-Man of Many

As Casey Niestat says, “Bad gear is always forgivable if you have a good story.” Casey’s popular YouTube video Bike Lanes serves as proof of his claim. The video gained immense popularity online (at the time of writing, the video has well over 15 million views), yet it was only shot on a $90 Canon 300 HS.

In effect, a good story trumps gear every time, but we all know that great gear can only help. So without further ado, here are some of Casey’s favourite pieces of gear that you can use to share your stories that will resonate with your world.

The DSLR Setup

Casey has pioneered his own unique DSLR setup that combines an incredible camera, a high-quality microphone that offers hyperdirectional performance and a GorillaPod that provides a convenient selfiestick type of functionality. Here’s a deeper look at each piece of Casey’s DSLR setup.

Panasonic DC-GH5KBODY Lumix 4K Mirrorless ILC Camera

Update: Apr-17: While the A6500 has superior… well, just about everything, Casey prefers the Panasonic for the simple fact it has a front facing screen. According to him, he can’t vlog without it. He thinks they designed this camera with YouTuber’s in mind.

PURCHASE: PANASONIC DC-GH5KBODY LUMIX 4K MIRRORLESS ILC CAMERA

Update: Mar-17: Casey’s new vlog style shots are now filmed on the Sony a6500. IT’s a little more compact than his previous DSLR set up. Main reason he switched from Canon to Sony is 4k.

PURCHASE: SONY A6500

Update: Mar-17: For his studio shots he uses the Sony a7S II which is usually left on a tripod. It’s a little too huge to vlog with he thinks. He prefers the Sony’s over the Canon’s except for the lack of a front facing screen and the superior color profile of the Canon’s.

PURCHASE: SONY A7S II

UPDATE: Casey was lucky enough to get a hold of this Canon EOS 80D DSLR early from two stores in fact thanks in large to this tweet! It’s ~~now~~ no longer his main weapon of choice for vlogging with a crazy 45-point auto-focus zones. He’s actually switched back to the 70D below.

PURHCASE: CANON EOS 80D DSLR

For the camera body itself, Casey uses a Canon EOS 70D DSLR camera that blends quality and the all-important camera control for vlogging into a compelling and relatively affordable package.

PURHCASE: CANON EOS 70D DSLR

Next, he uses a Canon EF-S 10-22mm lens that is wide, looks great and allows a vlogger or filmmaker to pack plenty of detail into a shot.

PURCHASE: CANON EF-S 10-22MM

Update: This is apparently his day-to-day wide lens. The above one is apparently the more expensive one.

PURCHASE: CANON EF-S 10-18MM

Casey adds a quality microphone into his DSLR setup, and he chose the Rode VideoMic Pro. Casey chose this microphone because it is highly hyperdirectional, meaning that the microphone does a great job of capturing vlogging audio directly in front of the camera while peripheral noise gets drowned out. For Casey’s vlogs, this microphone is a natural fit.

PURCHASE: RODE VIDEOMIC PRO

Update: He listed a different mic in his latest video. This Shure VP83 LensHopper Camera-Mounted Condenser Microphone. This Highly directional super cardioid/lobar polar pattern rejects unwanted off-axis audio while clearly capturing the intended sound source.

PURCHASE: SHURE VP83 LENSHOPPER CAMERA-MOUNTED CONDENSER MICROPHONE

Update 2: As of September 2016, Sennheiser came out with the MKE 440 microphone. He hasn’t tried it out just yet but he’s pretty amped given the quality of Sennheiser’s other products.

PURCHASE: SENNHEISER MKE 440 MICROPHONE

Finally, Casey completes his setup with an innovative selfie stick of sorts that is designed to support his innovative DSLR setup. Casey utilizes the Joby GorillaPod Focus with Ballhead X bundle, which unlike a selfie stick, provides the bulk needed to comfortably support Casey’s DSLR setup. Not only are the pods great for vlogging, they are also versatile enough to handle plenty of other innovative setup options for creative filmmakers.

PURCHASE: JOBY GORILLAPOD

Update: Apparently Casey said you need this thing for the GorillaPod.

PURCHASE: JOBY BALLHEAD

Update: This is Casey’s expensive camera he apparently doesn’t use enough. We think his footage looks fine though.

PURCHASE: CANON EOS 5D MARK IV

The GoPro Arsenal

Update: He’s recently been testing all four of the GoPro’s below to see which one’s his favourite. He’s likely going with the Hero 5 Black given the ease of use with the touchscreen.

PURCHASE: GOPRO HERO5 BLACK

PURCHASE: GOPRO HERO5 SESSION

PURCHASE: GOPRO HERO4 BLACK

PURCHASE: GOPRO HERO SESSION

Smartphones of Choice

Update: Samsung’s top shelf entry delivers massive screen size, a dual lens camera, a handy S-Pen and so much more. Casey rolls with only the best and the Note8 is as good as it gets for the brand, making it a no-brainer addition to his mobile arsenal.

Samsung Galaxy S8+

There’s no doubt he’ll be rocking with this given his close relationship with the company.

PURCHASE: SAMSUNG GALAXY S8

iPhone X

Update: Epic screen size. Epic display. Epic camera. Epic everything. Of course, Casey got himself the iPhone X.

iPhone 7 Plus

In addition to rocking a Samsung, Casey usually carries two phones with him. One for work and one for personal stuff. Also certain apps just work better on the iPhone.

PURCHASE: IPHONE 7 PLUS

Point and Shoots

If you’re just getting started with vlogging or are considering vlogging for a living, Casey suggests modestly priced point and shoots as a great place to start. Remember, the story matters, not the gear. Here are some of the point and shoots that come highly recommended by Casey.

Update April 2017: He’s now updated to the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V which is 4K. He’s very excited about this little guy. Hopefully the focus is better than the older version. It lives right on his hip.

PURCHASE: SONY CYBER-SHOT DSC-RX100 V

Update: Along with the release of the 80D, Canon also came out with a new point and shoot in the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II. The 20.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor with Canon’s new DIGIC 7 Image Processor helps deliver exceptional image quality even in low light.

PURCHASE: CANON POWERSHOT G7 X MARK II

For a vlogger or filmmaker who is just starting out, Casey highly recommends the Canon PowerShotS120. That was Casey’s go-to point when he started getting into vlogging, and he used it frequently as a daily shooter since it is robust, durable and provides high-quality video without being exorbitantly expensive. Fragile cameras are not an option for daily shooters.

PURCHASE: CANON POWERSHOT S120

Next up, Casey also recommends the Canon PowerShot G7 X. It shoots amazing video that exceeds the S120 and has an incredible fold-up screen that video creators love, but Casey warns his viewers that it is a more fragile camera than the S120.

PURCHASE: CANON POWERSHOT G7 X

Finally, Casey mentioned to his YouTube viewers that the best point and shoot on the market is the Sony RX100 IV. While it is a stunning point and shoot, Casey warned viewers about diminishing returns. In effect, the more you spend on a camera, the less likely it is that the results will be markedly different than a cheaper competitor. Again, this ties into the theme that a great story is more important than cutting-edge gear. Still, for those in need of the very best point and shoot, the RX100 IV fits the bill.

PURCHASE: SONY RX100 IV

Drones

Adding a new dimension to his vlogs from greater heights, these drones give viewers a new perspective on the world in which Casey resides.

Yes it’s a drone. Yes it’s a DJI. and YES, it folds up and fits in your freakin’ pocket! Yet to get our hands on one of these but my god does the DJI Mavic look good!

PURCHASE: DJI MAVIC PRO DRONE

This is Karma. It’s a drone made by GoPro and we don’t know too much about it yet, other than it folds up as well. Has an amazing gimbal that you can take out of the drone to use on a hand-held stabiliser and it is also equally awesome as the above drone.

PURCHASE: GOPRO KARMA DRONE

Updated: There’s no question that the DJI Phantom 4 is the best consumer drone on the market. It’s front facing sensors stop it from running into walls and heck, it’ll even follow you around if you want it to! We’ve been loving the diversity and scenic shots that this drone has brought to Casey’s vlogs.

PURCHASE: DJI PHANTOM 4 DRONE

Update Oct’16: Haven’t seen him play around with this one yet but apparently it’s an Action Sports Drone called the AirDog. Pretty dope name so it must be good.

PURCHASE: AIRDOG – THE ACTION SPORTS DRONE

He’s not using the Parrot Bebop 2 Quadcopter Drone too much anymore now that the Phantom 4 can fit easily into his backpack with it’s clip on propellors. The Bebop is still a great (and cheaper) kick around option for those wanting to learn how to fly before they delve into the big time.

PURCHASE: PARROT BEBOP 2 QUADCOPTER DRONE

Update: Here’s another one of his old drones that he listed. He crashed this one a lot.

PURCHASE: DJI PHANTOM 3 STANDARD QUADCOPTER

360 Cameras

Some video creators may want to capture a 360° space in a single shot. To that end, Casey has a few recommendations.

Update: Casey’s teamed up with Samsung lately on some pretty cool projects, including getting the chance to attend the Oscars! Forget the complicated and expensive GoPro mounts. He’s been taking along this new Samsung Gear 360 Camera that shoots high quality and easy to convert 360.

PURCHASE: SAMSUNG GEAR 360

The Ricoh Theta S provides Casey with an easy to carry and easy to use camera that provides quality 360° images, which leads Casey to recommend it as a quality 360 camera.

PURCHASE: RICOH THETA S

The GoPro Hero 4 in tandem with the Freedom 360 GoPro Mount provides a compelling 360° experience that Casey has enjoyed and personally used as well. This setup is great for active video pros who want a camera to keep up with their active lifestyle.

PURCHASE: GOPRO HERO 4

Random Gadgets

He recently got this roating GoPro Selfie Stick made by a company called Spivo. Pretty nifty but it didn’t look like it turned 180 full each time Casey pressed the button.

PURCHASE: SPIVO ROTATING SELFIE STICK

This next level marSoar L1 3-Axis motorised Handheld Gimbal for Iphone & other Smartphones and Gopro, and what ever else you can fit on it!

PURCHASE: MARSOAR L1 3-AXIS MOTORISED HANDHELD GIMBAL

Timelapse Camera Work

Casey also likes to do some timelapse work on occasion, and he has two recommendations on that front as well.

A simple and quality camera on your smartphone — Casey uses an iPhone 6S with the timelapse setting built right into the camera — will do wonders for basic and effective timelapse creative work. Alternatively, Casey also uses a GoPole SceneLapse which provides a rotating timelapse device that offers effective 360° panoramic photo and video.

PURCHASE: GOPOLE SCENELAPSE

A Snapshot of Vlogging’s Camera Future