Mobile vlogs are super popular. They can be a single method or an add-on to a more static set style vlog. The right gear can make going mobile a lot easier and deliver a much higher level of quality.
Choosing the Right Gear
Being mobile means being lightweight and being able to shoot your footage without being weighted down with packs and batteries and lights and kit. Whether you choose to shoot your vlog with a dedicated device, your smartphone, or a more traditional style camera, getting stable footage is critical.
No Shaky Cam
Shaky cam was acceptable for a very short time, but today, really sends the ‘amateur night’ message. Fortunately, you do not need to be that person as systems exist to provide excellent stabilization with whatever image recording device.
Smartphones
Let’s start with shooting with your smartphone. Modern smartphones do a surprisingly good job at vlogging style video. While it is true that they have very tiny sensors, and limited exposure range, in decent light where you can get proper framing on your subject without digital zooming, the quality of the footage can be very good. Consider the MOZA Mini-S 3-Axis Smartphone Gimbal for your smartphone work. Plus, because you are using your smartphone, you can push out through Facebook Live or a similar service in real time.
Dedicated Mobile Vlogging
Perhaps you want greater range and more flexibility than you might find with a smartphone. For this, a dedicated mobile vlogging camera might be the answer. These devices are fully self-contained and offer excellent battery life as well as the ability to store your video captures to a local memory card.
The entry to this space is the DJI OSMO Pocket. It has the larger sensor commonly found in point and shoot cameras and includes both stabilization and an LCD monitor in the handle. It’s very easy to use and can literally fit in a pocket. You can pair with your smartphone for file transfer, editing and uploading with the available DJI app.
A Mirrorless Camera
Whether you use a DSLR or Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens camera for video, you still need stabilization. The DJI Ronin-SC is a compact unit and can handle most mirrorless cameras with aplomb offering up to 11 hours battery life. It is a one-handed unit and works without external battery packs. Unlike a lot of stabilizers, you do not lose visibility to the rear LCD screen. In this scenario, you are using all the power of your large sensor camera to capture amazing video and record it all internally. This is what makes the Ronin-SC so popular with serious vloggers.
Don’t Forget the Audio
When shooting video with audio, be sure to use an audio recording mode that gets good quality sound and low noise. Bad audio will detract from your best video. There are many articles on this subject here on the blog:
- The Best Microphone for Vlogging
- How to Capture Quality Sound
- Beginners: Introduction to Audio for Video
- Pro Tip: Recording Good Audio for Video
Conclusions
Regardless of what type of camera you use choose to use to capture footage, using these tech secrets and tools will improve your video and make your vlog stand out (which will definitely help in keeping your audience engaged!).
And, with Father’s Day just around the corner, if you haven’t gotten him anything as yet, these stabilizers would make a great gift idea for Dad, no matter his skill level! Stabilizers can be great tools for more than just video – they are also great for taking photos, as well!
If you have questions about this subject, please leave a comment below.
What’s Next
Want to learn more? Check out these related articles on Henry’s blog:
