Kit · 6 cases · 31 pieces
Kit for filming yourself at home
A piece of kit earns its place here when a Light Planner setup calls for it and its maker gives real support and honest specs, with a cheaper option in every group.
Updated
Case 01 of 06 · 5 pieces
Lights
One soft key light does most of the work; add a fill, a back light or color only once the key is right.
- Our pick
COB light with a Bowens mount amaran Halo 100x
A 100W bi-color COB light with a Bowens mount for a softbox, separate brightness and color knobs, and mains or USB-C PD power. A key light for most rooms.
- Price
- $169
NEEWER CB60B
A 70W bi-color COB (2700–6500K) with a Bowens mount and an umbrella hole, controlled from the NEEWER app. No stand in the box.
$149.99
Elgato Key Light Air MK.2
A 15-inch LED panel (2900–7000K) that clamps to your desk and runs on USB-C, at full output from a 30W source. Lights a desk setup without a stand.
$139.99 with desk mount
Logitech Litra Glow
A small diffused light (2700–6500K) that clips to your monitor and runs from USB. Enough for a face at arm’s length; it won’t light a standing shot.
$69.99
amaran Ray 60c
A 60W full-color COB with a Bowens mount, for a back light, a wash of color on the wall, or a second key. Runs from mains or a USB-C PD power bank.
$189
Case 02 of 06 · 5 pieces
Modifiers and stands
A bigger, closer source gives softer light, so a modifier often does more for your face than a brighter light would.
- Our pick
Octagonal softbox amaran Octa Dome 90
A 35-inch octagonal softbox that opens in one snap, with an inner baffle, front diffusion and a grid. Fits amaran COBs and other Bowens-mount lights.
- Price
- $99
NEEWER Quick Release Octagonal Softbox
A Bowens-mount softbox in 45, 65 or 90cm that unfolds without tools, with two diffusion panels and a grid. The cheaper way to soften a COB.
From $59.99
Westcott Compact Collapsible Umbrella (43″)
A shoot-through white satin umbrella, about one stop of diffusion, for lights with an umbrella hole. The cheapest soft source; it spills more than a softbox.
$25.90
Westcott Illuminator QuickGrip 5-in-1 Reflector (30″)
A 30-inch diffusion panel with a silver, white, sunlight and black cover. Bounce a window or your key back as fill, or use the black side to cut spill.
$39.90
Westcott Air Cushioned Heavy-Duty Light Stand (8′)
Rises from 3 to 8 feet and holds up to 13 lb, so a softbox can sit above eye level. The air cushion lowers it gently if a lock slips.
$84.90
Case 03 of 06 · 5 pieces
Cameras and webcams
In good light, a 1080p webcam or the phone you already own is enough for most talking-head videos, so buy the camera after the lights.
- Best free
A phone as a webcam Camo
Turns your iPhone or Android phone into a webcam for your Mac or PC, with the controls on the computer. The free plan goes to 720p; Pro goes to 4K.
- Price
- Free; paid Pro plan
- Works with
- Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android
Logitech C920s Pro HD Webcam
1080p at 30fps with autofocus and a flip-down privacy cover. Plenty for calls and desk videos once the light is right.
$69.99
Elgato Facecam MK.2
1080p at 60fps from a Sony STARVIS sensor, fixed focus that won’t hunt, and a built-in shutter, with controls in the free Camera Hub app.
Mac, Windows
$119.99
Elgato Cam Link 4K
Turns a camera with an unencrypted HDMI output into a USB webcam, up to 4K60. Check your camera’s HDMI output before you buy.
Mac, Windows, iPad
$99.99
Fujifilm X-M5
A small APS-C mirrorless camera with a vari-angle screen, 4K60 and 6.2K video, and a 3.5mm mic and headphone jack. For moving up from a webcam or phone.
Case 04 of 06 · 5 pieces
Microphones and audio
A mic a few inches from your mouth beats a better one across the desk, so placement comes before price.
- Our pick
Dynamic mic on a desk arm Shure MV7+
A dynamic mic with USB-C and XLR outputs, Auto Level, a denoiser and a headphone jack. Dynamic mics hear less of an untreated room.
- Price
- $279
- Works with
- Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android
RØDE PodMic USB
A dynamic broadcast mic with USB-C and XLR, so it can plug into a laptop now and an interface later. Set it up in RØDE’s free apps.
$209
RØDE Wireless GO (Gen 3)
Two clip-on transmitters and a receiver for a camera, phone or computer, and each transmitter records a 32-bit float backup. For two-person shoots.
$199
RØDE Wireless Micro
Two clip-on mics with a receiver for your phone’s USB-C or Lightning port and a charging case. The low-cost way to get a mic close to your mouth.
$99
Focusrite Scarlett Solo (4th Gen)
A USB-C interface with one mic preamp, phantom power and an instrument input, for when you move to an XLR mic.
Mac, Windows
$169.99
Case 05 of 06 · 5 pieces
Backdrops and studio
Sit a few feet in front of whatever is behind you, so the key light falls on you and not on the wall.
- Our pick
Fabric backdrop on stands Westcott X-Drop Pro Backdrop Kit (8′ x 8′)
A wrinkle-resistant 8-by-8-foot fabric backdrop with stand and case, in gray, white, black or chroma-key green. Packs into a 34-inch case.
- Price
- $199.90
Savage Seamless Background Paper (53″ x 36′)
Rolls of colored paper 53 inches wide, made in the US. Tape a length to the wall or hang the roll on a stand, and tear off the end when it scuffs.
ATS Acoustics Original Acoustic Panel
Fabric-wrapped panels, 2 or 4 inches thick, from 24 x 24 inches, made in the US. A few on bare walls take the echo out of a small room.
From $49.95
RØDE PSA1+
A spring-damped boom arm that clamps to your desk and holds mics from 94 g to 1.2 kg, so the mic sits close to your mouth and just out of frame.
$139
Elgato Prompter
A teleprompter with its own 9-inch screen over the camera lens, so you read your script while looking into the lens. Scripts run from Camera Hub.
Mac, Windows
$299.99
Case 06 of 06 · 6 pieces
Editing and creator software
Four of these cost nothing; pay only when a free tool starts slowing you down.
- Best free
An editing timeline DaVinci Resolve
Editing, color, audio and effects in one app. The free version handles up to 4K at 60fps; Studio adds 10-bit video, higher frame rates and AI tools.
- Price
- Free; Studio $236 once
- Works with
- Mac, Windows, Linux
Final Cut Pro
Apple’s editor for Mac and iPad, bought once or included in the Apple Creator Studio subscription. For creators who already edit on a Mac.
Mac, iPad
$299.99 once or $12.99/month
Descript
Edit video by editing its transcript, in 25 languages. The free plan allows one hour of media a month and exports 720p with a watermark.
Mac, Windows
Free; from $16/month, billed yearly
OBS Studio
Open-source recording and live streaming: build scenes from your camera, screen and mic, then record them to disk or stream them live.
Windows, Mac, Linux
Free
Kdenlive
An open-source video editor from the KDE community, with regular releases. Enough for cuts, titles and music without an account or a subscription.
Linux, Windows, Mac
Free
Audacity
An open-source audio editor for recording voiceovers and cleaning up dialogue: cut, level and reduce background noise before it goes into the edit.
Windows, Mac, Linux
Free