5 Pieces of Gear You’ll Want As a Wedding Videographer
Your Gear is Your Arsenal
As a wedding videographer, there are many challenges to encounter throughout a wedding day. But having the perfect arsenal of gear will inevitably make your life easier. Here are five pieces of equipment that are essential to my gear kit and make shooting weddings that much better.
Gimbal — I have the Zhiyun Crane (this is a newer version of mine) and let me tell you, this thing is a workhorse. It’s lightweight and super easy to setup once you get the hang of it. Having a portable, lightweight gimbal on a wedding day is crucial to efficient, gorilla-style shooting. I can quickly set it up in between getting ready and first look and the detachable feet on the bottom, which gives you the opportunity to set it down when needed.
Portable Lighting — I swear by my Fiilex P360S portable LED light. This light is small but packs a punch and is relatively unknown. In talking with other videographers, I’ve noticed that this light has flown under the radar, but everyone who has seen my setup and operate this light immediately wants one. Believe me when I say, it’s worth the investment.
Monopod/Tripod — Ok technically this is two pieces of gear but they’re both equally essential to wedding videography. I use my Benro Monopod with fluid head for earlier parts of the day that require a lot of moving around, and then I use my Magnus Tripod with fluid head for ceremony and reception coverage. I love how stable the tripod feels and how lightweight the monopod is to move throughout the day.
Lavalier Mic w/Recorder — My favorite lav mic with built-in recorder is the Tascam DR-10L . If you’re a wedding videographer, this recorder is a must have. With dual level recording (-6 dB or -12 dB) it offers an extra bit of assurance that those important moments during the ceremony won’t be missed. It’s also very small and easily concealed, making it the perfect lav mic for a groom or priest to wear.
Portable Recorder — This piece of gear will be absolutely critical in capturing reception audio. I have used my tried & true Zoom H4n recorder for years but if you have the money to spend, I would totally recommend buying the newest Zoom F3 Field recorder. With 32 bit float recording technology, it is guaranteed to save your butt if the soundboard throws out too much distortion.