Apple MacBook Pro 16" i9 16GB
The main product that powers my entire channel and editing career is my MacBook Pro. I use this for everything, browsing, emails, video editing, photo editing and also gaming whenever I have time. It can run anything that I throw at it which is primarily the reason why I use it.
I also have Bootcamp running Windows 10 which allows me to use more applications and also Windows only games such as Grand Theft Auto V and FIFA 21. The reason why I prefer the MacBook to any other Windows laptop is because it is a lot more smoother and optimised meaning everything would be faster and my videos and files export and move quicker. This is supported by the external AMD RADEON graphics card and Intel Core i9 CPU that comes built-in with the laptop.
I also have Bootcamp running Windows 10 which allows me to use more applications and also Windows only games such as Grand Theft Auto V and FIFA 21. The reason why I prefer the MacBook to any other Windows laptop is because it is a lot more smoother and optimised meaning everything would be faster and my videos and files export and move quicker. This is supported by the external AMD RADEON graphics card and Intel Core i9 CPU that comes built-in with the laptop.
CANON EOS 1300D + 18-55 STM LENS
The camera that I like to film on is my Canon EOS 1300D. I bought this camera back in 2018 for my GCSE Photography course but it also worked just as well for the video aspect of my channel and has done me well over the past 3 years. I've paired it with an 18-55mm STM lens which is the basic lens that usually comes with a mid-range Canon lens.
The camera provides decent quality with 1080p resolution at 30fps which is more than enough for my videos especially as most of my viewers watch via mobile phones.
However, as this camera is a DSLR which is made for amateur photography and not videos, there is no live auto focus (which is a massive downside) and the mic quality is not the best at all.
If you would like to see a video that I recorded on the Canon EOS 1300d, watch this video: https://youtu.be/gmzoWzcZY4k
The camera provides decent quality with 1080p resolution at 30fps which is more than enough for my videos especially as most of my viewers watch via mobile phones.
However, as this camera is a DSLR which is made for amateur photography and not videos, there is no live auto focus (which is a massive downside) and the mic quality is not the best at all.
If you would like to see a video that I recorded on the Canon EOS 1300d, watch this video: https://youtu.be/gmzoWzcZY4k
Apple iPhone 11
Although this shouldn't technically be on the list, my iPhone 11 is completely the reason why I am still able to make high quality videos to this date.
Camera Quality - Even though this camera is only 13MP (my Canon is 18MP), the iPhone 11 is able to film in 4K 30FPS and also has autofocus which is incredibly important for my videos .
Microphone Quality - The microphone array on this phone is one of the best and it enables me to not have to use a separate microphone as the phone will pick everything up properly and also sync it perfectly with my video footage.
Storage - The storage on my iPhone 11 is 128 gigabytes which means that I can film as long as I want and not have to worry about running out of storage meaning that I can just carry on recording my videos. For example, in my video: Fixing my iPad for the first time, I filmed consecutively for 5+ hours but I was able to bring it all down to just 25 minutes.
Smoothness - The smoothness of my iPhone means that I can go through all of the video footage at the same time and be able to choose what I want to send to edit from my phone instead of having to send it to my computer and wait for it to load.
AirDrop - One of the best things about this being an Apple device is the fact that this has AirDrop. AirDrop enables me to quickly send videos and other files straight to my computer which means I don't have to waste time by connecting my phone and syncing it to the computer.
Not only this, I also use my iPhone for promoting the videos which makes it a vital marketing feature for my YouTube channel's success.
If you would like to watch a video that I recorded on my iPhone 11, please watch this video: https://youtu.be/uLv5e1ClMAw
Camera Quality - Even though this camera is only 13MP (my Canon is 18MP), the iPhone 11 is able to film in 4K 30FPS and also has autofocus which is incredibly important for my videos .
Microphone Quality - The microphone array on this phone is one of the best and it enables me to not have to use a separate microphone as the phone will pick everything up properly and also sync it perfectly with my video footage.
Storage - The storage on my iPhone 11 is 128 gigabytes which means that I can film as long as I want and not have to worry about running out of storage meaning that I can just carry on recording my videos. For example, in my video: Fixing my iPad for the first time, I filmed consecutively for 5+ hours but I was able to bring it all down to just 25 minutes.
Smoothness - The smoothness of my iPhone means that I can go through all of the video footage at the same time and be able to choose what I want to send to edit from my phone instead of having to send it to my computer and wait for it to load.
AirDrop - One of the best things about this being an Apple device is the fact that this has AirDrop. AirDrop enables me to quickly send videos and other files straight to my computer which means I don't have to waste time by connecting my phone and syncing it to the computer.
Not only this, I also use my iPhone for promoting the videos which makes it a vital marketing feature for my YouTube channel's success.
If you would like to watch a video that I recorded on my iPhone 11, please watch this video: https://youtu.be/uLv5e1ClMAw
Apple iMac 21.5 (Late 2015)
Another reason I still continue to make videos is because of my iMac. I got my iMac at the end of 2015 and I used it to learn how to edit videos on iMovie and also edit photos on Photoshop CS6. Most of my videos before September 2020 were edited on my iMac because I am so used to the ecosystem and it was a lot easier for me to use.
Sadly, my iMac broke during Summer 2019 and ever since I've had to use a secondary display with it to use it.
I still use my iMac now as a video monitor when I'm recording videos and also to edit small and quick videos that don't require me to use Premiere Pro CC on my MacBook Pro. Not only this, I have also taken advantage of the Bootcamp feature and installed Windows 10 on the iMac as it gives me a larger range of applications to use and in my opinion Windows seems to be a lot smoother on this iMac compared to Mac OS X.
It is by no means the fastest computer (even in 2015) but it is fast enough to power whatever I need to. Nonetheless, I still have my MacBook Pro to use if there is something that I genuinely cannot run on it.
Sadly, my iMac broke during Summer 2019 and ever since I've had to use a secondary display with it to use it.
I still use my iMac now as a video monitor when I'm recording videos and also to edit small and quick videos that don't require me to use Premiere Pro CC on my MacBook Pro. Not only this, I have also taken advantage of the Bootcamp feature and installed Windows 10 on the iMac as it gives me a larger range of applications to use and in my opinion Windows seems to be a lot smoother on this iMac compared to Mac OS X.
It is by no means the fastest computer (even in 2015) but it is fast enough to power whatever I need to. Nonetheless, I still have my MacBook Pro to use if there is something that I genuinely cannot run on it.
ESDDI Softbox Photography Light
One of the most important factors you need to consider when filming a video is lighting. If it is too dark then your viewer won't be able to see anything when they watch it and if it is too bright, it could potentially hurt their eyes (and yours).
Currently in the room where I record my videos, I only have a small set of GU10 bulbs lighting up the area, this is by no means adequate enough for my videos. This is where my ESDDI Softbox comes into play. The Softbox is powered by a massive CFL bulb which outputs plenty of light for the area that I record the videos. The Softbox hangs on top of the table I use to record and it has a diffusing sheet that helps spread all the light equally across the area it is outputting.
It only costs £40 - £45 and is a must buy if you want to get into recording videos.
Currently in the room where I record my videos, I only have a small set of GU10 bulbs lighting up the area, this is by no means adequate enough for my videos. This is where my ESDDI Softbox comes into play. The Softbox is powered by a massive CFL bulb which outputs plenty of light for the area that I record the videos. The Softbox hangs on top of the table I use to record and it has a diffusing sheet that helps spread all the light equally across the area it is outputting.
It only costs £40 - £45 and is a must buy if you want to get into recording videos.
Amazon Basics Tripod
The tripod that I use to film videos is the 127cm Amazon Basics one. This is an extremely cheap but well-built product that ticks all of the boxes for what I may need from a tripod. I currently have it placed on a shelf facing down on my table so that I can get an overhead shot on my videos.
In my earlier videos, I had the tripod on the floor but slanted so that it just about allowed the camera to fill the table, but later I realised it was very unprofessional and that I would need to do an urgent upgrade to overhead shooting if I wanted to carry on making videos like this.
In my earlier videos, I had the tripod on the floor but slanted so that it just about allowed the camera to fill the table, but later I realised it was very unprofessional and that I would need to do an urgent upgrade to overhead shooting if I wanted to carry on making videos like this.
ZHIYUN Smooth 4
One problem that I have when I'm hand recording (without my tripod), is that my hands are extremely shaky. This is slightly fixed with the stabilisation that my iPhone 11 has. However, it is still too shaky and makes it very uncomfortable for the end viewer to watch. Because of this, I invested into buying the ZHIYUN Smooth 4. It is a 3-axis handheld gimbal that you can use with your phone and essentially, it makes your videos extremely smooth and satisfying to watch. It has a range of cool features like object tracking that makes this a must-buy for any filmmakers that use their phone to record videos. It does cost £110 but it is definitely worth it in my opinion.
BM-800 Microphone + Phantom Power Supply
One problem I mentioned in the section about my camera, is that the microphone quality is extremely bad.
This made me take the decision to buy a separate microphone. However, as many other small youtubers, I don't have enough money to buy the top of the range microphone. So I did some research and found the BM-800 microphone. According to the reviewers, the microphone costed from £10 - £20 and it sounded 'just as good' as all of the top range microphones.
After buying the microphone I realised that all the reviews were right. This microphone provides some of the best microphone quality you can get at that price and more extras like a boom arm and a phantom power supply!
This is also a massive upgrade for my channel as it means that I can make better quality voiceovers using this microphone and not have to worry about it picking up background noise like MacBook's fan 😂😂.
This made me take the decision to buy a separate microphone. However, as many other small youtubers, I don't have enough money to buy the top of the range microphone. So I did some research and found the BM-800 microphone. According to the reviewers, the microphone costed from £10 - £20 and it sounded 'just as good' as all of the top range microphones.
After buying the microphone I realised that all the reviews were right. This microphone provides some of the best microphone quality you can get at that price and more extras like a boom arm and a phantom power supply!
This is also a massive upgrade for my channel as it means that I can make better quality voiceovers using this microphone and not have to worry about it picking up background noise like MacBook's fan 😂😂.
Acer Nitro 5 - i5
Although I now use the MacBook for everything from gaming to editing, before I used an Acer Nitro 5 for a year and a half.
The Acer Nitro 5 has an Intel Core i5 and GeForce GTX 1050M which is powerful enough to power most games at high settings (30fps) and also basic editing software like Davinci Resolve for videos that are 1080P or lower.
The reason I upgraded to the MacBook is because the cooling on the Acer wasn't that good and the computer itself wasn't powerful enough to power Premiere Pro and Photoshop for my high power editing applications.
I would still recommend this laptop to anyone that's needing a good laptop on a budget as it is still very good for someone that doesn't need something very powerful.
The Acer Nitro 5 has an Intel Core i5 and GeForce GTX 1050M which is powerful enough to power most games at high settings (30fps) and also basic editing software like Davinci Resolve for videos that are 1080P or lower.
The reason I upgraded to the MacBook is because the cooling on the Acer wasn't that good and the computer itself wasn't powerful enough to power Premiere Pro and Photoshop for my high power editing applications.
I would still recommend this laptop to anyone that's needing a good laptop on a budget as it is still very good for someone that doesn't need something very powerful.
iPad 6th Generation - 9.7 inch (2019)
One of my most important purchases this year is my iPad 6th Generation. This is because it is what I use to monitor my video when I'm recording.
I do this thanks to the Sidecar feature from my MacBook, I can use my iPad as a secondary display and also connect my phone to the laptop so that it outputs the video and also charges my phone at the same time.
Not only this, the sidecar feature allows me to use my iPad as a secondary display when editing videos which is extremely helpful because I have another display to view my preview and also one to keep for editing.
The iPad is also really useful as it helps me be productive anywhere when I don't have my phone on me and as it has a bigger screen compared to my phone, it is also pretty good for video consumption.
I do this thanks to the Sidecar feature from my MacBook, I can use my iPad as a secondary display and also connect my phone to the laptop so that it outputs the video and also charges my phone at the same time.
Not only this, the sidecar feature allows me to use my iPad as a secondary display when editing videos which is extremely helpful because I have another display to view my preview and also one to keep for editing.
The iPad is also really useful as it helps me be productive anywhere when I don't have my phone on me and as it has a bigger screen compared to my phone, it is also pretty good for video consumption.
iPhone 13 Pro Max
The next investment as part of my equipment is my new iPhone 13 Pro Max. The ultra wide and telephoto lens paired with the large battery and screen the "Max" provides you with is perfect for my workflow and creating videos. The award-winning cameras are perfect for my YouTube channel and also my Photography company.
Xbox Series S
As part of growing my YouTube channel, I bought an Xbox Series S so that I can make gaming videos and stream gameplay on YouTube and also on Twitch. For just £249 this is definitely worth every penny and if you get the Xbox Game Pass ultimate add-on for £10.99 a month you can also benefit from the multiple free games that would've cost you 100s of pounds and also Xbox Live Gold for free as it would've cost you £6.99 as a standalone package. One of the downsides is that the gameplay is not outputted at 4k but thats alright for me as my monitor isn't 4k and the gameplay on my streams is most definitely not 4k either.
Razer Seiren Mini
As part of my "Massive Channel Upgrade", I decided to upgrade my microphone as well. The reason for this is because after a few months the BM-800 started to fail and I was unable to get clean audio quality out of it. The Razer Seiren Mini cost me £46.99 and is by far way better than the BM-800. The microphone is powered by USB which meant that I didn't need to get a Phantom Power Supply to power which meant less cables and less bulk. Not only this, the microphone fits onto the microphone stand so I didn't even have to worry about getting a new one.