YouShooter Review: Better video and sound for a more professional result

The world has moved very fast in 2020 and one area of change has been self-shooting videos in a work from home and training environment like we’ve never seen before.

It’s changed the way I do live TV crosses – now all done on an iPhone if needed. That, plus seeing plenty of business people doing videos on LinkedIn, hearing presentations online and just seeing more people posting videos means this product has come at just the right time.

At $399 it’s not cheap but you’re paying for quality.

Inside the box is everything you need for a better video, better audio.

There’s an 18mm lens, and it’s a beast – this big guy will give your existing camera a wider field of view. That applies to both the rear and front-facing cameras.

Then there’s the clip it attaches to, screwed into place, the clip then clamps over your phone to hold the lens right in place over either the front or back.

A Rode SmartLav+ is included (normally almost $100 on it’s own), so you can plug that into your phone (using a 3.5mm adaptor on modern “heaphone jack free” phones) and clip onto your shirt or the shirt of someone you’re interviewing to ensure you get the best audio.

Then there’s a handy travel pouch it all fits into so your lens is kept safe at all times.

First and foremost, having a lapel microphone means great audio quality. This is the biggest issue with most smartphone shot videos. Get this right, you’re engaging viewers.

But then you’ve got the “selfie” shot which means you’re stuck with a huge head in frame and very little of what’s around you.

This is not great, for influencers trying to show off an island getaway, or for a business or personal video in any case – no-one wants your big mug in their face – trust me.

The 18mm Struman lens is high quality glass, Struman are German optics legends, so there’s no distortion or cheap outcome from the lens.

Here’s a still from a video shot in the EFTM Studio with my iPhone rear camera:

Here’s that same shot with the Struman lens on:

Yes, a modern high end smartphone has a wide angle option, but not everyone has the latest phone – this gives the same result, but without the purchase of a whole new phone.

Front facing camera usage is really the big deal here. If you’re a journo shooting live footage at a scene, or a travel vlogger getting a shot – again – we don’t want to see you – we want to see what is happening behind you, but – I know you have to be in the shot.

Here’s a capture from a “selfie video”:

TOO MUCH OF YOUR HEAD TREV – I hear you saying.

Ok, let’s throw the YouShooter clip on with the 18mm Struman lens:

That’s better!

For those going at it regularly, there are even phone cases available that allow you to screw the lenses directly onto the case

It’s a solid investment for the influencers of this world but also for businesses doing more and more video, and for journalists who now and then rely on their phone to “get the shot”.