Since launching my YouTube Channel in October 2023, I’ve been asked one question more than any other: “What equipment do you use?”
So if you’re excited to start YouTube but feel overwhelmed by cameras, microphones, lighting, and editing software… you’re not alone. And you definitely don’t need to overcomplicate it.
In this post, I’m sharing exactly what I use to film, edit, and organize my videos, from the camera I genuinely love to the simple systems that keep me sane behind the scenes. I’ll also include budget-friendly options if you’re just testing the waters and don’t want to invest a fortune yet.
Because great content matters far more than perfect gear, but having the right setup can make the process a whole lot easier.
Launching my YouTube channel was a business decision, so I did invest in some high-quality YouTube equipment right from the start. That said, YouTube equipment can be pricey, so I started with some key pieces. Over time, as I learned and grew my channel, I upgraded my gear to better suit my needs.
My top priority? Equipment that was EASY to use. As a dietitian, not a tech genius, I wanted a setup that was simple but professional, with minimal barriers to hitting record. I did a lot of research, made a few mistakes with purchases along the way, but now I’ve figured out what works and I’m sharing it all with you!
Jump to:
Video Equipment - The Camera
Camera
You don’t need an expensive camera to take good videos. With how advanced smartphones are these days, it’s very possible to take impressive videos with your iPhone or Android. While the camera plays a role, it’s your on-camera presence that truly determines the quality and impact of your videos!
That said, I do recommend investing in a camera early on if you’re serious about YouTube, especially if you’re also considering starting a blog. A good camera will help you level up both your YouTube production and your photography. Personally, I also love having a dedicated filming camera so I can keep my phone free for other tasks and keep my files separate.
If you do decide to get a digital camera, you don’t have to break the bank buying one.
The camera I first used and highly recommend is the Sony ZV-E10. It’s compact, has a flip-out screen (perfect for beginners), and is more affordable than many other cameras on the market. Plus, its interchangeable lenses make it incredibly versatile (I'll expand more on camera lenses below).
In 2025 I upgraded my camera to the Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera. It was an investment but I absolutely love it and it is fantastic for both photography and video content.
For me, buying a proper camera was a big commitment. It was a way of holding myself accountable. I knew that if I spent money on a camera, I’d feel more obligated to follow through on my YouTube journey. Starting with just my phone would have made it easier to quit if things got tough, but investing in a camera made me take my goals seriously from the start!
- Maria x
Vlogging Camera
About a year into my YouTube journey, I decided to invest in a second camera: the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. While it’s typically marketed as a vlogging camera, I’ve found it so intuitive and simple to use that I now use it for some of my main videos too!
One of its standout features is the built-in gimbal, which allows the camera to move with you, creating smoother shots and adding motion to your videos. It’s compact, easy to carry, and perfect for capturing high-quality footage on the go.
I absolutely love this camera and would highly recommend it for beginners, especially those planning to create lifestyle or travel content where you’ll be out and about more. It’s an excellent choice for anyone looking for a user-friendly yet professional upgrade.
Camera lenses
Once you have a camera, you’ll eventually want to upgrade your lens. Most cameras come with a kit lens when you first buy them, but these are usually very basic and might not give you the quality you’re after as you grow into your content creation journey.
When upgrading, the lens you choose will depend on three key factors:
- Your camera (make sure the lens is compatible).
- Your style of videos and photography.
- Your budget.
Initially, I used a 35mm lens with my Sony ZV-E10, which worked great as a beginner lens. Over time, though, I decided to invest in something that better matched my needs.
For my educational YouTube videos, I now use the Sigma 16mm f/1.4 lens. This lens gives my videos a professional touch with its beautiful depth of field (a term I picked up during one of the online video courses I took!). Essentially, this means the background looks slightly blurry, which helps bring focus to me while also showcasing more of the space I’m filming in.
For food photography, I rely on the Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 lens, which is perfect for zooming in and capturing incredible detail. It’s my go-to for those drool-worthy bite shots that make food look irresistible.
Other Camera Equipment/Accessories
Necessities
- Memory card - I use a 128 GB SD card. The type of memory card you get is important. Some memory cards will not have a writing speed fast enough (MB/s) to allow you to capture video. After that the size or quantity you get is completely up to you and how much footage you'd like to shoot before emptying your card! I love the Extreme Pro from SanDisk. I have the 128 GB size so I never have to worry about running out of space.
- External hard drive - I keep a backup of all my videos and photos on my external hard drive. I love these Lacie ones (I have two!) because they're so small. And because they're SSDs, they're really fast.
Optional/Nice to Have
- Tripod
- I highly recommend investing in a strong, reliable tripod right from the start. A flimsy one won’t support heavier or more expensive cameras, I learned that the hard way! The tripod I use is fantastic because it works for both a camera and an iPhone, and it adjusts to a height that’s nearly as tall as me, giving lots of flexibility for different angles.
- Adapters
- If your computer doesn't have a slot for the memory card, I recommend this adapter. It also includes USB slots to hook up external hard drives as well.
- Spare battery
- Just like memory cards, having spare batteries is totally a preference. Sometimes my battery flashes red in the middle of a shoot, so I like to keep an extra charged one on hand. Low battery mid filming is not a stress you want to deal with!
- External Monitor
- When you get more advanced having an external monitor can make your life a lot easier. I particularly like to use mine if I am doing any cooking videos.
Tech Equipment
You need a laptop to edit on. I get asked a lot about what computer I use (MacBook Pro), so I've listed the exact specs below. Note: you don't need this laptop to edit great videos! Use whatever you have. If you are looking to upgrade to improve your video editing, look for larger RAM (or "memory" as Apple calls it) mine is 36GB which is great.
- MacBook Pro Apple M3 Pro chip
- 12-core CPU with 6 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores
- 18-core GPU
- 16-core Neural Engine
- 36GB unified memory
- 1TB SSD storage
Audio Equipment for YouTube
Audio quality is arguably more important than video quality, bad audio is much harder to sit through than bad visuals. Trust me, I learned this the hard way! I had to refilm so many videos in the beginning because of audio mistakes.
If I could go back, I’d invest in a good microphone right from the start. In fact, I’d recommend prioritizing a quality mic over a fancy camera. Clear audio can make all the difference!
The microphone I recommend is the RODE Wireless Me System, it works with both cameras and iPhones, giving you lots of flexibility. For a more discreet setup, pair it with a lavalier mic you can attach under your shirt. This setup is perfect for active videos or vlogs, especially if you’re filming recipes or shooting in different locations.
Another great option is the Rode VideoMicro. It’s a compact microphone that doesn’t need batteries, just plug it in and you’re ready to go! The only downside is that it’s not ideal if you’re moving around a lot.
If you are buying the dji-osmo pocket 3, I recommend buying the creator combo, the microphone included in this, is incredible!
Lighting Equipment
Good lighting can instantly elevate your video quality from amateur to professional and more importantly, it makes you look so much better too!
Natural light is the cheapest and most accessible lighting option, but it does come with its challenges. Shooting near a window can give you that gorgeous, soft glow, but keep in mind you can’t control the sky! The sun’s angle and even passing clouds will affect the light’s temperature and intensity.
This means you’ll likely have to keep adjusting your camera settings, and your footage might have inconsistent white balance and contrast, which can be tricky to fix in editing. That said, when natural light hits just right, it can create stunning, professional-looking shots. If you’re working with natural light, aim for early morning or late afternoon when the sun is softer and less harsh.
Artificial light:
This is what I use for my YouTube videos. If you’re just starting out or want to test the waters without breaking the bank, I suggest trying a budget-friendly light with a softbox (I used this budget friendly lighting set for over two years). While they may not be the most durable, they’re a great starting point to improve your video quality without spending too much.
One of my favorite budget-friendly lighting tools is this clip fill video light. For around thirty dollars, it makes a huge difference to your video quality. You can easily clip it onto your phone, camera, or even your laptop for Zoom calls.
Upgrade Option:
If you’re ready to invest in a high-quality lighting setup, I recommend the Amaran 200X COB light, it’s my go-to light. Pairing it with a softbox/diffuser will give you a professional, versatile setup. It’s definitely a big investment, but the difference in lighting quality is absolutely worth it and its something you will have for years to come!
Subscriptions
These are a few subscriptions I genuinely couldn’t live without in my YouTube workflow now. They save me time, improve my SEO, and honestly make the whole process feel way less overwhelming.
TubeBuddy (Pro License)
I use the Pro version and it’s been so worth it. It makes adding timestamps incredibly easy and helps ensure each video is properly SEO optimized with titles, descriptions, and tags.
vidIQ
Amazing for title inspiration and competitive research. I especially love the outlier score feature, which helps spot videos that are performing unusually well so you can learn what’s working.
Creator Hooks Pro
This is my go-to for brainstorming title ideas and hooks. It’s great when your brain feels empty but you still need strong, clickable ideas.
1of10
This one is brilliant for understanding why certain videos perform better than others. It helps you analyze your own videos and improve packaging, titles, and thumbnails over time.
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Software and Apps for YouTube
Editing
How did I learn to edit? I took courses on Skillshare - this learning platform is incredible and I recommend it to everyone!
AI Editing Tools
Using AI to help edit your videos is an absolute game changer! I discovered Gling.Ai a couple of months ago and it has saved me endless hours of sifting through footage. I cannot recommend this enough. I decided not to hire a video editor based on this discovery, so it has saved me a ton of money overall.
Music
When it comes to finding music for my YouTube videos, I absolutely love Epidemic Sound. They have an incredible library of high-quality tracks and sound effects for every vibe. It’s all royalty-free and safe to use, so I never have to worry about copyright issues. Plus, their subscription includes unlimited downloads, which is a huge bonus.
Organisation
When it comes to running a successful YouTube channel, organization is everything! I use Notion to plan and schedule all my videos, capture ideas, and write scripts. It’s also where I store all my templates and workflows—basically, my entire YouTube system lives there. Notion keeps everything clear and organized, which is a lifesaver when working with contractors. I can easily share the exact steps I follow so they can seamlessly collaborate with me and stay on top of tasks and projects.
Courses
I am a real self-taught YouTuber, however on reflection doing more courses would have saved me a lot of time and from making a lot of mistakes!
Most of my learning came from online classes on Skillshare and from the YouTube platform itself.
Early days, I did learn a lot about SEO from Sophia Lees blogging course, which was extremely useful. Its not specific to YouTube but she runs a successful YouTube channel herself so I trusted her advice and really enjoyed her teaching style!
More recently I completed TinTin's Thumbnail Masterclass which I really enjoyed and found a lot of value in.
Complete Equipment and Software List
- Main Camera (Professional): Sony Alpha 7 IV.
- Main Camera (Beginner friendly): Sony ZV-E10
- Vlogging Camera: DJI Osmo Pocket 3
- I recommend opting for the creator combo as it includes an incredible external microphone that you can also use with your phone.
- Notion - where my entire YouTube system lives
- Epidemic Sound - royalty free music
- Final Cut Pro - editing software for Mac users.
- Gling.Ai - AI editing app that saves me hours
- Laptop - look for one with larger RAM (or "memory" as Apple calls it), this will make editing a lot faster
- Wireless Microphone with optional lavalier clip
- Budget friendly shotgun microphone
- Clip light
- Budget friendly lighting kit
- Professional light and softbox
- Tripod
- Memory Card
- External hard drive
- External monitor
- vidIQ - recommended subscription for optimizing videos
- Creator Hooks Pro - recommended subscription for optimizing titles
- 1of10 - recommended subscription for analysing video performance
YouTube Equipment FAQs
Audio quality is key! A good microphone should be your first investment, even before upgrading your camera.
Yes, external microphones provide much better audio quality. Built-in mics often pick up background noise, which can make your videos sound unprofessional.
Tools like Notion can help you plan and schedule videos, organize ideas, and keep workflows on track, especially if you’re collaborating with others.
You can start with a basic setup (smartphone, tripod, clip-on mic, and budget lighting) for under $300. Upgrade as your channel grows.
Related
If you enjoyed this post you will very likely enjoy more of my professional and career focused blog posts below.
- How To Grow On YouTube - Tips for Dietitians & Healthcare Professionals
- How Much Money Does A Dietitian Make? | Dietitian Salary UK, Ireland And More.
- What Does A Dietitian Do? NINE Misconceptions About Working With A Dietitian
- How To Become A Dietitian In 2024 - A Complete Guide with Top Tips from a Registered Dietitian
Closing Thoughts
As you can see, I’ve invested in quality YouTube equipment, and honestly, it’s been worth every penny. The more professional look has led to incredible feedback on my videos, which I’m really proud of.
That said, this wasn’t a random splurge. It was a very intentional business decision. YouTube is just one part of my overall work as a dietitian and content creator, and while the upfront cost can feel intimidating, I view it as a long-term investment.
Like many dietitians, I’ve had to think creatively about diversifying my income streams. YouTube has become one of the most powerful ways for me to do that while still helping people with evidence-based nutrition.
If you’re curious about what dietitians can actually earn, or how content creation can fit into a nutrition career, I’ve written a full post on how much money dietitians make. It might spark a few ideas for building a career that feels both sustainable and rewarding.
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