Best Video Equipment for Influencers and Thought Leaders In 2020

Did you know 85% of all Internet traffic in 2019 was video-based activity?

Guess what? Video is becoming crazy popular for businesses, including entrepreneurs. Whether you’re a one-person brand or you have a whole team, you’ve probably thought, “Hey, I should probably start using video to get my message out there.” Spoiler alert: blogs went the way of the dodo.

Think about how many blog articles you’ve read this month. Now, think about how many videos you’ve watched. Way more videos, right? There’s a reason for that.

If you’ve already made a few videos with your phone, you’ve seen how powerful they can be! Now, it’s time to up your game; you need more video equipment. You may still want to do selfie-style video on the go, but there are a few pieces of video equipment to help your next videos give a ‘wow’ impression. Here is some of the best video equipment for influencers and thought leaders in 2020:

Best Video Cameras for Influencers and Thought Leaders In 2020

Your phone may work well for a Facebook Live session, but that’s about as far as you want it to go. If you’re serious about creating videos for your business as an entrepreneur, you need a legit video camera. Here’s the good news: it’s more affordable than ever to get a high-quality video camera. Here are three of the best video cameras we’ve found for speakers, authors, and coaches in 2020…

Sony HD Video Recording HDRCX405 Handycam Camcorder

The Sony HD Video Recording HDRCX405 is an amazing video camera, especially if you’re buying your first video camera as an entrepreneur. It records at a 50Mbps XAVC S™1 1920×1080 resolution at 60P, AVCHD® and MP4 codecs.
The 30x Optical / 60x Clear Image Zoom allows you to get closer for your recording without compromising on quality.
One of the best features is its 26.8mm wide angle ZEISS® Lens.
Automatically creates highlight video in MP4 from multiple clips. Optical SteadyShot™ image stabilization w/ Active mode.
You will love its built-in USB cable for easy file transfer and battery charging
It features Face Detection technology with voice enhancement and noise reduction to give added value.
The 2.7” Clear Photo Plus™ LCD display isn’t as big as some cameras, but it still gets the job done well.

One drawback is that the Sony HDRCX405 does NOT have an external microphone input. However, the built-in microphone is pretty decent.

Canon Vixia HF R800 Camcorder 1080p

The Canon Vixia HF R800 Camcorder can record in a resolution up to 1920 x 1080/60p. It includes a full HD CMOS Sensor DIGIC DV 4 Image Processor with AVCHD & MP4 Recording Formats 57x Advanced Zoom & SuperRange O.I.S.
One of this camera’s best features is its three-inch LCD Touch Panel
Uses an SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Card Slot Intelligent IS with Four Shooting Modes Highlight Priority Mode Fast & Slow Motion Recording
It was recognized as an Photo4Less Top Value Camcorder
This particular camera bundle comes with an Accessories Kit that includes the Canon VIXIA HF R800 Full HD Camcorder, a SanDisk Ultra SDHC 64GB Memory Card, full-size Tripod Digital Camera/Video Case, one (1) extra battery BP-727 for the Canon Camcorder, Hi-Speed SD USB Card Reader, five-piece Cleaning Kit, a Tri-fold Memory Card Wallet, a Table Top Tripod, and HDMI Type C Cable.

It’s crazy to get that much value at such a great price! This is why our team purchased this bundle in 2017.

Besteker Portable Digital Video Camera HD

The Besteker Portable Digital Video Camera HD supports HDMI output. 1920*1080P 30FPS (FHD), 3.0 inches TFT-LCD touch screen (supports 270°rotation), 16X digital zoom. It is compatible with standard tripods and SD/SDHC memory cards (64GB Max).
Sony Sensor: 8.0 mega pixels, 24.0 mega pixels (Max). This is a high-quality camera that features an LED light, internal microphone and speaker. It can be remote-controlled, has face capture and anti-shake technology, auto power-off in case you need to take a breather.
Equipped with two (2) NP-40, 3.7V 1250mAh Li-ion batteries. We recommend charging the batteries for more than eight (8) hours the first time you use it, then three (3) hours for each future charge. A fully charged battery should give up to two (2) hours of video filming time and up to 2.5 hours of taking pictures.
This camera is portable and lightweight, both indoors and outdoors.

Best Video Equipment for Influencers and Thought Leaders In 2020

Once you have a high-quality video camera, you need the right support equipment to make your videos look the way they’re supposed to look. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on expensive video equipment. Here is some of the best video equipment for entrepreneurs in 2020 that won’t break your budget.

SanDisk 64GB Class 4 SDXC Flash Memory Card

Of course, you should check to see what type of memory card your camera takes before buying a card. Most video cameras take SD cards, so we recommend the SanDisk 64GB Class 4 SDXC Flash Memory Card.

The SanDisk 64GB Class 4 SDXC Flash Memory Card includes a security feature for protecting copyrighted information.
It’s fully compatible with all SDXC-compliant devices
The card’s speed performance rating is Class 4 (based on SD 2.0 Specification)
This is one of the best memory cards on the market, but it’s also backed by a five-year limited warranty, just in case.

AmazonBasics 60-Inch Lightweight Tripod with Bag

You know how hard it is to take a picture with one hand. Shooting a quality video is much easier with a reliable tripod. We love the AmazonBasics 60-Inch Lightweight Tripod with Bag. It’s easy to carry and compact for traveling. Our Keynote Content team bought ours back in 2015 and it’s so easy to use.

We also recommend purchasing a smartphone-compatible Tripod Adapter for your cell phone. Here are a few different tripod smartphone adapters to consider:

External Lavalier Microphone with 20′ audio cable + Accessory Bundle for Canon VIXIA HF R500-R600-R700-R800 HD Video Camcorder

Could you use your phone camera? Sure… if you want to catch the wind whipping by. If you’re just starting out, we recommend looking at the External Lavalier Microphone with 20′ audio cable + Accessory Bundle for Canon VIXIA HF R500-R600-R700-R800 HD Video Camcorder. This small but mighty lapel mic features a 3.5mm TRRS Jack for Apple iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android, and Windows Smartphones. It includes a leather storage drawstring bag with a wind muff and lapel clip. The audio quality is clear and controlled. Our Keynote Content team purchased ours in 2017 and it still works great!

Fugetek FT-568 Professional High End Alloy Selfie Stick

Your audience may want a more off-the-cuff approach with you moving around. Shoot, you may want to move around yourself while filming. We recommend the Fugetek FT-568 Professional Selfie Stick. It comes with a Bluetooth remote that works with iPhones, Androids, GoPros, and most digital cameras.

The Fugetek FT-568 Professional High End Alloy Selfie Stick also comes with two interchangeable phone mounts. The best part of this selfie stick is that it extends to 49 inches so you can’t even tell your video was shot with a selfie stick. The extensions have quick-flip locks to keep everything locked into place. No need to twist and lock; just flip the lock.

Fancierstudio 2400 Watt Professional Lighting Kit

You could get a bunch of lamps around your office or house… or you could get one of the best video lighting kits available today at a killer price. The Fancierstudio 2400 Watt Professional Lighting Kit is an amazing deal on Amazon because it includes so many pieces:

Two (2) 16-Inch x 24-Inch and one (1) 16-Inch x 16- Inch softbox lights
Complete lighting kit: softbox lights with three (3) light stands 6′ tall (one boom arm with sandbag)
Can be used for photo and/or video studio lighting: includes three (3) light heads able to each hold four (4) bulbs
Daylight studio lights: 12 x 45 watt photo video fluorescent bulbs and 5500k daylight balance bulbs for premium quality studio lights
Includes a deluxe carrying case large enough to fit the entire kit in one bag

Adobe Premiere Elements 2020 and Corel VideoStudio Ultimate X10

Your computer probably already has a basic video editor, like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker. If you want to take it to the next level, get a copy of Adobe Premiere Elements 2020 or Corel VideoStudio Ultimate X10. We could go into all the details and comparisons of why each video editing program is better than the other. Check out all the features here: