The best gear for mobile video journalism, mobile journalism for TV, mobile filmmaking and creating broadcast-quality mobile content.

smartphone video trainer robb montgomery
Note: This page shows a comprehensive list of gear from basic Mojo to pro filmmaking.
You don’t really need much to get started.

Please scroll down to see a range of gear options for rigs: from basic to high-end solutions for every type of mobile video production. If you are outfitting your studio or newsroom, don’t hesitate to contact me for a consult. I have designed affordable live video studio solutions for media organizations for many years.

Pricing for the items shown is variable from market to market, so I provide the best available links that will point you to the latest versions offered for sale.

I am not a seller. I am not shipping products. I am an editorial reviewer and independent expert. I am not paid to promote products.

I show the actual gear that I use on real productions.

Basic Video Gear

This is the mobile video gear you need for your smartphone to start filming professional video.  It will last a long time and you won’t be spending a lot of money.

These are the essentials: A grip, a mini tripod and a small microphone. This humble rig is the foundation for more advanced setups.

Basic Mobile video recording gear

The gear list

At first you may be thinking that you will need extra lenses and a gimbals before you can shoot good quality video. That’s not true.

I find it is better to first focus on stability and sound.
Capturing good sound is always the most challenging issue and the one that makes the biggest difference at first.

This basic kit fits into a small plastic bag and is always in my bike bag or backpack when I head out the door.

When it comes to microphones, I always stick with the reliable manufacturers like Røde, Sennheiser, and Shure.

Microphones are the one thing you have to rely on. I only show the gear that I have tested in real field conditions.

Interviewing from 6 feet away

How to capture audio from a safe distance for interviews. A wireless microphone give you a superpower and the ability to record two audio sources: Yourself and your interview subject, for example.

With this rig you will always be ready to safely capture audio and use the mic for live reporting and capturing VOX pop sound bites from people at a scene.

Wireless mic boom pole interview kit

Mobile Journalism textbook

“Mobile Journalism” is the textbook for teachers and media students.

Available in the following formats:
Personalized PDF | Apple Books | Kindle | Paperback

The ‘MOJO bible“ features 200 color illustrations, 170 double-page magazine-style page spreads, 16 videos, and 36,710 words.

Microphones for mobile video

Mics are the most valuable pieces and will serve you a long time. Avoid the cheap copies from unknown brands. They will break when you need them most.

A video tour of the best microphones and gear.

The lapel mic

The next step in building a complete interview kit includes adding a small lapel mic.
This tiny mic can be pinned to you or the person you are filming for better control of the sound.

Recording with two mics

And now, if you using on iPhone I suggest you add in the Røde SC6-L two mic adapter.

image fro Split Track Audio Recording kit

This unit will let you record with two microphones and to split the audio tracks left and right so you can better separate the volume levels of interviewer’s voice separate from the subject’s voice.

(Android users can audition the SC6 analog adapter to see if it works with their handset, OS and apps.)

This two-mic SC6-L adapter for iPhone is a game changer. 

It comes with a digital interface which sounds amazing, and provides the ability to record one microphone in the left channel and the other microphone in the right channel. Plus you can monitor with headphones.

iPhone 11 pro video rig
Broadcast quality Live and TV Reporting (plus location filmmaking) is possible with a rig like this.

This rig simulates many of the functions of a professional video camera, but it can make live streams and multitrack video edits while still in the field.

In this configuration I make the rig really secure with a high quality metal mini tripod, a metal tripod mount (which rotates, locks, and allows an additional cold shoe mount for the receiver) AndI upgrade the built-in mic of the Røde transmitter with a pro quality lapel microphone and a windjammer.

Gear list

For example You can use the new free DoubleTake app with your iPhone 11 and film two camera shots.

I prefer the Shoulderpod G2 for more advanced situations like this, as it lets me attach a light and mics easily.

Typically I use two Røde mics and the SC6-L for audio.

For example I will attach the Video Micro and/or a SmartLav+ mic, but will switch them out for the Røde Wireless Go mic kits for hands-free filming like in this video.

You will also need an audio adapter cable when using the Wireless go with a smartphone. Mini plug to Smartphone. (This is the TRS to TRRS cable adapter I use.)

Simple Cinema Rig

View the sample scene – It was filmed handheld at 4K in ProRes proxy in Fimic Pro and edited in LumaFusion.

This handheld cinema rig features a lot of ND filter because of the intensity of the light in the Florida. In this light I need a lot if ND glass to get a slow shutter speed and a low ISO – the sweet sport for daytime shooting

The filters are removable so the rig can be used for other lighting conditions.

Parts include:

  1. SmallRig cage for iPhone 13 Pro Max
  2. MoondogLabs Filter Mount adapter V2
  3. 52 mm ND filters (ND4 and ND8)
  4. 52mm to 72mm step ring adapter
  5. Metal lens hood
  6. Sirui mini tripod

A light, full-height tripod

Next, you will want to add a full-size tripod so that you can record your interviews, live streams and selfies with more stability and with hands-free.

You must buy one that extends to at least 72″ high (182cm).
This is nice lightweight example of a tripod.
It is made of carbon fiber and extends to 191 cm (75 inches)
This height will let you interview tall people – it is very important to get the camera at the correct height.

Waterproof backpack

This 40 liter waterproof surfer backpack is my all-weather gear bag. It has all the right protection in all the important places. This secure pack is perfect for adventure travel filming or stylish city shooting.

Low-cost Teleprompter

iPhone teleprompter kit

I made this teleprompter rig with two old phones.
In my example an iPhones 6S+ for the camera (running Filmic Pro app) and Samsung S8 for the script display (Running the Parrot app).

I fly it in from my lighting with with a Manfrotto 122B. A Super Clamp and a Magic Arm.

Turn your old smartphones into a prompter.

The rig:

Parrot teleprompter 2 Kit with remote
Helium Cine cage
37-46mm Step-up ring
Shotgun Microphone kit
Pistol Grip Shotgun Mount
Apple Lightning to USB 3.0 Adapter
XLR audio interface
10 inch ring light

Live streaming

If you need to provide constant power to your iPhone while live streaming and using an external mic and headphones, I recommend the Belkin Rockstar adapter and the Røde SC6 analog adapter.

Swipe down to tour the specialized gear setups I use for iPhone filmmaking and TV storytelling. 

MAX MOJO Broadcast Rig

Here is a single mic rig that is sturdy and light — The Max Mojo Rig for covering events and Vox Pop interviews at broadcast quality.

mobile cinema rig filmmaking image

Filmmaking rig – Counterbalanced with multi-track audio

This is a steadi-cam style counter-balanced rig, ideal for mobile filmmaking.

Filming with gimbals

When pros make smartphone videos with motion shots, they want smooth tracking.
I have tried the various third-party gimbals that you can attach a smartphone and I don’t like them. I have learned that the models that work the most naturally for me are the ones that also come with an integrated camera.

For example, I filmed the shots of the Award-winning film “Sophie Sutton” using the original Osmo + 4K camera. That model has been replaced by the much smaller and still capable Osmo Pocket.

Osmo Pocket rig

The Osmo pocket is a nice little add-on camera that can capture smooth motion shots.


Here is a complete gear list for buildin up an Osmo Pocket setup that will get you great results with your iPhone attached. Complete micro movie making rig here!

Digital microphones

The Sennheiser HandMic Digital is a great unit for live streaming video.
This is the mic I used in the multi-award winning short film, “Ice Swimming.”

A lot of pros also like the Shure MV-88 digital condenser microphone.


It is a great choice simple filming. I used it here along with the mini windjammer windscreen to record Pandemic report report while riding a bike through Berlin.

Light ’em up!

If you want to step up from the soft LED face light, check out the Neo 2 LED Light from Rotolight on top of your rig. This is a great light.

Anamorphic lenses

Want your mobile films to look like a feature film? Then you need to learn about filming with anamorphic lenses – just like Hollywood film directors do. It is fun to do this with smartphones – Here’s the kit I use from Moondog Labs.

This is a 4K anamorphic cinema rig featuring an iPhone 6S+ in a Helium Core cage with a Moondog Labs lens. This is my ‘Extreme #Mojotrek’ filming rig in action on a week-long trek hiking across the Alps.
Shown with Manfrotto mini tripod, the Moondog Labs ND filters and a Røde Videomic Pro  (Plus SC4 adapter cable.)

The rig above is capable of producing commercial quality work and it is a very low cost way to get started making professional films.

It features an amazing anamorphic lens that allows you to capture scenes that look like this.

This rig films pro video at a native 2.39:1 aspect ratio – using the same technique that Hollywood filmmakers have used for decades.