Top 5 Must-Have Accessories to Rent for Filmmakers

When planning a shoot, most filmmakers focus on the big-ticket items like cameras and lenses. But it’s often the accessories that make the biggest difference in how smoothly your day goes. Whether you’re shooting your first short film or handling a small commercial project, the right support gear can improve your footage quality, speed up your workflow, and prevent avoidable setbacks.

Renting accessories is a smart way to get exactly what you need for each shoot without the commitment of buying gear you may only use occasionally. Here are five recommended accessories to rent for your next shoot:

1. A High-Quality Tripod

A shaky shot can instantly undermine the professionalism of your work, even if you’re using a top-tier camera. A sturdy tripod provides the stability needed for locked-off shots, smooth pans, and clean tilts. It’s especially useful for interviews, wide establishing shots, or anything that benefits from consistent framing.

Tripods come with different head and leg combinations depending on the type of movement and weight of your camera. For example, fluid heads allow smooth panning and tilting for more cinematic motion.

If you're planning handheld or moving shots, consider pairing your tripod with a gimbal. Gimbals add stability on the go, making them ideal for action scenes, walk-and-talks, or music videos. Together, these tools cover both static and dynamic shooting needs.

Recommendation: Manfrotto 504HD Head W 546B Legs

2. An External Microphone

Audio is half of your film, and poor sound can ruin even the most beautifully shot scene. Many beginners rely on built-in camera mics, which pick up too much background noise and often lack clarity. Renting an external mic is a simple, effective way to boost your sound quality.

On-camera microphones are great for vlogging, simple documentary setups, or interviews. They attach directly to your camera and record clear directional sound. If your production needs more refined audio, you can go further and rent a shotgun mic, boom pole, and external recorder for full audio control.

Recommendation: RODE On-Camera Mic

3. A Small Light

Even a high-end camera can't fix poor lighting. A basic lighting setup can drastically enhance your footage, helping you control mood, highlight your subject, and ensure consistency across scenes. A simple battery-powered LED panel is compact, easy to use, and perfect for run-and-gun setups or tight locations.

These lights often come with dimming controls, colour temperature adjustments, and accessories like diffusion panels or grids to soften the light and shape it more creatively. Even just one or two well-placed lights can give your shoot a professional polish.

Recommendation: Aputure P60X

4. An External Monitor

Your camera’s built-in screen might work in a pinch, but for serious framing, exposure checking, and colour accuracy, an external monitor is a game-changer. A good monitor provides a larger, more accurate preview, helping directors, DOPs, or even clients see the shot clearly in real-time.

Some monitors go a step further with built-in wireless features and external recording capabilities. That means you can record higher-bitrate footage or monitor remotely from a second viewing station, perfect for client shoots or multi-person sets.

Recommended: Shimbol Z0600M Wireless Video Monitor

5. A High-Storage SD Card

It sounds simple, but it’s often overlooked: don’t let your shoot grind to a halt because you ran out of storage. High-speed SD cards with at least 64GB or 128GB give you the peace of mind to film full days without constantly stopping to offload footage.

Renting extra cards ensures you’ve got redundancy, which is especially important if you’re working with multiple cameras or high-resolution formats like 4K. Just make sure the SD card matches your camera’s required write speed to avoid buffering or dropped frames.

Recommendation: SanDisk 128GB SD Card

When you’re gearing up for a film project, don’t overlook the power of accessories: they may be small, but they can make a big difference. Renting key gear like tripods, lighting, audio equipment, monitors, and extra storage gives you the flexibility to shoot more confidently and professionally without the cost of ownership. Whether you're just starting out or working with a limited budget, these tools will help you improve quality, reduce stress, and get more out of every shoot.