Best YouTube Camera 2021

A recent survey, commissioned by Danish toymaker Lego, revealed that American and British children were three times more likely to want to be vloggers or YouTube stars than astronauts when they grow up. What was once a small step in user-generated video content has indeed become a giant leap for mankind’s career choices.

From the humble television to YouTube, we have come a long way when it comes to consuming information and being entertained in the comfort of our homes – especially now, in the times of the pandemic. As TV channels and studios shut down temporarily with no new episodes or programs to air, YouTube’s relevance got a major boost as independent content creators adapted quickly and delivered to their loyal online audience.

With YouTube’s ever-rising popularity and ease of use, the process of starting a channel and presenting a show has also undergone drastic changes. Today, it’s not necessary to have a large crew of technicians and artists to put together an interesting show. All you need is an email account and great content ideas. It is easier to transform your creative ideas into quality content all by yourself, or with a little help from your friends. However, you still need decent equipment to help kickstart a successful vlogging journey.

What Equipment Do You Need For YouTube?

Whether you are looking to start your own YouTube channel or are a seasoned vlogger, a good camera is the most important piece of equipment to own. The camera must be suitable for the type of content that you wish to produce.

If you are aiming to create travel and lifestyle content, a camera with an interchangeable lens is preferable as it will provide many options to frame different subjects in unique ways. If you are an action and adventure sports junkie, the camera should be compact and tough enough to withstand shocks and bumps. On the other hand, if your expertise lies in offering makeup tutorials or you are a gaming vlogger, a decent webcam with live streaming possibilities should be sufficient to begin with.

As you up your video game, you can invest in a dedicated audio recorder, lights, tripods and backdrops, but for now let’s focus primarily on cameras.

DSLR vs Mirrorless vs Compact Cameras For YouTube

Digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras have been considered to be the professional’s choice for many years now, but mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras (MILC) are giving serious competition to this notion. Recognizing the market potential of YouTubers, almost all camera manufacturers now offer compact mirrorless cameras that rival their DSLR counterparts.

The main advantage of MILC is that they are compact, less expensive and are more user-friendly. They offer automatic focus tracking which helps maintain focus even if the subject moves. A front-facing flipscreen is another feature that helps immensely in framing the shot.

DSLRs are expensive, bulky and come with a steep learning curve, but they have their own benefits. They pair up excellently with a wider range of lenses, which means more options to tell your story in a cinematic way. They are also built rugged to withstand rain, dust and shock from falling. Some DSLRs also have superior auto-focus tracking and flipscreens with touch capabilities similar to what MILCs offer.

Compact cameras are the lightest and offer similar (or additional) features than those listed above, except the ability to change lenses. These cameras feature an electronic zoom mechanism to help you frame shots in different perspectives.

How Should You Choose A Camera for YouTube?

First of all, consider your own skill level in handling a camera. Have you used a DSLR or mirrorless camera before and do you know its functions? Although camera features and shooting techniques can be learnt on the go, being self-aware of your strengths and weaknesses can help you zero in on the perfect camera for YouTube without going overboard or settling for lesser features than you actually need.

Your budget comes next. The sky is literally the limit when it comes to buying the best camera for YouTube, but advanced features obviously come with higher price tags. If you have a starting budget of $500 there’s really no point in lusting after a full-frame mirrorless camera. Similarly, if you have a $1000 budget try not to buy a camera that costs $999. Apart from the camera, you may also need to spend on memory cards, lenses and a tripod, so do keep that in mind as well.

Like I mentioned earlier, knowing what content you wish to put out on YouTube is the most important factor in choosing a camera. For example, if you are planning to offer guitar lessons online, a good webcam will work just fine. But if you are a skateboarder and want to show off your flips and grinds, an action camera that can be mounted on your helmet or board will elevate your YouTube channel more than a simple webcam ever could.

Best YouTube Camera 2021

A good camera needn’t cost a fortune. To make your vlogging journey easier, we’ve rounded up the best cameras for YouTube available in the market today. These cameras fit into different budgets and are suitable for a range of uses depending on your expertise level. All the models listed in this article are excellent cameras regardless of whether you are planning to use them for YouTube or general purposes. Read on to know more.

1. Canon EOS M6 Mark II – Best Camera For YouTube 2021

Good things come in small packages and the Canon EOS M6 Mark II is a tiny powerhouse, built keeping vloggers and video makers in mind. Blending high-quality sensor design and optics, this MILC is an extremely popular camera for YouTube content creators.

What makes it the perfect choice?

Giving you the best of both worlds whether you want to shoot photos or videos, the Canon EOS M6 Mark II is the next leap for the popular Japanese brand. At its heart, you will find one of Canon’s best 32.5 megapixel APS-C sized sensors coupled with a DIGIC 8 image processor that delivers sharp results in various light conditions.

Canon’s color science, especially for skin tones, has been an industry standard for decades. The M6 Mark II’s sensor recreates these tones flawlessly and creates exceptional images. The new range of EF-M lenses produced specifically for the M series cameras are lightweight and deliver the same clarity as Canon’s mainstream lenses. In case you already have a few Canon lenses, you can use them on the M6 Mark II through a separate adapter carrying full functionality, mainly auto focus and TTL metering.

On the video side of things, this camera offers 4K video up to 30 fps and full HD in adjustable frames. The tilting 3” LCD features touch capabilities that combines very well with onboard dual-pixel auto focus (DPAF) and eye-detection to achieve smooth focus tracking even if your subject is moving.

Who is this for?

The crop frame allows you to have an extended reach and is particularly useful for travel vloggers. The lightweight M6 Mark II is compact enough to take on your most exciting journeys and its intuitive user interface will be appreciated by most beginners. This is a camera suitable for just about anyone and any subject you are shooting.

2. Sony ZV-1 – Best YouTube Camera With Flip Screen

Since a decade, Sony has consistently broken new ground when it comes to cameras and the ZV-1 is no exception. Lightweight and loaded with user-friendly features, this compact camera provides exceptional detail in videos and photos. Particularly aimed at content creators and vloggers, the ZV-1 can be your best friend on your journey to YouTube super stardom.

What makes it the perfect choice?

The Sony ZV-1 is a compact camera with a built-in lens designed to provide all the features that vloggers love and expect these days. Any good video is hinged on three main elements – HD video quality, precise focus and sound. The ZV-1 knocks it out of the park on all three fronts.

For starters, the lens made by Zeiss, equivalent to a 24-70mm zoom range, assures you of excellent, crisp details in all your images and videos. The camera’s automatic exposure algorithm keeps your face bright and clear in almost all lighting situations. You even have the option of defocusing the background further, for that dreamy look which is a hallmark of most successful YouTube videos these days.

Sony’s proprietary Fast Hybrid Autofocus is able to focus in as quickly as 0.03 seconds and it also can lock focus on your eye as you record, especially helpful if you are walking around town or moving in your room. The evolved focusing system can also fluidly pick out products or items that you may want to show your viewers, ensuring that no element of your video is lost or out of focus. The ZV-1 has an on-board forward-directional mic and bundled windscreen for excellent sound quality in your videos straight out of the box.

The front-facing LCD touchscreen helps you to easily frame yourself in the shot and even operate the camera while you are recording. Other staples include 4K HDR and HD recording with S-log for professional color grading, timelapse, slow-motion capture, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and a built-in Neutral Density filter for more creative control over exposure. Videos and photos can also be wirelessly transferred to your smartphone for quick uploads on social media.

Who is this for?

The Sony ZV-1 is made for content creators so it works well for almost anyone. However, its focus capabilities are best suited for travel and adventure vloggers who often walk around locations. Vloggers who do a lot of product reviews will also find the camera’s Product Showcase setting most useful.

3. Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III – 4K Weather Proof YouTube Camera

Sold in black or silver versions, the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III may be quite a mouthful to pronounce but it is a beast of a camera. This mid-range mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (MILC) borrows heavily from the professional grade E-M1 Mark II. At a little over 450 gm, it’s a breeze to carry this weather-proof 4K camera all day long.

What makes it the perfect choice?

The E-M5 Mark III has a Micro Four Thirds sensor – smaller than an APS-C sensor – which is stabilized in-body and pushes out 20MP of visual goodness, equally in the photo and video departments. The body is made of high-grade plastic but is fully weather-sealed for those long jaunts in the city or forests. Shooting in the rain or -10ºC temperatures is no longer a big deal.

Coupled with Olympus’s legendary Zuiko lenses, the E-M5 Mark III turns into a superb video machine churning out Cinema 4K video at 24p and Full HD 1080p up to 120 fps in pleasing detail and colors that rival other brands. Combine the camera’s digital stabilization with the sensor-shift stabilization for incredibly smooth footage even when you are walking and shooting in low-light.

The camera features a fully articulating 3” touch-sensitive LCD which you can tap to focus. Thanks to its 121-point Phase Detection autofocus system, the camera precisely tracks focus and is a great asset for outdoor vloggers. You can easily pair the E-M5 Mark III with your smartphone over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and transfer photos and videos for instant sharing on social media. This model comes with a bundled external flash as well.

Who is this for?

Great weather-sealing and portability makes this camera suitable for YouTubers who want to produce travel, adventure and sports content or anything that involves action in the outdoors.

4. Canon PowerShot G7X Mark III – Best Compact Youtube Camera 2021

Going back to the world of compact cameras, we had to include Canon’s PowerShot G7X Mark III, especially since it appears frequently in the gear list of the world’s most popular YouTubers. Built to provide a hassle-free experience of shooting and sharing videos on-the-go, this is a camera that combines incredible features with ergonomics suitable for almost all vloggers.

What makes it the perfect choice?

Canon’s G7X series cameras have been and continue to be used by top vloggers such as Pewdiepie and Casey Niestat. Top photographers also prefer this powerful compact as a backup camera.

The G7X Mark III is the next step in providing exceptional value to vloggers on a mid-range budget. It can shoot up to 120p in Full HD, and uncropped UltraHD 4K recording at 30p. The 1” stacked 20MP sensor delivers true Canon colors along with the latest DIGIC 8 processor. True to its Canon pedigree, the build is solid, interface easy to understand and the 24-100mm equivalent lens has a decent 4.2x optical zoom. Essentially, you can do a whole lot of video stuff without the trouble of buying or hauling additional lenses.

The G7X Mark III uses contrast-detect autofocus system, which is a little underwhelming than the phase-detect system found on other brands but it is responsive and gets the job done. A built-in 3-stop ND filter helps you shoot in bright light with video-friendly shutter speeds, while the mic socket allows you to connect an audio recorder or microphone for more professional sound in your videos.

The camera comes enabled with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, Live YouTube Streaming is built-in as well as USB C support for charging and file transfer. You can even shoot vertical videos for cross-platform content such as Instagram Stories and IGTV.

Who is this for?

The Canon PowerShot G7X Mark III is aimed directly at vloggers looking for a simple setup. It’s a mid-range camera that will take care of all your live shooting needs and help you publish gorgeous 4K or Full HD videos to YouTube. This camera is suitable for almost every type of content creator who appreciates simplicity without sacrificing quality.

5. Sony A7 III – Mirrorless Camera For YouTube

The A7 III is Sony’s full-frame small wonder that closely matches the specs and performance of its bigger brother – the A7R III – in a more affordable package. This camera has several innovative features that help you capture stunning videos and photos without breaking a sweat.

What makes it the perfect choice?

Full-frame cameras like the A7 III are preferred by a majority of professionals for their pleasing background blur (bokeh) and splendid low-light performance. The 24.2MP back-illuminated 35mm sensor has a 15 stop dynamic range that will not let you down even in the worst lighting conditions.

A multi-award winning MILC, the A7 III features Eye Tracking for precise focus on human or animal eyes. 693 auto focus points directly read from about 93% of the sensor width, allowing you to place your subject on the edges of the frame and still achieve accurate focus. The A7 III has consistently earned praise from many pros for its 4K HDR movie recording capability at 30 and 24 fps. You can even capture Full HD 1080p footage at varying frame rates up to 120 fps for capturing slick slow-motion shots that will elevate your video game.

The camera features 5-axis in-body stabilization inherited from its bigger cousins for smooth footage. A beautiful articulating touchscreen LCD helps you compose the shot, achieve focus or operate the camera easily. Pairing the A7 III with your smartphone is possible via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi for quick sharing on social media. Separate mic and headphone ports allow you to monitor and record high-quality audio that will do your content justice. All of this tech is housed in a tough magnesium alloy body for enhanced durability.

Who is this for?

The A7 III is for content creators who are keen on having the best visual quality in their videos. Suitable for almost any type of vlogging, this is a camera that can seriously help take your already established YouTube career further.

6. Canon EOS 90D – Best DSLR YouTube Camera 2021

The only DSLR on this list, the Canon 90D is here simply because it ticks all the boxes when it comes to capturing stunning video in a rugged body. Plus, this prosumer camera cheerfully pairs up with a wide range of Canon lenses, useful if you already own one or two lenses.

What makes it the perfect choice?

DSLRs may seem passé if you are talking about vlogging, but there are several reasons why they are still popular among many professional content creators – both photographers and videographers. Firstly, the 90D is built like a tank. Housed in a magnesium alloy body with superb weather-sealing, its 32.5 Megapixel APS-C sized sensor is bigger than the sensors found on any compact camera body, which translates into great low-light performance.

The 90D features Dual Pixel AF offering fast and accurate autofocus. There’s also Eye and Face Detection AF for tracking moving human subjects. The 3” vari-angle touch screen LCD can be flipped to compose your shot and tapping on it lets you shift focus seamlessly while recording. The 90D is bigger in size than other cameras listed here, but its ergonomics are by far the best. Control buttons and selector pads fall in all the right places as you grip this beauty.

Coupled with the right lenses, the 90D becomes a formidable machine that can help you easily realize your cinematic dreams. It pushes out incredible full-width 4K video as well as Full HD up to 120p. Auto focus while shooting videos is excellent and rolling shutter is well-controlled. This DSLR has both mic and headphone ports to help record superb audio that compliments your video. A fair bit of learning is required to unleash the Canon 90D’s complete set of features, but at least you are assured of an excellent camera that will serve your YouTube needs without complaints for many years.

Who is this for?

Travel, food, wildlife, adventure and action vloggers will truly appreciate the 90D’s tough exterior and superior visual performance. If you are a beginner, there’s a steep learning curve to be crossed but Canon’s intuitive interface makes that easy too. We recommend the 90D for those who spend a lot of time creating content in the wild outdoors.

7. GoPro Hero8 Black – Best YouTube Action Camera 2021

You know a GoPro when you see one. Their range of cost-effective cameras is so good that even amateurs can quickly record professional-looking photos and footage that places the viewer in the thick of the action.

What makes it the perfect choice?

It’s somewhat baffling that so many good things actually have been fitted on to something that looks like a pudgy bar of soap. The Hero8 Black is, perhaps, what Bruce Wayne would have invented if he were more interested in making videos than fighting crime.

As far as video goes, I’d say the GoPro Hero8 Black is the best budget camera for YouTube. The slim yet sturdy body is buzzing with more software features than can be counted here. For starters, you can choose between 4K video at 60 fps or Full HD at up to 240 fps for excellent slow-motion footage. You can even choose between four digital lenses for a different perspective when you need it. The body is stabilized for clean footage, is waterproof and features built-in mounting loops when you have the urge to strap this bad boy onto your surfboard.

Low light shooting, noise reduction and Live Streaming directly at 1080p make the GoPro Hero8 Black a steal. For around $300, you are already getting much more than your money’s worth, but add in additional modifiers such as the Light Mod, Media Mod and Display Mod to create a rugged vlogging kit that is sure to keep your subscribers engaged from the word Go!

Who is this for?

Adventurers, outdoor enthusiasts, surfers, bikers and anybody who lives on the edge and wants to share their experience with the world will be immensely happy with the Hero8 Black.

8. Logitech BRIO Ultra HD Webcam – Best Streaming Youtube Camera 2021

Who uses webcams in today’s world apart from guys in business suits, you say? Well, we have news for you. Traditionally, webcams may not have been suitable for video production, but the Logitech BRIO has changed the game, especially for YouTube.

What makes it the perfect choice?

For a little over $250, you can dip your toes in the YouTube content creator game with this advanced webcam. The BRIO can record and stream video in 4K (30 fps), Full HD (1080p) up to 60 fps and offers smooth HD video (720p) at 30, 60 or 90 fps. The lens is made of clear glass and has an adjustable 5x HD zoom, which means you can choose how wide or narrow you want your shot to be.

The camera’s onboard RightLight 3 technology helps produce clear images, even in low light conditions. The built-in omni-directional microphone also has noise-cancellation – a worthy feature if you live in a noisy neighborhood. Unlike the older, flimsy plastic webcams, the BRIO comes in a sleek metal casing. An adjustable clip snaps the camera on to the top of your laptop or desktop monitor. Tripod mounting is also supported.

Who is this for?

The BRIO makes perfect sense for creators who will mostly remain stationary and operate indoors such as beauty and gaming vloggers. If you are on a modest budget but want 4K video recording, this is the best option. If you want to build your YouTube audience through live streaming or conduct educational webinars, the BRIO will add excellent visual quality to your content.

Which Is The Best Camera For YouTube?

We’ve made the effort to actually take each of the models listed above to the outdoors and try out their various features in different lighting and weather conditions. Keeping our results in mind, the above are the crème de la crème of vlogging gadgets. What remains to be decided now, is what you wish to make with it in your video; because rest assured that each is a brilliant investment you’d thank us for.

Read Next:

Best Slow Motion Camera 2021

Cheap Vlogging Camera With Flip Screen

GoPro Comparison Chart 2021

Last update on 2021-01-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API