Chris Spiegl — Content Creator, World Traveler, and Consultant

Sony Alpha a7II

I made the switch from Canon to Sony in late 2016 and decided to go to the a7II first. Then in May 2017 I also bought the a7S II for the video and lowlight capabilities. But I still prefer the A7 II for photos (megapixels sometimes count). Also having two cameras helps with the prime lenses. I love the 85mm on the Sony a7 II for photos and the 25mm on the a7S II for video for handheld vlogging.

Sony Alpha a7S II

In late May 2017 I bought the a7S II - in addition to my a7 II - for the video slow motion (1080p120fps & 4k internal) and lowlight capabilities. I still prefer the a7 II for photos (megapixels sometimes count) but in the video arena the a7S II is my new beast. Also having two cameras helps with the prime lenses. I love the 25mm on the a7S II for video for handheld vlogging and 85mm on the Sony a7 II for photos.

GoPro Max 360 Camera

Capturing 360 video? Yes, please. I'd love to play with this more.

iPhone 11 Pro Max 256GB Black

As always, I am using an iPhone. Right now it's the 11 Pro max. I am actually not sure if I would get the Max again if I had the choice as I would like my phone to be a bit smaller and I usually do all the video and photo editing on a computer anyways. But then again… the Max always has the best cameras and battery power.

iPhone 7 Plus 128GB Black

I think this is obvious. A phone, camera, computer, and overall communication device. Maybe I'll be cool enough one day to own one of those cool iPhone X line ones.

GoPro Max Dual Battery Charger

Charging those 360 video batteries.

GoPro Max Grip + Tripod

The selfie stick to use with the GoPro Max. No matter if in Hero mode or 360 without the stick in the frame.

Sigma ART 35mm f/1.4 for Canon EF

I have this lens with the Canon mount and the adapter MC-11 made by Sigma as well. I love this lens. It's incredibly sharp and has an amazing bokeh as well as shallow depth of field. Just lovely.

Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2.0

This lens is incredible on my full frame a7. It's super sharp, nicely wide but not creepy wide. For video it's also a almost 35mm with the APS-C mode on the a7 which is super handy. I love this lens. Also this is the lens I use most of the time when shooting with the Gimbal (or handheld vlog). I also think it is wide enough for most vlogging situations (just sometimes I wish to have a 20 or 18mm).

Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8

This is a sharp beast. I sometimes wish it was a little longer (maybe 105 or 135mm) but that's a different kind of lense. This is great for portraits and throwing backgrounds out of focus. Just lovely.

GoPro Hero 5 Black

Upgraded from the GoPro Hero 4 Black. Now with the display on the 5 and the linear modes. I did not think that the upgrade would be so massive. I was absolutely positively surprised - sidenote: the not needing the housing helps as well!

NP-F970 Batteries

Running the Atomos Ninja V or Zoom F6 in the field, you'll need some NP-F style batteries.

NP-F970 Dual Charger

Charging those NP-F style batteries for the Atomos Ninja V and Zoom F6.

DJI Mavic Pro - Fly More Combo

This is the first drone I ever owned. One thing: I found it incredible what kind of perspectives it gives you on your surroundings. It's just incredible. Get one, be in awww, and shoot great new scenery.

DJI Mavic Pro - ND Filters

Recently added these to my kit to have some better frame rates with my Mavic in harsh sunlight. Works wonders.

DJI Mavic Pro Controller Clip

I have heard bad stories about the controller sticks being displaced. Now I have this clamp and it feels better - if it helps - I don't know.

GoPro 3 Way Grip Arm

The only selfie stick I ever owned.

GoPro Dome

You want to get these really cool split shots of above and below the water with your GoPro? This is what I use.

GoPro Hero 5 Dual Battery Charger

Charging batteries inside the GoPro is just nonsensical. Use this and you can charge two at the same time. In total I own 3 GoPro batteries right now.

GoPro Suction Mount

This is great for mounting on windows or cars.

GoPro Tripod Mount Adapter

I have a tripod quick release plate attached to this adapter and it helps me mount the GoPro to all kinds of tripods easily.

Deity V-Mic D3 Pro

Upgrade from the Røde VideoMicro, the difference is huge and I am very happy with this mic. Providing the USB-C chargeable internal battery, long battery life, supirior sound, and auto off feature, it's just unbeatable and so versatile.

Movo WS160 Microphone Windscreen

When there is wind while vlogging or making videos outdoors. Just gotta have one of these. Fits the Rode VideoMic NTG perfectly.

Peak Design Everyday Backpack 30L Charcoal

I got the PeakDesign Backpack 20L first. That was a little too small. Now I have the 30L version and it's almost perfect. All the stuff listed in this kit lives inside this backpack. Drone, Sony, Lenses, GoPro, Laptop. Everything! Again: I love it.

Peak Design Lens Kit

This is amazing to store or carry two Sony E-Mount Lenses all the time. I can attach it to one of the Capture Clips or just throw the lenses into my backpack. So much more convenient. Also: these are available for almost all other lens mount systems.

Røde NT-USB Mini

You want the simplicity of using a USB microphone? Then the NT-USB Mini may be a great choice for you. Combined with the Røde Connect app and the ability to record 4 microphones at the same time this could be all you need for your 4 person interview podcast.

Røde PodMic

A great competitor to the Shure SM7B which is a classic in the vocal recording world. The PodMic is great for podcasts, delivers a clear voice, and also looks pretty incredible.

Røde SmartLav+

One amazing mic. I love this lavalier - easy to attach, and you don't have any extra bulky sender / receiver. Just easy and clear sound. Downside: you have to sync in post (or use the long cables and adapter listed as well).

Røde VideoMicro

Great on camera mic - small, does not need an extra battery.

Zhiyun Crane v2

Butter smooth. This gimbal works great with the weight I am putting on it. And it is small - makes it easy to travel with.

Podcast Mic - ATR2100

A mic that has XLR and USB to either connect to professional audio gear or the laptop directly? Yes, please. It's a overall very good sounding mic and it's also light weight for travel. But it is a little too harsh on the handling/vibrating noise.

Shure A57AWS Locking Windscreen for BETA 57A

This is an expensive but good looking windscreen for the BETA 57A. It locks into place via a little magnet ring and helps prevent wind noise and "p" sounds.

Shure BETA 57A

My podcasting microphone of choice — I own two of these. It's incredibly durable and built like a tank while sounding absolutely stunning for my taste. It's also great in rejecting handling noise and thus very good for handheld work. I prefer this over the Shure BETA 58A becaus of it's looks and sound.

Zoom H5 Recorder

My audio recorder of choice for in person interviews for my podcast. It can also function as a audio interface to use the XLR mics directly with Skype or other applications. Very powerful and can also be extended to handle up to 4 XLR mics!

ATEM Mini

Whether you are live streaming or you would like to record multiple cameras at the same time, the ATEM Mini lineup will have something for you. I chose the cheapest option with the ATEM Mini which does not provide recording internally, but it does allow me to switch between cameras live and that signal is then recorded in the ATOMOS Ninja V which means I do not have to edit as much in post processing. This is especially powerful when creating courses which can be hours in length.

ATEM Mini Pro ISO

This device can live stream multiple angles but also record it all in individual files. An incredibly powerful machine.

Apple AirPods

One of the best investments ever. So small, so practical, and totally worth it. The only downside is that the generation one drains the batteries too fast in calls and thus one has to switch between the two ears a little and put the other into the charging case — luckily the charging goes fast enough, so that 15 mintues of charging gives you about an hour of talking time.

Behringer X-Touch Mini

Controlling the ATEM Mini is not that easy so I got this MIDI controller and built a software I call "ControllThemAll" to make scene switches seamless and give me more hardware knobs to control things.

Card Reader

The big downside of the new MacBook lineup… they don't have a card reader anymore so this is the one that just always stays in my backpack.

Erasable Notebook

Having a notebook that I can simply erase and not worry about the whole thing just filling up and carrying around a notebook full of notes from a long time ago sounded like a good idea. Since then though I have changed my mind and am using a fountain pen more often with a regular notebook.

Joby GorillaPod 5K Kit

The vlogging magic. Super versatile and great for small and big cameras. If you are working with mirrorless cameras and don't care about the base plate, then the smaller ones are a great choice. But combined with other tripods, and the peak design capture clip, this is your choice since the plates are the same. So you can connect your camera to whatever without screwing anything on or off.

MacBook Pro 15" 3.1GHz (Mid 2017)

At some point, my 2012 MacBook Pro was done. Upgrading to the fastest machine apple offered early 2018 was the best I could do to upgrade my workflow. Get some more speed and editing fun. Your computer is the one thing to bring it all together, and it better be fun to use it.

Manfrotto Phone Mount

This also has a tripod mounting plate attached and that way I can use my phone on all my tripods. Great for live streams and such.

Mic Desk Stand by K&M

Handholding a mic for an hour or two is not really ideal. That's why I like to use these desk stands when possible.

NP-FW50 Dual Battery Charger

Charging batteries inside the camera does not make sense. With this charger you can charge two at the same time via USB (or just use a battery pack) - I now own two of these! In total I own 8 NP-FW50 batteries (2 original, 6 third party).

Rode SC3 3.5mm TRRS to TRS Adapter

Adapter to also be able to record the SmartLav into a audio recorder or camera.

Røde PSA-1 Mic Arm

I own the Røde PSA-1 Mic arm but I don't love it. There are really cheap alternatives which work great (and sometimes better than the expensive PSA-1 (specifically for light weight microphones). But I love the PSA-1 for overhead mics and some other use cases.

Samsung T3 Portable SSD 500GB

This is probably the best upgrade to my gear I made in 2016. This drive is (I tested it) faster in reading/writing than my internal drive (since then I upgraded to a new MacBook Pro and that has a faster internal drive, but for expansion this is still my go to drive). I love it. I can't wait till I can afford to upgrade to the 2TB version of this.

Sigma Mount Converter MC-11 (Canon EOS to Sony E-Mount)

Since I started using the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 ART, I had to find an adapter. This is the one I chose. It is half the price of the Metabones and seems to work wonders! Works great for all the lenses I have tested (the Sigma 35, and a hand full of Canon EF lenses).

Viltrox DC-50 5' LCD Monitor

The Sony a7 series does feature a flip out screen. As I do a lot of videos where I just sit in front of the camera and talk for a while - and I still want to know if the camera is still on - I bought this fairly cheap monitor. Really useful in those situations - not so much for vlogging.

Zendure SuperPort 4: 100W USB-C Desktop Charger

A charging station for my desk. 100W for the MacBook Charging, and another USB-C for other things, then two extra powerful USB-A charging ports. It's so important to have good, powerful, charging for your devices so you don't brick your batteries too fast.

Zendure SuperTank USB-C PD Portable Charger

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