB 3.2 Type-A, Type-B, Type-C, or BNC/SDI that is mostly used with professional and broadcast cameras. Note what cables come with your camera, because you may need a video capture device/converter or a different cable than what comes in the box to make sure your video can be offloaded.

Wolverine Data TransMedia All-in-One Home Movies Digitizer & Player
Wolverine Data TransMedia All-in-One Home Movies Digitizer & Player

A Good Place to Start: Vlog Production Kits

Sometimes a preconfigured kit is a great place to start when you aren't sure of all the elements you need.

Some more enhanced starter kits are available if you want your vlogs to expand into larger productions.

There are so many choices available for expansion, be sure to make your choices for compatibility and expandability, as well as for price. Can this camera work with the accessories I need? Is that ring light enough for handheld shots? Be sure to ask yourself not only what you need right now, but also what you might need to upgrade in the future, so your rig will continue to expand along with your creativity. Keep checking back with the B&H Photo Website for more vlogging kits, cameras, and accessories, as B&H and more manufacturers continue to put together kits and solutions.

Good luck with your vlogs! We hope to be seeing you soon, loud and clear, and look forward to hearing about your vlogging in the Comments section, below.

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