You might already have an idea of what your favorite YouTuber is using to film their videos, but what about everyone else? Here are insights into the gear of 40 successful channels.
Gerald Undone has gathered a huge array of YouTubers together to list the gear that they use for shooting A-roll: the combination of camera, lens, mic, and lighting equipment that creates their talking-head shots.
Perhaps the stand-out camera on this list is, perhaps inevitably, the Sony a7S III. Released last year, the a7S III seemed set to become the YouTuber’s camera of choice, offering excellent flexibility, quality, and relative affordability in a compact package. Several YouTubers on this massive list own more than one.
There’s one other slightly under-the-radar piece of equipment that seems to be a popular choice: a filter that adds a touch of halation to the highlights to give a slightly less digital feel to the resulting footage. As well as blooming highlights, they soften hard edges and can even out skin tones, potentially reducing wrinkles. Popular choices include the Cinebloom filters from Moment, and the Black Pro-Mist filters from Tiffen.
What's your ideal setup? And did you spot the Dirtfoot Easter egg? Let us know in the comments below.
Amazing how many options we photogs have for cameras and gear and how similar many of the folks in the video have the exact or nearly the exact same setup.
Then there’s MKBHD with the Red camera set up.
There are plenty of options for youtube creators, but, unlike photographers they will buy a new camera every year if one comes out. They all have to have the latest and greatest all the time, if Canon releases something better than the A7siii they'll immediately all go and get it. Also they all copy each other, if the most popular/more popular youtuber(s) are doing it then they'll all follow suit, and it doesn't take long either. Point in case, black mist filters. One youtuber mentioned them, so now they ALL use them.
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While all use fairly sophisticated gear, the real differentiator is lighting and set design.
Many of them admitted they bought on recommendations from others.
That does not mean they made poor choices but rather implies that some had little knowledge or interest in the gear other than getting a decent result.
I would note that most used a a fast wide angle lens in their setups that scarcely helps in making their faces look good but is a nod to the small spaces they may have or the blind purchase of a recommended lens.
Considering that the overwhelming bulk of viewers will be watching these videos on a phone or laptop the camera is nearly irrelevant. Even on a 27" monitor a phone on a well lit set with good sound will deliver superb results.