Best equipment for YouTube creators
The gear I film YouTube videos with, and the order I would buy it in again. Most of this catalog gets used for YouTube in one way or another.
Browse top YouTube equipment
DJI Mic 3 Combo (2 TX + 1 RX + Charging Case)
My go-to wireless mic. Crystal clear audio, tiny size, dead simple to use.
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Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II
My main lens. Incredibly sharp, fast autofocus, and versatile for any situation.
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Sony Alpha 7 V Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera (Body Only)
My current main camera. Full frame, incredible AI autofocus, 30fps blackout-free shooting, and amazing low light.
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Godox CS-85T Lantern Softbox (85cm)
My go-to softbox. Quick to set up, beautiful soft light, and works with Bowens mount lights.
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Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max, 1TB, Deep Blue
My daily driver for photos, videos, and content on the go. Incredible camera system for quick captures.
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Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM
Incredibly sharp with beautiful bokeh. My go-to for portraits and talking head videos.
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Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM
Ultra wide, ultra sharp, ultra fast. Perfect for vlogging and cinematic wide shots.
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Sony FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G
Compact ultra-wide zoom with constant f/2.8. Great for vlogging and cinematic wide shots.
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Amaran COB 60d S
My main key light. Portable, powerful output, and easy to set up anywhere.
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Aputure Light Box 45x45 (18 x 18")
My travel softbox — pairs perfectly with the Amaran 60D S for professional lighting on the go.
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Aputure MC RGBWW LED Light
Tiny RGB light I use for background accents. Adds depth and color to any setup.
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Belkin iPhone MagSafe Camera Mount for MacBook
Mounts my iPhone to my MacBook via MagSafe. Great for video calls and Continuity Camera.
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Sony NPFZ100 Z-series Rechargeable Battery
Extra batteries for my Sony cameras. Reliable and essential for long shoots.
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Sony 128GB SF-G TOUGH Series UHS-II SDXC Memory Card
The SD cards I use in my Sony cameras. Fast, tough, and reliable for 4K recording.
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ULANZI Light Stand Carbon Fiber MT-49
My go-to carbon fiber light stand. Lightweight and portable for any lighting setup.
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Ulanzi MT-79 Extendable Tripod
My compact travel tripod for iPhone and action cams. Extends tall, packs small.
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DJI Mini 4 Pro Fly More Combo Plus with DJI RC 2
My go-to drone for aerial footage. Lightweight, great image quality, and easy to travel with.
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DJI Neo 2 Combo
My go-to for hands-free filming while running or working out. Follow-me mode is incredible.
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DJI Action 6 Adventure Combo
Rugged, waterproof, and shoots incredible 4K. Perfect for travel and action footage.
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DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo
I use this to document everything — daily vlogs, travel, adventures. Amazing stabilization in a tiny form factor.
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Elgato Cam Link 4K
Turns my Sony a6700 into a webcam. Essential for video podcasts and live streams.
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Elgato Stream Deck MK.2
I use it to switch scenes in Ecamm Live during streams. Tons of other uses too.
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Insta360 3m 9.8ft Extended Selfie Stick
Great for unique angles and even faking drone shots. I use it with my Insta360 and action cams.
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Insta360 X5
Captures everything in 360, then reframe the best angles in post. Incredible for travel content.
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FAQs about YouTube equipment
What people ask before buying YouTube equipment.
That is the DJI Mic Mini at $79 on sale and the Ulanzi MT-79 tripod at $28.45, filming on your phone. Everything else on this site is an improvement on a setup that already works. Fifty-seven pieces here are tagged for YouTube, and you need three of them to publish your first video.
That is it. No second camera, no complicated grid. The light and the softbox together cost less than $210 and do more for the shot than anything else in the list.
A viewer notices bad sound in two seconds, bad light in ten, and camera sensor size approximately never. I filmed on a phone, then on APS-C, then moved to full frame, and the jump that changed my videos most was the first soft key light, not either camera.
When I want a second angle I use the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 rather than a second mirrorless body, because it is small, it stabilizes itself and it costs a fraction as much. Cutting between two angles is an editing habit before it is a gear problem.
I use the Aputure MC at $72 on sale or a tube light aimed at the wall behind me, out of frame. Getting further from the wall does more than anything else, because it lets the background fall out of focus. A shelf of props behind you is not a substitute for separation.
Mine is the FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II at $2,298, and on APS-C the equivalent is the Sony E 16-55mm f/2.8 G at $1,698 or, for a single focal length, the Sony E 15mm f/1.4 G at $948. Shoot at f/2.8 rather than wide open so your face stays sharp when you lean in.
The SmallRig VB99 Pro at $199.98 on sale with the D-Tap to NP-FZ100 dummy battery cable at $31.98 keeps my Sony body running all day. The Sony SF-G TOUGH 128GB card at $208 holds a long 4K record. Between them, the shoot stops when I decide it does.
Camera height matters far more than posture. Below eye level looks strange, above it looks apologetic. If you sit, the Peak Design travel tripod at $594.95 drops low enough. If you stand, the ULANZI MT-49 light stand at $99.95 gets your key light above you, which is where it belongs.
It is genuinely hard to travel with, so I would not buy it as your first scripted-video solution. Bullet points taped next to the lens get you most of the way for nothing.
I shoot most of mine on the Osmo Pocket 3 at $563 on sale, because it stabilizes itself and I do not have to think about settings. The best b-roll camera is the one you will still bother using at the end of a long shoot, and that is almost never the big body.
Bad audio makes people leave. Dark, flat footage makes a video look unfinished. Fix those and gear stops being the variable. Past that point, every hour spent choosing between a $1,598 body and a $2,798 body is an hour not spent on the idea, and the idea is what decides.
The pieces I use every day are the mic at $349, the light at $135, the softbox at $69 and the tripod. The camera and lens are the largest numbers by a wide margin and the least responsible for how the videos look. If I were starting again I would spend a tenth of it and film ten times as much.