【Detective Archives】

Sa Nguyen grew to fame on Detective Archivesher TikTok for her mukbang videos, but the Orange County, CA college student has grown her channels far beyond the eating trend. She shoots lifestyle vlogs and content about running, music festivals, her dogs and more.

At VidCon 2025's Meta Night Out, we chatted with Nguyen about all the tech she needs to grow her audience to a whopping 4.3 million followers on TikTok, 263,000 followers on Instagram, and 38,000 subscribers on YouTube.

She told Mashable that she uses her phone when she shoots on TikTok because it gives off a "FaceTime vibe" that her audience loves. She edits directly on the TikTok app or on the Instagram Edits app.

"If I'm filming an Instagram reel, I'll use edits and post it directly from edits," she said, adding that she occasionally uses CapCut, too.

But she doesn't use her phone to shoot all of her content. She also uses her Alix Earle light and the wired headphones from Apple — but when it comes to cameras, she has three go-tos.

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Alix Earle light

The TikTok-famous Alix Earle light comes from a brand called Newmowa. It's a clip-on LED light that's popular among creators like Nguyen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Newmowa Newmowa 60 LED High Power Clip-on Light $25.49 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $4.50

Canon PowerShot V10

Nguyen uses her Canon PowerShot V10 when she vlogs on the go. She likes that it can stand up by itself at any angle. When she shoots on her Canon, she edits using Final Cut Pro.

Opens in a new window Credit: Canon Canon PowerShot V10 camera $399 at Amazon
$429 Save $30

Canon XS740

She says she uses the Canon XS740, for instance, when she goes on a vacation and wants to take both pictures and videos. When she shoots on her Canon, she edits using Final Cut Pro.

Opens in a new window Credit: Canon Canon PowerShot SX740 HS Camera $835 at Amazon

Leica D-LUX 8

When Nguyen just wants to take photos, though, she prefers her Leica D-LUX 8. "It's so, so good for photos," she said. While Nguyen uses the D-LUX for photography, it can also shoot 4K video.

Opens in a new window Credit: Leica Leica D-Lux 8 Digital Camera $2,189.95 at Amazon
$2,634.95 Save $445

Final Cut Pro

The popular Mac video editing software is available via the Mac App Store. You can also sign up for a limited free trial.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Final Cut Pro $299.99 at Apple
Free trial available

Topics TikTok Creators VidCon

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