Here’s the gear I use for all the video work, as originally mentioned in Behind the scenes and why I got fired! That list constantly changes but I’ll keep this page updates as things get shuffled around. Most of these links are affiliate links to the international Amazon sites, so if you buy them through these links, I may receive a referral bonus at no cost to you.
Cameras, lenses, memory cards
Main camera
Sony A7S III with a Sigma 24-70mm F2.8. It’s overkill, but it’s soooo good!
Additional cameras
Panasonic GH5 <- current main “B” camera
Panasonic G7 / G70 <- permanently set up for recording The Meltzone Podcast. The newer G80 / G90 are great budget choices, too, but more expensive.
Blackmagic BMPCC4K <- “A” camera for livestreams
Additional lenses
Laowa 60mm F2.8 Macro <- impressive macro shots on the Sony
Panasonic 10-25mm F1.7 <- expensive, but so versatile
Panasonic 25mm F1.7 <- great budget choice!
Samyang/Rokinon 12mm F2.0
Lenses: Honorable mentions
These are lenses that I used to have and have since upgraded from, but was still very happy with. Some are still in use e.g. for recording The Meltzone Podcast!
“Always on” lens: Panasonic 12-35mm F2.8 II
Showfloor and travel lens: Panasonic 8-18mm F2.8-4
Panasonic 14-140mm F3.5
Samyang/Rokinon 16mm F2.0 (with Canon EF to Micro 4/3 adapter)
Panasonic 42.5mm F1.2 <- Best lens to make Micro 4/3 look like full-frame
Memory Cards
For the Sony A7S III: 128GB Sony E-Series (also works in the higher compression settings in the BMPCC4K)
For the Panasonic cameras: 128GB and 256GB Samsung EVO Plus (microSD + Adapter) <- Cheap and fast enough for 4K60 in the GH5 (unlike some more expensive cards). They are too slow for 4K60 on the A7SIII or BMPCC4K, though.
For the Blackmagic: Samsung T5 SSD (500GB)
Camera accessories/mounts
Smallrig cage for the A7S III
Main tripod head: Manfrotto MVH502A
Main tripod legs: Walimex FT-9901 (equiv CowboyStudio)
Slider: Openbuilds-Based (purchased from RatRig) with generic ballhead. Motorized using Arduino!
Quick release plates: 70mm Andoer arca-swiss compatible, I use them sideways for easier operation
Quick release clamps: Various Andoer/Mengs arca-swiss compatible clamps
Various Smallrig magic arms – you can get these cheaper, but the Smallrig ones are the most affordable ones I found that actually work reliably. And whey they do work, they are truly magical!
Gimbal: Zhiyun Weebill Lab (the Weebill S seems to have replaced it). I don’t use it that often, but it can come in handy.
Travel tripod: Three Legged Thing Punks Patti
Travel monopod: Manfrotto Xpro 5-section with a ballhead
DIY teleprompter using a Laptop screen and a controller like this one. I also made a video about the full build process of the exact setup I’m using!
Audio
Main microphone: Sennheiser MKE-600
Lavalier microphone, where needed: Rode Filmmaker kit
On-camera microphone: Rode VideoMicro
Showfloor microphone: Shure SM58-LC + Rode Newsshooter Kit (the standalone TX-XLR works with the same receivers as the Filmmaker Kit)
Podcast and voiceover microphone: Rode NT-USB
Editing headphones: Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro
Livestreaming gear
Capture
For livestreaming, I use most of the same equipment as listed above, but all the cameras get connected into Blackmagic capture cards. I use one Blackmagic Quad HDMI Recorder and two additional Blackmagic Intensity Pro 4k.
Software / accessories
Unless you’re just doing a simple videogame stream, something like the Streamdeck is absolutely indispensable! They also make an app for your phone (which, unlike the physical Streamdeck, requires a subscription)
I use OBS Studio and can highly recommend it! Also, you can expand its functionality with plugins and scripts to whatever level you desire.
Livestreaming rig
CPU: AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1900X (8C/16T) <- 4K livestreaming needs tons of bandwidth (PCIe lanes), which no other platform can provide
CPU cooler: Noctua NH-U12S
RAM: 64GB DDR4
GPU: Gainward Nvidia 1070Ti Phoenix
Mainboard: Asus Prime X399-A
OS: Genuine Windows 10 Pro
Lights
Lighting in the studio is takes care of with three Godox SL-60W + various Godox softboxes.
I also use a Falcon Eyes F7 and some older LED panels for additional lighting where needed.
Editing
Workstation
CPU: AMD Threadripper 3960X 24-core
RAM: 64GB Corsair Vengeance RGB
GPU: Nvidia RTX 3090
Mainboard: ASRock TRX40 Creator
SSD: WD Blue 2TB NVMe
Case: Be Quiet! Dark Base 900
Power supply: Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
OS: Genuine Windows 10 Pro
Screens: Two LG 4K 27″ 27UD69
Input
Programmable or editing-specific input devices are super important for efficient editing. I use:
Razer Tartarus v2 as a keyboard replacement for my left hand + jog control on the wheel
Madcatz R.A.T. 8+ with some commonly-used functions on the additional button and timeline zoom on the side scroll wheel
Microsoft Designer Compact Keyboard as a TKL keyboard for extra mouse space
Card reader: Transcend TS-RDF8K
Storage
Storage: Synology DS1817, filled with Toshiba 8TB drives and an SSD for cache