About ReelKit Studio
Gear advice from a studio that buys its own equipment
ReelKit Studio tests phone video equipment in real shoots and publishes what we keep, what we return and what we would not buy again.
Why we started
Most gear advice comes from people who never carry the bag
We run a small production studio and film with phones almost daily. Over the years we accumulated a shelf of accessories bought on recommendation and used twice. Eventually we started recording what we actually carried and what stayed on the shelf.
That record became this site. Anything recommended here has been used in at least three real shoots, and we name the free technique that replaces it whenever one exists.
How we buy
Three rules that decide what enters our kit
They are deliberately strict, because a bag that keeps growing stops being carried.
It must fix a visible problem
If we cannot point at a frame that improves because of the accessory, it does not go in the bag.
It must survive three shoots
Anything that fails, needs constant charging or slows a shoot down is returned, whatever the specification says.
It must replace something
A new item earns its place only when it replaces another, or when it solves a shot we genuinely could not film before.
Testing
How equipment gets tested here
Buy at retail
We purchase at normal prices so the review reflects what a reader would actually receive, including accessories and packaging.
Use it on three shoots
The item goes into the bag for three real sessions, including one where conditions are poor.
Compare against the free option
We film the same shot with and without the accessory, and report honestly how much of the difference is technique.
Decide: keep, return or note
Items are either kept, returned or recorded as a specific case where the equipment genuinely helps.
Editorial desk
The studio team
Guides are written by the people who pack the bag. Credits use roles rather than names because equipment recommendations are reviewed collectively.
Studio lead
Kit and buying guides
Owns the packing list and makes the final keep-or-return decision on every item.
Audio lead
Microphone guides
Tests placement, adapters and wind protection across phones and locations.
Field producer
Support equipment guides
Films the outdoor and movement tests and reports what survives a real shooting day.
Contact
Found gear that genuinely works?
Tell us what it solved and how you use it. We test suggestions on real shoots and write up the ones that hold up over time.