5 Cameras YouTubers Should Absolutely Consider Using in 2023

Another year has come and gone and YouTube has continued on as one of the biggest — and best — platforms for creators of every ilk and skill set. Whether you’re launching your own niche channel and brand, or creating content for any host of companies or clients, YouTube will still be the main hosting choice for the vast majority of creators and brands.

And with good reason too. YouTube ad revenue continues to rise and creators are still able to quickly build brands and garner percentages from their content — even in the face of rising competitors like TikTok and Instagram stories.

So, regardless of your expertise or experience level with YouTube content creation, there are many creators who will either look to get into the game, or upgrade their setups, to try to make the best YouTube videos possible here in 2023.

Alongside our best cameras for YouTubers list, we have a quick group of additions which you should absolutely consider using this upcoming year. Check out our picks (and reviews) below.

Panasonic Lumix S5 II

Our first camera recommendation is the newly released Panasonic LUMIX S5 II is one of the more exciting cameras to come out already this year. And with a price point below $2,000 and plenty of great recording capabilities (like a 24.2MP Full-Frame CMOS sensor capable of 6K video), it’s no surprise to see it gaining popularity with film and video pros.

For YouTube in particular, it’s a great camera option with a low barrier to entry that has taken all the best elements of the previous LUMIX S5 (which was quite capable itself), but stepped things up with its phase-detect autofocus and slightly improved specs.

Here are the full specs and price:

• 24.2MP Full-Frame CMOS Sensor
• 6K30p 4:2:0 10-Bit Video Recording
• C4K/4K60p 4:2:2 10-Bit Unlimited
• 3.68m-Dot 0.78x-Magnification OLED LVF
• 3.0" 1.84m-Dot Tilt/Free-Angle Touch-LCD
• 779-Point Phase-Detection AF System
• 5-Axis Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization
• ISO 100-51200, up to 30 fps Shooting
• Dual UHS-II SD Slots; Wi-Fi & Bluetooth
• Weather-Sealed Construction

Price: $1,997.99

Read our full LUMIX S5 II review here exploring how Panasonic has finally leveled up its autofocus game.

Fujifilm X-H2S

The next high-rising camera on our list is the new Fujifilm X-H2S. With a newly developed X-Trans stacked sensor, highly-refined AF and subject detection capabilities, and its impressive 6.2K recording, this new Fuji camera might be the best the manufacturer has ever put out.

In particular for YouTubers or digital content creators who like Fuji’s iconic colors and look, as well as a very sleek and smooth design, the X-H2S checks all the boxes you’d need to start a YouTube channel today, or even step up one you’ve been working on for years.

Here’s a full list of key specs and pricing:

• 26.1MP APS-C X-Trans Stacked BSI Sensor
• 4K 120p, 6.2K 30p, FHD 240p 10-Bit Video
• Internal ProRes 422 HQ and F-Log 2
• 7-Stop In-Body Image Stabilization
• 5.76m-Dot OLED Electronic Viewfinder
• 3" 1.62m-Dot Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD
• 40 fps E. Shutter, 15 fps Mech. Shutter
• 425-Pt. Hybrid AF, AI Subject Detection
• ProRes & Blackmagic RAW via HDMI
• CFexpress Type B & SD UHS-II Card Slots

Price: $2,499.00

You can read our full Fujifilm X-H2S review here which goes over how it truly unlocked the future of open gate video recording.

Canon EOS R7

Moving on to some of the most famous names in camera technology, Canon made some serious waves when they launched the Canon R7. And while the Canon R6 II might be the more newsworthy (check out our showdown between the R6 II and the Sony a7 IV here), the R7 is truly the one YouTubers should be excited about.

And not just YouTubers too, as you can see in the video above, we were able to really push the R7 to the max of its capabilities as it performed quite admirably as the A-cam for a commercial video shoot. With its 4K at 60p 10-bit video recording and a 32.5MP CMOS sensor, this mirrorless Canon camera continues on the legacy of the DSLR Canon 7D as one of the best production B-cam or YouTube A-cams on the market.

Here are the full specs and price:

• 32.5MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
• Dual Pixel CMOS AF II
• 4K60 10-Bit Video, HDR-PQ & C-Log 3
• 30 fps E. Shutter, 15 fps Mech. Shutter
• 2.36m-Dot OLED EVF
• 1.6m-Dot Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD
• Sensor-Shift 5-Axis Image Stabilization
• Dual UHS-II Memory Card Slots
• Multi-Function Shoe, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Price: $1,499.00

Read our full review of the Canon EOS R7 here to see if it might be the right A or B cam for you.

Sony a7R V

A legacy competitor to Canon’s camera dominance of the late 2000s and beyond, Sony has also been at the forefront of mirrorless digital camera technology. And with the release of the Sony a7R V, one of the brand’s most famous camera lines got even better.

With a massive 61MP Full-Frame CMOS sensor capable of UHD 8K video and a ridiculous 15-stops of dynamic range, the a7R V might be Sony’s best YouTube camera yet. While it’s a bit pricier than some other cameras on our list, it really cements itself as a top end YouTube camera that can work on pretty much video shoot in 2023 — and certainly beyond.

• 61MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS Sensor
• BIONZ XR & AI Processing Unit
• AI-Based Real-Time Tracking AF System
• 8K 24p, 4K 60p, FHD 120p 10-Bit Video
• 4K 16-Bit Raw Output; S-Log3/S-Cinetone
• 9.44m-Dot EVF with 120 fps Refresh Rate
• 3.2" 4-Axis Multi-Angle Touchscreen LCD
• 10 fps Shooting with AF/AE Tracking
• 8-Stop 5-Axis Image Stabilization
• Dual CFexpress Type A/SD Card Slots

Price:$3,898.00

Read our full round-up list of the best Sony cameras here to see where the a7R V stacks up to the rest of Sony's mirrorless line.

iPhone 14 Pro

Finally, not to get too controversial on our last take here, we have to again talk about the changing nature of camera technology, and how smartphones are becoming more variable as production camera options — in particular when being used for digital media like YouTube videos.

With the iPhone 14 increasing its cinematic capabilities from the previous version quite impressively, the iPhone 14 has really brought itself into the conversation as a realistic option for content creators.

With four lenses on the Pro model all capable of 4K video at up to 60p, including shooting in Apple’s proprietary cinematic mode at 30p, the iPhone 14 should continue to grow in popularity and in use for even the most serious of YouTubers here in 2023.

Here are the lens specs:

• 48MP Main: 24 mm, ƒ/1.78 aperture, second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization, seven‑element lens, 100% Focus Pixels
• 12MP Ultra Wide: 13 mm, ƒ/2.2 aperture and 120° field of view, six‑element lens, 100% Focus Pixels
• 12MP 2x Telephoto (enabled by quad-pixel sensor): 48 mm, ƒ/1.78 aperture, second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization, seven‑element lens, 100% Focus Pixels
• 12MP 3x Telephoto: 77 mm, ƒ/2.8 aperture, optical image stabilization, six-element lens
• 3x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out; 6x optical zoom range; digital zoom up to 15x

And these are the video recording options:

• 4K video recording at 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
• 1080p HD video recording at 25 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
• 720p HD video recording at 30 fps
• Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps
• Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps
• HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps
• ProRes video recording up to 4K at 30 fps (1080p at 30 fps for 128GB storage)
• Macro video recording, including slo-mo and time-lapse

Price: $999

And be sure to explore more in-depth into how you can shoot a commercial using the iPhone 14 Pro in this blog article here.