The key to any successful YouTube channel is producing consistently top quality videos. The content has to look, sound and feel just right to attract a large following.
YouTube is all about grabbing peoples’ attention and nothing loses attention quicker than a grainy, low-quality video. The top YouTubers didn’t get to where they are today without investing in some top-line equipment early in their careers.
That’s why having the right camera is essential for boosting a YouTube channel. Whether you’re a vlogger, reviewer, gamer or traveller- your camera needs will vary slightly for the type of content you want to produce.
But if you're an amateur looking to get started or a seasoned pro, this guide will have everything you need.
Here are our picks for the top 4 cameras for making YouTube videos:
Best Camera For YouTube – Comparison Table
Best Camera For YouTube – Reviews
This style of camera is the perfect one to go for if you’re starting out in the YouTube world and don’t have all the expertise of a professional videographer.
The user-friendliness begins with the ability to turn your smartphone into a remote control for the camera. This futuristic feature means you can take pictures, start recording and even download files straight away with your phone!
To make things even easier, this camera offers a ‘pause recording’ function so you can stop and start your video recording midway through your shoot. If you don’t have a lot of time to edit through a lengthy recording session, this feature is perfect for streamlining your process.
As well as all these cool features that you might not find on other cameras out there, the OIEXI also offers top video quality. A 4K resolution is the calibre you should be looking for with any YouTube worthy camera and this one certainly delivers.
It has low light settings that you can play around with to find the perfect color balance for your shot and supports 16X zoom for some long range filming.
This camera also comes with a 32GB SD card for you to store your footage on. 32GB will hold a little under 1 hour of footage at 4K resolution. If you think this won’t be enough, you’ll probably have to look to purchase spare SD cards just in case.
These cards are easy to find in plenty of online retailers and they’re tiny so you shouldn’t have to worry about them taking up too much space!Â
However, some users have complained that the audio quality provided by the built in microphone isn’t up to the standards they were hoping for.
If you want crystal clear sound to accompany your videos, you might want to get a separate microphone with this camera.
- User friendly – You don’t have to be a pro to operate this camera
- 4K 48MP Image Quality – Both videos and pictures will look crystal clear on a computer screen
- Pause Recording – Helpful for cutting down on editing time
- Low Light Settings – Offers better quality when filming at night or in dark places
- Portability – Lightweight and small, meaning you can take it with you for any adventure!
- 32GB SD Card – Store almost 1 hour of footage with this SD card that comes with the camera
- Â Poor Microphone Quality – You might need to invest in a separate microphone
- Basic functionality – This camera won’t focus the picture for you while zooming and doesn’t offer many complex picture features
![Canon PowerShot Digital Camera [G7 X Mark II] with Wi-Fi & NFC, LCD Screen, and 1-inch Sensor - Black, 100-1066C001](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51noZbmp16L._SL160_.jpg)
With this camera from Canon (already well established as a reliable brand), we’re looking at a slightly more advanced camera for the YouTuber looking to take their channel to the next level.
Offering fantastic image quality, this camera is designed to capture any situation with ease and precision. Whilst the zoom only extends to 4.2X, the PowerShot doesn’t disappoint with the clarity of images you’ll be able to capture from slightly further away.
Another feature of this camera that you’d expect to find on most top of the line models these days is built-in WiFi, allowing you to post images to social media immediately.
Perfect for building up a following across multiple platforms!
As well as all the fancy image features this camera boasts, it also offers a very sleek and user friendly design. The PowerShot has a high resolution monitor screen that can be tilted 180 degrees upward and 45 degrees down.
This means you can keep an eye on the framing of your shot, even if you’ve got the camera pointed at yourself.
As we already established, this camera isn’t for the faint hearted. If you haven’t used any advanced cameras before, this one might take some getting used to.
However, there are plenty of helpful tutorials available online if you do need help.
- 1.0 inch, 20.1 Megapixel CMOS Sensor – Allows you to capture high quality videos with a dynamic range
- Built-in WiFi – Makes uploading videos and pictures convenient
- Moveable LCD Monitor – Gives you flexibility with how you film
- Portability – Great for filming on the go
- Advanced controls – Getting the perfect image quality might be difficult for a beginner
- No External Microphone Port – If you don’t like the microphone quality, you’re stuck with it
Another giant of the camera industry, Sony’s ZV-1 is the perfect one-stop shop for everything a YouTuber could need.
This camera isn’t much bigger than a standard smartphone, so it’s perfect for vlogging in any situation. It’s not even that far-fetched to suggest keeping it in your pocket as you go about your business.
It might feel a bit clunky but you won’t get that level of convenience with many other cameras of this quality.
Speaking of quality, this camera doesn’t skimp out when it comes to the clarity of its image capturing. 4K video resolution means your videos will look sharp and HDR (High Dynamic Range) video capture will keep the colors in your shot perfectly balanced.
One of the most eye-grabbing features of the ZV-1 is the wind screen for its built-in microphone.
This fuzzy little attachment cuts out a lot of the annoying audio disruption that wind causes when filming outdoors. This feature must have been included with the YouTube vlogger in mind!
The only real issue with this product comes as a cost of its portability. If you’re filming outside for long periods and you need to change batteries, you’ll have to remove the tripod mount (if you’re using one) every time.
Whilst this can seem like a small inconvenience to some, it can certainly interrupt your flow of activity while vlogging on the go.
- User Friendly – Many users commented on how easy it was to use this camera without much experience
- Portability – This is one of the most lightweight and space-saving cameras on the market
- 4K HDR Video – Some of the best picture quality you can get for a camera this size
- Wind Screen – Makes outdoor audio recording so much easier
- Poor Microphone Quality – Despite the help of the wind screen, the overall quality of the built-in microphone leaves a lot to be desired
- Battery Changes – If you’re using a tripod, changing the battery can become a hassle
With this camera, we go down a slightly different path from the others. The GoPro brand is famous for producing some of the best action cameras on the market and the HERO9 is no different.
With this camera, you won’t have as large a monitor to control camera settings on, but GoPro have made up for this by including a front display and rear touchscreen.
This means you’ll be able to frame your shot just how you want it before hitting the record button.
The HERO9 is designed for live streaming and use as a webcam too, so whether you’re out on an adventure or simulating one in the virtual world, you’ll be able to broadcast it all to your audience from this camera.
You might be thinking that a camera as small as a GoPro can’t have the same level of image quality as the others we’ve looked at. Well, you’d be wrong!
This camera offers 5K video resolution and can easily maintain a high level of detail even when zoomed in.
Even with all these great camera features, the HERO9 goes above and beyond with how you can film with it. You have the option to purchase a chest mount or a tube mount with the camera.
That means you can attach it to yourself for the first-person action shot or any kind of vehicle to record footage in the heart of the action.Â
Another great feature of this camera is the HyperSmooth 3.0. This is a video stabilizing technology that can produce smoother videos than have ever been possible before.
Similarly, the TimeWarp 3.0 gives you the option of shooting time lapse videos to give your audience a fantastic feeling of what the environment around you is like.
Not to mention, this camera can be submerged up to 33 feet deep in saltwater.
GoPro has once again maintained its reputation of having the most durable cameras around. If you’re an adventurous, outdoor vlogger, this camera is perfect for you.
- 5K Video Resolution – Some of the best image quality available
- Front Display and Rear Touch Screen – Makes managing settings on such a small camera much easier
- HyperSmooth 3.0 + TimeWarp 3.0 – Allows you to capture some mesmerising video footage
- Portability – Easily one of the smallest and lightest cameras on the market
- Durability – GoPro design all their cameras to withstand a lot of force and rough weather conditions
- Small Monitor – Because the camera itself is so small, you might struggle to see the monitor as clearly as you’d like
Best Camera For YouTube – Buyers Guide
If you want to look around at some other cameras on the market, this next section will cover all the key features and gadgets you’ll want to look out for when deciding which camera will boost your YouTube channel.
4K vs 1080p
Simply, 4k refers to the number of pixels in the width of footage captured (i.e 4000 pixels). Therefore, 1080p offers significantly fewer pixels in the source material you can capture with your camera.
Most modern cameras are at least able to shoot high definition, 1080p video, which looks great on the camera monitor and on smaller screens.
However, a YouTube viewer could be watching your video on any sized screen, which is where 1080p falls short of expectations.
Because the 4K resolution can provide up to 4 times more quality in your images than 1080p, it’s not even a contest. To keep up with competition in the YouTube world, 4K resolution is the minimum you should have for your camera. Anything better that would be an even bigger bonus!
Portability
Ever since the invention of YouTube, vlogging has been a key genre of content.
Even many gaming YouTubers will post the occasional video of them out in the world to give their audience an insight into what their real life is like.
To be able to shoot authentic videos like this, you’ll need a camera that’s easy to carry around and won’t get in the way of your activity.
Naturally, the smaller and lighter a camera is, the easier it will be to carry with you, so that’s definitely something you should look out for.
It’s also worth looking at any extra features that come included with your camera, such as a case with a handle or strap.
If you can find a good quality camera that comes with its own case, not only will it be easier to take with you, but you’ll also spend less time worrying about dropping and breaking it!
Durability
Vlogging can be a treacherous task sometimes, as you never know when the action might get too intense and you could lose grip of your camera.
A good quality camera will be able to withstand being dropped from a small height, as long as it doesn’t happen every day!
You should also look for how well a camera withstands different weather conditions.
It might seem obvious that waterproof cameras are great for rainy weather, but a poor quality camera could struggle to work in intense heat.
Battery Life
Pretty much every modern camera comes with at least one rechargeable battery. With some of the newer models, you can even continue using the camera and record more footage while the camera is still charging.
You should always look for a camera that has big, long-lasting batteries if you’re a keen vlogger.
There’s nothing worse than being in the heart of the action, only to realise you’ve run out of juice and can’t record any more of it.
As well as a long-life battery, a good tip is to look for cameras with multiple, easily replaceable batteries. For most cameras like this, you’ll be able to purchase the batteries separately from plenty of different retailers.
Attachments
Even if you’re only interested in buying a simple camera to shoot handheld footage on, it’s a good idea to leave room for all the different attachments that can improve your video making.
By attachments, we mean things like tripods, external microphones and lighting equipment.
You might not need it all right away, but if you come up with a cool idea that you need to buy a tripod for, it’s better to have a camera with the availability to attach one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Need A Camera To Be A YouTuber?
Because YouTube is based so heavily on visual content, having a camera is essential to be successful.
In its early days, plenty of gamers found success by simply uploading screen recordings of their gameplay. However, nowadays, all the successful YouTubers (not only in the gaming category) upload footage shot on a camera to improve the quality of their content.
If you’re looking to shoot vlogs, it’ll be absolutely impossible to get by with a webcam and footage shot on a smartphone has significantly worse quality than even an average camera.
What Kind Of Camera Do YouTubers Use?
Depending on the type of content they produce, YouTubers use different types of cameras for their needs.
The average vlogger will use small, handheld cameras that are easy to transport with and can be ready to film at a moment’s notice.
Gaming YouTubers or product reviewers who have a more stable, indoor setup might use a different camera.
For them, the image quality is more important, so they’ll want a high quality camera with a tripod attachment and potentially some lighting equipment too.
Do You Need A 4K Camera For YouTube?
To be successful on YouTube, having the highest quality videos possible is absolutely essential.Â
If a video looks low-quality and blurry, viewers are less likely to stick around after more than a few minutes and click on a competitor’s video with better quality.
It’s also worth remembering that people could be watching your videos on a screen as small as a smartphone or as big as a TV. Using a 4K camera means your videos will maintain a high quality regardless of the screen it's being viewed on.