My Portable Minimalist Vlogging Kit from DJI

Good day, folks! Shawn here from Air Photography. Today, I’m going to share with you my portable minimalist vlogging kit from DJI. DJI has some pretty incredible equipment – a lot of easy-to-use, practical gear that doesn’t take up much space and allows you to capture footage without being bogged down with a lot of gear and packs.

For the most part, everything I need when out recording for YouTube or other projects can fit in this little case here. This is a shoulder-style bag, a messenger-style bag, and I quite like these when I’m out filming because everything’s easily at hand. I don’t have to take a backpack off. So, let’s just take a look at what I have inside.

Cameras

In this pack, I have two cameras to start off:

1. The Action 5 Pro: This is DJI’s latest action camera. It’s great for a lot of different scenarios, especially for vlogging. You can easily connect microphones to it, and it’s got that new tracking feature to help keep you centered when using it for vlogging. It has great image quality, great battery life, and is just a really nice camera to keep in a portable vlogging kit like this.
2. The Pocket 3: This is a great multi-purpose camera. You can use this for vlogging; for myself, I tend to use this to record my YouTube videos. Most of the videos you’ve seen this summer where I was outside filming were filmed on the Pocket 3. If you’re doing something where you want tracking, you’re able to set this down on a tripod and have the camera track you.

   Of course, it has the 1-inch sensor and mechanical gimbal, so it does a great job in low-light scenarios or filming at night. Just like the Action 5 Pro, you can easily connect a wireless microphone without having to plug in any receivers. I usually keep that power handle attached to it, which gives me lots of battery power, so if I’m going to be out filming for the day, I don’t have to worry about running out of power.

   You’ll notice at the bottom of the battery handle I have a magnetic adapter. This was actually designed for an Insta360 camera, but it connects to the bottom of this with no issues, and it actually works quite well. We’ll take a look at why I have that here coming up in a minute.

Audio Equipment

For audio, I’m using the DJI Mic 2. The nice thing about this is it can connect directly to the Action 5 and to the Pocket 3. I can use one microphone and just switch it back and forth as needed. It helps keep your pack light and minimal, and it just works really well.

Of course, there’s plenty of room in this bag still, so if I do need different types of audio options, I can carry the whole kit inside. But for the most part, I tend to bring just one of the transmitters with me when out filming.

Accessories

1. Extension Pole: I bring this with me for several different reasons. The simplest reason is if you’re doing any type of vlogging, sometimes you want some more reach so you can get a wider shot. Even if I’m going to capture some clips with the Pocket 3, because of that magnetic mount I put at the bottom, you can see my Pocket 3 will attach to it quite easily. For me, it just puts it at a more natural angle for vlogging. You don’t have to hold it at such an angle.
2. Tripod: I use this tripod to connect to the bottom of the extension pole. With that tripod base attached to the bottom, this essentially becomes a full-size tripod when I’m out filming with the Pocket 3 for YouTube. This is all I usually bring with me for the most part. It works really well. Now, you do have to be careful on uneven ground and really windy days because it is a fairly small tripod base, so that can be an issue. It’s just a nice simple way to have a tripod with you with enough height without having to bring a big bulky tripod along. That’s the main reason why I put the magnetic mount on the bottom here. I can easily attach it and then set it up and start filming. Of course, if I want the Action 5 on there, it connects just as easily if I want to set this down and capture a time-lapse or do some hands-free filming.
3. DJI Neo: Every vlogging kit should have a drone if you want to capture some nice B-roll footage, some aerial shots, or just some shots of you hiking if you’ve got a hiking channel or hiking social media. I think the DJI Neo is the perfect drone for this type of kit. It’s super lightweight and minimal; you don’t need a controller with it, which would add a lot of bulk to your setup. You can grab some interesting footage with it. You can connect it to your phone, get some virtual joysticks if you want more traditional drone footage if you don’t like using the modes that are built in. If you just want some aerial shots, it’s super lightweight, so it doesn’t add any bulk to your kit whether you’re going to be using it that day or not. It’s just a great addition to have in a kit like this. Of course, if you want a more traditional drone, something like the Mini 4 Pro would fit in a kit like this with no issue. There’s even room for a controller in there if need be, but this is going to add a lot of bulk to the setup. So for me, this is more than adequate for when I’m out filming and I just want to capture some B-roll, just some interesting shots for a vlog or whatever I’m filming for YouTube or social media.
4. Spare Batteries: We’ve got to bring some spare batteries with us when we’re out filming because you never know how much power you’re going to need. This is an interesting device to bring along with you in a pack like this because not only will this give you your extra batteries for your Action 5, but this whole thing can act as a power bank. If I need to add some power to my phone if the battery is getting low, I can easily plug this into it and charge it up. I can charge up my Pocket 3, I can add some power to the DJI Mic 2, I can even plug my Neo into it and add a little extra power if this is getting low. Of course, we’ll bring a spare battery for the Neo. The Avata doesn’t have the best battery flight time, so an extra battery doesn’t hurt to bring along with you. These batteries are pretty small and lightweight, so it’s not going to add a lot of weight or bulk to your kit.
5. Power Handle: This is kind of a bonus item. I don’t always bring it with me, but if I know I’m going to be doing a lot of recording and I don’t want to have to worry about swapping out batteries, then it’s a great option to bring along as well. Plus, you have the convenience of having the controls built in, and again, it just makes a nice handle for vlogging. It has the built-in tripod so you can set your camera down and capture a time-lapse.

Conclusion

So yeah, that is my minimalist vlogging kit for social media or YouTube when I’m out creating. Some great equipment from DJI allows you to get out and capture some beautiful footage without having to be bogged down with a lot of gear.

Thanks a lot for watching, and we’ll see you in the next one.

Bye!