6 Pieces of Filmmaking Gear That Will Last FOREVER

We all want to spend our money on filmmaking gear that’s actually going to last - and the 6 pieces on this list will do exactly that. Everything has been in my kit for longer than 5 years and comes with me on every single shoot, making this stuff some of the best value gear investments I’ve ever made.

#filmmaking #gear #tough

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🔗 *LINKS FROM THIS VIDEO*

CHAPTERS

0:00 - Intro
0:45 - How I choose gear
2:16 - First piece, had this for 10 years now
4:14 - Second piece, also from the audio department
5:36 - Third piece, from the lighting department
7:49 - Fourth piece, to carry your gear safely
10:07 - Fifth piece, the best lens I’ve owned so far
12:54 - Sixth piece, this one got shot and kept working

🎥 🔥 📷 GEAR I USE

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IG: @lucforsyth (BTS content, but I’m TERRIBLE at DMs - sorry!)

[kaszrack]

As a 20 year old aspiring cinematographer, I've been learning more from this channel than from any of the work experience I've done before, the amount of videos I've watched in the past few days is astounding, its also exciting to see what the future could hold for someone who is determined enough to make it in this industry.

[SevenPhotonsFilms]

Thank you! The value of this video is huge: this dissipates a lot of doubts I've had about deciding the order of priorities in my next equipment update (hopefully 2025/26). Of course we can get many advises out there, but your unique rough environment experience gives top notch confidence.

[mattknight]

UK TV Shooting Director here....so glad to see the classics we use over here being mentioned, the flowtech, the G3 getting some love. But most of all the fujinons. Great, great lenses.

[DaveKnowlesFilmmaker]

The 416 is an amazing microphone. I did eventually upgrade from my T powered one to 48V but not until it was around 40 years old and still working perfectly. I in fact had it serviced before selling it and nothing had to be done. That microphone had been used all around the world and in temperatures above 50 degrees in the deserts of the UAE and never let me down.

[dr.gregoryf.maassen]

Good list. We should not forget to mention that we need the equipment on location twice (other than the cases and tripods), as redundancy is critically important. This includes cables (we had a mini XLR cable suddenly failing), microphones, data retention (hard drives fail all the time), lights and cameras (one Canon C70 had to be serviced after failing, and we continued to film as we had a second C70 on set). We film with two Sennheiser lavaliers patched to each individual and have two shotguns attached to each camera. Call us crazy, but we never had to cancel a shoot because of equipment failure and we never had lousy audio (as even Sennheisers can disconnect once in a while arbitrarily as they run out of battery or other human failures - like not pressing the record button on the field recorder). Planning for redundancy reduces costs eventually, as planning a new shoot because of equipment failure can be very expensive (talent, hotels, travel, lost opportunities etc. etc. etc., etc.).

[billem]

Luc i love your videos. I am a way smaller filmmaker (half of my work is weddings and half is corporate/client stuff), but I love all your videos and am always learning from you. You stand WAY out from the pack because you aren't forcing new junk down our throats, you're true and pure about gear and no BS and that's why we love your stuff, please continue to be like this! You're like a needle in a haystack on YT. Oh and I do have the Sennheiser G4 kit, i like it a lot, although I do battle occasional weird frequency pops and *kshkhkkksh* noises mid-interview, and I want to get better at hiding the mic under clothing while avoiding clothing rustle noise, other than that, they are great!

[chris]

+1 for the Sachtler. Used mine for the last five years on shoots all over the world. Used it down to -35c, dragged it up and down cliffs many times, covered it in salt water etc and it still works perfectly! I don't know what I'd do without it at this point...

[josephfriedman]

Love your videos. I've been shooting for over 50 years and I find what you say so informative. You have carved out a piece of the cinematography world that no one seems to have occupied.

[Miniaminism]

Real advices, real experience, real pro ! Thanks for sharing you knowledge Luc !

[makatron]

Yup, agree with everything. I too went for the cheap route and learned the hard way that you gotta invest in long term reliability. I'm saving to upgrade to that very tripod now after having the pleasure to use it for a commercial shoot this year and it just works.

[brianonley]

Great point Luc. It is not about the hottest or the latest and if anyone runs that path are in for some serious disappointments. Road tested, long term usage, survivability, regardless of the price is much more important. Good job here and you could be the first person to ever point that out. Cheers mate.

[baldwinvp]

I still have multiple Sennheiser G2 and G3 units going strong. I recently decided to replace them with Deity Theos for the ability to record 32 bit float with timecode, but I still have the G2 and G3 units waiting in my audio bag for when they are needed. I truly love this video! Great advice!

[Nisharigan]

I can't thank you enough! This video is a game-changer for me. It resolved all the confusion I had about how to prioritize my next equipment upgrades. Your guidance is spot on!

[mattwruff]

People who don't have the Fujinon MK can't appreciate the MK's! I got the Sachtler flowtech during last Black Friday when B&H had then $500 off. the 416 (outdoors) and MKH50 (indoors) are my go to shotgun mic but the new DPA 2017 is worth a serious look! The one thing I would add to the list is iFootage Spider Crabs. They are simply the BEST!

[fossmountainfilm]

Couldn't agree with you more, Luc. Several years ago, to finish a short doc, I bought the Sennheiser 416 mic and love it. This mic will last me a long time. Also, recently bought the cheapest Sachtler flowtech 75 legs and a head. That tripod is solid and I imagine it will be with me for many years. Buy nice or buy twice.

[NeilEvery]

Loved my Sennheiser G3 kit. Sold it a couple of years ago when the legal frequency rules changed and mine were no longer legal. Lucky this wasn't a problem for you. Since then I've been using the Sennheiser AVX kit. I also have the MKE 600 mic. Great video btw, though I mostly shoot in less extreme environments than you, I agree it's better to pay extra for something that can take a beating. I come from 8yrs as an AC on film sets using 35mm Arris and Panavision camera where every piece of gear was built like a tank and when I shifted to DSLR and digital cine cameras and went freelance I was shocked at how flimsy a lot of the gear was, even gear touted as being best in class.

[nickdelatorre]

Spot on about the G3’s, even the one I bought used still holds up

[PBentz]

I’m shocked that the wescott lights make this list. I have experience with everything on this list and our wescotts broke multiple times without subjecting them to anything close to the stuff you put them through. I wonder if different generations or manufacturing years are to blame or something else. Always love your perspective!

[markmadnessmedia]

You get what you pay for! Thanks for your informative and concise videos. I just discovered your channel and after watching only 2 videos I subscribed!

[Sgyozo]

There are a lot of Sennheiser G2, G3 for sale but for a reason, bands C, D, E can't be used anymore in Europe legally, and as GSM networks use a lot of frequencies there it's not recommended to buy them anymore. Maybe they work sometimes, but it's not fun if you figure out at home that there was a strange clicking noise or interference the whole time. Pretty annoying if your $500 set becomes unusable after a few years because of new regulations. And sennheiser is an ass basically, they only offered some discount to buy a new set. So, before you buy anything make sure that the frequency range is usable for you.