Shell64 Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 I currently have $200 to invest in extra gear for my kit. I already have a g7, lenses, Tripods, etc. I do not have any lights, stabilizers, or cages though, and only have a cheap lav mic. What are some things you would buy if you were in my situation? (total of everything must be under 200) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newfoundmass Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 16 minutes ago, Shell64 said: I currently have $200 to invest in extra gear for my kit. I already have a g7, lenses, Tripods, etc. I do not have any lights, stabilizers, or cages though, and only have a cheap lav mic. What are some things you would buy if you were in my situation? (total of everything must be under 200) What kind of stuff are ya shooting? Lights and sound are definitely what I'd invest in, regardless, but getting the right lights and mics for what you'll be using them for is key. For a mic the RODE Video Micro is a good choice for $60ish dollars, though the Movo VXR 10 is I think $40 and there's not much difference between the two. They can both be used on camera or boomed with good results. YONGNUO has some pretty good LED light panels starting at around $25. Aputure has some better ones too for a little more money. You can also go the clamp light route, with either CFL or LED bulbs, you'll just want to get higher quality bulbs so you don't have to worry about flicker. I just picked up two Godox SL-60W lights for $200 total on eBay that are arriving tomorrow. You can get one of those for around $120, and it's comparable to the 120d from Aputure. Jimmy G 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kye Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 14 minutes ago, Shell64 said: I currently have $200 to invest in extra gear for my kit. I already have a g7, lenses, Tripods, etc. I do not have any lights, stabilizers, or cages though, and only have a cheap lav mic. What are some things you would buy if you were in my situation? (total of everything must be under 200) Instead of getting advice from other people about what would be useful for other people to buy, think about what would be useful for you by thinking about what you could have used in shooting past projects... They say that yesterday is the biggest predictor of tomorrow. Things change, but they don't change that fast. So, think about previous projects and what problems you had when actually shooting things, then think about what would be the best way to address those issues, and once you've done that for each of the problems, look at the ones where the best solution is equipment and only then think about buying something to solve those problems for you. I think everyone has bought something to solve a problem they think they will have, and they've ended up never using that thing they bought. If you buy something that will help a problem you've actually had in real life, then you've got half-a-chance of actually using it. Jimmy G, Adam Kuźniar and Shell64 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newfoundmass Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 That's a very good point Kye, though I still think Shell should look into lighting and audio. Those are the things that you'll need regardless of the project, it's just a matter of figuring out which work best for the most work you do. I spent so much money on gear that I rarely use. It's nice that I have it when I need it, and it has often gotten me jobs, but gear is such a addictive thing. I'm glad to have finally moved on from being impulsive, though I'm still a sucker for a real bargain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kye Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 3 hours ago, newfoundmass said: That's a very good point Kye, though I still think Shell should look into lighting and audio. Those are the things that you'll need regardless of the project, it's just a matter of figuring out which work best for the most work you do. I think one of the biggest problems we face when talking to other film-makers is that we underestimate how differently other people might shoot compared to the way we do. I don't know if the OP has mentioned what kind of films they make in other threads, but even such (quite sensible) suggestions of lighting and audio might not apply if they were doing extreme sports, underwater shooting, natural light shooting, etc. I get that almost everyone will spend a lot of time recording someone talking (audio equipment) and will also spend a lot of time recording someone sitting in one place (lighting) but that's not everyone. You'd assume that someone would know which equipment they would use and things they wouldn't, but someone that is asking for equipment recommendations on forums without specifying what they shoot may very well not know these things. I'm sure that every now and then we all speak to someone who says they're getting started in photography and got a Canon with a prime lens because that's what someone else said they should get and now they're asking us why they can't pinch-zoom like on their phone - so you can't assume such things reliably I think! Shell64 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shell64 Posted September 10, 2019 Author Share Posted September 10, 2019 I shoot corporate, interviews, etc. for those curious. Good suggestions guys. kye 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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