Check out these 20 filmmaking gear items you can buy for under $20
Aug 17, 2021
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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For filmmaking and photography there are a lot of expensive pieces of kit out there that we either need to do our jobs or will make our lives easier and save us time in our workflow. But there are also a lot of very inexpensive items out there, too, which can make our quality of life much easier when shooting and working. There are also a bunch of cheap alternatives to expensive gear, too, if you get a little creative.
In this video, Caleb Pike at DSLR Video Shooter walks us through 20 of his favourite filmmaking accessories that each cost less than $20. It includes a variety of tools covering lighting, grip, power and various other aspects. Some of these are things that Caleb’s been using in his workflow for over a decade and still prove useful.
A lot of Caleb’s suggestions are things I have in my own gear bag, too. One thing that’s particularly handy are the USB camera battery chargers, that’ll let you top up from a standard power bank when you’re out filming in the middle of nowhere.
- Andoer RGB LED Light
- Andycine Monitor Friction Mount
- Camera Cube Bag
- Desk Light Stand
- Magic Friction arm
- SmallRig Nano Clamp
- Short Light Stand
- Mini Ball Head
- Projector LED Light
- Lens Cups
- Microphone Stand
- Light Ceiling/Wall Mounts
- Domke Wrap
- Rapid Baby Adapter
- Power Squid
- Lamp for Accent Lighting
- White Markers
- USB Battery Chargers
- Monoprice Ultra Slimi HDMI Cable
- Angled HDMI Cable
If I were to add anything to Caleb’s list, I’d suggest grabbing a big long roll of 3/4″ wide hook & loop tape. These are fantastic for keeping your cables organised and to stop them all tangling up with each other in your bags when out shooting on location. There’s nothing worse than coming home and having to untangle a couple of dozen cables from each other!
What items under $20 would you suggest that photographers or filmmakers add to their arsenal?
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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