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One of the great things about social media is that everybody can be a content creator – but that also makes it hard for your content to stand out from the crowd. Upgrading your gear beyond just your smartphone can give your photos and videos a more professional edge, so we’ve put together four ready-made kits to help you really elevate your content. Words Michael Irving

What do you need? The smartphones we all carry around are pretty powerful pieces of tech, and, for many creators, that’s enough. But if you spend much time on social media, you can usually spot the difference between someone shooting on a standard smartphone versus those using more professional equipment. It might look brighter, sharper, more vibrant, more engaging. To get started, there are a few key pieces of gear that you’ll need. A dedicated camera will help you take higher quality photos and videos, opening up extra features and options to tweak. As a bonus, you won’t clog up your phone’s storage or drain its battery on a shoot. Next, you’ll want to look at a tripod/gimbal. This lets you stand a camera still and free up your hands, hold the camera farther away from you to fit more in frame, and smooth out moving shots.

And finally, don’t underestimate sound. External microphones are an easy way to capture crystal clear voices even in noisy places. Some clip to your star’s clothes, or attach directly to the camera and record higher quality sound than

the phone or camera alone. What to look for in a camera

First foray into cameras beyond your smartphone? Here’s a quick explainer on some key terms, as well as which kinds of creators might need what. Sensor The surface inside the camera that the light hits to form the image. The main number you’ll want from this is the megapixel (MP) count, which informs image resolution. Any creator benefits from sharp, detailed images!

18 APRIL 2024

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