Here are 4 cool smartphone gadgets that will make your next live stream or YouTube video look more professional!
We are creating more and more video with our smartphones – 400 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute! Here are 4 gadgets to solve the most pressing issues when it comes to video quality.
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Fix #1 – Shaky Video
Keep your camera steady with a gadget called PIVOT from Olloclip. These are the guys that invented those little clip on camera lenses for your iPhone.
This is a smartphone grip for steadier shots. The mount moves 225 degrees so you can get more creative with different angles. Plus, it’s way more comfortable to hold than your phone by itself. Pivot also works with GoPro cameras too – it sells for $50.
Forget about bulky tripods – MeFoto Air is one you’ll actually want to carry around.
It’s super compact and lightweight, plus it features a fast and easy way to extend the legs the company calls “hyperlock.” You won’t believe how small this thing folds up. Bonus points since the MeFoto Air comes in a variety of fun colors – starting at $125.
Fix #2 – Poor Audio
Make sure your audience can hear you with a mic like the pros use! The iRig Mic Lav ($50) plugs into your phone and ensures your voice will be heard. You can even connect two of them together to go interview style with one mic on you and your subject.
Keep in mind, iPhone 7 has ditched the headphone jack so you’ll need to connect the iRig Mic Lav into a light lightning headphone adapter first. My experience is that Samsung and LG phones play nice with external mics like this but other Android phones may vary. Some of them don’t recognize the plugged in microphone. If this is the case, you can try pairing it with an app called Open Camera, which should do the trick.
Fix #3 – Terrible Lighting
Illuminate your shot with the new LuMee Duo case ($70). It has bright LEDs on both sides. This means your Facebook Live using the front facing camera will be well lit, and so are the videos that you record with the back camera.
You can even adjust the brightness of the lights for that perfect shot. Bonus points since it also works to take better selfies in dark situations.