Top 8 gadgets to improve your mobile photography and videography skills

LED rechargeable flash-filters

While taking photos with mobile phones might just be the most convenient method, the drawbacks are endless. The flash on the phone might be great, but the fixed position gives the stock flash major limitations. This is where portable LED flashes come in handy. Add in colored filters and you get even more flexibility with manual color grading. With the tiny pocket size and convenience of recharging with a USB port, this is most definitely a tool mobile photographers and videographers should have in their arsenal.

Camera Drones

DJI is the first name that comes to mind when thinking about camera drones, and for good reasons too. They made a good name for themselves with their Phantom drones, used in countless movies for aerial shots and are preferred for their maneuverability. It’s no surprise that DJI nailed it with their Mavic Mini as well. With a 2.7K camera attached to a 3-axis gimbal, sporting thirty minutes flight time for a price of $399, you certainly cannot go wrong with this one.

Detachable mobile lens

Almost all modern phones come with a handful of camera modules. Wide, ultra-wide, 2X zoom, 5X zoom, you name it. While 5X and above zoom cameras on phones are really out there, they come with a hefty price tag. Instead of saving up for that, you can spend a one tenth of that and get yourself a 10X optical zoom lens fitted for your phone. The detachable zoom lenses are usually very flimsy and require loads of adjustments, but hey, when they work, they-uh-kind-of work. There are ultra-wide lenses for older phones too. For macro photographers, the existence of macro lenses is nothing new, the lens is basically a tiny magnifying glass which does the job superbly.

External Microphones

If you’re at a rock concert or a motorsport event and you want to cover the event with a decent background sound, a good external microphone is a necessity. If you’re in the market with a tight budget, REMAX RMK-K01 and K02 are two good options. For a budget of around $200, you should check out the Blue’s Raspberry USB microphone.

360 cameras

If you think 360 cameras are way out of your reach because of the price point they start at, you haven’t met this camera yet. The Huawei 360 Envision is a detachable 360 degree camera which can be hooked up to your phone in seconds, transforming your phone into a 360 capable device. It starts at BDT 2500/- which is a crazy bargain. It only comes in Type-C port configuration and is supported by all Android devices that support Type-C. Sorry Apple guys, maybe next time?

Foldable Photo Studio

Were there any instances where you wanted studio type lighting but no combination of white walls and table lamps were doing the trick? Foldable photo studios tackle that problem. For somewhere around BDT 3,000 you could lay your hands on the Foldio setup, which unfolds to a fairly large size box with studio lighting, with an optional USB powered turntable that you can control with your phone.It’s a great addition if you’re always struggling to take the perfect shot of your stash—Hot Wheels or watches.

Gimbals and Stabilizers

The market for mobile gimbals is ever-growing, with companies recognising how much people rely on mobile cameras. From the pocket sized Snoppa Atom to the large and chunky Zhiyun Smooth 4, there are a lot of options. The Snoppa Atom is a tiny gimbal, super easy to carry around and does the job of reducing shakes and jitters to a minimum. The Zhiyun Smooth 4 on the other hand is a large and heavy gimbal specifically made for people wanting manual adjustments. The Smooth 4 features a rotating crown which assists in manual focusing and zooming, while the other 100 individual buttons are there to confuse you even further. However, if the Smooth 4 is not up to your taste, the DJI Osmo Mobile 3 most definitely will be. Super easy to use with to-the-point buttons with a battery that is going to last you for a long while, along with neat tricks like object (and face) tracking.

Power banks to keep all these juiced up

With swappable batteries out the window for a fairly long while, it’d be unfair not to give some space to power banks. Xiaomi made some amazing power banks in the past and they’re just improving with time. Xiaomi’s Wireless 10000mAh power bank is the best bang for buck. With 10W wireless charging and two USB ports for simultaneous charging, this is a power bank you need to have to keep up with your power-hogging mobile photography and videography.