DRONE GEAR GUIDE
DJI Mavic 3 Cine
Best all around drone. It allows me to shoot in Log video at 4K 60fps in ProRes, which I can color grade or add one of my LUTS. Check out my Cinematic LUT Pack. It also has two cameras and great features.
DJI Air 2S
Using its 1-inch sensor to shoot 4K up to 60fps, 5.4K up to 30fps, 20MP photos, and great signal strength and flight time. I often use it as my backup drone for my Mavic 3 Cine or Mavic 3 on a commercial shoot.
DJI Mini 2
I use this drone in tight spaces and fly indoors with the propeller cage. The best budget drone. It also weighs less than 250 grams (.55 lbs). If you want obstacle avoidance, get the Autel Nano+, which comes in Red, Orange, Gray, and White.
DJI RC Pro
This remote controller has a high brightness screen and O3+ video transmission for long-range flights. This remote controller is compatible with both the Mavic 3 Cine and Mavic 3.
Polar Pro Filters
These are some of my favorite ND and polarizer filters I use with my DJI drones.
Freewell Filters
Great image quality, durability, and most of all, that cinematic mist look, make these filters a great bargain.
Firehouse Drone Light
Shines up to 100 lumens and can be seen from more than 3 miles away. This anti-collision light is brighter and more reliable than its competitors.
DJI FPV Drone GoPro Mount
Allows pilots to mount a GoPro, action camera, or Lume light on top of the DJI FPV, offering better image quality, and lots of room for creativity.
DJI Mavic 3
Best value for the price of any drone. It has the best image quality of any consumer drone without post processing. For less than half the price of the Cine version, it brings the same incredible features.
DJI FPV
An FPV drone with many features in a GPS drone. It is a good drone to get started with FPV if you don’t want to do repairs. I use a DJI FPV Drone GoPro Mount for better image quality.
Autel EVO Lite+
Has a 1-inch sensor, 6K HDR video, adjustable f/2.8 to f/11 aperture, and up to 40 minutes of flight time make it a strong competitor with DJI. If you want a 249-gram drone, get the Autel Nano+, which comes in Red, Orange, Gray, and White.
DJI Zenmuse X7
The best gimbal camera compatible with the DJI Inspire 2. DJI’s 4 Lens Prime Set covers useful focal lengths.
DJI Mavic Tablet Holder
Fits all different size iPads and tablets, allowing a better alternative to using a phone while flying. This one is for newer drones. This one is for older drones.
iPad 256GB
Having more screen real estate is definitely worth it, especially when I am shooting for commercial clients. I also use the extra memory space for client presentations and doing screen recording for my tutorials.
Lowepro ProTactic 450 AW II Backpack
Goes with me everywhere. This backpack fits my drone, accessories, including a 16-inch laptop and iPad, while being easy to use and has rain protection.
SanDisk Extreme Plus 512GB Memory Card
Is reliable, and has great read/write speeds. I always bring at least two in case I lose one or fill up the storage. For smaller drones, I recommend bringing two 128GB cards.
Sony A7S III
Not only does it shoot 4K 120p video in 10-Bit 4:2:2 internally, but its 14 stops of dynamic range allow me to shoot in low light and color grade without a second thought.
Sony 20mm f/1.8 Lens
This focal length is perfect for my YouTube videos, and when I need to shoot in low light.
Canon EOS R5
This camera has blazing fast autofocus, a flip-out screen, great color rendition, and shoots 4K up to 120 fps, and 8K internal RAW if I need it. For a more budget option, the Canon EOS R is great, but if you want the best, get the Canon R3.
Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 Lens
A versatile lens, I prefer this lens over the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 Lens for video because it has image stabilization, balances easier on my gimbal, and is much lighter.
Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 DS Lens
This is my favorite portrait lens. It produces incredibly sharp images with amazing color. The defocus smoothing produces incredible bokeh when shooting wide open.
Sony 16-35mm f/4 Lens
Provides a great focal length for vlogging or shooting wide angle. It is light, sharp, and has image stabilization for a good price.
Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 Lens
Great value for what this lens does. A good focal length for most shots. If I only want to bring one lens, this is it.
Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 Lens
This is my favorite wide-angle zoom lens. It has image stabilization built into the lens. Great for commercial work, documentaries, and vlogging.
Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 Lens
Sharp, beautiful color rendition, pleasing bokeh, and weather-sealed, this is the best 50mm lens.
Zhiyun Crane 2S
The best gimbal stabilizer for using mirrorless or DSLR cameras. Is sturdy enough for cinema lenses, and also allows me to quickly shoot vertical videos.
Zoom F6 Recorder
My audio got so much better with the Zoom F6. It has 32-bit float, which provides me a ton of flexibility in post - it is the audio equivalent of shooting in RAW. This recorder is also light and portable!
Sanken COS-11D Lav Mic
This mic provides professional audio quality at an affordable price. It is light and small. The mic head should be protected at all times, giving you years of good use.
GoPro Hero 10
I not only use them for capturing behind the scenes footage, but the newest versions also capture good enough audio to use as portable video cameras in any situation.
Rode NTG 3 Shotgun Mic
I use this mic for interviews and YouTube videos with my Zoom F6 Recorder. Keep this mic 14 to 24 inches from your mouth, and point it just below your chin.
Rode VideoMic Pro Plus
This shotgun mic fits right on top of a DSLR, providing clean, professional audio with the added feature of turning on and off when you power on and off your camera.
16‑inch MacBook Pro
This is the laptop I have been waiting for. The M1 Max chip and extra memory allows me to edit 8K and Log video with ease. I couldn’t run my business without it.
Lowepro Pro Roller x100 AW
It is two bags in one – a roller and a backpack.
Light & Motion CLx10 LED Light
I use this battery powered light indoors and on location. I use it with Elinchrom and Photek modifiers. It is always good to have sturdy lightstands like the Avenger A630B.
RED Weapon Brain with Helium 8K Sensor
The newest version of RED’s best camera. It has 16.5 stops of dynamic range, shooting 8K up to 60 fps for amazing flexibility in post production.
Manfrotto 536 Tripod
A versatile tripod for cinema and big camera rigs. Holding up to 55 pounds, it has a max height of 80 inches, and folded up is 28 inches. I use this Manfrotto video head. My favorite is this Sachtler tripod.
Manfrotto 290 Xtra Tripod
A portable, light tripod that is great for travel and is quick to set up. It extends 65.2” inches and holds up to 11 pounds. I use this Manfrotto Head for video.
Photek SoftLighter II 46" Umbrella
My favorite portable modifier that produces beautiful soft light for interviews. I also use it for photography.
Cooke Cine Lens Set
Cooke cine lenses produce images with a special character or look that make them my favorite lenses. This set includes six prime lenses at useful focal lengths: 18, 25, 32, 50, 75, and 100mm.
Onetakeonly Pad Prompter
I use this teleprompter to read my scripts for tutorials, and also for commercial work. This PromptSmart Pro - Teleprompter app has voice recognition that scrolls down as I read my script.
This camera has blazing fast autofocus, great color rendition, and shoots up to 20 fps in RAW. Great for sports and faster moving situations, this camera delivers.
Phase One XF
My favorite camera for portraits.
55mm LS f/2.8 Lens
Good for environmental portraits with a flash sync speed up to 1/1600 of a second.
110mm LS f/2.8 Lens
My favorite medium format portrait lens.
35mm LS f/3.5 Lens
One of the best lenses made by Schneider Kreuznach. It is a 22mm equivalent lens.
Broncolor Siros 800 L
Produces beautiful light and is a solidly built battery-powered light. I use the 2-light kit on most of my shoots.
Broncolor Move 1200 L 2-Head Kit
This battery pack is extremely light and portable. These flash heads are powerful, have fast recycle times, and produce amazing light quality.
My favorite portable modifier that produces beautiful soft light.
Elinchrom 69” Octa
Produces soft light for portraits and is big enough for large group shots.
Matthews C Stand
Sturdy and heavy, this stand is great for commercial and high-budget work.
Travel Sandbags
I empty them out before traveling and then fill them up before the shoot.
A portable, light tripod that is great for travel and is quick to set up. It extends 65.2” inches and holds up to 11 pounds. I use this Manfrotto Head for photography.
LEE Filters 0.6 ND Glass
The best ND filters I have used and worth the price.
Lowepro Pro Roller X100 AW
SanDisk CFexpress Card
Reliable during rigorous shoots and extreme temperatures. Your camera may only require a SD Card.
This is my favorite wide-angle zoom lens. It has image stabilization built into the lens. It covers various useful focal lengths.
Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 Lens
Phase One IQ4 Digital Back
The best digital back for portraits and large prints.
80mm LS f/2.8 Lens
A versatile lens at a good price.
150mm LS f/2.8 Lens
Great portrait lens with pleasing bokeh.
Broncolor RFS 2.2 C Transceiver
The best way to trigger Broncolor lights with high speed flash sync up to 1/8000 of a second.
Profoto Air Remote TTL
My favorite drone if I had to pick just one. It has the best image quality of any consumer drone without post processing, and can shoot 4K up to 60 frames per second and 20MP photos.
Profoto B10 Plus
This battery-powered light is strong enough to overpower the sun on location, yet much smaller and lighter than my Broncolor Siros 800 L. I use the Profoto A10 if I need an even smaller light.
Elinchrom 24" Snaplux
This octabox is much more portable than my beauty dish, and delivers similar soft light. It opens quickly and comes with a a 30-degree grid for controlling the light direction.
Mola Demi Beauty Dish
My favorite beauty dish that I use with the Opal Diffusion Glass for even softer light. I use the 20-Degree Grid as both a key light and rim light.
Avenger 630B Light Stand
Portable and sturdy, a very versatile light stand.
Avenger D600CB Mini Boom
Allows overhead light without a light stand protruding into the frame.
Lee Filters Lens Hood
Makes your camera look old school, but really helps control light flair and holds up to 2 ND filters.
LEE Filters 0.9 ND Glass
Even darker than the 0.6. I use both of these filters together for midday sun. This one is a good option for long exposures, and this is the best for super long exposures.
Gaffer’s Tape
It is always needed, a photographer’s best friend.
SanDisk Portable External SSD Hard Drive
The best place to store my most important footage, and also great for editing videos. I also use Seagate External Hard Drives if I need more space.
Epson P900 Photo Printer
Produces stunning images and allows me to control every detail of the printing process.
Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta
A barata paper that has the right mix of texture and quality for fine art prints, and does not fade over time.
BasICColor Display 6
This is the only software that renders accurate colors during a monitor calibration with the X-Rite iDisplay Pro.
Dust Blower
Builds your forearm strength while keeping your printer and prints dust free.
Canon Pro-4100 Printer
This large format printer can print up to 44 inches at 2400 x 1200 dpi – a solid long-term investment.
Eizo CS2740 Monitor
Eizo is Rolls Royce of monitors, providing reliable, uniform color and brightness throughout the entire monitor. I recommend using this monitor hood for color grading and photo editing.
Calibrite ColorChecker Display Plus
The only color calibration puck that is worth its salt. A necessity for anyone who wants to make prints.
Protective Gloves
An easy way to ensure my prints are pristine.
Squarespace
The fastest and easiest way for me to create a website.
Storyblocks
This is where I get Copyright FREE footage to improve my cinematic videos and help fill gaps in my visual story.
Quickbooks
Fast and comprehensive way to keep track of my business accounting.
ArtGrid
Unlimited access to an incredible high-quality stock video library that includes 8K / RAW / Log / ProRes footage that you can apply your own LUTs or color grading. Use this link to get 2 months free!
GetResponse
A powerful tool for marketing automation and online business, I use it mostly for growing my email list.
TubeBuddy
Teachable
The platform where I host my online video courses. It is easy to setup and has good customer service.
Geniuslink
Track your affiliate links and earn more revenue. This website has helped me increase my online affiliate revenue significantly. I wish I knew about it earlier!