In this video tutorial, we take a look at five filmmaking accessories under $50 that will make your life easier.
The internet is filled with articles and videos recommending various tools and accessories that will help you become a better filmmaker. Sometimes these pieces even suggest that the accessories will completely change your “game.”
But, what about five inexpensive accessories that will make your filmmaking life a little easier, instead? No grandeur, just five items under $50 that will make you say “Ah, that’s easier.” That’s exactly what we explore in the video tutorial below. Five accessories that will softly aid you, and make shooting and camera care less strenuous.
1. Dewitt’s Cleaning Brush – $14.95
I know this looks like a shaving brush. I promise that it’s not. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend it as the bristles are a lot harder than a typical shaving brush. These bristles are made from boar fur and, as a result, they’re firmer than the softer bristles found on a shaving brush.
If you’ve caught at least two of my tutorials, you know that I’m usually somewhere in nature and, as a result, there’s a lot of room to get the lens and camera either wet, sandy, or dirty. Even though I’m careful, I’ll find that my gear still picks up small bits of dirt. The problem with small bits of dirt is cleaning the elements sufficiently. I don’t want to use a lens brush, and cleaning cloths don’t seem to do much as the dirt gets caught up in the small groves of the camera and lens. Well, the Dewitt’s Cleaning Brush does just that.
As the brush has firmer and springier bristles, it’s the perfect tool to get sand and dirt out from those hard-to-reach places like the rubber groves on a lens for the focus and zoom ring.
Additionally, the brush tips are feathered, so you won’t scratch your equipment like you would if you decided to do this form of cleaning with a stiff paintbrush or something similar.
2. SmallRig Folding Tool Set – $45.89
As seen in the video, I often carry around a small plastic bag filled with all the Allen keys I need to assemble with my C300 MK III. Additionally, if I’m using a Pocket Cinema Camera with the camera cage, I’ll attach a SmallRig handle, but to avoid losing the supplied Allen key, I tape it to the handle so it doesn’t get lost. With so many different tools needed and so much opportunity to lose the keys, it’d be much easier if I could condense everything into one tool. Thankfully, I can work with the SmallRig Kit Hunter Tool Set (model AAK2495).
It admittedly looks like a Swiss Army Knife, and the first thought you have may be: “Well, why not just use a less expensive Swiss Army Knife?” With the SmallRig offering, every tool included is specifically for filmmaking and cameras. You won’t find a corkscrew on this device! It comes with four Allen wrenches for cage and accessory assembly, one flat screwdriver (perfect for tripod screws), one Phillips screwdriver, and one Torx T25 screwdriver for when you need to remove the factory panels of the camera—covering the needs of pretty much every shooting scenario. Whatever the circumstance, I can use this one tool to assemble a cage with all the attachments.
Notably, the retractable flat screwdriver segment is incredibly useful. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to ask someone for a penny to tighten the tripod screw, or at least go searching for my keys. On this specific model (SmallRig offers a few different versions), there are empty threads to keep your mounting screws close at hand while you swap over equipment.
3. Oversized Mouse Mat – $10
Having a designated area for your gear is a must. It keeps everything in one place and minimizes the loss of misplaced equipment.
I find an oversized mouse mat is particularly useful for just that, with the additional bonus of being able to assemble your gear in a clean environment. These are easy to clean with either a damp cloth or with a vacuum. So, if you’re particularly keen on keeping your sensor dust-free, and you’re in an environment like a garage with less-than-clean worktops, this is the perfect addition to do that.
You can get “branded” work mats, but these are just mouse mats with a camera company logo on them. Save your money and buy a non-branded mouse mat.
4. Tether Tools JerkStopper – $16.95
Increasingly, we’re adding more and more cables to our cameras. Whether this is an HDMI cable for an external monitor, USB for turning your DSLR into a webcam, or maybe just powering the camera through the mains. Whatever the case, with more cables attached to the camera, there’s more room for accidents.
Now, you may inherently think the worst-case scenario is yanking the cable out mid-shoot; however, a more fundamental problem is damaging the connection port. If you tread on a cable, it’s not going to pull straight out, instead, it’ll tilt up first, then be pulled out, which runs the risk of damaging the port. To minimize this, you can use something called a JerkStopper.
This creates a connection point to the camera before the cable is connected to the camera. If you were to step on your cable accidentally, the camera connection will be yanked, not the USB or HDMI.
To set this up, you attach the safety wire to the camera’s eyelet, then detach the outer segment and rest the cable inside. You now want to pull the JerkStopper so the wire is entirely tense. Slide the outer piece back one, and click in as far as you can now if you step. Now, if you yank the cable, you pull the camera, opposed to pulling the cable out.
5. Memory Card Hard Case – $20
Okay, so I’d like to think the first four recommendations have been relatively uncommon. The final recommendation might be more customary, and that’s a hard case for memory cards. Not only is a hard case instrumental in protecting your footage after ejecting the card from the camera, it also serves as a handy storage location.
For many of us, we keep cards lying about and pick them up when needed. However, as I’ve owned so many different cameras with various forms of media storage, I can quickly lose track of my media. On the morning of a shoot, the last thing I want to be doing is pulling my office apart looking for the correct card.
This is a ROKO case, and it can hold nine memory cards—from Cfast to Compact Flash, and multiple SDs—I can store it all in here. When I’m out in the field, I know my cards are safe and protected. When I’m at home, I know they’re all located in this case.
For more camera accessory tips and advice, check out these articles:
- The Gear and Accessories Stock Photographers Can’t Live Without
- What’s in My Bag: A Pro Travel Photographer’s Go-To Camera Equipment
- 7 Essential Smartphone Filmmaking Accessories
- The Best Lavalier Microphones for Video Production
- The Best Mobile Filmmaking Gear for Making Videos on Your Phone
Cover image by Avigator Fortuner.