- Are you looking for the best
smartphone accessories for video?
Well, whether you're on iPhone or Android
we're gonna take a look at
my favorite microphones, tripods, mounts, lights
and other cheap accessories
to help you shoot high quality videos.
As well as my current smartphone video rig.
Hey, it's Justin Brown here from Primal Video
where we help you amplify your business
and brand with video.
If you're new here,
make sure you click that subscribe button
and all the links to everything we mention in this video
you can find linked in the description box below.
So let's jump into it.
Now, smartphones are awesome tools for shooting video.
Not only are they super portable,
but they're also incredibly simple to use
and they're capable of awesome results
and pretty much everyone these days has one.
So, in this video we're gonna take a look
at the best accessories, right now,
to easily level up the quality of your videos
when you're shooting with your iPhone
or Android smartphone.
And make sure you stick around 'til the end
because I'll also share with you a simple checklist
that I use to boost results
with smartphone videos even further,
and, yes, this stuff works
whether you're using all of the extra gear or not.
Okay, so jumping straight into the gear,
first off I wanted to add in this category really quickly
because this is a question that I get asked all the time,
what is your current phone?
Which one are you using to create videos on?
My current go-to is the Samsung Galaxy S10+.
I think the cameras in it are amazing,
but obviously, so are most of the cameras
in most phones these days.
I just happen to like the S10+.
Okay, so now that that's out of the way
let's jump into the audio gear.
Now, there is a heap of different microphones out there
and some are more suited for specific types of videos
or shooting environments than others.
So I'm gonna give you a bit of a rundown
on the different types of microphones
and our top picks for each.
So when it comes to microphones for your smartphones
you've really got four main options.
The first one is the built-in microphone on your phone
and if that's all you've got
still use that, still create videos.
But obviously any one of these next options
is going to give you better sounding audio
and better results.
Next you've got a wired lapel or lavalier microphone
and these are the ones that are on a fairly long cable,
but they're the ones that'll clip up onto your shirt,
or your jacket, or your tie,
so that the microphone is nice and close
to the presenter's mouth.
These are gonna give you nice clear audio.
Because that microphone is so close
it's gonna pick up a lot less background noise
but you are gonna be physically connected
or plugged in to your phone
while you're using these types of microphones.
The next one is a shotgun microphone.
These are gonna pick up the audio in a direction
that the microphone is facing
and pick up a lot less of the audio around.
These are great if you don't wanna be physically connected
to your phone with a cable,
like you are with a lavalier microphone.
So these are awesome if you're gonna be on the move
and quickly changing locations
where you don't want to be tripping over cables
and that sort of stuff.
These are also great if you're going to have
multiple people in your shot
because you're able to capture the audio
from multiple people form the one microphone.
The downside with these, though,
is that you do need to be relatively close to them.
The further away you are from the microphone
the more background noise, the more echo
and environmental noise you'll pick up where you're filming.
And the next one then is a wireless microphone
and this is kind of a hybrid of the two.
You get the benefit of being able to position the microphone
close to your mouth, on your shirt, or jacket, or tie
but, because it's wireless,
you don't need to be physically connected to your phone
or to your camera.
So you've got the flexibility
to be able to quickly and easily move around
while you're getting that awesome audio.
So that's a quick overview of the different types
of microphones out there
but as for our recommendations
for a wired lapel or lavalier microphone
it, hands down, goes to the Boya BY-M1.
This thing packs an absolute punch
at around the $20 price point, so it's crazy cheap
and it is, hands down, the best bang for buck
microphone out there.
At the $20 price point, this thing is insane.
And it's actually what we've used to film
the bulk of the videos on our YouTube channel.
This thing'll work on both smartphones and on cameras
like DSLR or mirrorless cameras as well.
It's also go a crazy long cable, like six meters
or around 20 foot long
so you do have that flexibilty
to step further away from your phone,
but if you're thinking that's too long,
it's no issue to roll up the cable
and put it in your pocket while you're recording.
As for shotgun microphones,
our top recommended microphone is the Rode VideoMicro.
You can currently pick these up for around $59
and these things are awesome.
So what I love about this one,
besides that it is so crazy small,
it actually does an amazing job as a portable microphone.
Now, obviously if you're gonna use this one
with a smartphone, you will need to use
some of the accessories that we're gonna cover
a little bit later on
to be able to mount them next to your phone
or near your phone,
but does have that standard camera hot shoe
or cold shoe mount,
so there are some great mounting options.
So, as for wireless microphones,
my top go-to recommendation, right now,
is the Rode Wireless Go.
You can even pick these things up for under $200.
And again, these things pack an amazing punch.
It's actually the microphone
that you're listening to right now.
This is now what we're using for our videos
on our YouTube channel.
This thing, in comparison to most wireless microphones,
it's crazy small,
and the battery life on it is insane.
Now, we've done a full review on this one recently
and I'll link it below in the description as well.
Likewise with everything else that I'm mentioning
in this video, where we have related videos
talking deeper on these things,
I'll link to those in the description as well.
Now, the Rode Wireless Go kit itself does actually come
with a built in microphone in the transmitter unit.
But what I would recommend is
that you actually use a lavalier microphone
that you plug into this
so that you're treating it more
like a regular wireless microphone.
So the microphone that I'm using
with this Wireless Go kit right now
is the Rode Lavalier Go microphone,
which is an additional $79,
but even if you're adding up the two,
$279, this is the best wireless microphone kit
you're going to find anywhere
for around that price point.
Now when we're looking at audio and microphones
specifically for use with smartphones,
you do need to be aware that there's
a couple of different connectors
and you need to make sure that you're using the right one
to be able to get your microphone
to work in your smartphone.
Obviously, if your phone doesn't have that headphone jack
microphone plug, you're going to need to use the adapter.
Whether it's the Lightning to headphone jack adapter
that maybe came with your iPhone
or maybe you have to purchase it separately
or whether it's a USB-C to headphone jack plug
you will need that headphone jack plug
to be able to plug these in to use them.
But you will also need, in most cases,
a TRS to TRRS adapter.
Now, Rode sell one as well.
It's called the SC7.
Again, we'll link it down below.
These things sell for around $14
and you will need one of these small cables
if you're going to use the Rode VideoMicro,
the shotgun microphone, or the Rode Wireless Go.
Neither one of those two comes
with that adapter cable in the box.
Alright, so that's audio done,
now let's take a look at lighting.
Now, my number one portable light right now
for filming with a smartphone
is the Lume Cube Air.
And you can currently pick these up for around $70.
Now, these these are so awesome.
These'll go crazy bright if you need them to,
if you wanna use it more of a torch
or to light up an entire scene,
but if you just wanna light up
a piece to camera video like this
and you want a light to light you up,
then it's perfect for that as well.
It does come with a built in diffuser
to soften the light down.
So it actually does a really good job
as a primary camera for lighting up your subject as well.
Mounting options with this are great.
It's got a magnet on the back
so that you can just stick it anywhere,
but it's also got the standard tripod thread on the bottom
again, so you can mount it next to or near your phone
with some of the accessories
that we're going to cover really soon.
So, that's the Lume Cube Air
and that's my number one pick right now.
But close second, which is a little bit cheaper,
is the Apature Amaran AL-M9.
This one is a little bit bigger, it's a little bit thinner,
it's probably around the same sort of weight,
but this one, instead, comes in
at around the $40 price point.
Now, it's probably cheaper at the moment
because it has got a newer version out,
but I'm not talking about the new one.
The older version, the AL-M9 is my pick over the newer one.
It's smaller, it's lighter,
it's go that cold shoe mount on the bottom
and it's also got the tripod thread
so there's great mounting options with this one as well.
All right, now we're gonna take a look at stabilization.
So this is all the stuff you can use
to keep your phone stable
and not having shakey, "Blair Witch" style footage
that you're shooting with your smartphone.
Now, once again, there's a lot of
different options out there
and it's gonna come down to your shooting style
and the videos you're creating as for
which ones are gonna be the best ones for you.
The first one I'm a big fan of
is the Arkon tripod and the Arkon phone mount.
So, in the bundle that you buy for around $20
you get both the tripod and the phone mount.
And this is one of the best phone mounts that I've used
and is one that I recommend
pretty much no matter which tripod you're going to be using.
And you can buy that phone mount separately for $11.
So what I like about the tripod itself
is that it's small, is that it's light.
It's got those flexible legs,
so if you are going to position it somewhere
like uneven ground or uneven surface
you can bend the legs to adjust
so that it's gonna keep your phone stable.
The top section is adjustable
so it makes it really easy to make sure
that your phone is level.
And when it's coupled with the Arkon phone mount
then it's really easy to switch your phone
between portrait and landscape
as that supports rotation and tilting.
So this is kind of the perfect size and weight tripod
for something that you could leave in your backpack
and carry around with you everywhere.
Next up is another one that I'm really pumped on
and is quickly becoming my go-to portable tripod
and that is the SwitchPod.
So you can pick these up currently for $99
so yeah, it's a little bit more than the Arkon tripod,
but it's also so much more
and it's also aimed at probably
a different type of user as well.
This thing is amazing for vlogging,
whether you're going to be using your smartphone,
a GoPro, or even a much bigger camera as well.
It's made of really high-quality materials
and it is so comfortable to hold in your hand.
So you're able to quickly and easily,
with one hand, switch between vlogging mode
or walking around with it,
to flicking the legs out
and sitting it down on a flat surface
one handed, which is just insane.
Now, this tripod is really changing the game
when it comes to creating video content on the move.
And it's really started to take over the space
with Joby and those bendy tripods.
So now for the larger, more traditional style tripods
that are still small and light and easy to travel with,
my go-to are the Slik brand of tripods.
There's a heap of them to choose from.
My current one is the Slik Video Sprint II,
which they no longer sell
but the newer model 504QF II is pretty much exactly the same
but a little bit better.
You can currently pick these up for $117,
and this is gonna work for you
if you've got a DSLR or mirrorless camera as well.
This is one of my go-to travel tripods
because of how small, and compact, and light this tripod is
yet it extends to full standing height.
And this is the exact tripod that I'm using
on my desk right now, and that I use for all of our
YouTube videos in the studio here.
So this is what I grab when I need
something that goes up higher
than one of those little desktop tripods
like the Arkon or something more portable
like the SwitchPod, then this is my go-to.
Now, while we're on the subject of stabilization,
one of the best ways that you can stabilize your phone
while you are walking around,
if you're gonna be creating videos on the go
is to use a gimbal or a gyrostabilizer.
These things are absolutely amazing
and they're only getting better.
You can literally run around with them
and it just takes all the shake out of them
and it actually, in some cases, look like these
are drone shots they're that stable.
Now, we've tried and tested so many of these,
but the one I personally keep coming back to,
my favorite, is the Zhiyun or the Zhiyun Smooth 4.
I really like how easy it is to use
but also that it's got full manual controls
over there as well, so you can easily
and quickly dial in the settings
to get the shot that you want really, really quickly.
Now, while I'm a big fan of these stabilizers
what I'm actually finding is,
recently I just haven't been using them
anywhere near as much.
And that's because the cameras
that are coming out in the latest smartphones
have really decent stabilization built-in.
It's not the same
but it's almost as good.
So, depending on which phone you have,
you may already have amazing stabilization built in,
especially if it's one of the latest ones.
Now, one more thing I wanna cover off in this category
is a hot shoe extension bar.
These things are awesome, and they cost between $8 and $15
so they're pretty cheap for that they are
but they're gonna give you so much flexibility
when you wanna mount things like lights
or microphones next to your smartphone.
So, the one that I personally use all the time
is from a company called Estone.
There's lots of generic versions of this out there as well
but you can easily mount this extension bar
onto the top of your tripod.
You can then mount your phone holder,
like the Arkon phone mount, to one side
and then on the other side
you can mount your light or your microphone.
So if you're serious about setting up
a portable smartphone filming kit
then this is definitely a must for your setup.
All right, next up is lenses.
Now, this is another one
where it's gonna be personal preference
and looking at the types of videos you are creating.
And also which phone you are using
because some of the newer phones
actually have different cameras
with different lenses on them
so you may not even need one
depending on what you're looking to do.
The perfect example of that
is a lot of smartphones these days
are starting to add in a wide angle lens
or an ultra wide angle lens
built into the phones themselves
which is gonna give you a much greater field of view.
It fits so much more into your shot.
It's gonna look great if you're out filming scenery
or scenic shots,
or if you're doing something like real estate
where you wanna really show off
and fit the whole room inside of your shot
then that's where a wide angle lens
is going to be beneficial.
So if you don't already have one built into your phone,
my top recommended one should work on most phones out there
and it's called the Aukey Ora
and it sells for around the $20 price point.
What I love about this one is that it works on most phones
because it just clips on
and you don't need to have a specific case
to use the lenses.
A lot of lens manufacturers for smartphones
will make you put their phone case on
to be able to use the lenses.
I'm not a big fan of that.
I'd rather have my own case
and just be able to clip on the different lenses.
So that's the wide angle lens.
Now, the other thing that I use quite often
is a polarize filter for my phone.
What this does is, essentially,
it's the same as putting on polarized sunglasses.
It's going to cut out a lot of the glare from your shot,
so if you're filming down at the beach
and you've got the reflection coming off the water,
a polarize filter is going to let you take that out,
or in bright conditions, like in the snow
where you might want more control over the brightness
and the overall look and feel of your shot.
Now the ones that I currently use
are from a company called SANDMARC.
We do have a video linked below
where you can see these in action
and see what they're good for
but you can currently pick it up for around $70.
And again this is something
that you can just clip onto your phone.
You don't need to worry about a case.
Now, this next one I was trying to decide
if I should include it or not,
but I'm gonna throw it in here as an honorable mention.
And that is an anamorphic lens for your smartphone.
So an anamorphic lens is really going to give you
that cinematic look, that film look.
It's going to give you great lens flares
that you're used to seeing in movies
like "Transformers", and top Hollywood-style movies.
So this is a really fun lens to use and to shoot with,
but it's also not too practical
because of the different size
of the videos it's going to create,
and also that it forces you to really be using apps
like FiLMic Pro, or the Moment camera app
to really be able to best use these lenses.
So while it's fun to shoot with,
you've really gonna be after that look
and that workflow for the videos that you are creating.
So if you're interested in an anamorphic lens
they're not too cheap.
The SANDMARC one, which is my go-to recommendation
is around $160.
Now, I've also heard great things
about the Moment brand anamorphic lens.
I just haven't got my hands on one yet to test,
so my go-to recommendation is the SANDMARC one.
The next category is apps and software.
So obviously some apps and software
is gonna help you create videos with your smartphone.
The first piece of software is called Reflector.
You can buy this for $14.99
and what this is going to let you do
is to mirror your phone screen
over onto a computer nearby, maybe a laptop,
or a computer in the room that you're gonna be filming in,
you'll be able to see what's on your phone screen
on your computer screen.
Now this works for both Mac and PC
and for iPhone and for Android as well
so you've really got your bases covered.
But this is an amazing program that gives you peace of mind
while you're filming, knowing that you actually are filming,
knowing that everything is in focus,
and that everything is looking the way that you want it to
because you can see what you're recording at that time.
The next app is called FiLMiC Pro
and it's for both iOS and Android again,
and it's also at that $14.99 price point.
Now this app is totally amazing
and it is going to let you unlock the full potential
of your smartphone camera.
It's going to let you record at higher bit rates,
or higher quality recordings,
and also change up all the frame rates
and lock everything down
with a lot of the settings that you would normally find
in a more professional camera
like a DSLR or a mirrorless camera.
All of those settings you can now access
for your smartphone as well.
Now, if you want more information
on mirroring your phone screen or on FiLMiC Pro
there's videos that we've linked in the description as well.
So the last one then is a little bit of a bonus one
and this is gaffer tape.
This is something that you should
have in your backpack, in your bag
to carry with you everywhere.
Especially if you're gonna be doing any filming on the go.
For me personally, I use it to hide my microphone.
That's exactly how I've got my microphone
giving me a chest wax under my shirt here right now.
But not just for that.
There's been so many times where I'm filming
where I've just needed to tape something down,
or hold something in place,
so this is strongly something that I would recommend
that you carry with you.
Now, again, if you wanna know
how I hide the microphone under my shirt like this,
how I fold the tape so that it sticks perfectly
without any rustling or shirt noise
and how it takes out your wind noise as well
if you're filming outside,
I'll link that video below as well.
So, really, in this video, in the description
there's gonna be a massive resource of all the gear
that we recommend, and also linking
to all of the videos that we've done related
to all of those things,
so this can be your go-to resource
for creating videos with your smartphone,
and how you can dive deeper on
all of those products and tools as well.
Now, if you are interested on getting
the best results out of your smartphone videos
whether you're on iPhone or Android
then check out the link that I have on-screen
with a free PDF download
taking you through the ultimate process
for creating high quality videos
with your smartphone, step-by-step,
so that you don't miss anything,
but also so that you're setting everything up
for best results.
So you can grab that with the link onscreen
and I'll see you in the next one.