Buyers’ guide
Lights, camera, action!
These first-class video accessories will have your moviemaking up to standard in no time
Lighting Just as is true in regular photography, if you want to take creative control of the look of your video work, you need to get to grips with lighting. Of course, with video, this means using continuous light, and while many flash systems now come with powerful LEDmodelling lights, models made specifically for video offer greater quality and more control. Lenses and filters There’s plenty to be said for getting started with video using lenses you already have, but if you want to take things further, specialist lenses will allow you to do it. Cine lenses don’t have to break the bank and they will come with features that allow stepless changes in aperture and smooth, accurate and, most importantly, silent focusing. Filters are just as important in video as they are in still photography. Or even more so, as you’re restricted in the shutter speeds you can use. This is especially important if you want to work with very wide apertures in bright light. So you need a set of NDs or a variable ND that you can rely on. Fortunately, after you add these essentials to your video kit, you’ll very quickly notice an improvement in results. So, take a look at our selection of video essentials and pick something up for your next shoot.
WITH SOMANY hybrid camera models on the market these days, photography and video are moving closer together than ever before. But if you’re thinking of putting the video features of your camera to good use – perhaps filming an event, making a vlog, recording a once- in-a-lifetime trip or shooting something creative like a documentary, a short film or a music video – you’ll need the right accessories to make it a success. Yes, chances are that, if you have a modern camera, it has a slew of great video features on it, all ready to go – but what you may not have is the stuff that really makes video tick. There are loads of examples of kit that’s vital for good video, but which photographers would have no use for, so investment is key. Microphones A good lavalier or lapel mic will take you a long way when it comes to improving your audio. It’s one of the best options if you need to record the subject speaking, and, being small and attaching easily to clothing, it can be inconspicuous. Lav mics can be plugged directly into the camera, into a wireless transmitter or used with an external recorder. Radio mics let you shoot the subject speaking without needing to worry about a physical connection to the camera. This means you can frame from further off or have themwalking about, untethered. Sure you can use a mic plugged into an
audio recording device and sync it to the video later, but that’s more work and you can’t monitor the sound ‘live’. Another useful mic is a shotgun model. This is highly targeted in the sound it will pick up, so if you point it at a speaking subject, you’ll get more of them, and less of the noise around them. Shotgun mics can be mounted on the camera, used on a boom or even held by the subject. Support If you’re just getting into video, it’s debatable whether you need a ‘proper’ video tripod. But what you definitely need is a head designed for smooth and stable movement. Unlike the ball heads that most photographers are wedded to, a fluid pan and tilt head will let you add smooth and controlled movement to your footage. Most cameras or lenses come with image stabilisation, but while this is great for combating camera shake, it’s usually not good enough to keep footage smooth while you’re walking around with a camera. For that, you need a gimbal, which is a stabilised handheld support that lets you get smooth video even while following the subject. Another simple way to get movement is with a slider. This is a piece of kit that lets youmove the camera smoothly along a predefined track and, as well as video, it’s also great for time-lapse movies.
Price: £400
saramonic.com
Saramonic UwMic9 RX9+TX9+TX9 kit
Saramonic’s UwMic9 RX9+TX9+TX9 kit is a portable, dual-channel, camera-mountable UHF wireless system giving broadcast-quality sound across a stable connection. With two mics, two transmitters (TX), as well as a receiver (RX) in the kit, it’s a real belt and braces option, meaning you can record from two sources at the same time. With a sturdy metal build, but lightweight and compact size, it’s a great fit for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. It’s easy to use, too, with an autoscan feature to sync TX and RX units, a range of up to 100m and a headphone output, so you don’t need one on your camera.
Price: £185
kenro.co.uk
Price: £149
rode.com
RodeNTG-1 shotgunmic The Rode NTG-1 is one of themost popular shotgun mics for videographers, whether they’re just starting out or with years of experience.With an aluminium housing, it has great build quality and produces strong output, so you don’t need to turn up the gain on the camera or recorder. Sound is clear andwithout rumble or hiss thanks to the selectable low-cut filter and high- sensitivity condenser elements.You’ll certainly notice an improvement compared to low-cost mics.A focal windscreen is included to reduce wind noise when working on location, or near fans and air conditioners.All this at an affordable pricemeans it may be the only shotgunmic you ever need.
Price: £280
kasefilters.com
Kenro Double Distance slider
Kase produces a huge range of filters that are just as good for video as they are for stills. The newWolverine Magnetic filter range makes adding and removing filters from your lens so quick and easy that you’ll wonder why you’ve never used it before. The range comes individually in a variety of strengths, and in sizes from 77 to 95mm. It can be bought as a Pro kit with ND8, ND64, ND1000 filters, a polariser and a case. Kase alsomakes variable ND filters like the ND3-1000 in 77mm and 82mm, which allows you to control the light-stopping power with a simple twist of the filter ring. KaseWolverine Magnetic Circular 77mm Pro set
Kenro’s Double Distance slider is a superb choice combining, as it does, a great mix of stability and innovation. It can be used like a regular model when laid flat, but mount it on a tripod using the central point and its counterbalanced belt drive effectively doubles the range of movement from 38cm to 76cm. Top-quality gearing means motion is smooth in either direction and its aluminium build will take a load of 6kg on the flat or 3kg on a tripod.
68 Photography News | Issue 75
photographynews.co.uk
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