The cameras on our smartphones are getting more capable with every iteration. So, it’s no surprise to see them used more frequently for professional content creation.

Almost everyone in the world uses their phone to take photos and videos, but if you want to separate yourself from the crowd, you might want to invest in some accessories to help take your shots to the next level.

There’s a whole world of camera accessories out there, and the truth is, all of them are equally beneficial for smartphones as they are for professional mirrorless cameras.

So, let’s dive into the exciting world of camera accessories. We’ll cover everything you could want or need including stabilisers, lighting, microphones and more.

• SmallRig Smartphone Video Rig Kit

  1. Best all-in-one solution

• Insta360 Flow

  2. Best mobile gimbal

• Arnarkok Arca Swiss Phone Mount

  3. Best phone mount

• Movo VXR10 Microphone

  4. Best external microphone

• Zhiyun Fiveray M40

  5. Best portable light

• Joby GripTight ONE GorillaPod Stand

  6. Best pocket tripod

This kit from SmallRig covers pretty much everything you need to improve your smartphone filmmaking, all in one convenient box. The core is a cage that clamps to any smartphone, and the rest of the accessories can mount to the plethora of threaded holes and cold shoes around the chassis.

In the box, you’ll get the cage, two side handles, a bi-colour adjustable LED light, a shotgun microphone, a clamp to mount a power bank, a mini-tripod and all the associated cables, tools and screws that you’ll need.

As a bonus, it comes in a neat carrying case to keep everything organised. It’s all built to an exceptionally high standard, and while the kit doesn’t come cheap, it’s still pretty great value for everything that comes included.

Built image stabilisation has improved dramatically in recent years, so smartphone gimbals aren’t as necessary as they once were. However, there’s a lot more to gimbals than just stabilisation, and if you want the smoothest shots, it’s still the right tool for the job.

There are loads of options in this category, but our favourite is the Insta360 Flow. It has an ingenious design that folds into a pocketable form factor, while somehow squeezing in an integrated tripod, extension pole and long battery life – you can even use it to charge your phone, in a pinch.

The reason Insta360 takes our top spot is all down to its software. Its AI tracking capabilities are unmatched, effectively turning your smartphone into a robot camera operator that can follow your every move, it’s an incredible tool for filming yourself.

A good mount will allow you to use your phone with professional tripods and all manner of other photographic accessories. This is another area where options are plentiful, and we’ve tried many of them, but none have impressed us as much as this one.

It goes by various names, our version says Woohoto on it, but the one linked here is under Arnarkok. In any case, it’s always easy to find on Amazon, and it comes at a very affordable price.

It’s a solid metal construction with a locking clamp mechanism for added security. It can be used in either a horizontal or vertical orientation, and this axis can be locked too. There’s 1/4-20 cheese-plate mounting on the back, a cold shoe on top, and the base is Arca-Swiss compatible. It opens up a whole world of rigging opportunities.

We’ve been using the Movo VXR10 for a number of years with our mirrorless cameras, and it works just as well with a smartphone. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that most modern flagships have done away with the headphone socket, so you’ll need to keep a dongle handy in order to use this.

The VXR10 comes at an affordable price and sounds just as good, if not better, than many of the big-name options. It’s self-powered, so you don’t need to worry about charging it up and comes with a dead cat wind muff to keep unwanted noises at bay.

It has a pretty basic shock mount included, with a cold shoe adapter and tripod thread in the base. It pairs well with the phone mount listed above but there are lots of different ways to mount it if you get a little creative.

A good lighting setup can make images from the cheapest camera look exceptional, and it’s something that’s often overlooked in smartphone photography. As with most accessories, there’s a lot to choose from, but the light that we use the most is the Zhiyun Fiveray M40.

This compact little light is astonishingly bright, with an output that could only be matched by cumbersome mains-powered lights just a few short years ago. This unit simply charges via USB-C and is small enough to slip into your pocket.

It’s a bi-colour light, which means you can adjust it to match any scenario, indoors or out. Everything is controlled by two knobs on the side, one adjusts the brightness, and the other adjusts the colour temperature. You can either mount it on a stand or use the mount as a kickstand when it’s on a table, it’s very versatile.

While a proper tripod will give you the best stability and height adjustment, for travel, nothing beats something lightweight and pocketable. This option from Joby is incredibly versatile, allowing you to mount your phone in all sorts of places.

You may have seen YouTubers like Casey Neistat using the larger version in their vlogs, well, this is the same thing, but miniaturised. It has flexible arms that can be wrapped around things like a tree branch or lamppost, unlocking all sorts of creative angles.

This version comes with Joby’s excellent GripTight phone clamp, so you’ll be ready to get shooting straight out of the box.