Accessorize Your Gear for Your Shoot

In this article series, we will take a look at five different production styles and come up with suggestions for camera accessories suitable for that style. This article will cover a range of different camera bodies and should provide a foundation for building out your camera package. Please note that for the purposes of this article, I will be excluding smartphones as well as action cameras, focusing instead on accessories for camcorders, DSLRs, mirrorless, and digital cinema cameras. Remember, if you go to the product page for your camera on the B&H website, you can see a listing of accessories for your specific camera, so you can feel secure that those accessories are compatible with your gear.

Run-‘n’-Gun

For a run-‘n’-gun production, you’ll want to remain as light as possible. Let’s start with a camera: here, a camcorder is ideal. Built with the idea of an all-in-one, ready-to-go camera package, it should minimize accessories, but depending on the camera, there will always be something to add. Please note, though I may be highlighting a specific camera, many of the accessories or accessory types will be suitable for use with different cameras.

The capable Panasonic HC-X1200 is a compact, shoots up to 4K UHD, has a built-in microphone, and accepts SD/SDHC/SDXC media cards up to 512GB. I personally like the mechanical ND filter wheel, which allows for near instantaneous filter changes, without having to carry around a kit full of filters. Let’s take a gander at some accessories that will fill out your kit, without impinging on your shooting style.

Audio

Good audio is a must, so I’m going to recommend you pick up a wireless mic or two. Available systems range from quite affordable to “wait this setup costs more than the camera.” I highly recommend jumping in and getting two wireless lavalier mics, it is better to mic two characters than just have one speak into the other’s lapel. Don’t forget batteries.

Power

The age of spring-wound cameras ended decades ago, so you definitely want to have spare batteries to cover your daily shooting. Please note that some cameras do not come with a battery charger (only allowing you to charge the battery while it’s on the camera, which I hate doing), so in addition to picking up a few batteries, you may want to pick up a charger (yes you do, you really do). I like to have both an inexpensive wall mount single charger for the shoot day, as well as a multiple bay charger that I leave at home. Some cameras can now be powered/charged via USB-C, so a USB-C charger can also work as long as it delivers the necessary voltage and supports the current draw (amperage) that your camcorder needs.

Tripod

You may think run-‘n’-gun, so handheld all day, but really, a tripod is indispensable—something lightweight, flexible, and easy to carry. Weighing in at 5 pounds, the Neewer TP72A Fluid Head Video Tripod & Monopod System fits the bill. It supports up to 17.6 pounds, much more than you will be needing. If 5 pounds is too heavy, then I suggest the Fotopro X-Aircross 3 Lite Video Carbon Fiber Tripod. Weighing in at just over 2 pounds, it will comfortably support up to 11 pounds. The Manfrotto Befree Live Carbon Fiber Video Tripod Kit with Twist Leg Locks is another good choice for a run-‘n’-gun kit.

Monitoring

Let’s start with a good pair of headphones. Certainly you won’t go wrong with Sony MDR-7506 headphones. Some consider it the standard; however, there are a plethora of headphones to choose from. I do recommend getting a set of headphones with replaceable earpads—better to replace the earpads than get a whole new set of headphones when your earpads begin to shred. An external LCD hood is also quite useful when shooting outdoors on a sunny day.

It’s in the Bag

Over the years I’ve become quite fond of soft-sided bags for carrying gear, since you are going to be pretty much carrying your gear with you everywhere, a soft-sided bag makes the most sense. The Arco Video Dr. Bag 20 is one choice for the Panasonic HC-X1200, though I would be remiss not to mention PortaBrace and their dizzying number and configurations of camera bags.

A final note about run-‘n’-gun shooting: Whenever possible, don’t go out shooting by yourself, even if it is only B-roll; always try to have another person with you in case you suddenly need a hand. Really it is just a good idea to have someone watching your back while you are concentrating on what is going on in front of the lens.

Documentary

Documentary shoots generally tend to be a little less hectic than run-‘n’-gun, with more time for setting up in a location, planning shots for interviews and such. So, the accessories package will tend to be a little bit different, though there will be such things such as bags and headphones that are cross compatible. Here you can go with a camcorder such as the Sony PXW-Z200 or Blackmagic Design URSA Broadcast G2, or dip into the DSLR/Mirrorless range by outfitting a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV or a Sony a7 V.

Lens

My suggestion is to favor a faster and wider lens over a lens with a greater zoom range. Hopefully you will be shooting in a higher resolution than you will be releasing, so if you have to push in on a shot in post, especially with the postproduction tools available to you these days, the image will hold up fairly well. As far as a matte box is concerned, for a documentary you would most likely want a clip-on sunshade/hood or matte box. This means you want your lens to have a fixed non-rotating front. If you are using a rod-mounted matte box system, you will need a set of rods, a baseplate, and possibly riser blocks. So, for documentaries, I tend to be happy with a clip-on sunshade or hood.

Monitor

When shooting interviews, an off-camera monitor is a great tool. Most likely the director/interviewer is going to grab it from you (the monitor is a great tool, but also very seductive), don’t fight over it, learn to share. Monitors can help with zebras, and false color, and give you an excellent idea of any problem spots you may have in your image, before you get home to review your footage. The FeelWorld F6 V2 is a popular 4K on-camera monitor suitable for indoor locations, while the SmallHD Cine 5 touchscreen monitor with a 2000 cd/m² max brightness level is usable outdoors as well as indoors.

Tripod

Since you are not going to be running around as much as in a run-‘n’-gun style of shooting, stability in a tripod/fluid head combination is more valuable than having a lightweight tripod that is easier to move around. Look for tripod legs and heads with at least a 75mm ball (although 100mm is even more stable), and I’ve grown fond of carbon fiber legs as they are lighter than aluminum and sturdy, but also for that occasional seaside interview, more resistant to the corrosive effects of salt water than aluminum legs. I’ve grown partial to the Sachtler aktiv8 system for quickly mounting and securing your head on the legs, but most likely you will be traveling with the head already on your legs, so that won’t be such an issue. I appreciate the mid-level spreader, and I have come to appreciate the sideload mechanism for quick release and quick balancing. Remember that documentary style interviews are often shot with the subject sitting down, so finding a set of sticks that can get low without spreading excessively wide can also be a blessing. As far as the head goes, individual lock and drag settings for pan and tilt are very important, and an adjustable counterbalance is extremely important, otherwise you will end up fighting the tripod as you tilt.

Second Camera

You may notice that the director/interviewer has brought their own camera. When this happens, just politely take it away from them. They have an interview to concentrate on and shouldn’t be framing the shot. Still, a second camera can be a boon to have on an interview, so don’t toss it to the side, but rather use it, setting it up on your backup tripod. You did bring a back-up tripod with you, didn’t you? Well time to break out the lightweight run-‘n’-gun tripod. The nice thing about a second camera is that you can set it up to get a second angle or keep it next to the main camera and capture a tighter frame with one camera, while shooting a wider shot with the second camera and make your editor happy.

For more information about accessorizing your shoot, be sure to check out Part 2 of this article series, where we will be looking at music videos/location work, narrative single camera shooting, and full-blown studio work.