Well look no further, here are a few of my vlogging essentials. This is more targeted at those wanting to produce travel/ daily style vlogs.
I would also like to state having a laptop or some kind of computer is always essential, but that's essential in life in general... right?
So onto the actual list:
Canon G7X
Obviously this is my camera of choice, there are a lot of similar cameras on the market, so have a look around & see which seems right for you. I love this camera as it's nice & lightweight. It also has a flip up screen which is perfect for vlogging, so you can exactly see yourself. This makes it a lot easier to frame your shots.
SD Card
This one really is necessary, as you can't use the camera without it! You should always have at least two SD cards to hand, as you never know how much footage you're going to get. So make sure you always have one in your camera (that's not full) & a spare.
Camera Battery
Another item you need to actually make your camera work. Obviously I know, but they're so easy to forget if you're charging them. Again the trick here is to have spares. I find the Canon G7X battery isn't that great, so I'd said if you buy this camera a spare is a must!
Gorilla Pod
These are a great bit of kit. It's basically a flexible tripod, which come with both a Go Pro & standard tripod thread. These are interchangeable too. I use this tripod constantly, as it's super handy & easier to adjust than a normal tripod. I also find it makes it more comfortable to hold my Canon camera if it's attached to this tripod.
Go Pro & Micro SD Card
I thought I'd put these two together as they work in conjunction with each other. Go Pro's aren't cheap so if you don't think you're going to filming anything too sporty or adventurous then don't waste your cash. However you can get some awesome & creative shots with a Go Pro which you wouldn't necessarily achieve which a normal camera. The model I own is the Hero3+ Black Edition.
I wanted this camera for sooooo long, but never thought I'd get the use out of a compact camera.
I was so wrong!
This camera is now part of my everyday essentials & is constantly in my handbag ready to go.
I use this camera for vlogging, blog photos, Instagram photos & just in general if I'm without a DSLR!
The G7X has become THE vlogger camera & I completely see why! With it's flip up touch screen & Wifi features it is ideal for those documenting their everyday life.
So onto the camera itself. Firstly it is very sturdy, mine has had a few falls & is still in perfect working condition. They are however a little heavier/ larger than some other compacts cameras, this is due to having the flip up screen feature.
The camera also has a variety of settings/ modes however these can be a little hard to work with due to the touch screen, I personally find the manual mode an absolute pain! That said though if I using manual mode I always using a DSLR. The auto mode is more than sufficient for vlogging & taking basis blog/ Instagram photos though!
For someone looking to start a blog/ vlog or both, I would say this is the camera to invest in.
There is no reason you can't film all of you youtube videos on this camera. It fits onto a tripod, so there really is nothing stopping you!
There are a few things I find annoying about this camera however. The first being that the lens cover is pretty much useless, it lets so much dirt in (not cool Canon)! Another thing would be the auto focusing, it can take forever for it to autofocus from one item to another if you don't touch the screen. I have also had to stop recording, touch the screen to focus then start recording again.
So a mixture of good & not very good points, but overall I would recommend this camera. It's a great little piece of kit, especially if you're just starting out! Also Canon has just released a newer model of this camera, so I imagine the price is only going to keep dropping.
As it's a new year I wanted to add something new to my youtube, however I already cover such a large section of topics I thought it was only right to create a new channel just for this one topic...
GAMING!
Yes I'm starting a gaming channel!
So I'd love it if you headed over & subscribed to the channel!
After hearing all the hype on youtube from a lot of big youtubers I decided to buy the Dial A Smile teeth whitening kit by Whitening Lightning.
The question though: Is it really worth the hype?
So firstly a bit about the kit, it uses a gel & LED light to whitening the teeth. I did also pick up a pair of the Super Booster whitening pens too. The brands advises to use both in conjunction anyway.
So I'm going to get straight to the point with this one. It didn't work for me.
I have tried this various times, I even tried using it multiple times a week but still it hasn't worked.
I think it probably makes a bit of difference but I'm not sure if that's my mind seeing what I'm hoping to see!
I'm not the only person that's tried the kit either, I got my partner to try it too and he still had very little luck with it.
I purchased this kit whilst it was on offer, but I sure as hell wouldn't pay full price for it!
It's definitely not worth the money!
Now I do vlog sometimes for my youtube channel, however I still find it really embarrassing!
So I wanted to point out some things in case you're thinking of starting vlogging.
This post is not to discourage anyone, but more to highlight what it actually involves.
1. People will look at you weird!
Youtube is massive now, however there are still a lot of people that don't really know about the content or care. So people will look at you weird when you vlog in public. Even if you're sat in the comfort of your own car, someone will shoot you a confused/ odd look.
If they don't do this some people try to get in the back of your shot thinking they're 'photobombing' you. Orrrrr they will ask you if you want them to 'take the photo for you'.
2. Explaining it to others can be awkward.
Whether it's because of the previous or if someone just asks you your job/ hobby, unless they're into Youtube they probably won't understand what you do.
3. Editing at 12am.
If you're vlogging the whole day, when in the day will you get time to edit it? Chances are it'll be late at night. So be prepared to lose some sleep!
4. Quiet days don't make good content.
If you vlog a lot (i.e. daily vlog) you'll know that quiet days don't make great content generally & Youtube is very competitive these days, so good content is essential. So maybe skip on the quiet ones & only vlog the more exciting events.
5. People think they know you.
This is the case with any social media, however vlogs are quite personal content. So people will start to think they know everything about you, which isn't necessarily true. The simple answer is, only show people what YOU & those around you are comfort with, don't over share.
Whether you're a photographer, a youtuber, a blogger, whoever. You need a tripod.
I really couldn't imagine not owning one to be honest, I use them daily!
So here's the question, which style of tripod do you go for?
I'm putting a lightweight tripod to the test against a standard heavier duty one, to see which one is the one you should be putting your money into & why.
To see the results please check out the video below:
Hi, I'm Eve. I'm a 23 year old professional photographer, who also has an interest in blogging/ vlogging. I like to write about anything really, from beauty to health issues!
