My Personal Video Toolkit

A great camera won’t make you great at video, but it can sure make you look good!

Well, I’m half joking.

I don’t want not having the kit to delay you from making videos, but I also appreciate that when you look good, you feel good, and if you feel good, you’ll present better and if you present better… well, you get the picture.

A sharp image can also give you an air of authority. And when it comes to B2B, authority sells.

So it’s always gonna be a toss up between what’s easy and what looks good.

Or knowing how to make something that’s easy, look good. And that’s about where I position myself.

Here, I’m gonna break down what’s in my toolkit for each of the 3 video set-ups.

Complete with links, so you can grab what you need quickly, if you so please.

My Smartphone Recording Kit

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

Argubly, this phone has one of the most capable camera systems (although the S26 is the most up-to-date). I use the back camera where possible, because it has a much bigger sensor than the front (selfie) camera and multitple lenses. I also personally love a big screen.

I’m not just an Android devotee, I’ve also used an iPhone loads – and there’s something about the colour grading that people seem to prefer over Samsung’s (I know ’cause I’ve asked them!)

I’ve bought a couple of my recent phones from affordablemobiles.co.uk because it seems to do what it says on the tin – and it winds me up no end when I’m paying more than I can get something elsewhere (even if it’s like a fiver – it’s the Libra “justice” in me!

If you don’t like the monopolisation of the mobile market – totally valid – and you don’t think your current smartphone camera is up to scratch, you can buy an action camera like the DJ Osmo to get similar results.

BOYA BY-V20 Wireless Lavalier Microphone

I fought with having a wireless mic for a while, because it added the step of a “sound check” and any extra steps give me avoidance issues! But my phone actually tells me when it’s recording through an external mic, so I needn’t have put it off.

First I got the Hollyland Lark M2 because I liked that it was small – and magnets! Turns out tiny magnets can very easily get lost in clothes, oops. Plus I bought the camera version that has a 3.5mm TRS adapter so I can use it with my camera, but it attaches the receiver via cable (rather than just plug in) and the dangles annoy me, so I just reserve that for camera usage now. If you’re going for this, I’d recommend buying the ones with the plug-in receiver for USB-C or Lightning receivers.

So then I went for the Boya with the plug-in USB-C receiver and also a clip on. And I actually think it’s the better sounding of the two despite being cheaper.

I also like the Rode VideoMic Me, which are like tiny shotgun mics that plug straight into your phone. Despite not all the reviews being resounding, they sound so much than the internal mic.

Magnetic Stands

Ok, so this is one of my favourite finds, and makes wrestling with clamps feel like an old school problem. If you use a magsafe case, you just stick your phone to the ring, move it into position and you’re good to go. Also clamps rely on tension, but a magnet’s hold never fails (if it’s positioned correctly!)

Here’s the tripod / selfie stick I use:

Here’s the case for my Samsung:

You can also get magnetic car mounts, which you can use if filming in the car (shock horror) but I also use inside the house because they stick onto windows.

Here’s the one I have:

I do also have a DJ Osmo Mobile Smartphone Stabliser, which seems to be very popular, but I don’t often reach for it because I’m mainly making static videos.

Apps and Editing

If I’m editing on my phone, I tend to do it on Capcut (the paid version). I just find it to have the most functionality I actually use for talk-to-camera videos.

If I’m recording on my phone, I’ll do it in the normal camera, except if it’s long-form, I’ll do it on Riverside so it gets saved to the cloud and I avoid having a huge file on my phone that needs to be transferred.

Also, if I want to record multi-clip style, which is when you can start, pause and delete, and produce a single sequence (rather than needing to manually sequence multiple clips), I’ll do that in-app in Instagram and TikTok, and then download the video to my album.

Teleprompter apps can also be useful for reading scripts (although can only be used on the front camera). I mainly use this one which also records in-app. But this one is also handy for the floating features.
My Computer Recording Kit

My Computer Recording Kit

Sony ZV-1

I’ve bought a fair few webcams in my time, but even the better ones on the market don’t give a picture quality as good as you can get from a decent video camera, due to the smaller sensor size.

So instead, I stream a Sony ZV-1 as a webcam via hdmi connection and a capture card, and it looks much better. The colours are good and get a bit of depth of field that gives it a premium look.

I am due an upgrade however, so I’ll either be going for the Sony ZV-1 II or the Canon PowerShot G7X Digital Camera Mark II.

I do keep a Logitech Brio webcam around too, just for backup.

Samson Q2U Microphone

This is a dynamic USB microphone that stays plugged into my laptop at all times and it’s great, especially for a budget microphone.

I’d had the Blue Yeti for a fair few years, before realising just how much computer noise it picks up due to it being a condenser mic. So I had a podcast expert give me his 3 picks, and this was the cheapest of the 3. The others were the Samson Q9U and the Shure MV7.

Tripod

As I use a video camera, not a webcam, it needs a tripod. I needed something small but sturdy, so this JOILCAN Mini one works great. It usually lives in the same spot, behind my laptop.

Apps and Editing

I do the majority of editing on my laptop. I’ve been a long-standing user of the Adobe Creative Cloud software, which includes Premiere and I also use Audition a lot for audio editing – and Photoshop of course!

But one thing that Premiere lacks is easy access to a drag-and-drop stock media library and a good range of nice-looking, modern templates. So I find myself opening Capcut for more often these days. I use the desktop version as opposed to the browser version, so I’m not reliant on server speed.

The other programme I use all the time is Descript. It’s a text-based editor, as opposed to a visual editor, so it’s incredibly useful for anything words-based, which covers 99% of what I do!

I also use Canva all the time, which is handy for creating graphics to layer in the videos, or thumbnails.

My Camera Equipment

Canon EOS R8

My camera kit doesn’t come out as often as the rest, but I do need it for my production services – and it’s on standby if I ever decide I wanna get YouTube famous. I’m not a camera expert but I’ve always like the raw picture colours of a Canon, so that’s what I tend to lean towards.

If I wanted a compact mirrorless camera, I’d go for the Canon EOS R50 or seen as I like my Sony Alpha ZV1, maybe the Sony Alpha E10 II.

If I was gonna treat myself, I’d go for the Sony Alpha 6700, Panasonic LUMIX S5II or the Canon EOS R8.

RØDE VideoMic Pro

This is a classic shotgun mic I’ve had in my kit for years. If I was going to upgrade, I’d probably go for the Rode NTG4+ as I trust RØDE mics.

Hollyland Lark M2 Wireless Lavalier Microphone

This is the one I bought originally to use with my phone, but due to the cable thing I mentioned, is better used for my camera.

Tripod

I’ve had the same Manfrotto for years, because it’s a good heavyweight one that’s designed for a more substantial camera, but if I was buying one today, I might go for something like the one.

Accessories

If you’re recording onto a camera, you’re gonna need a good size memory card. I use these SanDisk or Lexar ones, and this UGREEN card reader to transfer it to my laptop, ready for editing.

Apps and Editing

The editing software is the same as my computer set-up, so go back to that section if you need the low down.

My Lighting

I’m a stand-by-a-window kinda gal, but due to the unpredictable of natural light – and those dark winter evenings that start half way through the afternoon, I’ve been forced to accumulated a few different lighting options.

If I’m trying to replace indirect sunlight, I’ll get my soft boxes out. They create a soft, diffused look – oldies but goldies!

I’m also not averse to an LED, as long it’s dimmable, but I’m not the biggest fan of ring lines due to the rings that reflect in your eyes, so these LED panel lights are the better, more flexible option IMO.

If all of those broke, I’d probably replace them with this Elgato Key Light.

You’ve also got mood lights, which are lights you have in your video, as opposed to light up your video, so you’ll find my tips for those in the page about my backdrop.

Shopping

A few of these listings go to Amazon, because that’s honestly where I purchase a lot of my gear (thanks, Mum, for being the only one to pay for Amazon Prime!) but when I can, I also buy second-hand.

My top picks for refurbished buys are:
● CeX
● Backmarket
● Ebay (Although I’d look at small businesses that specialise in refurbs rather than private sellers, which can be a bit risky, if you’re not 100% sure about what you’re buying.)

Happy shopping!

Hope you found this sneak peek into my kit list useful, I’m looking forward to seeing you on a screen near me very soon!