The Video Gear Guide for Founders

Yeah okay, an iPhone, I know. But trust me, Continuity Camera is legit.

iPhone

So ubiquitous it's almost not worth mentioning, except for the fact that your trusty iPhone is now your trusty webcam. With the Continuity Camera feature you can wirelessly connect it to your Mac and record your next product demo in iPhone quality. Kinda magic.

• –You need iOS 16 or later to use Continuity Camera
• –Your MacBook needs to run macOS Ventura or later too

You call these recommendations basic, I call them essential.

AirPods Pro

What are you gonna do when you've gotta record a video (or join a call) from a cafe and it's noisy af? You need some noise-cancelling headphones. AirPods, Bose, Sony, whatever! Doesn't matter. What does matter is your focus and sanity, so make sure you've got a pair of these in ya JanSport.

• –Noise cancellation
• –They have a mic
• –6 hour battery life (with noise cancellation on)

Andrew Callaghan's weapon of choice.

RØDE Lavalier GO

Lav mics clip onto the lapel or collar of your shirt. They capture great sound because they're so close to the source (ya mouth). But this GO is so good that creators have started using it as a regular mic, doing street interviews and things like that. The versatility, sound quality, and miniature size make this a must for nomads.

• –3.5mm TRS jack
• –Kevlar cable (badass)

It is what it is.

Amazon Ring Light

As sure as the day turns to night, you're gonna look rubbish on camera in low light. So get a cheap little ring light that you stand on a table and stash in your bag. Bonus points if your ring light has a little phone holder like the ones TikTok people use.

• –Just get the cheapest and smallest

No facepalms for the Facecam.

Elgato Facecam Pro

More Elgato gear! Why? Because it's quality, looks nice, and it's not too pricey. The Facecam Pro is a 4K 60 FPS webcam (the world's first, apparently) and it just clips onto your monitor and plugs into your computer. Piece of cake. As a newbie you kinda just wanna get started making stuff, so the less setup and fuss the better, I reckon. Classic webcams are usually pretty ugly, but this one isn't.

• –4K 60 FPS
• –Software-adjustable settings
• –Wide aperture
• –USB-C connector

The ring light's hot, tall cousin.

Elgato Key Light Air

The Key Light Air is a discrete key light with nice lines that you can easily fit onto the back corner of your desk. Get two to make it even.

• –1400 lumens
• –Adjustable height and angle
• –Hidden cables
• –205 × 205mm base

I guess it kinda looks like a yeti?

Blue Yeti

The Blue Yeti is a classic. It's become the go-to entry-level mic for content creators, streamers, and remote workers alike. It's plug-and-play, no fuss to set up, and it sounds great. It's got a bunch of nice controls on the hardware like sound direction and a mute button. The quality is really nice and you don't need a boom arm to use it. Just plonk it on your desk and move it out of the way when you're done.

• –USB connection
• –Different audio modes
• –Mute button
• –Sturdy build
• –Desk stand

The American mind cannot comprehend this.

Teenage Engineering CM-15

A little bonus option for all you psychos. The Teenage Engineering CM-15 portable mic. Who cares about the sound (the sound is good), this thing looks so friggin sick. But it costs an arm and a leg.

• –1-inch large diaphragm
• –10 hour rechargeable battery
• –48V phantom power
• –3.5mm jack out
• –USB-C connection

A webcam work of art.

Opal C1

Opal launched in 2020 to a lot of hype. They were the first company to build a webcam that actually looked great. Their debut webcam, the C1, combines Apple-inspired hardware design with 4K video. The metal housing sits neatly on top of an external monitor or laptop. It's full of other nice touches like the bungee USB cable and magnetic lens cover.

• –4K resolution
• –Metal body
• –USB connection
• –Monitor mount
• –Comes with Opal's software

Did you know that some tadpoles can glow in the dark?

Opal Tadpole

Not one, but two webcams from Opal. You lucky buggers. The Tadpole is Opal's newest webcam and it's specifically designed for laptops. It's light and clips nicely onto a laptop screen. It's also portable — the Tadpole comes with a carrying strap. To quote Opal, the strap is so you can "wrap your camera around your wrist as you go from meeting to meeting"... not sure about that tbh. Looks great though.

• –35mm × 45mm
• –35g
• –Aluminium body
• –1080p, 30 FPS
• –Cool name

Is that a squircle?

Elgato Key Light Air

Elgato makes the best-looking equipment for streamers. Their products don't have neon lights and they don't have tribal graphics. So far so good. Their Key Light Air lamp is a discrete key light with nice lines that you can easily fit onto the back corner of your desk. Get two and make it even.

• –1400 lumens
• –Adjustable height and angle
• –Hidden cables
• –205 × 205mm base

Getting R2-D2 vibes from it.

RØDE NT-USB Mini

RØDE are a safe pair of hands when it comes to mics, so you know the audio quality is good. But more importantly this mic just looks really nice. It's compact, it's not fancy, it's black — checks all the boxes. You can use it with a stand or hook it up to a boom arm. Not sure if Dieter Rams would use this mic, but I reckon it's pretty nice.

• –Built-in pop filter
• –USB output
• –Zero-latency headphone monitoring

Look, no mirrors.

Sony a6400

When it comes to video, how much you want to invest is up to you. But if you're gonna splash out on sound, you may as well get the video to match. The Sony a6400 is a mid-range mirrorless camera that's popular with content creators and streamers. It's got a big flip-up display which makes it easy to monitor yourself while recording, and it's got really fast autofocus. The crystal-clear 4K video is the perfect accompaniment to your primo audio.

• –4K 60 FPS
• –20 megapixel
• –APS-C sensor
• –Interchangeable lenses
• –180-degree 3" touchscreen monitor

Sigma? More like alpha.

Sigma 16mm f1.4 lens

This thing is legendary. It's one of the best value-for-money lenses out there — and maybe pieces of video gear, full stop. Add this lens to your mirrorless camera to get a beautiful shot. For so many YouTubers, streamers, and creators this lens is the piece of gear that makes the difference. You get a super wide angle, which is great for smaller studios: you can have it close to your face and still capture a lot of what's around you. It also has a really shallow depth of field, so you get a really nice blurry background. I love this lens and you will too.

• –Works with lots of cameras
• –APS-C format
• –24mm equivalent focal length
• –Lightweight
• –Smooth autofocus

A Shure thing.

Shure SM7B

It looks great, it's built really well, it sounds amazing, and all the pros use it. The SM7B is basically the gold standard for podcast audio these days. It's an XLR dynamic mic, so it's got accurate, balanced sound with minimal interference. If you want a great podcast setup, then you need this mic. But there are a couple of gotchas. If you're new to professional audio you'll need an audio interface, which routes the sound from the mic into your computer over XLR. On top of that, you'll probably need a preamp.

• –-59dB sensitivity
• –XLR connection
• –48V phantom power
• –Makes you look cool

Extras: Scarlett 2i2 audio interface, Cloudlifter pre-amp

Nice arm.

RØDE PSA1

If your mic isn't on a boom arm, do you really have a podcast? Sure, you can put most mics on a stand, including the SM7B, but it's more fun when you look like Howard Stern. RØDE's boom arms are great.

• –Desk clamp
• –Internal springs (so it's quiet when you move it)
• –Supports weights between 700g and 1.1kg

With these on the wall the vibes are worse but the sound is better.

Acoustic panels

If your podcast setup is at home then you're probably going to need to do some sound treatment. Make sure you don't have lots of hard surfaces that can reflect your audio and mess up the recorded sound (e.g. blank walls and wooden floors). One of the simplest things you can do is buy a couple of boxes of acoustic foam and cover your walls.

• –$50 for a 12 pack

The top dog of mirrorless cameras.

Sony A7 III

Sony are winning the digital camera wars these days. Their Alpha line is a favourite with amateur and pro content creators, and the A7 model is top of the range. It's a full-frame camera with a super shallow depth of field, so it works really well in low light and creates incredible background blur. The older A7 and A7 II are also great cameras, and a bit cheaper too.

• –24.2 megapixels
• –Full-frame sensor
• –F1.8 max aperture

I call shotgun.

Sennheiser MKH 416

Shotgun mics are the secret hack to really great videos. Why? Because you can't see them. Normally to get great audio you need the mic as close to your mouth as possible — think of all those podcast interviews where the SM7Bs are held right up to the speakers' faces. The sound is great, but a big mic covering your face kinda ruins the shot. Shotgun mics are designed for film and television: their job is to pick up high-quality sound and not be seen on camera. The MKH 416 is one of the best on the market.

• –Shotgun condenser
• –High directivity
• –48V phantom power
• –13dB self-noise
• –All-metal body

Call me a prompt engineer.

Elgato Prompter

Teleprompters are another pro secret. If you're thinking "teleprompter, like the newsreaders use?" then yes, those teleprompters. They make a huge difference to the way you appear on camera. Instead of worrying about lines, stopping and starting, or looking away from the camera, you can nail your lines without breaking eye contact. The Elgato Prompter is one of the newest on the market, and it's really compact and nicely designed.

• –9" 1024 × 600px display
• –USB power
• –Compatible with dozens of cameras and lenses
• –Drag and drop display

A beautiful mess.

Viozon Desk Studio

Technically this isn't pro gear, but it's an incredible piece of equipment and great value for money. For just over a hundred bucks you can rig up a whole desk studio: lighting, mic, camera, your laptop too. You can swap out the connections for more relevant ones. Don't want the phone holder? Screw on your camera. Don't want that mic holder? Screw on a different one. Besides the price, it's also compact and easily clamps onto a desk — perfect for smaller setups.

• –4 adjustable arms
• –Boom arm
• –Ring light included
• –Cable routing
• –Fits 12–17" laptops or 17–32" monitors
• –Desk clamp

This neon light is from Denmark.

HAY Large Neon LED Tube

Colorful lighting is the ultimate pro signal. When the side of your face is fully blue from the neon light you've got set up off camera, you've nailed it. You're a content creator now. These neon tubes from HAY come in five colors and you can just lean them against the wall. Go get a bunch of them.

• –Available in blue, pink, red, warm white, yellow
• –1.5m long
• –LED
• –Plugs into the wall
• –Danish