What??

I’m talking about your smart phone or your tablet. The cameras in smart phones and tablets are amazing, and you can shoot wonderful videos – not with a camera – but with your phone.

For example, Steven Soderbergh recently directed an entire movie, Unsane shot entirely on an iPhone. The movie stars Claire Foy. You may know her as Queen Elizabeth II. If you haven’t watched The Crown on Netflix, I’m not sure we can be friends anymore. I’ve watched both seasons twice and you should too.

Anyhoo, you too can shoot video using only your phone or tablet.  BUT, you need a few pieces of fairly inexpensive equipment to make good video great. I’m going to use iPhone examples, but you’ll get the general idea. I’m kind of a snob about Apple products; however, there are other smart phones that (gulp) may have a better camera than the iPhone.

Image Stabilization

The most important thing if you’re going to shoot good video with an phone. This stabilizer is equipped with a Gimbal, meaning that it has a pivoted support so that you can capture all sorts of angles and movements, but the camera stays stable and the picture stays smooth.  This particular one runs about $70. It’s worth your investment.

There are also lots of tripods out there for smart phones, so just take your pick. The important thing is that you find something to stabilize your image.

However, if I had a limited budget, I would spend the majority of my funds on something like this that’s hand-held.  You have so many more options and can do so much more when you’re not limited to the tripod.

Sound Enhancement

Get a good microphone. It’s so, so important.  This little mic is available on Apple’s website, it’s made by Rode, which is a very reputable brand, so you know it will do good work. You can plug this right into the Lightning connector on the iPhone.  You can record sound by itself through the audio recording app, or you can record sound and video through the camera app.

A different suggestion for audio recording is to get a standalone audio recorder, such as this one from Tascam.  Your audio will be recorded separately, which is what the big dogs do; you can monitor sound separately from the video, which will only enhance the quality of your video; Tascam is an audio company, so you know you’re getting a great mic; and you can use this for other things, such as radio/podcast interviews or qualitative research. It’s a little expensive ($88), so if your budget is limited, then find a mid-range microphone. Almost any microphone will improve your sound quality when compared to the phone’s on-board microphone.

Lens Improvement

There’s only so much the phone can do because of its built-in lens.  But, you can get external lenses that will allow you to shoot phenomenal video.

I found this four-pack of lenses from Sandmarc. It contains a telephoto, wide, macro, and fisheye lens. They slide right over your phone’s existing lens. They’re so cool!

These are also a little expensive ($300). Cheaper options are available. To be honest, I haven’t played with these much, as I would rather use and improve my shooting on my DSLR.  But I know several people that have used this type of lens, and they’re impressed with what they can do.  Also, you don’t have to get the four pack. Just think of how the phone is hindering your creativity (I can’t seem to get close enough, I can’t get a wide enough shot), and order the one lens that would work best for you.

Lighting

This would be the last thing I would buy on a limited budget (that’s why it’s last. Inverted pyramid. Get it?). But there are lots of options for an eye light that connects right to a smart phone. This is a cute little Lume Cube that Apple recommends as an accessory to the iPhone. There are lots of other choices that may be cheaper.

Honestly, though, you can do a lot with natural light and a reflector, which will run you about $40.  Again, the extra light would be the last thing on my shopping list if I were given a budget for gear.

Keep in Mind

Accessories similar to these are available for tablets too. Just do a Google search for your device and what you’re looking for.

Also, I’m not necessarily endorsing these brands.  Two of the products above were found on Apple’s website as an accessory for the iPhone. If Apple endorses it, I feel pretty confident that it’s good. However, the products I pictured and listed are known to work well, and that’s why I included them.