KITs

Written By Madeline

Here’s Justin’s bags for shoot days (camera, light, grip, and audio)

My Camera Kit

  1. Camera

    Unfortunately, there is no single camera that is best for every conceivable shooting situation. If anyone tells you that only an Arri Alexa will work for shooting their film, they are lying to you—it might be a better option but not the only option and not always the best option. One of the best things you can do as a beginner cinematographer is lose your brand loyalty.

    My camera: the camera I shoot on is a first gen Sony FS5. I shoot on an FS5 because it has features that make it easier for me to capture what I need in less time. More often than not, I’ll be on location with one other person in my crew. Most often, that person will be my producer who will be helping with the legal paperwork, assisting as needed with the camera, and usually running the audio. Because we run a skeleton crew, I like having a camera that can easily transition from a tripod to handheld, that is designed to run indefinitely, that has an electronic, variable, internal neutral density filter (I would pay A LOT of money for that to be a universal feature on every camera ever made), and that has a slow motion capture capability.

    The problem: I wouldn’t use this camera when I’m shooting a big budget picture because it’s color science isn’t as good as Canon and it doesn’t have the bandwidth for 4:4:4 color capture. It can only capture 4:4:2 in 1080p and drops to 8-bit color when capturing 4K video (basically making this prosumer camera look only a bit better than a handicam you can get at Walmart.

  2. Lenses

    1. 24-70mm f/2.8

      • A zoom with this range is a work horse. Right now I’m using the Sony stock lens that’s a roughly 24-105mm but as an f/4. Luckily, the stock lens is powered and works with the zoom function on my camera.

    2. 50mm f/1.4 or 85mm f/1.8

      • I’ve heard this lens be called the nifty-fifty before because the f/1.8 version is relatively inexpensive and produces fantastic images for the price. It’s a lens

    3. A long lens above 120mm, preferably a 70-200mm 2.8

      • This is the long portrait lens. This is the bride lens. Use this when you are behind the crowd and need to get a nice tight shot.

  3. Batteries and charger

    • I always have 2-3 large batteries to last the day of a shoot and also 1-2 small ones as easy backups that will charge quickly

  4. Charger

  5. Cards

    • Always carry 2-128Gb and 4-64Gb cards. It’s also not a bad idea to carry a card reader, a fast portable hard drive, and laptop for really long shoot days.

  6. Tripod

    • Lovingly referred to as sticks, a tripod is a must. Don’t fight it and find room in your kit for your sticks every time - just bring it with you. The tripod is your best stability. A tripod will let you set your camera without needing to constantly adjust the framing.

  7. Monopod

    • Never leave home without at least your monopod. Hand-holding your rig is a viable idea when operating a newer camera with a stabilizing feature. However, when you start using longer lenses with focal lengths above 80-100mm, your shake is likely to negatively affect your shots.

My Light Kit

  1. Light panel

  2. Light stand

  3. Batteries and charger

  4. Reflector panel

  5. Gels

  6. Diffusion

My Grip Kit

  1. Screwdriver

    • To help tighten/loosen mounts

  2. Gaff tape

    • Useful tape with residue so it’s like you weren’t even there

  3. Black foil

    • Helps control your light sources

  4. Allen/hex wrenches

    • Some tripod bolts are hex

  5. White card

    • For white balancing the camera

  6. Color and grey cards

    1. Helps calibrate colors for post production

    2. Helps calibrate your exposure with the grey card

My Audio Kit

  1. Zoom H1 or H4n

  2. Zoom F3

    1. This field recorder uses the 32-bit float protocol, which requires more processing in post but has incredible range and clarity. I don’t have a lot of experience with it yet, but I’ve been incredibly impressed with what I’ve heard so far. It doesn’t have an on-board microphone like the H1 or H4n, so it’s more reliant on your recording microphone. I’ve found that it works really well with a lav microphone. That leaves your camera’s on-board microphone or the on-board microphone on the

  3. Wireless Sony lav mic

  4. Wireless DJI Bluetooth mic system

  5. Headphones

  6. Cords of:

    1. XLR to XLR

    2. XLR to 1/8” jack

    3. XLR to 3.5mm jack

written by Justin

Last Updated: August 25, 2026

Madeline
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