Looking for an iPhone vlog kit to take your smartphone to the next level? Or just on the hunt for an epic vlogging setup which will work with a huge variety of smarpthones?

Well I put the new Sennheiser MKE 200 Mobile Kit to the test to see if it’s the perfect gateway into the world of vlogging…

 

iPhone Vlog Kit – Sennheiser MKE 200 Mobile Kit Review

Can You Vlog With An iPhone?

in fact if you check out my latest vlogs most of the B-Roll clips are now shot on my iPhone 11!

The old saying is that the best camera is the one you have on you, and smartphone cameras have come on leaps and bounds recently – meaning that if you own one, you have everything you need to get started.

I’ve got the video settings on my iPhone synced up with the rest of my camera gear, so I’m shooting 4K at 60FPS – so I get all the resolution I need, plus the option to slow clips down as well, making it ideal for grabbing those spur of the moment clips.

There’s also a whole heap of vlogging apps out there for iPhone too – from editing through to teleprompters so you can easily script all your talking to camera pieces before shooting them.

So the simple answer is yes, you can vlog with your iPhone no worries!

However, the 2 downsides to using your iPhone to vlog are the fact it can be awkward to hold and as good as the audio quality is, there’s certainly room for improvement.

 

 

What’s Included

So what’s included in the Sennheiser MKE 200 Mobile Kit – well everything you need to start vlogging with your iPhone really!

• MKE 200, compact directional on-camera microphone
• Smartphone clamp (complete with cold shoe mount for the mic)
• Manfrotto PIXI mini tripod

It’s a simply, yet very effective setup – and as we all know for vlogging and travel video keeping things compact, lightweight and simple will make life heaps easier!

 

 

Build Quality

When it comes to build quality, this iPhone vlog kit is going to be hard to beat.

Sennheiser are renowned for their quality audio equipment (their PXC-550 headphones have been a staple of my kit bag for years now!) and the MKE 200 continues this legacy of craftsmanship. No cheap, tacky plastic rushed products here, just well crafted and thought through.

The smartphone holder mirrors this as well – with locking mechanisms, rubber mounts and a solid feel to it. If you’re chucking a smartphone worth over $1,000 into it, you want to know it’s going to be safe and not fall out afterall!

As an industry leader in camera gear the included Manfrotto tripod is of the highest quality – easy to use, robust, well designed and most important stable.

You can also easily adjust the tilt angle – perfect for those selfie style talking to camera pieces.

 

 

Improved Audio

When it comes to audio (both input and output) Sennheiser are one of the leading names in the field, so MKE 200 mic included in the kit really takes your audio to the next level.

And audio is key to creating a great vlog.

In fact if there’s one thing you should focus on when getting started it’s the audio. You footage can be a bit shakey and your editing can be unpolished, but if the audio is rubbish your vlog will be dead in the water – no matter how awesome your content is.

The multi directional MKE 200 mic allows you to capture all the ambience, or have epic audio with talking to camera pieces too. It also comes with a really nice carry pouch and dead cat cover too, which is perfect for filming in windy locations.

The only downside I’ve really found to the MKE 200 mic is the fact you also need the iPhone dongle to plug it in, which is another accessory to add to your kit bag. It would’ve been great if there was an included USB-C cable that would work with it, but for now the dongle is the go to.

 

 

Also Consider The XS Lav Mobile Kit

If you’d looking to really boost the talking audio on your vlog and do a lot of talking to camera pieces, then I’d also highly recommend checking out the Sennheiser XS Lave Mobile Kit too.

A lav mic (or lavalier mic) is a miniature microphone that clips onto your clothing (usually on the neckline of a t-shirt) and is ideal for super clear talking audio. It’s my go to for all my talking to camera pieces.

The Sennheiser XS Lave Mobile Kit includes the tripod and smartphone clamp of the MKE 200 kit, but swipes out the mic for a robust and durable lave mic that delivery epic audio quality.

 

 

Does It Work With Android Phones?

I know we’ve been chatting through it as an iPhone vlog kit – but the Sennheiser MKE 200 Mobile Kit is ideal for Android smartphones too.

In fact it actually works even better as you don’t need the additional Apple dongle to plug the mic into your phone to get started!

The adjustable smartphone mount can accomodate a huge range of shapes and sizes, so it’s just a case of plug in and you’re good to go.

 

 

The Cost

So what will the Sennheiser MKE 200 Mobile Kit set you back? 

Well the standard kit costs US$129.99 / £90 / AU$179 with the Lav Mic Kit coming in at US$99.95 / £82.50 / AU$145.

It’s certainly a way cheaper option to repurpose a camera you’ve already purchased and is more than capable of being used as a vlogging tool, rather than shelling out a heap more cash for a new mirrorless setup, GoPro or such like.

 

 

My Final Thoughts

For those people out there looking at getting into vlogging, this iPhone vlog kit is the perfect way to kick things off. 

You already know how to use your smartphone and it certainly has much more capability as a vlogging camera than most people realise! 

The Sennheiser MKE 200 Mobile Kit kicks things up a gear – giving you that crystal clear audio and the multipurpose tripod which will help you capture a variety of shots.

All in all though – it’s the perfect started setup to get into vlogging. Sure there are some situations where vlogging with your iPhone might not be ideal, but you’ll find limitation to almost every camera setup and vlogging camera!

The bottom line here is this kit has everything you need to upgrade your smartphone vlogging setup and start creating some awesome content for your YouTube Channel!

 

What’s your persona iPhone vlog kit?

Any other accessories and gadgets you’d recommend?