If you’re looking at picking one of the best YouTube cameras in 2023, we’ve got you covered. While you can start creating content on just about any camera you already own, getting a dedicated camera specifically for YouTube is going to help you to elevate your content. If you’ve never thought about getting a camera for YouTube, you might be surprised to learn just how many different features are available. In this article, we’ll cover the best cameras options, plus the features you should consider before making a decision.
Best Cameras for YouTube
Sony ZV-E1 Mirrorless Camera Body
Why We Chose This Camera: The ZV-E1 from Sony is the smallest and lightest full frame camera with interchangeable lenses and is loaded with excellent features for content creators.
Key Features:
- 12.1 MP sensor
- Video resolution 4K at 60p
- Weighs 483g
Equipped with an intelligent three-capsule microphone and a fully articulating screen, the Sony ZV-E1 is a great choice for content creators who need versatility. The ZV-E1 is the world’s smallest and lightest full frame, interchangeable lens camera. This provides versatility when it comes to focal lengths. The microphone can be adjusted depending on your shoot, allowing you to capture audio from the front, rear, all directions, or Auto.
For creators who shoot videos of moving subjects, the AI processing unit on the ZV-E1 uses subject form data to give a 60% better autofocus tracking in human eye recognition. The autofocus technology can even recognize body and head position. This means your subject will stay in focus even when facing away from the camera. The 12.1 megapixel full-frame sensor also allows you to capture high quality footage at an extended ISO range of 40-409,600.
Finally, this compact camera supports 4K 60p and 120p upgradable recording. Whether you need to shoot slow-motion or regular speed footage, the Sony ZV-E1 has you covered.
Sony ZV-E10 Mirrorless Camera Body
Why We Chose This Camera: Sony’s ZV-E10 offers a great bang-for-your-buck for new content creators on a budget.
Key Features:
- 24.2 MP sensor
- Video resolution 4K at 30p
- Weighs 364g
The Sony ZV-E10 is a compact crop sensor camera with interchangeable lenses and a 24.2 megapixel sensor. The side-opening vari-angle LCD screen simplifies the process of taking selfie and vlog style videos and photos. This 12.8oz (364 grams) camera is capable of going just about anywhere you go, so it is perfect for content creators.
4K video is oversampled from the 24.2MP sensor, giving you even better video quality than you’d normally expect from 4K. Real time AF tracking allows you to easily hold focus on a moving subject, which is perfect for creators that shoot video of anything that moves. The phase-detection AF points cover 84% of the sensor’s image area to ensure quick and accurate autofocus.
The camera also has a built in S&Q (Slow & Quick) mode, allowing you to easily record videos up to 5x slower than real time, or 60x faster. This process is all done in camera, so creators that are new to editing won’t need any external software to create their desired effect.
Canon PowerShot V10 Vlog Camera
Why We Chose This Camera: The G7 X Mark II is both affordable and lightweight, and comes with an excellent accessory bundle to get a new creator started.
Key Features:
- 20.9 MP sensor
- Video resolution 4K at 30p
- Weighs 211g
The Canon PowerShot V10 packs a punch for a compact camera. The 20.9 megapixel CMOS sensor and 19mm wide-angle lens will help you capture great footage. The DIGIC X Image Processor actively reduces noise at high ISOs, and processes images at high speeds.
The camera comes has a built-in stand, two large stereo mics, and a third microphone to help cancel out unwanted sounds. This gives you everything you need to capture great footage all in one small camera body. This is an excellent choice for content creators new to YouTube that want to save money and still get a very high quality camera for their videos.
Fujifilm X-S20 Mirrorless Digital Camera
Why We Chose This Camera: Fujifilm’s excellent in-camera options allow you to creatively capture excellent footage in-camera without needing external editing software to enhance your footage.
Key Features:
- 26.1 MP APSC X-Trans sensor
- Video resolution 4k at 60p
- Weighs 491g
Perhaps the best feature of the Fujifilm X-S20 is having the ability to use Fujifilm’s legendary color reproduction and other in-camera functionality available on the X-S20. You can easily choose between many different options to adjust the colors and textures in your videos to capture creative footage right out of the camera.
The camera can be purchased as a stand-alone, or with a lens. For creators, this gives a lot of versatility to choose the perfect lens for your content creation needs. The camera is small and compact, weighing just 16.4oz (491 g). Face and eye detection autofocus ensure that your photos and video will be in perfect focus. Fully customizable settings allow you to cater the camera specifically for your needs, speeding up your workflow and helping you to create better content, faster.
Panasonic Lumix GH6 Mirrorless Camera
Why We Chose This Camera: The GH6 is a great choice for creators that want high quality video and audio, while also offering great specs for still photography as well.
Key Features:
- 24 MP sensor
- Video resolution 4K at 60p
- Weighs 823g
Content creators will love the 12+ stops of dynamic range that the Panasonic Lumix GH6 captures in V-Log recording. Furthermore, using the dynamic range boost can allow you to achieve 13+ stops. A variety of different color profiles and LUTs are available in-camera, to help you capture the footage you want in-camera, rather than relying on post-processing software to make color adjustments.
You can choose to use the camera’s built-in microphone, or connect your own microphone for better audio quality in 48/96kHz 24-bit high res. For creators that need to film for extended periods of time, you can record unlimited C4K 60p 4:2:2 10-bit, as the camera has a heat-dissipating path and a forced-cooling mechanism to ensure that your camera will never overheat. Better yet, the Lumix GH6 has dual card slots, giving you even more room to create more video content.
Lastly, Panasonic also promises that more new features will be added to the Lumix GH6 over time via firmware updates, which are free for the user.
Nikon Z 30 DX-Format Mirrorless Camera
Why We Chose This Camera: The Nikon Z 30 DX-Format Mirrorless Camera has numerous features specially designed for content creators, like a fully articulating screen, 60p live streaming, and a compact camera body and it is incredibly easy to set up and use.
Key Features:
- 21 MP sensor
- Video resolution 4K at 30p
- Weighs 350g
If you need a camera just for YouTube, the Nikon Z 30 DX-Format is the jack of all trades. First, a compact camera body with a full articulating screen will help you to capture great footage wherever you may go. If you want to stream, you can do so in Full HD 60p or 4K 30p. You can count on fast, reliable autofocus with both eye and face tracking for both people, dogs, and cats.
The camera comes with a built-in stereo mic, and an outdoor wind muff that is sold separately. Or, if you want to capture audio with your own microphone, the Z 30 is fully equipped and ready to mount your mic. The Z 30 is very easy to use. It has an easily buildable menu, allowing you to adjust all of the settings you use most. For creators that don’t know how to dial in their settings, you can use auto mode to let the camera choose for you based on the scene.
GoPro HERO11 Black
Why We Chose This Camera: GoPro’s HERO11 is small and lightweight, and can capture great videos with the simple click of a button.
Key Features:
- 27 MP sensor
- Video resolution 5.3K at 60p
- Weighs 127g
GoPro’s HERO lineup of cameras is on its 11th edition, and for good reason. The HERO lineup started as action sports cameras, and quickly became one of the easiest and most accessible ways to create content on the go. The GoPro HERO11 is very easy to just point and shoot, and let the GoPro do the work. The HERO11 is small enough to fit in your pocket, yet powerful enough to shoot 5.3K footage at 60fps, meaning that you can downsample to 4K for higher quality footage.
Even if you’re shooting on the run, turning the HyperSmooth Stabilization on will allow you to capture smooth footage without the use of a gimbal. If you need a camera that can take a beating, the GoPro Hero11 certainly should be high on your list. Waterproof up to 33 feet (10m) and designed to be used in extreme scenarios, you can always count on this camera to capture footage in the toughest conditions.
How to Choose Your YouTube Camera
With literally hundreds of camera on the market to choose from, finding the best cameras for YouTube can seem like a daunting task. There are a few key features that you should evaluate before making a decision.
Resolution
Resolution is important when choosing the best cameras for YouTube, but more isn’t always necessary. If you only need to shoot in real-time, and never plan on using slow motion, you don’t need a camera that can capture 4K in 60fps. If you don’t need to capture high resolution 4K video footage at all, you may be able to get by with a camera that only records in HD.
Weight and Size
Both the size and weight should be considered when finding the right camera. The smaller the camera, the better chance you’ll be able to bring it along with you to capture content wherever you go. Some content creation cameras can even fit in your pocket. If this is important to you, make sure to shop around to find the appropriate sized camera.
In-Camera Features
Having in-camera features like LUTs and internal microphones can help you to capture video footage straight out of camera. If you don’t know how to edit your videos, picking out a camera with great in-camera features will help you to produce YouTube content much easier and faster.
Accessories and Bundles
If you’re new to content creation, you may want to choose a camera that comes in a bundle with other accessories. Having an external microphone and something to hold the camera on will greatly help you to start creating great video content right out of the box. You don’t really realize how many accessories you need until you start shooting!
Build
Depending on the type of content creator you are, different camera builds may better suit your needs. If you do a lot of selfie shooting, or filming yourself, having a fully articulating screen can help you to make sure that you are in focus, and in the right spot. Being able to see yourself on screen as you film will help you having to reshoot for small mistakes you would otherwise make.
Best Camera for YouTube FAQs
How do I choose the best camera for YouTube?
Each creator will have different needs. Although, finding a compact camera capable of shooting high resolution footage is a great place to start. If you don’t want to edit your footage heavily, consider finding a camera that offers great in-camera options to capture the best footage right out of the camera.
Do I need 4K video for YouTube?
You certainly don’t need 4K for YouTube, though you can upload footage as large as 4K. Capturing video in 4K can help give your videos a more professional look, but many users don’t even watch YouTube in 4K. Shooting in 4K can also help you to crop your videos if you find that you want to zoom in after shooting.
What camera is best for YouTube beginners?
The best camera for YouTube beginners is going to depend greatly on what type of content you create. However, I think you can’t go wrong with the GoPro Hero11 for how easy it is to use, its compact and portable size, and the high resolution videos it allows you to record.
Final Thoughts
There is a lot to learn when it comes to creating YouTube content. As you start your channel, understand that the quality of your videos will improve over time, as you continue to gain more experience both with your camera and with your editing. The key to picking out the right YouTube channel is finding the best cameras for YouTube for your particular uses. Use this list to help dial in the features you should look out for, as well as some of the best cameras for YouTube in 2023.
