Are you a creator with money to spare and looking to purchase equipment that will last you more than a year? You don’t need to purchase low-budget equipment if you have sufficient finances to invest money into your content creation.
However, we know how difficult it is to find the right equipment. It sucks having to watch product reviews on YouTube and read countless articles before buying.
Don’t worry, though; we will help you find the right equipment for the four pillars of content creation, which includes:
- Scripted Content
- Vlogging
With Black Friday coming up next week, let’s break down the best equipment to purchase for anyone willing to spend 1,750 dollars MAX.
Hell… You could probably get some of the equipment we’re about to list at a lower price on Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
Remember This Before Purchasing Equipment
Expensive camera gear will not make your videos better than the creator using a low-budget setup.
You could purchase gear for 4,000 dollars + and get worse results than the creator who spent 200 dollars.
We’ve seen content creators only use their iPhone for recording and grow their channel to half a million subscribers with loyal audiences.
Are we saying that you should altogether avoid using expensive equipment and buy low-budget setups? Absolutely not.
As your channel grows, you need to innovate to make progress consistently.
Innovating could include:
- Spending more money on camera gear to improve the quality of your videos.
- Changing up the style of content.
- Moving to different locations.
“If you’re not growing, you’re dying.”
Tony Robbins
Your YouTube channel is like a car. When you initially purchase the vehicle, it has the new car smell and a fantastic feeling while you drive it. However, you get used to the car with time and eventually want to try something else out.
This happens to YouTube channels when the content creator refuses to change up the content over some time. As a result, viewers will get bored and eventually move on to something more interesting (AKA purchasing a newer car.)
Even Marques Brownlee, the most successful tech YouTuber who continues to purchase the newest and best equipment, understands that new equipment will not make a massive difference.
He told Peter McKinnon that there is no point in creating high-quality content. If he wanted to, he could shoot everything with a DSLR, and his videos would have the same effect as the videos with the most expensive equipment.
Marques told Peter that he uses the most impressive camera gear to attract the 1% audience that cares about his quality.
Long story short, expensive equipment will not cause your channel to blow up. However, we recommend investing in more excellent gear if you have the budget or upgrading your quality, so your channel doesn’t go stale.
The Equipment You Need
If you’re creating on YouTube, you will typically need seven pieces of equipment to get your channel rolling on a mid-size budget.
- Microphone
- Camera
- Software
- Cables
- Lighting
- SD Card
- Other Accessories
Now… Let’s start figuring out the equipment you need!
Mid Budget Equipment List
$899.00
Best For (Scripted Content, Streaming, Vlogging)
This is one of the most widely used and relied upon cameras on the market, with YouTubers ranging from Joe Rogan to the FreshandFit podcast using it. You can put pretty much any lens you want on it and expect to get the best quality videos and images.
$17.99
Best For (Scripted Content, Vlogging)
It doesn’t matter how much SD space you get for performance. Still, we think 64 GB is more than enough for most beginner to intermediate YouTubers on a mid-size budget.
3. Portable Digital Audio Recorder with Lavalier Microphone
$169.00
Best For (Scripted Content, Vlogging)
This microphone is super tiny, portable, and has excellent sound quality for a relatively low price. All you have to do is hide it inside your shirt and start recording!
$99.99
Best For (Scripted Content, Streaming)
This is hands down one of the best tripods on the market, especially for its price. You use this tripod for pretty much any camera you can think of. We’ve seen a videographer attach a $20,000 camera on it one time!
$249.00
Best For (Scripted Content, Streaming)
If you’re going to record scripted content or live stream, you need a lens that will not distort you. 20mm is the perfect amount for any YouTube content creator to work with.
6. MOUNTDOG Softbox Lighting Kit
$52.99
Best For (Scripted Content, Streaming)
We recommend this softbox from beginners to intermediate creators because of its reliability, portability, ease of use, and great lighting.
7. Neewer Video Light and Stand Lighting Kit
$171.99
Best For (Scripted Content, Streaming)
Use one light and place it to the side of your body, and most importantly, place the second light behind your head. Combine these two lights with the Mountdog if you choose to purchase it.
8. Shure MV7 USB Podcast Microphone
$219.99
Best For (Streaming, Scripted Content)
This is the next best microphone following the Blue Yeti. Make sure to purchase a stand or boom arm if you choose to buy the Shure MV7.
$39.00 Per Month
Best For (Streaming)
Streamyard is a relatively new platform, but it’s gaining massive popularity from the YouTube space. Why? Because it’s super easy to use, and so many content creators rely on it.
$117.90
Best For (Streaming)
You absolutely need a cam link if you purchase a camera and plan to stream. Make sure to buy an HDMI cable that connects from your camera to the computer.
11. 25ft HDMI to Mini HDMI Cable
$19.99
Best For (Streaming)
This HDMI cable will connect your camera to a cam link. You will use the HDMI port to display video footage on whatever streaming platform you plan to use.
$249.00
Best For (Vlogging)
This microphone is excellent for vlogging. Audio quality is super important, especially in outdoor situations. If your microphone sucks, and let's say a train passes by, you’re kinda fucked.
13. Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 Wide Angle Lens
$329.89
Best For (Vlogging)
Vlogging requires a wider lens to capture the full background without your face and background getting cut off.
$45.16
Best For (Vlogging)
A small tripod is another must-have item, especially for vlogging. You don’t want to be carrying your camera around a city and having it drop out of your hand because you didn’t have a handheld tripod.
$99.00
Best For (Vlogging)
If you really don’t want to purchase a camera for vlogging, at least purchase a Gimbal stabilizer for your iPhone.
16. Rode Wireless Go
$191.00
Best For (Vlogging)
This is a hot microphone on the market right now. It's super portable, has excellent sound quality, and, most importantly, inexpensive.
Conclusion
Here’s a list of items you can purchase for each content creation style and the total price for each:
Scripted Content
Sony Alpha a6400 Mirrorless Camera - $899.00
SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO - $17.99
Portable Digital Audio Recorder with Lavalier Microphone - $169.00
GEEKOTO Tripod - $99.99
Tamron 20mm Lens for Sony - $249.00
Neewer Video Light and Stand Lighting Kit - $171.99
MOUNTDOG Softbox Lighting Kit - $52.99
Total Price: $1,659.96
Streaming
Sony Alpha a6400 Mirrorless Camera - $899.00
Shure MV7 USB Podcast Microphone - $219.99
Streamyard Professional - $39.00 Per Month
GEEKOTO Tripod - $99.99
Elgato Cam Link 4K - $117.90
MD5 Desktop Microphone Stand - $21.90
25ft HDMI to Mini HDMI Cable - $19.99
Tamron 20mm Lens for Sony - $249.00
MOUNTDOG Softbox Lighting Kit - $52.99
Total Price: $1,719.76
Vlogging
Sony Alpha a6400 Mirrorless Camera - $899.00
SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO - $17.99
Rode Shotgun Microphone - $249.00
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 Wide Angle Lens - $329.89
Joby Handheld Tripod - $45.16
or...
3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizer - $99.00
Rode Wireless Go - $191.00
Total Price: $1,541.04 or $290.00
Shorts
Phone - $0.00
Rode Wireless Go - $191.00
Total Price: $191.00
Now… if you want to learn how to utilize all of this equipment to get to the ultimate goal…
100,000 subscribers.
Don't worry; we will help you reach 100,000 within 12 months with all the equipment you purchased.
It's not as difficult as you think it is. It just requires persistence, patience, and the willingness to take our hand every time we help you.
So click that red button down below, and we'll start guiding you along the way to your success on YouTube.
