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Cameras
We use a GoPro Hero5 Session mostly for forward facing driving shots through our truck windshield, as well as reverse facing shots of us while driving in the truck. We’ve also used it for some underwater shots as well as timelapse shots. It’s also great for attaching to the outside of a vehicle. Unfortunately GoPro did not continue this line of cameras and we think it’s a shame. They are very versatile. I ended up purchasing a used one, which is pretty much all you will find now.
We use the DJI Osmo Pocket for stabilized shots while on the move and a lot of B-roll. It takes great video for the size and price.
We use a DJI Mavic Air for our drone shots. It’s a great little drone that’s small enough to fit in a motorcycle bag but still has a decent flying time and takes great video. We purchased the Fly More Bundle which includes the following extras:
- 2 additional Intelligent Flight Batteries
- 2 additional pairs of propellers
- A battery charging hub
- A battery to power bank adapter to charge your phone
- A travel bag
Lenses
The lens we use for vlogging is the Canon EF-S 10-18mm. It is a super-wide zoom lens that makes it easy to get both of us in the shot when held at arm’s length. It has autofocus and stabilization as well. It is lower priced than the EF-S 10-22mm, which we would have purchased if we had the money. See below.
The Canon EF-S 10-22mm lens is a better lens than the one above, but at a higher price point as well. It offers a slightly larger zoom range and a larger aperture setting which makes it better in low-light situations.
Camera Accessories
We love this little Pixie EVO tripod from Manfrotto. It’s great for keeping in our camera backpack for setting up timelapse, action and vlog shots. It’s lightweight but sturdy and the legs extend a bit. We use it with all of the cameras we have. It also doubles as a (short) selfie stick when vlogging.
This expansion kit for the Osmo Pocket is really handy. The Controller Wheel makes it easy to do smooth pans and tilts, while the Wireless Module Base allows you to control the Osmo via WiFi. That’s really handy when setting up time lapse shots. The GoPro cage is great for allowing you to connect the Osmo Pocket to any standard GoPro mount.
Audio
The Rode VideoMic Pro Plus is the mic we use on our DSLR camera. It’s a great mic. One of its best features is that it turns itself on and off as the camera is turned on and off, so you don’t have to worry about forgetting to turn it off and running your batteries down. We also like that we can set one channel with a higher gain than the other so that we can use the higher gain channel if we find the audio to be too quiet in post. You’ll need a “dead cat” for it, though, to block out wind noise as much as possible. See next item.
We always use this deadcat on the VideoMic Pro+ to limit wind noise. It really is essential for shooting anything outside where you intend to make use of the audio recording. The slightest amount of wind can cause an annoying amount of noise otherwise.
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