Video Production Gear

This includes tripods, batteries, lights, microphones, and all the other accessories you need to produce good video.

Lighting - there are three basic types of lighting used in video. Outdoor lighting which includes reflectors and scrims used to control natural sunlight, portable lights which mount on cameras or can be handheld, or lighting kits which consist of one or more stand mounted lights and accessories. Even though camcorders will work indoors in available light, they look a lot better when they get the proper illumination.

Batteries - there are two basic types of batteries for video. One are the batteries that actually attach to camcorders and video cameras. These range from miniscule Lithium batteries that slide inside compact mini-camcorders to large brick size batteries that hang off the back of professional broadcast video cameras. The next class of batteries that can be hung off a belt, or actually are built into a built. Logically called powerbelts, these are commonly used by both prosumers and professionals and can power a video camera for hours and hours. Many pros also use these belts to power portable, camera mounted lighting gear. Batteries can also be built into vests that can be worn by the camera operator.

Tripods - professionals use tripods. No matter how good your shooting style or the camcorder's built-in stabilization, it is almost impossible to hold a video camera steady for more than a few seconds, especially when using extreme telephoto ranges on zoom lens. Cheap discount and department store tripods ($50 or so) are quite adequate for most consumer uses. Prosumers and professionals require more expensive and more rugged tripods that offer smoother tilt and pan movements. 

Audio (wired and wireless) - there are many kinds of microphones used by video producers. Basically, these include small lavaliere microphones used for interviews, handheld microphones and shotgun/telephoto microphones used to gather audio from a distance. All three of these types of mikes are available in both wired and wireless varieties.

For home and consumer video producers, using any microphone is very superior than relying on a camcorders built-in microphones. Most inexpensive shotgun and wireless microphones put out a mono signal. Most consumer camcorders have stereo inputs. When using mono mini-jacks with stereo inputs, it is possible for the one unused channel to be very noisy or for the contacts with the connectors to not match up correctly. I recommend using an inexpensive mono to stereo connector to prevent this problem. These connectors can be picked up at Radio Shack for a few bucks each.

Audio Mixers - Audio mixers are often used when there are two or more audio sources feeding into a camera. A mixer basically controls the levels of each source and enable you to adjust them for maximum recording quality. More advanced mixers let you pan between sources and to control the various audio qualities of the sound itself. Mixers can be very small and mounted on the camera itself for use in mobile location shoots.

Monitors - what does your video really look like? Most camcorder eyepieces, viewfinders and LCD screens do not provide an accurate rendition of the color and image being recorded. In addition, the larger monitor screen lets you see details that might be missed when watching only through a viewfinder. Using a TV set as a monitor is often superior to not using a monitor at all. However, a professional production monitor comes with various viewing options that enables you to better judge the actual color that is being recorded. 

Peripheral Brackets - these kinds of brackets can be attached to your camcorder's shoe over the lens or to the directly to the tripod. They enable you to add a variety of camcorder accessories such as lights, microphones, small LCD monitors, wireless mike receivers, etc. The heavy duty bracket systems that attach to your tripod provide a more secure system and usually offer more space to ad don these accessories.

Stabilizing Systems - sometimes you can't use a tripod. There isn't enough space or the shot requires movement. There are a variety of camera stabilizing options that allow you to fluidly move the camera while still achieving a smooth, professional look.

What Accessories and Equipment do you really need in addition to your camcorder?