February 3, 2015

I've had a number of fellow DIY'ers ask about equipment I use to film the DIY Pete videos for my Youtube channel. So, I created my first “VLOG” to give you a behind the scenes look at what cameras, microphones, accessories, and video equipment I use.

Equipment

Here is an overall look at the lighting, cameras, and accessories. For the FREE PRINTABLE and DOWNLOADABLE list of DIY camera equipment recommendations enter your information in the form below and I'll send you a copy.

DIY PETE camera equipmentPhotos of Equipment

This is a Canon Vixia HFS 200 HD that I got a few years back. At the time this was about $900 but you can find a newer model with even more features for about the same price. The quality works well for my youtube videos and the auto focus is a must since I’m constantly moving around the shop and most times filming every thing myself. Having a flip screen so I can see what is being recording is helpful. A remote is a must as well.

VIDEO CAMERA

Canon Vixia HF G20 HD Camcorder – I use the HFS200 which is no longer produced. This link is the newer version I'd recommend.

Ravelli AVT Professional 67-inch Video Camera Tripod with Fluid Drag Head – Heavy duty tripod

DIY PETE Video CameraGO PRO VIDEO CAMERA/CAMERA

This is a GoPro Hero 4 silver which I got so I can get some neat shots while running the table saw, router, and so on. It can be mounted on just about anything and does take high quality video. The built in sound is pretty shotty so I bought an adaptor to allow me to hook up a shotgun mic or lavalier mic which dramatically improves the sound quality. I got the X-Grip handle so I could mount a light or mic on top.

GoPro HERO4 Silver – For action shots and close-ups of tools

Rode VideoMic Pro Compact VMP Shotgun Microphone

Opteka X-GRIP Professional Action Stabilizing Handle

GoPro and BacPac Frame Mount by CamKix

GoPro 3.5mm Mic Adapter

DIY-PETE-GOPROSETUPDSLR CAMERA

Here is the DSLR camera I use for taking most of the photos used on the tutorial pages. This is a Nikon D5000 that I got in a kit from Cosco a few years back. The photos it takes are great and I’ve never had any problems with it. I always use the 18-55mm lens.  I am looking at upgrading at some point to a camera with a side flip screen. I’d also like to have a built in mic input and capability to record 1080 video. I’ll either be upgrading to a newer Nikon or a DSLR Canon T5i. I would recommend a newer and upgraded model number which is the D5300.

Nikon D5300 24.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera – I use the D5000 but recommend this newer and improved version.

NEEWER® 160 LED CN-160 Dimmable Ultra High Power Panel Digital Camera

Dolica GX650B204 Proline GX Series 65 inch Aluminum Tripod and Ball Head Combo

Nikon D5000WIRELESS LAVALIER MICROPHONE

One of the best investments I’ve made for the videos has been in getting a good lavalier microphone. I ended up getting a Sennheiser wireless setup after doing a lot of research and asking professional videographers. This mic setup works great and gives me the flexibility to move around the shop without wires running everywhere.

Sennheiser EW100/112 Lavalier Wireless Microphone Kit – A must have!

sennheiser-mic-reviewMIC FLAG FOR BRANDING

The camera sits on top of a heavy duty Ravelli Tripod and then I have a cool “mic flag” with the DIYPETE decal on it. White Microphone Interview Square Cube Logo Flag

DIY-PETE-Mic-FLAGLIGHTING

Lighting is very important when filming my projects. I have pretty good windows and lighting to help out during the day. If I film in the evening I use softboxes and some LED lights. The soft boxes help light up the work area and the LED’s are great to shine on closeups. They can mount on a tripod or camera shoe. The soft box kit is a cheap one off amazon but it does the job and has worked well for me.

NEEWER® 160 LED CN-160 Dimmable Ultra High Power Panel Digital Camera

LED LIGHT KITLighting – Soft Boxes

LimoStudio Photo Video 2400 Watt 3 x Softbox Continuous Light Kit

diy-pete-light-setGEAR BAG

Ape Case Pro Digital SLR and Video Camera Luggage Case

Ape-Case-1600-ReviewEDITING EQUIPMENT

I do the majority of the editing on my own because I like to be able to put the clips together and use my voice for the overlays. I start by importing all the footage from my camera to the computer using SD cards. All of the editing is done on my 15” Macbook Pro using Final Cut X editing software. I previously used a MacPro for all of the editing but wanted to have the ability to be more mobile. So, I invested in the latest Macbook Pro laptop and decked it out with the fastest processor, best video card, and 16 gb of ram. It was well worth the investment because now I can edit video from anywhere and don’t have to be tied down to the office. Final Cut Pro X is a super powerful editing program, but it’s still really easy to use. I like to say it’s like iMovie on steroids. I use the Audio-technica ATR2100-USB microphone for all of the voice overlays and for the DIYPete podcast. It doesn’t require a mixer and it does have top quality sound. It’s about $60 on Amazon and is a microphone a lot of the top Podcasters use. I have a mic flag on this as well because I think they things look “legit” 🙂

Macbook Pro 15 Inch Laptop Computer

Final Cut Pro X

Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB Microphone

Audio-Technica Foam Mic Windscreen

Broadcasting Studio Microphone Arm Stand with Shock Mount

2015-macbook-pro-for-video-editingTHE STUDIO

Bose SoundTrue Headphones Around-Ear Style DIY-PETE-IN-RECORDING-STUDIOAlright, it was fun to show you the setup and a little behind the scenes of what I use to create the videos. I started out small and have continued to upgrade over time because I want the videos to improve. I’m an amature videographer so by no means a professional. But, I’d love to hear about your project filming setup, any ideas or advice you may have, or what questions you might have for me about filming. For a FREE Printable list of the Camera Equipment Recommendations please fill out the form toward the top of this post.
And if you need advice from a professional videographer I'd highly recommend checking out Caleb Wojcik's DIYVIDEOGUY website and youtube channel. I've learned a lot from him.

Best of luck to you guys and gals on all your upcoming DIY projects. Cheers from Bozeman, Montana!

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