As Cameras Editor, I shoot a good bit of social media content material for TechSwitch – primarily solo on-the-go vlogging as I check out new digital camera gear, capturing my first impressions for TechSwitch’s TikTok and YouTube.
For such duties, I desire a light-weight setup of the very best potential high quality, fuss-free, to make my solo shooter life as fuss-free as potential. I’ve fine-tuned my gear choice over a few years with a number of high merchandise which can be match for the duty.
I’m not saying my selections are the best picks for everyone, which is why I have included additional options in my best vlogging cameras, best wireless mics, best camera bags, and best camera phone guides – you will make sure you discover your dream vlogging gear in a kind of guides.
But which objects are my private necessities? Let’s check out every merchandise one after the other and why every merchandise has made a house in my bag, beginning with the bag itself!
What’s in my bag
- Ulanzi 9L bag sling bag
- Xiaomi 15 Ultra camera phone
- Godox Cube-C wireless mic kit
- SmallRig Mini LED Video Light 25W (x2)
- Neewer neck holder
- Mini selfie stick-cum-tripod
Ulanzi 9L Sling Bag
Small, lightweight, comfortable, rugged, protective, surprisingly spacious, and quick access to what’s inside, those are the attributes I look for in a bag for my content creation gear, and the Ulanzi 9L Camera Sling Bag ticks all of those boxes.
Slung over one shoulder and resting on my midriff, with a top zipper for the main compartment and a padded divider inside (which can be folded away inside the bag to create one single large compartment, I have quick access to all of the items listed above, right from where my hand can rest.
A full-size backpack, though it could fit a wide range of camera gear, is excessive for my needs, and most such bags are slow to access gear. No, I need the smallest possible bag with easy gear access, and Ulanzi’s does the trick!
See my Ulanzi 9L Camera Sling Bag with Tripod Holder B122 review for extra particulars.
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
You’d think my camera of choice would be a ‘proper’ one – a top vlogging camera like the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 (which I do certainly additionally use), or a video heavyweight mirrorless digital camera from the likes of Sony, Canon, or Panasonic. But alas, for vlogging content material, I often depend on a flagship smartphone, and all all through 2025, my go-to has been the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
I’m not going to separate hairs about whether or not and why it’s the best camera phone of all of them, nevertheless it’s definitely up there, particularly with its straightforward interface, Google connectivity (I take advantage of G Drive for collaborative tasks), a high-quality 1-inch sensor essential digital camera, and excellent telephoto cameras.
For extra particulars, learn my Xiaomi 15 Ultra feature the place I spent a month with it as my essential digital camera for images, and our in-depth 15 Ultra review.
Godox Cube-C wireless mic kit
After a top-quality camera phone, I need pro-quality audio (arguably even more important), and for that, I’m not going to rely on a camera’s internal mics, good as they can be. No, I’m going to connect to a portable wireless mic instead.
I’ll be clear from the off – there are numerous wireless mics available, and I’ve tested a bunch of them, including the powerful DJI Mic 3, tiny Mic Mini, and budget-friendly Boya Mini – try my best wireless mics information. But I’d prefer to put the highlight on the excellent Godox Cube-C equipment right now.
I’ve been utilizing the excellent Godox Cube-C equipment for a lot of months, and with out desirous to sound like an advert, it has by no means let me down. The identical can’t be stated for a number of different kits that I’ve come and gone in my life as a result of I couldn’t depend on them. And the perfect half? The Cube-C full equipment prices simply $103 at Amazon / £94 at Amazon.
The Godox Cube-C equipment includes two mics (transmitters), a cell receiver (plugged into the USB-C of my Xiaomi 15 Ultra), a receiver for cameras (which slots right into a hotshoe and connects to the 3.5mm mic jack), a charging case, wind muffs, and varied magnetic mounts to connect the mics to clothes in a selection of the way.
The mics are tiny and don’t tug on clothes, and the 24-bit output and noise discount render implausible audio high quality.
I’ve two points with the equipment – the mics appear notably delicate to rustling noise from clothes. If you come throughout this concern as I’ve, it is at the back of your thoughts to place the mics with specific care and restrict physique actions to keep away from it.
Also, I needed the important thing elements would slot in the charging case, which solely has area for the 2x mics and the digital camera receiver, not the cell receiver or wind muffs. Because it does not, I’ve wanted to hold all of it within the cumbersome case if I would like the gear protected correctly. I do not often need to carry the entire elements, although, so I’ve tended to go for a gentle case to retailer simply the bits I would like for any given shoot.
SmallRig Mini LED Video Light 25W
If I can, I tend to use natural light for vlogging, because using artificial light is one more thing to think about (and potentially carry for a shot). However, I’ll always pack a mini LED video light in my sling bag just in case I need it, especially for product b-roll.
My choice of lighting gear for solo vlogging is the lightweight SmallRig Mini LED Video Light 25W, which prices $59 at SmallRig or £59 at Amazon. I’ve two, and with dimensions of 4.4 x 2.9 x 1.1in / 112.5 x 74.0 x 29.2mm, I can simply match a kind of into my sling bag, each of them at a push.
I’ve been so impressed with SmallRig’s video lights – they’re highly effective, versatile, and reliable.
Battery life has proved to be longer than different lights I’ve used, with as much as 50 minutes at full energy, and USB-C quick charging on the go, which can be potential whereas the lights are in use. I can not inform you what number of instances different lights have let me down with poor battery life.
SmallRig’s full shade spectrum Mini LED Video Light 25Ws lights include a (magnetic) diffuser, and three settings: white/heat gentle (with a 2,500 to 10,000 kelvin vary and CRI 96 shade accuracy), RGB, or a spread of 14 completely different results, comparable to lightning and flame.
You navigate between the three settings utilizing a button, and circle by means of the choices in every one, shade temperature or energy output, utilizing a management wheel – it is all tremendous easy, which is what I would like when solo vlogging.
It’s potential to connect the lights to magnetic surfaces or to stands/selfie sticks utilizing the tripod thread on the underside. The solely cons to those lights are the comparatively sluggish start-up time and barely noisy followers (no matter output you could have the lights set to).
Alternative: Ulanzi LED20 RBG video light for $40 at Amazon / £48 at Amazon
Neewer neck mount
For those POV shots when I’m hands-on with the gear, I need both of my hands free, which means that I can’t be holding the camera. My solution, although it’s hardly the stylish look I want while filming, is a neck mount. Needs must!
I use the Neewer GP-16, which costs around $25 at Amazon / £25 at Amazon. Prices can range ± $10 / £10 at any time, however I obtained mine for £23 at Amazon UK earlier this yr.
The concept is that you just put on the versatile neck strap after which connect your digital camera to the mount – the Neewer GP-16 bundle I purchased consists of choices for mounting a cellphone magnetically, or a small motion digital camera by means of a common threaded mount.
Whether I’m hands-on with gear or just need my POV at any given second, this neck holder does the trick!
Insta360 2-in-1 Mini Tripod
For walking-and-talking clips, I need a selfie stick to maintain the proper distance between me and the camera to frame the shot correctly. Rather than a dedicated selfie stick, however, I find the Insta360 Mini 2-in-1 Mini Tripod is a versatile alternative, and it costs just $30 at Amazon / £27 at Insta360.
Firstly, the mini tripod can angle the cellphone, and secondly, it options built-in tripod legs, so I can set the digital camera on a handy floor for hands-free filming the place appropriate.
For use with the Osmo Pocket 3 or an motion digital camera, the mini tripod setup is simple. However, for a bulkier digital camera cellphone with out a tripod mount, I’ve wanted to select up an inexpensive cellphone clamp that screws into the mini tripod, any generic clamp with tripod mount sub $5 / £5 will do.
I’d like a barely bigger and sturdier model to be used with a cellphone, with an extended most peak and larger stability – the Insta360 Selfie Stick + Throwpod has caught my eye – but when I’m solely utilizing one assist, that is the one which slips inside my sling bag.
An various that I take advantage of sometimes, as a result of I can connect it to the tripod holder of my sling bag, is the mini tripod that options throughout the Heipi 3-in-1 travel tripod. The included head on this tripod has a hidden cellphone clamp, making it splendid for vlogging.
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