7 pieces of Camera Gear I Regret NOT buying sooner...

As filmmakers, photographers, cinematographers, and content creators; we have a handful of gear and equipment that is essential to do our jobs. Then, we have a whole array of gear that is "nice to have" but not necessarily essential. Learn from my mistakes over the years and consider investing in these essential items that will stand the test of time.

Gear Mentioned in the Video:

Audio Licensing:
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Chapters:
00:00 Camera Gear | Essential v. Non
00:39 Item No. 01
02:36 Item No. 02
05:07 Item No. 03
06:31 Item No. 04
07:25 Item No. 05
08:28 Item No. 06
10:29 Item No. 07
12:44 Common Denominator

[joas]

It's not only a waste of money, it's a waste of the earth's resources too. Great to see you recommend quality stuff that lasts!

[SweetspotImaging]

We all suffer from GAS at times. But boy is it a relief when you're unburdened from it.

[thenategriffin]

I built out a NAS with Synology, 5 drive, expandable units up to 10 more drives. It's been working great, just plugged into my router, network access, hardwired connection. That was a game changer for organization.

[CollinSadoff]

Super chill and helpful video! Hoping to see some more soon bro!

[FulaanCreative]

Amazing Video. Thanks for the sound advice.

[parodyverse]

Awesome video, thanks for sharing the tips and tools that you use.

[AustinWestbro]

You deserve so many more subscribers! I love the way you present the info. Super clear and to the point with just the right amount of B roll.

[RobRanney]

Great overview! I use a Synology 8-bay NAS, and it simplified my business so much having everything in one place and not in a flurry of external portable drives. I still use portable SSDs for travel jobs, but getting a NAS was one of the most influential purchases I've made. Be sure to get a 10Gbe port compatible NAS, or a NAS that can take a 10Gbe expansion card, it will elevate your read/write speeds tremendously. One reminder is that RAID is not a backup, just redundancy (which helps minimize downtime when drives fail- and they all do eventually). You truly should have a 2nd storage unit for backup, and many experts say a 3rd in the cloud to prevent against theft or damage at your office location. That sure gets expensive though. :)

[KeddingtonKKB_Official]

i love how you put this video together. Anyone can tell you put a lot of thought & time into it. Quality stuff! Awesome graphics

[douglasdollars]

The quality of these recommendations, and your videos, are stellar.

[alexanderdunton]

Thankyou Troy. I appreciate you taking this time and sharing. As a beginner, your helping me grow with a strong and balanced Foundation. Good work Brother!

[jackson]

Hi, Just stumbled on this and felt compelled to comment. It's all excellent advice.
I've worked in film/tv since the late 70's and made plenty of bad buying decisions in the process! :-)
GAS is a relatively new term (I think) but I've suffered for decades!
If you're working professionally then at least it's all tax deductable, but you'll always end up buying kit that you regret and hardly ever use.

The advice I was given, and never took! Was to sell anything if you haven't used it for 6 months.
As Troy said, the stuff you can't go wrong with is: tripods/heads, lighting stands, solid grip kit in general. Buy the best quality you can afford, you'll still be using it in 30 years!
Buy stuff thats appropriate for the work you do. For example don't get a great tripod thats too heavy! Sounds basic but we can all make that sort of mistake! You'll end up leaving it at home.
Lenses can seem pricey but they're generally a good investment. You'll be using them after many changes of camera and you'll get a reasonable price when you eventually sell them.
These days the camera body itself is probably the most difficult investment. An expensive camera body will be still producing superb images many years from now but there'll be something 'better' in 6-12 months and your £15, 000 camera will still be great, but worth very little. If you've really got to have the latest thing then you'd better have a lot of work to justify the expense and to pay for the loans. If you feel the camera body is going to generate work for you, then great. But it had better pay for itself in less than 2 years.

[noahweinstein]

As someone who is about to starting as an entry level professional this is super helpful! Thanks

[inhousefilms_]

Greetings from the UK… love your videos Troy! Keep ‘em comin and I’m sure this channel is going to grow quickly.

[LucivoryPhotography]

I totally understand what you talking about when it come to buying gear that that do not last or just not good. Love your video.

[amidfilms]

@Troy Mairs
The choice between a DAS (Promise Pegasus) and NAS (Synology) for video editing largely depends on your specific needs and workflow. While many people on the internet recommend a NAS for video editing, it's important to consider that a NAS can be slow to edit off of, unless you have an expensive SSD NAS.

If you require a centralized storage system for your team and need to access files remotely or collaborate on projects with multiple editors, then a NAS might be a good choice for you. A NAS allows you to store all of your files in one centralized location, which can be accessed by anyone on your team who has the appropriate permissions. Additionally, you can access your files remotely, which is useful if you need to work from a location outside of your office.

However, it's important to note that a NAS can struggle with random IOP/S, which can slow down access times and potentially cause issues with latency during the editing process. Random IOP/S is a measure of the ability of a storage system to handle multiple small input/output operations per second. In video editing workflows, where data is spread out across multiple hard drives, random IOP/S can be a critical factor. When data has to go through a CPU before being processed, this can cause slower access times, which can negatively impact the editing process.

On the other hand, if you're a solo video editor or work with a small team, a DAS might be a better choice for you. A DAS provides direct data access through a RAID card, rather than through a CPU, which results in faster access times and can significantly improve your editing workflow. This can be especially important when working with large files and multiple applications at the same time.

For example, I recently switched from a NAS (DS1821+) to a DAS (Promise Pegasus) due to the issue with random IOP/S, and it has made a significant positive impact on my editing workflow. My relinking process went from taking 2 minutes down to just 30 seconds, and overall, the improved performance and reliability of the DAS has made my workflow better in every aspect. It feels like I am working off an SSD.

In summary, the choice between a DAS or NAS for video editing comes down to your specific needs and workflow. If you need to access files remotely or collaborate with multiple editors, a NAS might be a good choice. However, if you're a solo editor or work with a small team and need faster access times, a DAS might be a better choice for you.


If you would like I would love to elaborate more about NAS vs DAS with you.

[teacherofteachers]

For me the hardest thing to come to terms with was C-stands, because they are as expensive as they are boring! Now of course I have several (all used or on sale) - essential piece of kit.

[TouchLifeStudio]

Thanks for great advice and sharing practical tips. While I mainly do photography, I’m dabbing into video more, mainly with my channel. Again, you are being very thorough and systematic. 👍👍👍

[thehuskyunicorn]

Great video man, I’ve been doing this for a long time and have also learned the hard way! Data storage gets pushed lower on the list than it should be, and I’m in the same boat as you on that one!

[AlasdairBraxton]

Refreshing to hear your thoughts on this man! Great vid 🔥