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The Gear a Real Production Studio Uses Every Day

I run YOURMEDIA, a video production studio in Casablanca. Every week we film podcasts, ads and brand content for paying clients. This isn't a list of gear I borrowed for a review. It's the equipment that survives real shoots: three-hour podcasts, outdoor ads, long days.

Below is everything, in the order we set up a shoot: camera → audio → light → the small stuff.

Quick list

(Each item links to its current price on Amazon. We never list fixed prices because they change daily.)

Cameras

Cinema line: Sony FX3 + Sony FX30

Sony's cinema-line cameras: compact bodies designed for video first, with cooling made for long recording. The FX3 is full frame; the FX30 is its Super 35 sibling, a more affordable way into the same cinema line.

Podcast cameras: 3× Sony A7 IV

On podcasts we run three of them side by side. Three identical bodies means the colour, the skin tones and the look match on every angle, so the edit feels like one world. Full frame, 4K 10-bit and reliable eye autofocus.

Extra angles: 6× Sony A6600

Compact APS-C bodies that take the same Sony E-mount lenses. When a setup needs a fourth, fifth or sixth angle, these are the cameras we add.

Who these are for: a solo creator needs one body, not twelve. If you're starting, the A7 IV or FX30 is the step up from a phone; the rest of this list is what a studio needs to run several sets at once.

Action and 360°: GoPro MAX

For POV shots, tight spaces and 360° footage you can reframe in the edit.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max (yes, really)

All our behind-the-scenes is filmed on an iPhone 15 Pro Max. In the video above, I put it side by side with our main camera. Most people can't tell which is which on a well-lit shot. If you're a coach or creator starting out, your phone is a real camera. What makes footage look professional is the audio and light around it.

Lenses: Sony G Master + Samyang AF

We have the full Sony G Master family for hero shots, and the Samyang autofocus range for Sony E-mount. The Samyang primes are the value pick: fast apertures, real background blur and solid autofocus for a fraction of G Master prices, which is exactly what you want on extra angles.

Audio

Our rule with every client: viewers forgive a slightly soft image; they never forgive bad audio.

Microphones: DJI and RØDE

Six mics between the two brands: wireless lav systems for interviews, podcasts and anything that moves, and shotgun mics just outside the frame when we want a clean shot with no mic in front of the face. Tip: always enable internal backup recording on wireless transmitters, so a radio dropout never costs you a take.

The cheap upgrade: treat the room

Moving blankets, rugs and curtains around the speaker cut echo more than a mic upgrade ever will.

Lighting

10+ lights from Godox and Amaran

COB lights with softboxes as key lights, LED panels for fill, and RGB lights for backgrounds and effects. The softbox is the real secret: the larger and closer the light source, the softer it falls on skin. We place the key at about 45° from the subject, slightly above eye level, and feather it (aim just in front of the face) for a natural look.

Fill and background

A soft panel or a white bounce on the shadow side, and a separate light on the background. That background light doesn't light the person: it separates them from the background, which is the visual difference between "filmed at home" and "filmed in a studio".

Our studio rule: natural colour. If the light is right on set, you don't need a heavy grade.

Monitors, power and support

• 6 on-camera monitors (Godox and Feelworld). A bigger screen for focus and framing, especially when the camera is far from the operator.
• 40 Sony batteries + 20 monitor batteries. Multi-camera days eat batteries. Running out is not an option on a client shoot.
• 10 tripods + 3 C-stands. C-stands are what keep heavy lights and softboxes safe.
• 5 iMacs + 5 MacBook Pros. iMacs for editing in the studio, MacBook Pros for on-location backup and fast turnarounds.
• Lots of hard drives. Every shoot is backed up twice before the cards are formatted.

The cheap gear that matters most

If you buy nothing else from this page, buy these:

1. Sandbags. A falling light ends a shoot (and maybe a client relationship).
2. Gaffer tape. Fixes half the problems on set.
3. Spare batteries + dual charger. We carry 40.
4. Fast, reliable memory cards. Never trust a three-hour podcast to a no-name card.
5. Super clamp + magic arm. Put a light or camera anywhere.
6. Phone cage / small monitor.

If I were starting again

You don't need a full studio to look professional. With almost nothing, I'd buy: a solid phone mount, a budget dynamic mic, one key light with a big softbox, and a small background light. I built exactly that setup and compared it to our studio here: Cinematic Home Studio Under $500 (coming soon).

FAQ

What camera do professional studios use? It varies, but reliability, colour and the ability to record long takes without overheating matter more than headline specs. We use Sony's FX3, FX30 and A7 IV for those reasons.

Is an iPhone good enough for YouTube? Yes, for talking-head content, a recent iPhone is more than enough if the audio and lighting are good.

What's the most important piece of studio gear? The microphone, followed by a soft key light. Upgrade those before the camera.

Do I need acoustic panels? Not at first. Rugs, curtains and moving blankets around the speaker reduce echo cheaply.

See the full, always-updated list on my Gear page.