Best iPhone 13 Video Accessories
- The Best Smartphone Photography Tips for 2021
- Tricks for Shooting B-Roll Solo
- How to Get Better Audio for Your Videos
photo by MarioGuti via iStock
Apple recently released their newest iPhone, the iPhone 13, and it looks like a great tool for photography and videography. Some choice iPhone 13 video accessories will help you make it a very capable camera.
We could get lost if we tried to review all of the iPhone 13 accessories available so we’re going to focus on how to take better iPhone videos with some versatile video accessories for iPhone 13 from various 3rd parties.
Turn It On Its Side
photo by iprogressman via iStock
Here is a basic tip that will help us with how to take better iPhone videos: turn it on the side. In other words, use it in landscape orientation for videos. This will more closely match the standard aspect ratio for TVs, monitors, and other devices, plus it just makes better videos.
Unless, of course, your artistic vision tells you to use it in portrait orientation. Then, go ahead and do it, these aren’t rules, just guidelines, hints, tips, and techniques.
Gimbal Stabilizer
When recording video, camera movement, the unsteady, shaky kind of movement, will negatively affect how comfortable you and others can be with viewing the video. That’s why 4 of these suggestions for how to take better iPhone videos are things to either make movements smoother or eliminate them.
A gimbal stabilizer allows for freedom of movement to add action and interest to your videos, doing so in a very controlled manner with 3 axis stabilization.
DJI makes a beautiful example of a small stabilizer with big payout for usefulness, the DJI OSMO Mobile 3 Combo. It has 3-axis movement, computer control, and several smart modes for tracking and special features.
Learn More:
Camera Mount
When you need the camera to stay put but you don’t have the option of using a tripod, the popular tripod alternative OctoPad Camera Mount will do the job. OctoPad is a unique camera mount that is a partially malleable heavy-duty solid disk that has a tripod mount on the top side and a non-slip pad underneath.
Add the optional smartphone holder to use it with your iPhone 13 for steadying the camera during videos or for photography. Because of the unique construction of the OctoPad, you can place it on virtually any surface, uneven or smooth, at up to a 45-degree angle, and it will keep your camera in place.
An extension arm can be added for extra versatility and since the OctoPad is one of the least expensive video accessories around, you can use 2 or more when filming to hold your smartphone, an external microphone, and video lights.
It won’t bust most budgets and it is a simple task to carry one or 2 around in a small sling pack camera bag along with those video accessories.
Camera Cage
Similar to how a camera cage adds versatility to a videography rig for our Full Frame, APS-C, and MFT format cameras, a cage for a smartphone will also provide benefits.
In addition to making the smartphone easier to hold, thus increasing our stability, it also adds mounting points for attaching other video accessories such as lights or a mic. The Neewer Plastic U Rig works well with any smartphone, allowing attaching various extra accessories.
It can either be handheld or mounted on a video tripod for extra stability or controlled motion techniques.
Action Harness
A smartphone makes a great action cam once you strap it to you with the Stuntman Chest Harness for smartphones including your iPhone 13.
The Stuntman harness is lightweight and comfortable and is very heavy-duty. Once you strap it down properly and tighten the adjustable holder, it will provide hours of action cam-style videography.
There are some apps you can download for free or at low cost that may supplement the already full-featured capabilities of the iPhone 13 for filming video or for capturing photos.
Ring Light
The last of the iPhone 13 video accessories for today is a ring light. A ring light for video is a continuous light source in the shape of a ring, a circle. The idea is that you film through the opening in the center of the “O” with the light source providing a shadowless illumination.
Neewer makes several different sizes of ring lights, I like the 18-inch diameter version. The Neewer 18” Ring Light Kit comes complete with the 55w LED light, filters for adjusting color temperature, a medium-sized light stand, a remote control for adjusting the variable power, and a holder for either a smartphone or a camera.
Enjoy these useful iPhone 13 video accessories as you make videos with your new phone!
