Key Accessories You Need When Shooting Video on a DSLR

Shooting videos with DSLRs is less complicated than you’d think. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t always need to have video cameras to film stellar shots. You do, however, need to have the right videography and lighting accessories.

Here are some crucial tools and accessories you need when you’re shooting a video on a DSLR.

LED Lighting Equipment

When you’re shooting a video on your DSLR, you need controlled lighting. You need a more reliable light source for high video quality—as tempting as it may be to resort to natural lighting for video shoots. That’s where LED video light comes into the picture.

The LED lighting equipment that you invest in largely depends on your recording needs. For instance, if you don’t have the budget for an entire LED lighting kit, the PIXAPRO Hot-Shoe Mountable LED Video Light LED panel is a great way to get started.

In most cases, you can mount this onto your DSLR camera and carry it easily to your shoot locations. This makes it the perfect lighting equipment for shooting green screen videos, events, advertisements, and documentaries.

2x LED308D Hot-Shoe Mountable LED Video Light, GODOX ES45 E-Sports And Live Streaming Bi-Colour LED Light and E-Commerce 360° ORBIT Turntable Product Photography GLOWPAD Daylight Kit

For a more dramatic lighting source, we recommend the GODOX ES45 Bi-Colour LED Light. This allows for temperature adjustment, colour rendition, and diffused lighting, making it the perfect item for live streaming events.

Then there’s the PIXAPRO E-Commerce 360° Product Photography GLOWPAD Daylight Kit. If you’re shooting an advertisement featuring products, we highly recommend using the LED panels in this kit. They’ll help you balance and diffuse lighting while providing a smooth background for your shoot. You can use the lighting source for both filling light and main light. 

High intensity LED (known as COB) has made our life much easier in video shooting to achieve  same quality as the TV broadcasting or Hollywood movie, with much wider power range from 60W to 500W. Some of the high power model has wide range of built-in lighting-effect pre-sets, enabling to enhance the mood, and the narrative of your video production. These lighting effects include Paparazzi, Fireworks, Lightning and TV and more. 

Another advantage is that many more light modifiers are available to use with them to create any lighting effect such as Softboxes, Fresnel lens, optical snoots and more! 

Modifiers

Just because you’re using a DSLR doesn’t mean you won’t need to control the video lighting. In order to diffuse the lighting as per your requirements and preferences, you need to use a light modifier.

The PIXAPRO 105cm (25.5”) 16-rod Easy-Open Rice Bowl Softbox is one of the most popular options for this. It can easily be placed in front of your light source, allowing you to soften the lighting. Moreover, Softbox also lets you work with more natural-looking lighting during your video shoot.

Mini Universal Fitting Modifier Bundle, Lighting Modifier Reflector Bundle and 105cm (41") 16-Sided Easy-Open Rice-Bowl Softbox With Silver Interior

Likewise, the PiXAPRO Mini Universal Fitting Modifier Bundle comes with a 50x70 cm softbox and a spill reflector that can be used alongside different lighting units. You can use the modifier bundle for spreading the light intensity and maintaining its softness.

Reflectors

A reflector is an ideal and affordable way to control the lighting in your video when you’re shooting from a DSLR. It’s typically available in varying-coloured surfaces such as white, black, silver, and gold and is used to diffuse the lighting.

The 5-in-1 Collapsible Reflector (100x150cm) 39.3"x59.0" by PIXAPRO is a great option for your kit. It’s easy to carry to different locations, making it suitable for events and outdoor video shoots.

To complete your collapsible reflector kit, we recommend buying the Reflector Arm & Stand Kit as well. This will help you mount the reflector easily and keep it steady throughout your shoot.

100x150cm (39.3"X59.0") 5in1 Reflector With Grip Handles

Light Stand

You’re also going to need supporting items for your lighting equipment. After all, you need your lights to stay securely in place throughout the shoot. This means that you need to invest in some high-quality light stands.

The PiXAPRO 190cm Light Stand is your go-to light stand. It’s easily adjustable and can be set according to your preferences. The stand includes a standard 5/8” spigot to make further your work easier. You can mount various kinds of light fixtures onto your light stand, including, but not limited to, LED panels, strobes, speedlites, flashes, and modifiers. Since this light stand is extremely lightweight, you can also carry it with you easily.

The PiXAPRO Heavy-Duty tube stand  is another great option. It comprises a durable and robust stainless steel. This makes it ideal for large-scale shoots where you’ll need more lighting equipment. This stand also includes a rotating caster.

Portable Lightweight 190cm Photography Studio Light Stand and 228cm Moveable Steel Tube Stand Roller Stand

Light Tents

Let’s not write off light tents while you’re at it. Although you won’t necessarily need a light tent for your average DSLR video shoot, there’s no harm in being prepared. Light tents are used to diffuse light and get rid of possible hotspots during a shoot.

We recommend the PiXAPRO 70cm Cube Light Tent for this purpose. Available in small and medium sizes, it’s great for softening the shadows and reducing glare. The Nylon fabric used in the tent’s structure is especially useful for filming reflective objects. Moreover, this tent is collapsible and can be transported to different locations fairly easily. This is great for stop-motion video production or small product video.

70cm Foldable LED Light Tent Cube Tent For Product Photography

Video Tripod

Finally, make sure you get a tripod when you’re using a DSLR for filming and video making. This will help you get a consistent frame throughout your shoot.

The Karoo Travel Tripod Kit 103 is a suitable product for this purpose. It’s lightweight, provides excellent stability and support to your camera, and comes with rubber-padded feet that allow for height adjustments and steady shots.

Karoo Compact Tripod Kit (KENTR103)

At EssentialPhoto, we provide a vast range of lighting tools, equipment, and video accessories needed for filmmaking. Browse through our collection of tailored lighting kits, studio fixtures, and other products today!