1. Lowell kit if you can afford it - 2 Totas and 2 Omnis with umbrellas and stands, along with a couple of Flexfill collapsible reflectors will get you through ANYTHING short of a "full studio" shoot....... 2. Look into renting a good shotgun mic if you're doing location shooting - cheap shotguns JUST AIN'T WORTH THE HEARTACHE, and good ones cost $1000 and up.....but I HAVE had good luck with the Azden WMS-PRO wireless lavalier system (around $200; they also have a two-channel receiver that lets you use two separate mics, I've only used the single-channel unit and it worked fine), if the XL-1 has XLR mic inputs, you'll need an adapter ($10) but if it's got a mini-jack mic in, you're already set up. Make sure you've got plenty of 9V batteries for the transmitter and receiver when you're on location. 3. no comment other than I use Sonys.... 4. no comment 5. ANY wideangle is worth its weight in gold as long as it's free of noticeable aberrations (distortions). Wideangles cause "barrel hoop" distortions; what I mean here are little odd swirls in the viewing area - I've gotten a couple of cheap wideangle "adapter" lenses that had them. Good only if you want a "trippy" point-of-view. A wide-angle lens is a MUST for shooting in average buildings instead of purpose-built sets.....(posted 9063 days ago)rgull