The hardware industry is slowly adapting to the needs of vlogging. Here’s a look at some products specifically designed for the field.
Vlogging is here to stay. With every new trend, a new industry adapts itself and emerges and companies are finally catching up to this reality. They’re not just showing how their current lineup can be used for vlogging, but are designing their products with vlogging in mind. Back when I wrote a blog on products you need to have when starting vlogging, it put the seed in my head. What products are actually made for vlogging?
It’s hard to wade through the marketing. A lot of tools and kits are advertised to vloggers. But that doesn’t mean those things were made for them.
It makes a huge difference. When you’re just modifying something to be made for a use versus it actually being made for that use. Sure, I could modify a Toyota Corolla to go off-roading—but wouldn’t it be better to just start of with the Jeep Wrangler? And as podcasters everywhere know, there’s an established range of mics and interfaces made with their specific needs in mind, so why not for vlogging?
There were two products that really revolutionized how companies are beginning to see vlogging. Why they’re so slow on the uptake is beyond me, many producers must assume that since their goods are adjacent to the content creation field, then that’s good enough. But Sony and Apple deserve true applause for getting the ball rolling.
Sony with their ZV-1 mirrorless, and Apple with their iPhone 12 Pro. As much as I hate to admit it, Apple really went out of their way to appeal to vloggers. The longtime critic of Apple that I am, I had to come to terms with this one late autumnal evening in Tbilisi, Georgia. My friend, a professional videographer and photographer, was filming with the iPhone for some commercial piece he was working on.
“Don’t you have better equipment?” I asked.
“Honestly?” he replied. “These days it’s getting harder to tell. This latest iPhone rivals even my DSLRs, especially considering how small and handy it is. There are obviously some tradeoffs, but those tradeoffs don’t fit in your pocket.”
Though the phone itself isn’t entirely designed for vloggers, it’s certainly designed with features that had vloggers in mind that have made people give it a second glance. Samsung also followed suit.
I can’t say the following products are the best. Like the products made for podcasters, they’re not necessarily top of the line, but they are great for entry-level folks who aren’t experts in the field and don’t intend to be. They just want to get podcasting. The products in this list were designed for vloggers and with vlogging in mind. A camera doesn’t have to be the best to be good for vlogging, it just has to be great and easy to use for vloggers.
Sony ZV-1
Sony was the first camera company to understand that there was a potential market for vloggers. They looked at various ways they could modify their camera – through physical design or AI – that would make it more appealing to that niche market. The Sony ZV-1 was their first attempt.
From their site
The two factors that they would stress in their design is weight and video performance. The ZV-1 focused on these, and being that it is a compact camera, made ease-of-use and speed secondary conditions. Many vloggers after all, are not professional videographers. They want something that they can pull out and set up quickly so that when they have the right words, angle, or view, they can capture it immediately.
The 294 gram ZV-1 has a fixed mirror (24-70 mm) and is capable of filming 4k 30p, with full HD up to 120p. Since it doesn’t have a removable lens, it saves on size and can easily fit in your pocket, making it especially grand for a backup camera (though it’s also exceptional for a primary, don’t get me wrong). It has a flip viewer, which is required fare for vloggers, easy bokeh settings where you can turn it on and off without ever worrying about the right focus or aperture.
Sony understood also that the AI behind the Autofocus function needed optimizing. They created several features that can be switched at the press of a button. One setting to recognize and focus on people’s faces, another setting that can switch focuses quickly for product reviews. Exposure settings are similar, in that they adjust automatically as soon as they detect a face.
The sound has also been maximized. It features a 3-capsule directional mic with a firmly fitting dead cat to block out the noise.
Physically, they even made it easier to grip for selfies.
Learn more about the ZV-1 here.
Sony ZV-E10
The ZV-E10 is the older sibling of the ZV-1. It includes all of those AI touches that the ZV-1 does, but has an APS-C type CMOS sensor with swappable lenses, giving vloggers a huge range of new touches in their filmmaking. There are over 60 lenses tailored to Sony’s cameras, and all of them work with seamless functionality with the ZV-E10.
It records in 4K HDR at 30 fps, and has the same mic setup as the younger sibling.
Both Sony cameras also can be used with their Imaging Edge software, which allows full viewing and functionality from the PC, Mac or mobile.
Learn more about the ZV-E10 here.
Lumix G100 Mirrorless
For the Lumix G100, Panasonic has decided to focus in on their image stabilization technology to be their selling point to vloggers. Their 4-Axis Hybrid I.S System automatically detects the horizon and attempts to maintain it, compensating for 4 types of movement (for HD video, it’s 5-axis for stills).
The mic is designed by Nokia, and allows various directional functionality that can be switched on the camera. There’s a tracking mode which works as a shotgun mic in conjunction with the facial recognition feature, surround mode that’s omni-directional for environmental shots, front cardioid, and back cardioid. If the mic isn’t good enough, they also have a 3.5 mm mic input.
The G100 also features all sorts of framing guides, that allow you to shoot the picture and keep in mind the framing of the most popular social media.
The flip screen not only flips out, but also rotates, allowing for all kinds of unique shooting angles.
It’s a small and light weight camera and has a Micro Four-Thirds lens, which means those lenses might run slightly more expensive and on a sensor that’s smaller than the full-sized one featured on the ZV-E10. As an MFT user myself who loves to travel though, I’m more than happy with the weight-price trade. This camera seems optimized for travel vloggers and other vloggers who are on the move.
Sony Shooting Grip with Wireless Remote
The Shooting Grip is a very clever device, and a must-have for anyone with a Sony camera. Essentially, it’s a very basic gimbal and tripod in one, with wireless functionality. It’s optimized to work seamlessly with modern Sony cameras like the ZV-1 and the ZV-E10, with just a push of a button linking them together via Bluetooth.
It has very easy tilt and rotation, and readily available recording and zoom controls at the thumb.
Learn more here.
Buy it for $138.00 on Amazon.
Switchpod
From their site
The Switchpod is a creatively designed tripod/handgrip with all sorts of ways to hold it and prop it up. It converts from tripod to handgrip in a matter of seconds, with just a swipe of the hand, and you can order an additional ballhead attachment to give it all manner of range in angle.
It’s made of aluminum alloy and is super lightweight while maintaining a strong integrity. And though fully extended it’s a rather large structure (almost a foot tall), it folds up to be really slim and easy to pack.
Find out more about the Switchpod here.
Buy it for $99.99 on their website.
Joby
Joby, the original makers of the GorillaPod, saw a market and ran with it. They’ve designed a great variety of products with vloggers in mind, empowering people to set up their video rigs quickly and easily. The latest versions of the GorillaPod include attachments for lighting and mics, making it easy to adjust for the perfect on-the-go setup.
From their site
Their vlogging starter pack is a great deal: It comes with a 5-armed GorillaPod, a Beamo-Mini LED and a Wavo mobile shotgun mic complete with a shock mount.
Of course, you’re not limited to these options. Joby offers a wide variety of solutions for mics, lighting, and tripods. It’s definitely worth to check out their website and have a look.
Mobile vlogging kits start at $199.99 on their website.
Movo Double Mic
The Movo Double Mic is a great solution for on-the-go interviews. It’s essentially a splitter that both records from two different omnidirectional lavalier mics with another split for a monitor, all going into the single jack on your phone. The cords are super long as well: the interviewer cable is 5 feet long and the interviewee cable is 8 feet long. That means they’re long enough to stand naturally and hide the cable, without any awkward positioning. The longer cable detaches if you only need one lavalier mic.
From their site
See their website for more on this mic and other options.
Buy for $40.00 on their website.
Final thoughts
None of these are must buys. But they are some interesting ideas and many can no doubt be quite helpful in your current setup or for new people starting out. It will be even more interesting to see how future lines of products play out as companies adjust to the needs of vloggers.
When you’ve finished your filming, don’t forget about putting on a soundtrack. Choose from our long list of customizable tracks that you can adjust in just a few clicks to fit your project.
