The Best Cameras for YouTube in 2021
YouTube attracted 20 million viewers and one billion hours of content every day, to a large extent becoming the most popular video platform. Combined with the video capabilities of modern smartphones (most of which can now shoot in 4K), anyone can create and share content almost instantly. However, if you really want to stand out on YouTube, you need to invest in a good camera.
My favorite YouTube camera choice is the Sony A6600, which is a mid-range mirrorless model that provides quality, control, and functionality to take your channel to the next level. Although it's not the best camera overall, its ease of use and excellent eye tracking autofocus feature provide some obvious advantages for video recorders or single-person teams.
Technically speaking, the A6600 cannot provide the best video quality, nor is it the cheapest or smallest option. If you are worried about these things, then there may be a better camera for you.
The best: Sony A6600
The Sony A6600 is not the best camcorder, but it has everything most YouTube users need. For video recorders and other one-person teams, it's hard to beat its ease of use.
Although it is a relatively small and iterative step for the A6500, it only proves the way Sony mirrorless cameras dial in. The A6600 provides a wealth of features for still photographers and videographers, but YouTubers are worth noting the 180-degree flip screen, microphone and headphone jack, 5-axis stabilization function, and excellent eye recognition autofocus function.
This is the last unique feature of the A6600. Sony’s Real-Time Eye AF is one of the few new features of the A6600. It is the best-in-class autofocus system we’ve tested. It eliminates one of the biggest difficulties for creators who must have both camera operators and talents. With Real-Time Eye AF, you can forget about it just by turning it on. I believe the camera can keep you in focus while focusing.
It also shoots oversampled 4K video from the APS-C sensor to achieve richly detailed output, and includes many advanced video settings, the most famous being Sony's S-Log color profile. These flat profiles retain a greater dynamic range, but need to be color corrected later to make them look normal again. Not every YouTuber needs this feature, but more experienced photographers will like it when looking for an advantage in image quality.
The biggest disadvantage of the A6600 is that although it offers all the advanced options, it still lags behind the competition in terms of pure video quality. It only records 4K in 8-bit, while cameras like Panasonic Lumix GH5 and Fujifilm X-T3 provide 10-bit recording. Its older sensors are also prone to "jello cam" phenomenon, which is a jitter distortion that occurs when the camera (or subject) moves too fast. For any locked lens, this is not a problem, but it may affect the popular walking conversation lens.
Despite this, the A6600 is still a balanced camera with a reasonable price and integrates many functions into a compact body. For most YouTube creators, this is the best camera.
Lumix GH5S Daven Mathies / Digiatl Trends
The performance of this camera has been over 3 years, and it is still one of the most powerful cameras today. The GH5 is the first mirrorless camera to shoot 4K at 60 frames per second, and it is usually a simple answer for those who require a high-quality camera.
Since the 10-bit 4:2:2 recording speed is up to 400 megabits per second, it has excellent image quality. It can also shoot with DCI 4K (4,096 x 2,160) or Ultra HD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution.
However, the best thing about using GH5 as a YouTube camera is that it has no limit on the length of clips that can be recorded. Do you need a long discussion or an ongoing interview? no problem. Most hybrid cameras (still cameras that can shoot video) can last up to 30 minutes, while GH5 cannot.
Like the Sony A6600, GH5 provides you with a clear monitor, 5-axis sensor displacement stabilizer, and microphone and headphone jacks.
Sounds like a winner, so why is GH5 not our first choice? It boils down to autofocus.
Panasonic has developed its own focusing technology, called Defocus Depth (DFD), instead of using the more standard phase detection autofocus used by the A6600. For still photography, the speed and accuracy of DFD is impressive-but there are problems with video. Due to the working principle of the system, it will continuously adjust back and forth, and these small focus changes will be shown in the video. It is not always noticeable, but it can be distracting in some cases.
Although the GH5 is undoubtedly a better ordinary camera than the A6600, I have to argue that Sony will become easier to use and more consistent, making it a better choice for most YouTube creators.
You may also want to check the Lumix GH5S, which uses a lower resolution, multi-aspect ratio sensor specifically designed for video. The camera sacrifices the stability of the image, so you want to keep it on a tripod or gimbal, but if you want the best video quality, you don't need to use a professional movie camera. GH5S is perfect for you. Otherwise, it provides the same functions in almost the same body as the regular GH5.
GoPro Hero8 Black
GoPro's latest flagship product is the best action camera you can buy, but calling Hero8 Black an "action camera" is not the most accurate way to label it. It not only provides perspective for extreme athletes, but also provides new "mod" accessories, turning it into a powerful video recording tool. Add LED lights, a mini shotgun microphone, and even a selfie screen.
It is also important for video recorders. GoPro has increased the impressive HyperSmooth stability of Hero8 Black to 2.0, providing pan-tilt-like stability whether you are in the middle of a conference hall or when hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail. Function, very suitable for those walking and talking lenses. HyperSmooth 2.0 is impressive, and this is the number one reason why I recommend Hero8 Black to YouTubers instead of other sports cameras.
Hero8 Black is the first physical redesign since Hero5 Black, and its built-in fixing frame allows you to give up the frame or protective cover. This allows faster and easier setup, and also allows the battery and memory card to be replaced when the camera is attached to other objects. The camera as a whole is also thinner, so it is easier to carry.