What gear does a solo videographer actually need to start?

Seven things: a reliable video-first camera (Sony FX30 class), one fast standard zoom (Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8), a wireless mic system with onboard backup recording (RØDE Wireless GO Gen 3 or DJI Mic 2), an on-camera shotgun as a safety, one bi-color LED with a softbox, a fluid-head tripod, and doubled-up media plus a backup SSD. Roughly $3,800–$4,000 new, and it covers most paid interview, brand, and event work.

What should beginner videographers not buy?

The five most common wasted purchases: a drone (low billable use, requires FAA Part 107 to charge for legally), a gimbal before mastering tripod work, a collection of prime lenses instead of one fast zoom, cage/matte-box/follow-focus rig accessories, and a second camera body before the bookings demand one. All are fine later — they're just poor uses of a first budget.

Is the Sony FX30 good for solo videographers?

Yes — it's arguably the default solo-operator camera in 2026. It has Sony Cinema Line color science, no recording time limits thanks to a built-in fan, excellent autofocus you can trust while managing audio and lights alone, and a body price around $1,700–$1,800. Its APS-C sensor is the main tradeoff versus the pricier full-frame FX3.

How important is audio gear compared to the camera?

More important, dollar for dollar. Clients tolerate imperfect images but reject video they can't hear clearly. A solo operator can't monitor headphones constantly, so redundancy matters most: wireless lav to camera, a 32-bit float backup recording inside the transmitter, and an on-camera shotgun as a third layer.

Gear

The Solo Videographer Gear List: What a One-Person Crew Actually Needs

A working videographer gear list for a one-person crew — the camera, lens, audio, light, and support worth buying in 2026, plus five things beginners buy but shouldn't.

Josiah LoveJune 15, 20267 min read

The Solo Videographer Gear List: What a One-Person Crew Actually Needs

Every solo videographer's gear journey has the same shape: you buy too much, use half of it, and eventually shrink down to a kit that fits in one bag and gets carried to every shoot. This list skips to the end. It's the working kit for a one-person crew in 2026 — the stuff that earns its weight on interviews, brand videos, events, and church shoots — followed by the five purchases beginners make that quietly waste their first $2,000.

The organizing principle: as a solo operator, your gear has to work while you're not watching it. You are the camera op, the audio tech, the gaffer, and the client-wrangler at the same time. Every item below is chosen for reliability and set-and-forget behavior over maximum spec.

Item	Pick	Street price	Why this one
Camera	Sony FX30	$1,799 (often $1,698)	Cinema Line color, no record limits, fan-cooled, tally lamp
Lens	Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN	~$549	Covers 90% of paid work; constant f/2.8; tiny
Wireless audio	RØDE Wireless GO (Gen 3)	$299	32-bit float onboard backup recording saves blown takes
Shotgun mic	RØDE VideoMic NTG	~$249	On-camera scratch/backup audio, auto power
Key light	Amaran 200x S + softbox	~$300 + $100	Bi-color, app control, quiet fan, Bowens mount
Support	Fluid-head video tripod (e.g., Manfrotto 502 head class)	$200–$350	Smooth pans; a stills tripod will fight you
Media & backup	2x V60 SD cards + 2TB portable SSD	~$250	Two cards per shoot, dump to SSD same day

The Solo Videographer Gear List: What a One-Person Crew Actually Needs

Why the audio picks are half the list

The five things beginners buy but shouldn't

What to add once the work shows up

Frequently asked questions

Sources

ND Filters for Video, Explained: Stops, Variable vs Fixed, and When You Actually Need One

Lav vs Shotgun Mic: Which One Actually Wins on Set

AI Companion Devices in 2026: A Buyer's Guide to a Strange New Category