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Best Equipment for TikTok Videos

Growing a powerful social media presence is a professional endeavour. Platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and more have become household names because of the variety of content they provide, enabled by the simplicity of getting started and getting your videos out there. However, at the highest levels of online video stardom, flawless production is vital and will set your content apart from the rest.

While TikTok is notable for its simplicity of use, the best-performing videos use a variety of accessories tailored directly towards its users. These enhance video and audio quality, improve the general aesthetic of creators’ videos and streamline the content creation process. It’s worth knowing what tools will benefit you most as a creator. For most users, the best TikTok accessories will be versatile and high quality but will avoid overkill to keep the setup as handy as possible.

To help you raise your content creation game, we’ve put together this guide on the best video accessories for TikTok from ring lights to gimbals, showing you how to make TikTok videos to show off to the world.

What do I need for a TikTok video?

 What you’ll need to get started will depend on your intended video style. Are you vlogging out and about, or filming podcast-style videos at your desk? Are you putting yourself out there and creating street interviews, or getting started with TikTok Live? Whatever situation you find yourself in, you’ll be best equipped with a selection of the accessories listed below:

• Microphones: while the microphones found in smartphones and vlogging cameras are sufficient, they don’t come close to the professional audio performance from an external mic. The main options are on-camera shotgun mics and wireless lavalier mics. Many entry-level microphones are compatible with smartphones, perfect for content creators.
• Tripods: if you’re looking to film any hands-free video, a tripod is mandatory. Video camera tripods come in all shapes and sizes, but for TikTok, size and weight are stronger concerns over maximum payload. Mini tripods are a favourite of content creators, and some even have flexible, jointed legs!
• Gimbals: these provide perfect stabilisation for any form of video content, but have become a mainstay in a vlogger’s kit as they’ve become more tailored towards social media creators in recent years. They enable smooth, professional video from all cameras, even smartphones
• Lighting: unfortunately, natural light can only take your videos so far. Video lighting is crucial for professional output, and is the first step to making your footage beautiful. TikTokers usually favour versatile options like ring lights.

Below, we’ll discuss each of these categories in more detail, and pick out some of our favourites so you can make an informed choice to boost your content.

Microphones

There are plenty of reasons why, for most professional creators, the internal microphones found on video cameras or smartphones don’t cut it. While they’re acceptable for what they’re intended for, serious use can quickly push them out of their comfort zone. When recording at a distance, they struggle to maintain the same professional audio quality. Moreover, they miss out on dedicated audio performance and additional features that reduce noise, meaning their quality is naturally reduced.

Content creators often turn to shotgun microphones for their videos, which capture directional audio at impressive ranges. Lightweight options like the RODE VideoMic GO II shotgun mic are popular, as they add hardly any extra weight to the top of your camera, but massively improve upon its internal microphone. This model is designed with a built-in shock mount to provide that step-up. More advanced models like the Sennheiser MKE 400 can be used to branch out with all kinds of professional footage.

Shotgun mics like the Joby Wavo target smartphone footage. They’re extra light, allowing you to use them with mini tripods, and screw into the clamp of a phone tripod. This enables you to use your smartphone the same way you would a standard video camera, with the top of a clamp acting like a cold-shoe mount. The Joby Wavo Mobile takes the compact size a step further.

If you’re looking for notoriously impressive audio quality in a compact, affordable microphone, the Sennheiser MKE 200 combines the best of Sennheiser’s audio engineering with a sleek design that pairs perfectly with smartphones.

Wireless Microphones

Lavalier mics (or simply lav mics) are a favourite of TikTokers, as their wireless setup provides essential range when vlogging. Such a small audio transmitter introduces a world of versatility, often achieved by additional accessories. The prevailing trend among content creators and lavalier mics seems to be split between two leading options – the DJI MIC series, and the RODE Wireless system.

The DJI Mic 2 is the latest iteration of DJI microphones, which supports 18 hours of continuous operation. It also enables intuitive operation for creators with an OLED touchscreen on the receiver, allowing users to adjust settings like gain and intelligent noise cancellation.

The RODE Wireless system has a much wider range of RODE mics to suit all types of creators. The RODE Wireless ME is the entry-level choice, whereas the Wireless GO II and Wireless PRO systems offer the best performance in range, versatility and audio quality. Rode even offers the Interview GO, allowing you to transform your wireless transmitter into a traditional handheld microphone, perfect for interview-style TikTok content.

Accessible options like the Hollyland LARK M1 and Joby Wavo Air wireless microphone sets provide professional audio quality at a fraction of the price. The latter also bundles an abundance of accessories like windjammers and discreet lavalier extensions.       

Ring Lights

Ring lights have become intertwined with content creation, becoming a favourite of TikTokers for the flattering, diffused light they provide. Their circular design creates gorgeous circular catchlights and enables the placement of a camera in its centre, making it perfect for combining your recording and lighting setup all into one.

The Kenro Smart Light 19-inch RGB Ring Light Kit is the perfect TikTok ring light – it allows users to vary colour, brightness and temperature using intuitive dials. In addition, the LightSystem app enables smartphone control, which is perfect for social media creators. An adapter for smartphones, tablets and digital cameras is included in the box, which is a pleasant touch.

For a lot of creators, a 19-inch ring light may be slightly over the top – the Joby Beamo 12-inch Ring Light provides a great alternative. While it compromises in a few areas, like the range of possible brightness levels and temperatures, the result is an absurdly cheap, one-size-fits-all TikTok lighting solution for aspiring creators.

If space and portability are of the essence, then the ShiftCam SnapLight is highly likely to tempt roaming creators. ShiftCam’s universal magnetic system tailors towards MagSafe phones but the inclusion of a magnetic sticker means the light can connect to any smartphone. The light flips around for both the rear and front-facing cameras, and even has a mirror in the centre for last-minute checks!

If you’re interested in a more in-depth look at the vast abundance of video lights out there, we’ve recently discussed all video lighting options and scenarios in our blog post on how to choose the best video light.

Tripods

Choosing a tripod hinges upon the conditions in which you want to shoot, and ultimately, what you’ll be shooting. The tripod market is one of the most versatile out there, with models in all shapes, sizes and forms, with different benefits which suit all content creators, so the best tripod for TikTok is difficult to define.

For tabletop video – TikTok Live streams, for instance – a small tripod is a viable option. While they may not stand the payload of heavier digital cameras, they’re more than equipped to support compact vlogging cameras and smartphones. Most tripod manufacturers offer their own, inexpensive mini tripods – Manfrotto, Benro, Leofoto and others all offer tabletop tripods for the stay-at-home vlogger.

For more involved videography, the most versatile choice for TikTok creators has to come from the Joby GorillaPod range. These tripods have flexible, rubberised legs to adapt for use on uneven ground, and even to wrap around objects for unique perspectives. The series is sorted by payload – the Joby GorillaPod 1K is the best compromise between strength and weight for TikTok creators, however, the Joby GorillaPod 325 may be the better mini tripod for phone users.

If you’re filming content outdoors, it’ll be challenging to achieve the perfect angle with a much smaller tripod, so you may have to look at more traditionally sized choices. However, the benefit of using a vlogging camera or smartphone is that you don’t need to rely on payload, opening the door for much lighter tripods.

The Benro Slim TSL08 Aluminium Tripod is a perfect choice for this scenario. It’s outrageously light, but its legs and centre column combine to stand at nearly 5 feet. For its weight, it remains surprisingly stable and can support even full-frame mirrorless cameras, with a maximum payload of 4kg.

Gimbals

Gimbals are perhaps the most innovative invention for run-and-gun content. In the past, they were primarily used as handheld stabilisers for DSLR-style cameras; however, the advent of social media and short-form video has meant that they’ve begun becoming even more popular for smartphone footage.

To get started with using gimbals, the Zhiyun Smooth Q4 is the best on the market. This inexpensive choice is simple to calibrate and use with the ZY Play app and has an extendable, selfie-stick style rod which enables efficient self-recording and more. The Smooth Q4 Combo bundle adds a fill light, filters and a carry case for extra usability.

The DJI Osmo Mobile 6 is another great choice. Much like its drones, this DJI phone gimbal incorporates various features for smooth operation, like the Follow, Tilt Lock and FPV modes. Additional tricks like the SpinShot tool simplify difficult manoeuvres.

For TikTok content creators, the Insta360 Flow is perhaps the best choice. It’s the most compact gimbal on the market but sacrifices no performance. It’s the only smartphone gimbal available that doubles up as both a selfie stick and a tripod, ticking off many requirements for TikTok video recording. The AI editing tools in the Insta360 app are game-changing, too.

TikTok creator kits

Lots of notable brands offer bundles of their products so that creators can get all the video equipment they need for their content in one place. These are incredibly popular among all levels of TikTok creators, as it enables them to get stuck in with producing the highest level of content on the platform.

Joby’s incredibly popular lineup of tripods, lights and microphones is complemented by a series of vlogging kits. The Joby Essential Vlogger Kit is a solid starter pack, along with the Joby GorillaPod Creator kit. Both feature the GorillaPod 1K kit, but the latter is tailored towards smartphone creators, and has the far lighter Wavo Mobile microphone.

ShiftCam have also become incredibly popular as a result of their modular smartphone content creation systems. The ShiftCam SnapGrip Creator Kit features a mini tripod/selfie stick, their popular ring light and the magnetic SnapGrip from which the system is out.

If sound quality is central to your TikTok videos, the audio specialist Saramonic has designed the Saramonic VGM Smartphone Video Kit. Not only does it provide a mini microphone, but the entire system comes with a horizontal stabilising grip to ensure smooth footage.

Those looking to build a run-and-gun smartphone system will appreciate the Insta360 Flow Creator Kit. This features the same incredible gimbal mentioned before but includes a spotlight, a magnetic phone clamp and an additional carry bag for ease of mind.

At Park Cameras, we stock all of the video equipment needed for a professional production, along with a leading variety of new and used video cameras. Feel free to discover our range of digital cameras, lenses and more today, along with exclusive, limited-time offers!

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By Thom Pyle on 09/09/2024