Best Accessories for Filmmaking | 2025

The best accessories for filmmaking can be an essential investment, both for making your productions look and feel more professional, and for making your shoot days that much easier.

In consultation with our resident pro video experts, we’ve assembled a list of the vital accessories for starting-out filmmakers. From ticking off essentials like data storage and power, to improving the quality of your audio and visuals with microphones and lights, these accessories will help you up your game and get the shots you need, without weighing you down.

So, let’s take a look at the best accessories for filmmakers — and for more great video gear, check out our guide to the best cameras for travel filmmaking.

Our top picks

If you’re getting started with filmmaking on a budget, you will likely be tempted to buy as few accessories as possible — but one thing we really would stress is essential is an external microphone. While the quality of built-in mics on cameras has improved in recent years, it’s still not a patch on the kind of improvement you’ll see even from an affordable microphone like the Sennheiser MKE 400.

A directional shotgun mic, the MKE 400 slips into the hotshoe on top of your camera, and whatever you’re pointing at, it will record, giving you crisp and clear audio with practically no background noise. It has an internal suspension mount, designed to cut out wind and handling noise, and it also has an integrated headphone output jack for monitoring — useful if this is something your camera lacks.

As this is a mic on the affordable end of the scale, if your budget is a little more generous, a mic like the Rode VideoMic Pro+ may be worth considering, with features like a built-in safety channel, which records a backup track at a low volume to prevent distortion from unexpected loud noises.

The more gear you have, the more power you need and this just increases the possibility that one day you’re going to be embarrassingly caught out when some vital device or another dies mid-shoot. You’ll likely be shooting in locations where you need to power everything via batteries, including cameras, lights or monitors. Consistent, reliable and predictable power is key.

As video is such a power-hungry activity, you’re going to want a beefy power bank. Something like the Zhiyun MOLUS 130W Power Bank is a good choice, offering 22,500mAh power capacity, and while it’s more expensive than standard power banks, it’s realistically going to be much more useful on a busy shoot. It can quickly charge up multiple devices at once via its USB-C and USB-A connections.

Also, make sure you have spare batteries! As they’re light, plentiful and inexpensive, you really can’t have too many — make sure you get the right type to go with your camera, and charge them all before your shoot. 

One thing you’re going to have to get comfortable with as a filmmaker: storage. If you’re making a go of shooting films, you’re going to very quickly amass large amounts of very big files, and you’re going to need to figure out a storage solution for them. You can’t go wrong with a LaCie hard drive (their distinctive rubberised orange design is a common sight in video production).

With 5TB of storage, this drive can hold a serious amount of data, and its hardy design means that it can survive knocks, bumps, drops and even an unexpected rain shower (it offers water-resistance, though we wouldn’t recommend dunking it in the bath). Its USB-C connection means file transfers are fast, and that you should be able to edit files directly off the drive, rather than having to transfer them to your computer first.

You have to pay more up front for a 5TB drive, as opposed to a 1TB or 2TB drive. However, as we said up top, you’re going to use a lot of data on your filmmaking journey, and so you might as well make the space as soon as you can.

This 3-axis handheld gimbal boasts more stabilisation power than ever, thanks to teflon-coated axes and enhanced intelligent algorithms that can compensate for all kinds of camera movement, resulting in footage that’s delectably smooth. It’s lightweight enough that it’s suitable for solo run-and-gun filmmakers, and it can support camera kit up to 3kg in weight, which is realistically going to cover most mid-range mirrorless and DSLR camera/lens combinations.

Stabilisation systems may be improving all the time, but as far as handheld filmmaking is concerned, there’s still no real substitute for a dedicated gimbal if you want smooth moving footage. In-camera systems may well get there someday — but they’re not there yet, so a gimbal remains a no-brainer of an investment for the serious filmmaker.

Being able to control your own light when you need to is a must, and the Kino Flo Diva-Lite 21 is a highly versatile and tunable LED panel, with dial-in Kelvin control between 2,500K-9,900K. It allows you to save presets, so when you find settings that work well in particular situations you can keep them handy. 

The Diva-Lite 21 also maintains colour-correct colour temperature throughout the full dimming range, so there's no colour shift while you’re dimming it, as can happen with cheaper panels. It's both energy efficient and equipped with universal power inputs, and there are even presets and special effect modes to play with, which is a nice addition.

Of course, not everyone is going to be able to afford the Diva-Lite 21 — but fear not, there are plenty of affordable alternatives. The Kenro Smart Lite RGB Compact LED Video Light is a good affordable option with a broad range of colour choices and decent battery life. We also rate the Godox LED170 LED Video Light — while its colour range is a little limited, it’s incredibly affordable, and can provide a vital burst of illumination in a pinch. 

FAQs

What are the essential accessories for filmmaking?

Filmmakers have accessories such as tripods or stabilisers for smooth shots, dedicated microphones for precise audio, lighting equipment to improve image quality, external monitors to ensure accurate framing, and memory cards for sufficient storage. These tools can help improve your films and video recording.

Why is external audio equipment important for filmmaking?

External microphones and recorders are crucial because built-in camera microphones often capture poor-quality sound. By using professional audio gear, filmmakers can record crisp, clear audio, which is just as important as high-quality visuals in storytelling.

How do lighting accessories improve filmmaking?

If you know how to use lighting you can completely transform a scene, enhancing the mood and in doing so, demonstrate professionalism. Using LED panels or softboxes you can help you control the lighting, reduce shadows, and highlight key elements in a scene, making the final product visually engaging.

What are the best stabilisation tools for filmmaking?

If you’re a filmmaker, you should invest in either a tripod, gimbal, or shoulder rig, all of which can help ensure a smooth shot. They reduce camera shake, giving you smooth movements, and making your footage look more professional and visually appealing.

Why do filmmakers use external monitors?

External monitors give you a clearer and larger view of their footage, allowing you to check details like focus, exposure, and framing in real-time. This helps ensure that the final footage meets the desired creative vision and technical standards.